By Matt Viser, Globe Staff

State Senator Scott P. Brown blasted his Democratic rival in the US Senate race today for her support of a national health care plan that Brown says would raise taxes and fees on Massachusetts residents and businesses without providing any benefits.

"I could be the 41st senator that could stop the Obama proposal that's being pushed right now through Congress," Brown, the GOP nominee for US Senate, said at a news conference in the state Republican Party's headquarters in downtown Boston. "I could stop it and they could bring it back to the drawing board."

By Andrea Estes, Globe Staff

Politicians around the state are angling for a shot at becoming the next Massachusetts attorney general, should Martha Coakley win the special US Senate election on Jan. 19. But one such candidate has taken himself out of the running, choosing instead the chance to work for Boston's other favorite pastime: baseball.

David Friedman, who has been Martha Coakley's first assistant since 2007, has accepted a job with the Red Sox.

A former Harvard Law Review president who served as counsel and chief policy adviser for former Senate president Robert Travaglini for four years, Friedman has been given a big title: senior vice president/special counsel. He will work on a range of matters, including the team's relationship with Major League Baseball.

"I'm a big fan and a member of Red Sox nation," said Friedman, 38. "I'm excited to join a team of smart, dynamic leaders who run a great organization."

Under state law, lawmakers have the power to choose Coakley's successor if she wins the Senate seat next month. Though the House has more votes than the Senate -- 160, compared with 40 -- the Senate president has the power to hold up the election, because it is up to her to call the joint session.

As a former Senate staffer, Friedman could have been an acceptable compromise candidate for Senate President Therese Murray. Anyone who would fill Coakley's seat would serve only until November, when several candidates are expected to run for attorney general.

By Andrea Estes, Globe Staff

Republican gubernatorial candidate Christy Mihos was knocked unconscious Tuesday night after slipping on the ice outside the Hyannis headquarters of his convenience store chain, Christy's.

Christy Mihos

He suffered cuts on his head, face, and left hand, and broke some teeth. An employee found him, though he said he can't remember the details. He drove himself to Cape Cod Hospital's emergency room, where he was admitted and put through a battery of tests -- all negative. He was discharged after a few hours.

"It was stupid for me to drive myself to the hospital," he said. "I don't remember what or how I got there. I don't remember much."

The employee who found him said she tried to roust him when he was on the ground. "I kept screaming 'Christy, Christy, can you hear me? He got up and was totally out of it,'" said the employee, who asked not to be identified.

After coming to, Mihos decided to drive himself to the emergency room. "I wanted to yank the keys but he wouldn't listen," the employee said. "He said, `I'm fine. Don't slip.'" Today, she said, her boss "looks like he was in a really big fight. I would have hid."

Mihos, who ran unsuccessfully for governor as an independent in 2006, is now vying for the GOP nomination against former Harvard Pilgrim CEO Charles Baker. State Treasurer Timothy Cahill, running as an independent, is also seeking to unseat Governor Deval Patrick.

By Matt Viser and Andrea Estes, Globe Staff

The two major candidates for US Senate, Democrat Martha Coakley and Republican Scott Brown, faced off tonight in their first debate of the special election, squabbling over health care, climate change, and the effectivness of Ronald Regan's presidency.

Coakley, who came out on Sunday in support of the US Senate compromise on health care, defended her position. She had voiced reluctant support for the plan even though it contains some restrictions on abortion, which she opposes, and does not feature a government health plan, which she wanted.

"I'm very disappointed by this bill. It does a lot of good stuff, though," she said. "If the goal of health care reform is getting people covered and getting costs down, I think the Senate bill is an effective first step ... We're going to have incremental progress."

During the Democratic primary, Coakley opposed a House version of the bill, on the grounds that it restricted abortion coverage. The Senate plan, she said, differed enough to be acceptable.

But Brown lambasted Coakley over her support for the Senate proposal, accusing her of shifting her position for the general election.

"During the primary Martha basically took a principled decision, and I commended her for that," he said. "But she's already abandoned that principle."

By Eric Moskowitz, Globe Staff

State Senator Scott Brown, the Republican US Senate hopeful, hasn't aired any TV ads yet, but he hit the studio recently to film a light-hearted clip with his daughters that quickly became a hit last week on YouTube, at least by the modest standards of political campaigns. Brown's video with his daughters -- Ayla, a former "American Idol" semifinalist and Boston College senior, and Arianna, a freshman at Syracuse University -- has attracted nearly 2,900 views in its first three days.

By comparison, the top Coakley clip had attracted 1,974 views as of Friday afternoon. (It was her "Jane's Story" ad about going after a predatory health insurance company, which has been seen on YouTube -- and, of course, on television -- since Nov. 3.)

In Brown's video, he is flanked by Arianna and Ayla, a senior guard on the BC basketball team. Ayla attempts to introduce them all but flubs her delivery a couple of times, prompting her to apologize and jump up and down in frustration -- "shootshootshootshoot," she says -- while her dad grins and bites his tongue. Then her younger sister takes over.

"We're supporting our father, Scott Brown, to run for United States Senate, because he'll be there for you," Arianna says -- "like he's been there for us," Ayla continues, before Brown finishes with a plug for his campaign site.

By Frank Phillips, Globe Staff

Initially, the thought of having to face Christy Mihos in next year's Republican gubernatorial primary produced some teeth-gnashing in Charles D. Baker's camp. But the thinking among Baker advisers has shifted: They now believe that having Mihos in the race could be a good thing, in part because a primary fight would give Baker a good tune-up for the general election next fall. They say they have no plans to try to keep Mihos off the primary ballot.

Whether that's a smart move remains to be seen.

