Today, Mrs. Edward M. Kennedy sent a letter seeking support for Martha Coakley:
This Tuesday, January 19 everything is on the line. The people of Massachusetts will decide who will be their next Senator, and we need Martha Coakley.Everything is on the line. Scott Brown cannot replace Ted Kennedy. In the first couple hours after this email went out, it raised over $350,000.
The importance of having a voice and a vote that you can count on in Washington has never been more evident than during this ongoing health care debate. And we’re going to need every vote again.
Ted fought for national health care reform for 40 years. He believed that every American deserved their chance at the American dream, but that as long as an illness or preexisting condition could bankrupt an American family, that great goal could never become a reality. We need Martha Coakley to continue our shared fight for national health reform, to reduce costs for businesses and families and increase coverage in Massachusetts and throughout this country. This race will be very close and we need you to get us to victory.
Mrs. Kennedy focused on health care. Our friends at Stonewall Democrats have weighed into the race, too. Yesterday, the group started raising money for Coakley at ActBlue. The message is clear: "Protect Ted Kennedy's legacy from anti-marriage equality Scott Brown by supporting Martha Coakley."
Martha Coakley has to win. John and I contributed via AMERICAblog's ActBlue page and I even called my cousins in Mass. to make sure they vote. Coakley should win. Her opponent, Scott Brown, is a homophobe while she's been a leader on gay issues. He's also been endorsed by two known hate groups. On the other hand, shortly after the Obama administration filed that disastrous brief defending DOMA, Coakley filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of DOMA -- she was the first (and only) state A.G. to challenge the law's constitutionality.
This election should also be a teachable moment for Barack Obama and the Democratic Party. They need one. I'll have much more to say on that later. For now, Martha Coakley needs to win. And, she needs to get down here and show some real liberal leadership, just like Teddy did.
