As the Massachusetts Democratic primary to fill the seat vacated by John Kerry speeds ahead, both Senate candidates have found the need to walk a “fine line” in addressing the unexpected and tragic Boston Marathon twin bombings from last week.
Both campaigns paused amid the ongoing investigation, and that lost time in the critical homestretch seemed to have exacerbated the rush that Democratic Reps. Stephen Lynch and Ed Markey both feel this week heading up to Tuesday’s primary vote.
The congressmen are back on TV after taking their ads down last week, and each evoke the attacks and terrorism in very different ways. Markey talked about his work to strengthen regulations post-9/11, while Lynch made a direct-to-camera reflection on the bombings.
But it’s a pro-Lynch PAC that more overtly used last week’s bombings that could roil the race the most, Bay State Democrats believe.
Automated calls from a labor-aligned super PAC began Wednesday, the Boston Globe reported, and immediately invoked last week’s tragic series of attacks that killed four and injured hundreds others.
“All of us share the shock and sorrow of the recent events in Boston. But as Americans, we’re not going to let the perpetrators of this tragedy or anyone else stop our democracy from moving forward,” the calls said. “Wouldn’t it be great to have a real working person representing you in the U.S. Senate? Not just another millionaire. Someone who truly understands the day-to day problems facing regular working families. Someone like Steve Lynch, the highly skilled and well educated ironworker who put himself through law school at night.”
Lynch’s campaign nearly immediately denounced the calls, which were taken down on Thursday, and denied any involvement in them.
Still those calls threaten to damage Lynch’s momentum following a series of strong debate performances this week where he aggressively went after frontrunner Markey on his votes against creating a joint terrorism task force. But the Boston Globe reported today that same task force is not the same one that oversaw the investigation into the bombings.
So far, the robocall is the most overt place the bombings have been used in these campaigns. The calls went out to scores of likely primary goers, which longtime Massachusetts Democratic strategist Mary Anne Marsh said could backfire on Lynch regardless of the denouncement.
“You have to walk a very fine line,” said Marsh. “If anyone’s seen as trying to politicize what happened last week, they will pay a big price.”
“This was the Lynch I thought I was going to see throughout this entire race,” she said of Lynch’s aggressive performances. “But did those debates make a difference? It’s probably too little too late.”
SECURITY MESSAGING
Aside from the contentious debates, both men approached their latest ad campaigns differently. Lynch’s new ad released this week is him talking directly to camera, and the only mention of his Senate campaign arrives in the federally required disclaimer at the end.
“My heart goes out to the victims of this unthinkable terrorist attack,” Lynch says in the spot. “I want to thank those who saved lives and the police whose heroic actions brought it all to an end. In the face of this tragedy, our city and state offered a stunning example of the strength of the human spirit. We hold in our hearts those we lost. But we will get through this together and work toward a brighter day.”
While both men were regularly on television and working in official capacity post-bombings, several Democrats have noted it was Lynch who was immediately more visible.
At a briefing the day after the bombings, Lynch was right behind Gov. Deval Patrick, the state’s two senators and other federal officials. Lynch had been a longtime friend of the family of 8-year-old Martin Richard, killed in the bombings, while another victim, Krystle Campbell, was Markey’s constituent.
“Lynch was ubiquitous, but I don’t think anyone was thinking of him in context of the Senate race,” said Marsh.