Though Baker is the favored candidate of the GOP establishment, Mihos has millions of dollars at his disposal to spend on a campaign. When he ran as an independent in 2006, he used $4 million of his own funds, though he captured only 6 percent of the vote. Mihos also has a certain populist, anti-government appeal that could play well against the Ivy League-educated Baker among some GOP primary voters.

''Anybody who underestimates Christy's political prowess does so at their own peril,'' said Kevin Sowyrda, who was Mihos's communications director until last month.

His campaign team, including well-known Republican consultant Dick Morris, has been trying to get Mihos to pour as much as $15 million into this race, starting immediately. But Mihos has yet to pull the trigger.

By Eric Moskowitz and Matt Viser, Globe Staff

BEDFORD -- Trying to build momentum before the holiday lull, the nominees for US Senate today stood shoulder to shoulder with reliable constituencies, with Republican Scott Brown touting the endorsement of military veterans and Democrat Martha Coakley receiving the blessing of big labor.

Brown, appearing at an American Legion Hall here, touted a "Veterans for Brown" coalition and used the event to blast Coakley on national security, namely her support for President Obama's proposal to prosecute suspected terrorists in civilian courts.

"Our tax dollars should pay for weapons to stop these terrorists, not lawyers to defend them. And I hope you all agree with me on that," said Brown, a state senator from Wrentham, drawing applause and cries of "Here! Here!" from a phalanx of veterans with him on stage before a giant American flag. "Our Constitution and laws exist to protect this nation and its citizens -- they do not grant rights and privileges to enemies in war time."

Coakley, the state attorney general, was nearby in Arlington receiving an endorsement from the state's largest labor union. The Massachusetts AFL-CIO, which was neutral during the Democratic primary, voted unanimously to endorse her in the Jan. 19 election. The move was largely expected, though Brown was endorsed by the AFL-CIO in his re-election campaign for state Senate last year.

State Attorney General Martha Coakley, the Democratic candidate in the special election for US Senate, released the following public schedule for Thursday, Dec. 17, 2009:

11:30 a.m.

Martha Coakley is expected to receive the endorsement of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO after a vote of the executive board this morning. The AFL-CIO encompasses over 750 affiliated unions directly representing 400,000 working men and women across the state. The endorsement will be announced at a press conference today following the vote.

Ristorante Olivio, 201 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington

State Senator Scott Brown, the Republican candidate in the special election for US Senate, released the following public schedule for Thursday, Dec. 17, 2009:

11:00 a.m.

Scott Brown receives the endorsement of veterans, including Congressional Medal of Honor winner Tom Hudner.

American Legion Post, 357 Great Road, Bedford.

By Globe Staff

House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones Jr. said today that Democratic lawmakers have only themselves to blame for the more than $350,000 in legal bills stemming from the federal investigation of former House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi.

"House Democrats who are angry after the discovery of a Sal DiMasi defense fund being paid for by taxpayers have no one to blame but themselves," Jones said in a statement. "The Democratic majority has allowed this to happen by relinquishing power and control to the office of the speaker, and finally the other shoe has dropped."

The current House Speaker, Robert A. DeLeo, backed down on Tuesday under pressure from dissident Democrats and agreed to hire a private lawyer to review the taxpayer-funded legal bills. FULL ENTRY

State Attorney General Martha Coakley, the Democratic candidate in the special election for US Senate, released the following public schedule for Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2009:

11:00 a.m.

Martha Coakley will tour the Polartec facility in Lawrence and give remarks on her plan to promote job creation. Coakley will be joined by Stephen Pagliuca, Managing Director, Bain Capital.

Polartec Headquarters

46 Stafford St., Lawrence

State Senator Scott Brown, the Republican candidate in the special election for US Senate, released the following public schedule for Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2009:

2:00 p.m.

Scott Brown continues his "Jobs are Job One" tour at Electric Time, a manufacturer of custom clocks. Holds a media availability at the end of the tour.

45 West St., Medfield

State Attorney General Martha Coakley, the Democratic candidate in the special election for US Senate, released the following public schedule for Monday, Dec. 14, 2009:

2:30 p.m.

Martha Coakley will receive the endorsements of the Massachusetts Chapter Sierra Club and Massachusetts League of Environmental Voters

IBEW Local 103 Headquarters

256 Freeport Street, Dorchester

State Senator Scott Brown, the Republican candidate in the special election for US Senate, released the following public schedule for Monday, Dec. 14, 2009:

7:35 a.m.

Scott Brown is a guest on the FOX25 Morning Show

5:15 p.m.

Scott Brown greets commuters at Boston's North Station.

By Matt Viser, Globe Staff

In the Democratic primary, the candidates were falling all over themselves to claim the mantle of the man they sought to replace, Edward M. Kennedy, making constant references in debates, ads, and campaign appearances to the legendary senator.

Now, even the Republican candidate, state Senator Scott Brown, is getting in on the Kennedy reference game. In a TV interview Thursday night, Brown suggested that he drew lessons from the too-short lives of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Princess Diana.

"What makes me tick is I like to work hard," Brown said during an appearance on NECN. "I live every day like it's my last. Especially when JFK Jr. passed away and Princess Di. They're powerful, handsome, rich people, and they're dead. And they can't make a difference while I still can."

Brown contined, "I can work every day and try to make a difference. I'm type A, thoughtful, conscientious hardworking person, a loving father and husband. And I'm just trying to do the best I can to save people money in this great state."

State Attorney General Martha Coakley, the Democratic candidate in the special election for US Senate, released the following public schedule for Friday, Dec. 11, 2009:

12:30 p.m.

Martha Coakley will tour the Lynn Community Health Center and talk about the importance of real health care reform.

