Who is Martha Coakley: NYT article talks up her progressive creds

[andym]

while making the obvious point that this fighter for the people faces the people's anger (for no good reason). Basically, the people of Massachusetts don't appear to know what they're doing.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/19/us/politics/19coakley.html
"After Career as Their Advocate, Coakley May Face Voters’ Wrath"


..........
Ms. Coakley, the state’s attorney general, gained international recognition as a methodical county prosecutor during the 1997 trial of Louise Woodward, a British au pair convicted of killing a baby boy in her care. Her composed television appearances helped her become the first woman elected district attorney in Middlesex County, the state’s most populous, a year later. In 2006, just as easily, she swept the race for attorney general. Since then, she has won settlements from Boston’s Big Dig contractors and from Wall Street firms that engaged in deceptive practices.

.........
In her bid to become the first woman elected to the United States Senate from Massachusetts, Ms. Coakley has thrown her support behind the proposed health care overhaul, the issue that has given this special election a national focus. She has said, though, that she supports a public option to encourage competition and reduce costs.

As attorney general, Ms. Coakley investigated subprime lending practices and helped provide relief for Massachusetts homeowners beset by foreclosures. In 2009, Goldman Sachs agreed to pay up to $60 million to end an inquiry by her office into whether the firm helped promote unfair home loans in the state. Ms. Coakley supports President Obama’s proposal to tax financial institutions to recoup taxpayers’ investments and would vote to end tax cuts that favor wealthy Americans. However, Ms. Coakley has said she does not support Mr. Obama’s decision to send 30,000 troops to Afghanistan, saying instead that Afghan leadership must be strengthened.

On civil liberties issues, Ms. Coakley was the first state attorney general to sue the federal government to overturn a section of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as being between a man and woman. She also opposes the death penalty and advocates civilian trials for terrorism suspects.

[Gargoyle22]

1. Her ads here have focussed almost entirely on her taking on the "Big Banks"

and I don't think they've been effective. She never used a big picture, carrying on the Kenndy mantle theme that would have been effective. How many people will go to the polls today and vote for Scott Brown even though he doesn't represent their values or positions? Too many.