Lynn Community Health Center

269 Union Street, Lynn

By Matt Carroll, Globe Staff

State Senator Scott Brown, the Republican candidate in the special election for US Senate, released the following public schedule for Friday, Dec. 11, 2009:

10:15 a.m.

Scott Brown is endorsed by Barbara Anderson, the state's leading taxpayer advocate.

1 Cranberry Hill Road

Lexington.

By Brian C. Mooney, Globe Staff

Will Keyser of Stephen Pagliuca's campaign took issue with the Globe's characterization of his candidate as waging the state's most costly self-financed campaign on a cost-per-vote basis. On one level he has a point.

For comparison purposes, the Globe used only tallies from previous statewide campaigns to arrive at the conclusion that Pagliuca would spend about $100 per vote of his own money, far exceeding the nearly $40-per-vote cost when Christopher F. Gabrieli spent almost $9.9 million of his own cash in losing the 2006 Democratic primary for governor.

Keyser, who was Pagliuca's spokesman, says Gabrieli should still be considered the record-holder, but for another race -- in 1998, when he spent $5.09 million of his own fortune to finish sixth in a 10-way Democratic primary contest to succeed Joseph P. Kennedy 2d in the 8th Congressional District. Gabrieli received 5,740 votes out of 88,145 cast. That comes to about $886 per vote, primarily because of the cost of advertising on Boston television in a district that constitutes only one-tenth of the state's population.

By Eric Moskowitz, Globe Staff

Stephen Pagliuca launched his US Senate campaign almost three months ago like the NBA owner he is: with lots of sports analogies, rhetoric about teams and titles, an arena-friendly soundtrack, and hopeful references to the Boston Celtics' 2008 championship season.

Stephen Pagliuca

At his campaign party Tuesday night, Pagliuca, in a six-minute speech, made a point of mentioning the Celtics, who at that moment were putting the finishing touches on a victory over the Milwaukee Bucks across town at the Garden.

"So I'll be one for two tonight," he said. "Although I feel like I'm a huge winner because it's just been a wonderful journey -- working with you all, working with the people of Massachusetts, and getting the message out there that Massachusetts can be a leader."

In an interview with reporters, Pagliuca again chose athlete-speak when he dodged a question about whether he would run for office again.

"As in sports, take it one day at a time," he said.

Despite spending millions of his fortune to come in fourth, Pagliuca said, he had no regrets.

"We didn't come up winning this time," he said. "But we've also lost a lot of basketball games, and still won a championship in the end."

By Alex Beam, Globe Staff

I developed a taste for political loser parties when I showed up at Michael Flaherty and Sam Yoon's non-celebration, the night they lost the Boston Mayor's race to Tom Menino in an epochal landslide. It was fun! The Venezia restaurant offered a couple of open bars, and its huge event hall exuded an irreverent, anti-Menino vibe. When the mayor's face flashed on the wide-screen monitor, claiming victory, the "Floon" crowd booed heartily, then cleared the way for their candidates to march to the podium and concede the election.

So on the night of the special Senate primary, I resolved to attend the Democratic loser parties and take the temperature of the campaigns that got their clocks cleaned by Martha Coakley.

By Andrea Estes, Globe Staff

In the interest of shared sacrifice, House lawmakers recently agreed to take five unpaid furlough days, or an equivalent pay cut.

At least most of them.

There were 22 representatives who missed this week's deadline to submit their personal austerity plan -- which is voluntary -- to the state treasurer. (In their own effort last year, all 40 state senators took the five days.)

For whatever reason, most of the scofflaws were supporters of state Representative John Rogers in his failed bid last year for House speaker, including Rogers himself. Are they engaging in some sort of civil disobedience, or are they dissing the current speaker, Robert DeLeo?

"Not at all," says one of them, state Representative Paul Kujawski, who was one of Rogers's most ardent backers. "I've taken furloughs before. Basically, it's a simplistic gesture that really isn't going to do anything to solve our financial crisis. I come to work. I do my job. It was an individual decision -- there's no conspiracy."

By Alex Beam, Globe Staff

Fifty minutes after the end of this week's first televised debate, businessman Steve
Pagliuca issued a press release headlined, "Pagliuca Outshines Opponents in WCVB Debate."

Himself.

Meet Chris Palmer and Sara Sanchez. He is an assistant debate coach at Newton South High School, two-time state champions in public speaking events. She coaches the Lexington High School team, state debating champions for the past 34 years (!).

These two know everything about debating: how you are supposed to breathe, where you are supposed to hold your hands (below the sternum, Martha!), and how best to rebuff an opponent's challenge. Call them debate nerds, they won't bat an eyelash. "Heck, we call ourselves that all the time," Palmer said.

"Pagliuca had a bad night," Sanchez said on Tuesday, primarily because he went head-to-head with Coakley on her opposition to the health care bill's Stupak Amendment, setting up her money quote: "Steve, it's personal with me. And it's personal with every woman who's in this, who's watching this." Print that line on 200,000 bumper stickers and hand the seat over to Coakley. Game (almost) over.

By Matt Viser, Globe Staff

Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles D. Baker raised more than $500,000 last month, his campaign said today, yet another strong fund-raising haul in his bid to unseat the incumbent Democrat, Governor Deval Patrick.

Baker's campaign said it raised $516,123 during the month, significantly more than any other candidate in the race. Baker, a former health care executive, has raised more than $1.5 million this year from more than 5,000 individual donors.

The announcement comes about a week after Baker announced his running mate, Senate Minority Leader Richard Tisei of Wakefield.

"Voters are responding to our campaign for one reason -- Charlie Baker is the only candidate who will stand up for taxpayers and put our fiscal house in order starting on Day One, and he has the record to prove it," campaign manager Lenny Alcivar said in a statement. "Our strong fund-raising this year means the Baker-Tisei team will have the resources we need to win on Election Day and start a turnaround in Massachusetts."

Governor Deval Patrick

By Globe Staff

Governor Deval Patrick cleared his scheduled and called in sick today because he is "under the weather," according to aide.

Patrick has not been diagnosed with anything specific, but he felt too ill to come in the office, the aide said.

The governor had been scheduled to attend a groundbreaking for a wind technology testing center in Charlestown, visit the Council on Aging in Quincy, and tour Braintree-Weymouth Landing and other local economic development projects.

By Globe Staff

US Representative Edward J. Markey today will endorse Michael Capuano in his run for Senate, throwing his weight behind his congressional colleague.

US Representative Michael Capuano

Capuano has received endorsements from six of his nine colleagues in the US House from Massachusetts. Representative Niki Tsongas has endorsed Attorney General Martha Coakley.

Representative William D. Delahunt, a close Kennedy friend, has not endorsed a candidate.

The primary is one week from today. Although the significance of endorsements is a topic of debate, campaigns value them as symbolic seals of approval as well as for their potential to rally supporters on Election Day -- particularly in a special election expected to draw lighter turnout than a typical November contest.

By Matt Viser, Globe Staff

Three of the four Democratic candidates running for US Senate said this morning that they would firmly oppose a troop increase in Afghanistan that President Obama is expected to outline during a prime-time address Tuesday night.

“It’s about to turn into somehow bringing democracy to Afghanistan, somehow protecting a corrupt regime,” US Representative Michael Capuano said during a forum at Suffolk University Law School. “And I don’t understand why that mission is good. It wasn’t good in Iraq, it won’t be good in Afghanistan, it won’t be good in any place in this world.

“Al Qaeda is no longer in Afghanistan,” Capuano added. “We stay there, we are fighting yesterday’s war. We should go where Al Qaeda is, chase them around the world, not where they were yesterday.”

Attorney General Martha Coakley and City Year co-founder Alan Khazei also said they were against Obama’s proposal to add more troops, and said there was little he could say Tuesday night to convince them.

Celtics co-owner Stephen Pagliuca was the only candidate who left room to support Obama’s strategy, which is expected to include adding 30,000 troops.

“We all need to wait,” Pagliuca said. “The president, I really applaud him. Dick Cheney acted without facts; our president has tried to get the facts. … We’ll comment on the program after he lays it out. I want to get our troops home as quickly as possible but I want to get them home in a safe way.”

The forum was sponsored by the Boston Herald and moderated by the newspaper's editorial page editor, Rachelle Cohen. It was streamed live on the newspaper’s website, with most of the questions coming from a panel that included three Suffolk University students.

Each candidate also spoke of the importance of young voters, saying they should be included in health care coverage, have more funding support to pay for college, and not be forced to deal with a federal deficit in future years.

All four Democrats except Capuano said they support lowering the federal voting age from 18 to 17.

Matt Viser can be reached at maviser@globe.com.

By Matt Viser, Globe Staff

Attorney General Martha Coakley

"I have results," Coakley told reporters this morning following a candidates' forum at Suffolk University. "And that's what I'm asking voters to look at on Dec. 9."

One problem: the primary is actually on Dec. 8.

Coakely had mentioned the real date twice before, and only minutes before she made the slip.

Maybe it's a secret voter-suppression strategy. It could be fatigue from a quick campaign, or she could be speaking to general election voters as if she's already won the primary.

But she's not alone: in a Suffolk University poll taken last month, 93 percent of Democratic voters couldn't remember the exact date of the primary.

Matt Viser can be reached at maviser@globe.com.

By Matt Viser, Globe Staff

US Representative Michael Capuano today criticized one of his chief rivals in the US Senate race for suggesting several years ago that the Patriot Act wouldn’t damage civil liberties, opening a new line of attack against Attorney General Martha Coakley in the final week of the campaign.

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(Globe file) US Representative Michael Capuano

Capuano condemned Coakley's public defense of the act as it was being reauthorized in 2005. His campaign circulated comments Coakley made during a June 2005 three-member panel discussion on the legislation at Middlesex Community College.

In a Lowell Sun article headlined "Patriot Act criticized unfairly, law-enforcement officials say," Coakley suggested the threat to civil liberties was being overstated and that those in opposition were ill-informed.

'Your insurance company knows more about you than the federal government does," Coakley was quoted as saying. "When people don't understand how things work, they're willing to say 'Can't do it, won't do it,' and they tie the government's hands."

However in a position paper released earlier this month, Coakley said the Patriot Act "sacrificed some of our most treasured civil liberties." Coakely and her US Senate campaign aides said Capuano was seizing on a single quote taken out of context, and added that she is opposed to the Patriot Act.

"I’ve done that my whole live, protecting people's rights as well as keeping people safe," Coakley told reporters this morning after a candidates' forum at Suffolk University. “I think the criticism is misguided.”

Capuano took out television advertisements earlier in the campaign highlighting his opposition to the legislation, and he continued to do so today.

By Matt Viser, Globe Staff

Alan Khazei has had a lock in this special Senate election in out-of-town big name endorsements, and he continued that today: General Wesley Clark is formally backing his candidacy.

Alan Khazei

Clark is a four-star general and the former NATO supreme allied commander who had an unsuccessful 2004 bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.

“At this critical time, we need more patriots and public servants like Alan Khazei representing the people’s interests in Washington,” Clark said in a statement.

Clark, who has known Khazei since 2003 when he visited City Year in Boston, also gave Khazei a boost on foreign policy.

“When it comes to foreign affairs, Alan Khazei is one candidate who won’t need on the job training,” Clark said. “Alan has met with leaders in over 30 countries, has a curious mind, a multi-cultural perspective, is a student of history and understands the complexities of national security in the 21st century.

"He has taken the time to study the situation in Afghanistan," Clark continued. "Rather than make the easy appeal of simply bringing our troops home, Alan has done the hard work of detailing how to do so while insuring Afghanistan does not once again become a haven for terrorists. And, at the same time, Alan presents a comprehensive strategy for defeating the terrorists globally. Alan, more than anyone else running for Senate in Massachusetts, presented a detailed approach and compelling, new ideas for accomplishing our goals.”

Matt Viser can be reached at maviser@globe.com.

By Matt Viser, Globe Staff

US Representative Michael Capuano was endorsed today by the Massachusetts League of Environmental Voters, a boost that came after the candidates last week held a virtual green-off to boost their credentials during an environmental forum.

US Representative Michael Capuano

Capuano has compiled a 95 percent voting record during his career from the League of Conservation Voters.

The Massachusetts League of Environmental Voters also cited Attorney General Martha Coakley, but didn’t mention the other two candidates in the Democratic primary, Alan Khazei and Stephen Pagliuca.

“We are fortunate to have two candidates in the Senate race that are strong environmental advocates, Mike Capuano and Martha Coakley, and it was a very difficult choice between the two of them,” Wondolowski said. “But in the end, Congressman Capuano’s proven track record made the difference.”

By Alex Beam, Globe Staff

Democratic senatorial candidate Alan Khazei and his wife, Vanessa Kirsch, were coming to dinner. Yikes! What's a house husband to do?

Should I put on the dog, meaning the Haviland china? No – wrong message, and I wasn’t certain if it could go in the dishwasher or not. My wife would know, but she was out of town. The menu? Go veg, go simple. You won’t cross anybody’s loony dietary “concerns.” (Alan had none, by the way.) The guest list? No one important, no policy drones, and God forbid, no journalists.

By Alex Beam, Globe Staff

What we need to spice up this race are some old-fashioned attack ads, e.g. "Steve Pagliuca -- Too Rich for Our Blood!" But you won't be seeing any. It's a Democratic primary, and the candidates have to act as if they like and/or respect each other. The one guy who has the dough to unload on his rivals -- Pagliuca -- is too decent, alas. It's not his style.

Fans of Showtime's engagingly perverse crime show about a police blood analyst, "Dexter," understand the Spatter Factor. If you go negative, sometimes the muck splashes back on you. To complicate maters, the perceived front runner, Attorney General Martha Coakley, is a rather dignified woman, a lady, to invoke an epithet from another era. The besmircher risks becoming the besmirched.

In the interests of livening up this tepid stumble to the Russell Senate Office Building, here are my attack ads, now officially in the public domain:

By Alex Beam, Globe Staff

What works now?

    I. One interesting tool that has made its appearance during this election cycle is the "tele-town hall." Michael Flaherty and Sam Yoon used the technology in the waning days of the mayoral campaign, and it has become a staple of US Representative Michael Capuano's run for the Ted Kennedy Senate seat.

The "town hall" is really just a massive telephone switch, capable of dialing tens of thousands of numbers. A recorded message offers people who pick up the phone a chance to participate in a talk-show like exchange with the candidate.

By Alex Beam, Globe Staff

Last week, Scott Evans endorsed US Representative Mike Capuano for the US Senate.

Alex Beam

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Who is Scott Evans, you ask? He is a young actor who plays a closeted gay cop on the ABC soap opera "One Life to Live." He is also Mike Capuano's nephew. At the same event, when the better-known Kitty Dukakis also endorsed Capuano, Scott's brother Chris threw his support behind his uncle. Who he? Chris Evans played Johnny Torch in the Fantastic Four movies, and an unnamed "Harvard hottie" in "The Nanny Diaries." Now you know.

Some actual celebrities, political and otherwise, have endorsed candidates in the race for Ted Kennedy's Senate seat. New York mayor and Medford's own Michael Bloomberg came out for Alan Khazei. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and most of the Bay State's congressional delegation are with Capuano. (Niki Tsongas stuck with the sisterhood; she's backing Attorney General Martha Coakley).  Local pols and unions galore have thrown their weight behind either Coakley or Capuano, hoping to back a winner.

At the same time, a motley crew of under-the-radar B-listers, nobodies, celebrity hounds and rank opportunists are pledging their troth to one of the four candidates. Why? Because each campaign is expecting a very close election with minimal turnout. If a bunch of gasfitters, or, say, Livingston Taylor, want to endorse your candidate, fine. Maybe they'll bring a dozen supporters with them.

By Matt Viser, Globe Staff

US Senate candidate Alan Khazei is calling on troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, saying the United States should hunt terrorists in other regions.

Alan Khazei

"We've lost our way, strayed from our mission, and now we are asking our troops to build a nation in a place that is laden with corruption," he will say, according to a copy of his prepared remarks. "This isn't in our interest as a nation, and it's not fair to our troops."

Khazei's three rivals in the Democratic primary -- US Representative Michael Capuano, Attorney General Martha Coakley, and Celtics co-owner Stephen Pagliuca -- have all been skeptical of adding more troops in Afghanistan.

1.  No More Troops to Afghanistan: We should go back to our original mission of destroying Al Qaeda and ensuring that Afghanistan does not become a haven for terrorists.  Thus, we do not need to send more troops to Afghanistan but can draw down troops and bring them home.

By Matt Viser, Globe Staff

Several things have been clear from the beginning on the endorsements in the US Senate race: Stephen Pagliuca, co-owner of the Boston Celtics, had the NBA locked up. Attorney General Martha Coakley secured most prominent women, and US Representative Michael Capuano decidedly had the Washington crowd, with most members of the congressional delegation.

Alan Khazei

“There is an urgent alarm sounding right now; it’s a five-alarm fire,” JJ Abrams, creator of "Lost," says in a YouTube message. “It is that Alan Khazei must be elected to the Senate.”

Actress Elisabeth Shue, who got her start in "The Karate Kid," also recorded a tribute video.

“He is somebody who has such a big heart and an incredibly big brain,” Shue says of Khazei. “And I think that combination in the Senate would be so important.”

Hill Harper (“Sheldon Hawkes” to fans of "CSI: New York") did the same, saying, “Support someone who could actually bring great change to our Senate.”

By Matt Viser, Globe Staff

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi today endorsed US Representative Michael E. Capuano in the US Senate race, saying that he has been a leader in Congress and took a "courageous" vote on health care legislation last weekend.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

The endorsement from Pelosi, the first female House speaker, is a key coup in a race against Martha Coakley, who is seeking to become the first female US senator from Massachusetts.

“Anyone of use could have found one reason or another not to vote for the bill,” Pelosi said. “But that was not any excuse for preventing this historic moment from taking place.”

Capuano and Coakley squabbled earlier this week over whether health care reform should include a provision that limits coverage of abortions. Capuano said he had to vote for a legislation that included the abortion restriction in order to keep health care alive. Coakley and Capuano have both said they would vote against a final package if that amendment is not removed.

Coakley, though, seems to have shifted her comments in recent days. Coakley said definitively on Monday -- first on radio station WTKK-FM, then in an interview with the Globe -- that she would vote against a bill that includes the abortion amendment.

By Matt Viser, Globe Staff

Attorney General Martha Coakley this morning released her second television ad, highlighting cyber-security in an apparent effort to appeal to parents and suburban voters.

Images of children playing in a front yard, with the camera suddenly swinging into a young girl sitting on bed typing on a laptop.

"The stranger," she says, "might be right in their room."

By Matt Viser, Globe Staff

The three challengers to Attorney General Martha Coakley have been eager for more debates with the perceived front-runner in the US Senate race, and they have asked for them pointedly -- none more than Alan Khazei.

Khazei, after challenging Coakley on that point in a radio debate this morning, this afternoon turned to a different technique: Calling on comedian Stephen Colbert to come to Massachusetts and moderate a debate. Colbert, the host of Comedy Central’s “Colbert Report,” plays a right-wing commentator on the show.

"Are you tough enough to come here to Massachusetts — the birthplace of freedom, the birthplace of our democracy — and moderate a debate up against four progressive Democrats?" Khazei asked Colbert in a video posted on his campaign website. "I'll show up anytime, anywhere, any hour, any day."

“So Stephen, are you willing to come?” Khazei asks. “I’ll be there.”

Khazei appeared on Colbert’s show as a guest in January to promote a national day of service on Martin Luther King Day.

"I believe Martin Luther King also said, ‘Follow the money,’" Colbert said at one point. "‘I've got my mind on my money and my money on my mind,’ is one of the things I believe he said."

"I can assure you, Martin Luther King did not say that," Khazei responded.

By Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

Most armchair analyses of Boston's mayoral election have drawn the same conclusion: Michael F. Flaherty Jr. lost the race in the city's minority communities. Even Sam Yoon, a city councilor with Korean roots who joined the challenger's ticket, could not help Flaherty close the gap with voters of color.

Charles Stewart III (Wendy Maeda/Globe Staff)

Many observers who pored over Tuesday's election results have concluded that Yoon helped Flaherty fare better in liberal, white communities, but did not buoy his support in minority neighborhoods. [Some of those analyses can be found here, here, here, andhere.]

But Stewart is a political scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where his idea of fun is a linear regression line on a scatterplot graph. He crunched the election returns with racial data from the census. While the big picture did show that incumbent Mayor Thomas M. Menino continued his dominance among voters of color, a statistical analysis found another trend. Flaherty's support in minority communities grew from 5 percent in September to 26 percent on Tuesday.

"The good news," Stewart said, "is that bringing Yoon in actively into the campaign -- and I would also imagine taking Menino to task for not having enough minorities among his close advisers -- paid off in terms of broadening Flaherty support away from Southie."

By Brian C. Mooney, Globe Staff

Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino exploited his financial advantage in the waning days of his successful reelection campaign, outspending his challenger, City Councilor Michael F. Flaherty Jr., by more than two to one.

Flaherty had no money to battle Menino with television ads, instead relying mostly on mail and weekly newspaper ads.

For the last two weeks of October, Menino's campaign outspent Flaherty $446,439 to $212,565, according to reports filed with the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance. Menino spent $203,030 on television ads, $46,645 on radio, and $116,189 on mail.

Flaherty, by contrast, paid about $102,000 in mail-related costs to the Campaign Network, which had handled similar chores for the campaign of City Councilor Sam Yoon, who was defeated in the preliminary and then joined the Flaherty campaign in the final weeks. Flaherty's second-largest expenditure in the latter half of October was a $26,000 American Express credit card bill.

Since January, Menino spent nearly double what Flaherty did, dropping $2.4 million on his campaign compared with Flaherty's $1.27 million.

By Matt Viser, Globe Staff

Boston Celtics co-owner Stephen G. Pagliuca is holding a fund-raiser Monday night with a list of sponsors that any Massachusetts voter could be proud of. Bold-faced names include Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Doc Rivers.

But Pagliuca, known as Pags around the Garden, owns the darn team. So we have to ask: Can't he get the entire roster? Is Rasheed Wallace quietly voting for Martha Coakley? Does Kevin Garnett have a political affection for Alan Khazei?

Among the sponsors of the event is Glen Davis, who was involved in a recent brawl that left him with a broken thumb that will require surgery and sideline him for several months. A Pagliuca spokesman confirmed that they were sticking with Davis for the fund-raiser, which is at the Lansdowne Pub and costs $100 a person.

Meanwhile, as Pagliuca is partying with the Celtics, US Representative Michael Capuano is having an “Open Mike” Monday with his own celebrity: Capuano’s nephew, the actor Chris Evans, will be making an appearance. Evans starred in the movies “Fantastic Four” and “Push.” The campaign hinted there will be “another special guest who is no stranger to public life or political activism.”

By Brian C. Mooney, Globe Staff

Teresa Vilmain, the legendary Iowa caucus organizer, has all but become a resident of Massachusetts this year.

Between a stint early in the year as a fellow at Harvard's Kennedy School and her current job as consultant to Alan Khazei's Democratic campaign for US Senate, she has spent most of 2009 in the Bay State.

Vilmain, a high-octane figure in many Democratic campaigns, has a political resume as long as her arm. An Iowa native who now lives in Wisconsin, she is no stranger to Massachusetts Democrats. She worked for Edward M. Kennedy in the 1980 Iowa presidential caucus, led Michael S. Dukakis's 1988 caucus effort in the Hawkeye State, and helped John F. Kerry's presidential election campaign in 2004 as strategist at the Democratic National Committee. She led Hillary Clinton's Iowa caucus effort last year.

Her connections to Khazei, the social entrepreneur who co-founded City Year, date back to hiring his future wife, Vanessa Kirsch, to work on the Dukakis campaign in Iowa. Vilmain is also a consultant to Khazei's latest civic engagement enterprise, Be The Change.

The Khazei campaign also provides a Bay State homecoming of sorts for the campaign's communications consultant, Michael Meehan, a Raynham native based in Washington, who for many years worked on the staff and campaigns of Kerry.

By Eric Moskowitz, Globe Staff

Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino spent his customary four hours last weekend sitting outside his Hyde Park home to dish out Halloween candy and pose for pictures with trick-or-treaters. This year's crowd broke 800, Menino said, topping the 700 who came last year.

Earlier in the day, as he campaigned for last-minute votes in the mayoral contest, Menino ruminated on his favorite Halloween treats.

"I'm particular about the candy I buy," he said, ticking off Hershey's bars, M&M's, and Reese's. "Tootsies really aren't as good as they used to be."

Menino, sitting down to lunch at a Greek restaurant in West Roxbury between campaign stops, was asked to clarify: Have Tootsie Rolls been surpassed by flashier newcomers, or has the formula changed? The latter, he insisted.

To be sure, we checked in with Chicago-based Tootsie Roll Industries Inc. The company insists that the recipe for the country's first wrapped penny candy has stayed the same since 1896, when Austrian immigrant Leo Hirshfield began peddling his Tootsie Rolls in New York City.

By Globe Staff

US Senate candidate Alan Khazei, who is trying to lift his candidacy with a grass-roots movement, unveiled his first TV ad of the campaign today, a 30-second spot that highlights his work creating City Year, the national service program.

"I’ve always believed one person has the power to change things," Khazei, standing in front of a playground, says in the ad, called "Believe," asserting that City Year created 15,000 jobs.

Khazei, who is trying to get some political mileage out of his decision not to accept campaign contributions from PACs and lobbyists, ends the spot by saying, "Because change always comes from the people, not the special interests.”

The new ad means all four candidates -- Khazei, Attorney General Martha Coakley, Celtics co-owner Stephen Pagliuca, and US Representative Michael Capuano -- are now up on TV. The Democratic primary is Dec. 8.

By Globe Staff

Former lieutenant governor Kerry Healey endorsed fellow Republican Scott Brown, a state senator from Wrentham, for US Senate today, saying Brown will work to keep taxes low and trim the federal deficit.

"Scott Brown knows that you don’t create jobs by making government bigger, letting spending get out of control, and increasing taxes," Healey said in a statement. "Scott has been a leader in the never-ending battle to restrain state spending, and that is exactly the kind of leadership we need in Washington right now."

The endorsement from Healey, who had flirted with running for Senate herself, is hardly a surprise, given that she and Brown are among a handful of Republican leaders frequently mentioned as candidates for higher office.

"I am proud to have the support of Kerry Healey, who is a strong fiscal conservative with a record of opposing taxes and higher spending,” Brown said in a statement.

Brown is set to face perennial GOP candidate Jack E. Robinson in the Dec. 8 primary.

By Globe Staff

Republican gubernatorial hopeful Charles D. Baker said today that he raised more than $500,000 last month, bringing his total haul to more than $1 million with a year to go before Election Day.

Baker's campaign said it had raised the money from more than 3,500 donors in less than 100 days.

"Charlie's message of ending the current culture of mismanagement and excessive spending on Beacon Hill is connecting," Baker's campaign manager, Lenny Alcivar, said in a statement. "Charlie Baker is the only candidate who has the guts and know-how to stop excessive state spending, and his campaign will have the resources it takes to get that message out and win next November."

Governor Deval Patrick could be poised to announce a decent tally for last month as well, having brought in President Obama for a fund-raiser on Oct. 23. The event, though, also raised money for the state Democratic Party.

Baker, a former chief executive of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care who served in Republican administrations in the 1990s, is facing Cape Cod businessman Christy Mihos in next year's GOP primary. State Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill is also running as an independent.

By Globe Staff

The city released its plans today for Tuesday's municipal election for mayor and City Council.

(David L. Ryan/Globe Staff)

Approximately 400 of the poll workers are fluent in a second language. All precincts will have ballots written in English and Spanish. Ballots fully translated in Chinese and Vietnamese will also be available.

Interpreters will be available to assist voters in Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Haitian Creole, Cape Verdean Creole, Russian, and other languages. There will also be audio recordings of the ballots in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Vietnamese.

By Michaela Stanelun, Globe Correspondent

A few things are unavoidable at Boston sports events these days -- overpriced food, bad beer, and the name Steve Pagliuca.

First, Pagliuca, a US Senate hopeful, paid to have his name emblazoned on WEEI-sponsored rally placards that were handed out at last month's Red Sox-Angels game in the ALCS. At Wednesday's home opener for the Celtics, the placards -- this time awash in green and bearing the words "Bring On Banner 18!" -- reappeared.

Pagliuca, remember, co-owns the Celtics, so it's probably a safe bet many of the fans in the Garden already know who he is. (The gesture was not greeted warmly by all: Some fans could be seen ripping his name off the bottom.)

But Pagliuca's campaign says the placards have paid off.

"The card campaign has been successful on several fronts -- we're supporting the home teams, we touched people at the games, the cards have been seen and talked about on TV during game broadcasts, and news photos," Will Keyser, a Pagliuca spokesman, said in an email.

By Matt Viser, Globe Staff

Remember when "Saturday Night Live" started running "Deep Thoughts" by Jack Handey? (Such as: "If you ever drop your keys into a river of molten lava, let 'em go, because, man, they're gone.")

Well, it looks like state Representative Karyn Polito, a Republican from Shrewsbury, is looking to start her own tradition, albeit one without the humor. Polito, who has made a concerted effort to elevate her political profile, has launched a new feature on her website, karynpolito.com, called "Thought of the Day."

"Let's see if by talking and brainstorming together, we can come up with some new ideas and practical solutions for making Massachusetts a better place to live, work, and raise a family," she said in introducing the new blog.

So far, her posts have been fairly predictable riffs off the news of the day. ("We need to be creative and inventive to identify innovative ways to better position our state for economic recovery and job creation," reads a recent one.)

But we'll check back as the thing gets going, and perhaps Polito will have some more memorable squibs.

By Matt Viser, Globe Staff

Martha Coakley may have stumbled when she delivered oral arguments before the Supreme Court last year, but she is not the only US Senate candidate who has been tested on a big stage.

Alan Khazei faced a test of his own about nine months ago, on a decidedly less austere platform: He was a guest on "The Colbert Report," the wry, satirical show Stephen Colbert hosts on Comedy Central.

How did he do? Judge for yourself.

Khazei’s Jan. 14 appearance, which lasted roughly 6 minutes, was to promote a national day of service on Martin Luther King Day. Up against a barrage of humor and sarcasm, Khazei remained earnest.

"I believe Martin Luther King also said, ‘Follow the money,’" Colbert said at one point. "‘I've got my mind on my money and my money on my mind,’ is one of the things I believe he said."

"I can assure you, Martin Luther King did not say that," Khazei responded.

Colbert later said America was built on "people who had a tea fetish" and "Indian burial grounds -- that's why the walls are bleeding and you hear that screaming from the attic these days. The damn country is haunted!"

Khazei launched into a spiel that will be familiar to anyone who has followed his Senate campaign.

“You know, Stephen, this country was founded with citizen soldiers who put down their pitchforks and picked up their muskets to overthrow an empire,” he said. “It was the abolitionists that lead the movement to end slavery, it was the suffragists that built the movement to give women the right to vote, the civil rights movement. It's always been citizens who have led the change in this country, and that's what we need now...we need all hands on deck."

At the end of his appearance, Khazei asked Colbert to sign up to volunteer through a “Declaration of Service.” Colbert ended up signing it, but then revealed he didn’t use his own name, instead signing “Eugene Trubnick.”

See behind-the-scenes photos of Khazei's appearance here.

By Alex Beam, Globe Staff

Meanwhile, in RepublicanLand ...

I showed up at a $250 per ticket Massachusetts GOP fund-raiser earlier this week at the Boston Harbor Hotel to take the pulse of the not-so-Loyal Opposition. I’ll say one thing for Republicans: They have great hair. I spotted former governor Bill Weld, with his still-youthful mane of yellow-orange thatch. Ex-governor Paul Cellucci has no Al Gore-ish bald spot, nor do Senate aspirant Scott Brown, or gubernatorial hopeful Charlie Baker.

I've been spending a lot of time recently in DemocratLand, and I must say the Capuanos, Coakleys, and Khazeis of the world have a one-size-fits-all solution for the state's ills: Fund this, reauthorize this, stimulate that. Spend on, and tax through unrepining hour, to paraphrase a lovely line from William Butler Yeats. (“Hate on and love through unrepining hours.”)

By Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

Most candidates wait until they are actually elected before making good on a campaign promise. But not Doug Bennett, the relentless at-large City Council hopeful who is one of eight candidates fighting for four citywide seats.

Doug Bennett

"Most of the time, they're not there," Bennett said in the rushed, upbeat voice of a man on the move. "But they get personal, handwritten notes from me asking for their vote."

Boston only has 255,082 residences, according to the US Census, which would mean Bennett schlepped to 40 percent of the homes in the city. He began the odyssey on May 12 in Charlestown, and to meet the goal Bennett had to hit at least 591 doors a day. To cover so much ground, the candidate said he traveled by foot, public transportation, mountain bike, and on a blue motor scooter.

By Noah Bierman, Globe Staff

Mary Z. Connaughton, the outspoken member of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, said she filed papers today to run as a Republican for state auditor in 2010.

Mary Z. Connaughton

Connaughton said her formal announcement will come later, but she wanted to begin fund-raising for her effort to unseat long-time incumbent A. Joseph DeNucci, who has held the seat since 1987. DeNucci, a former state legislator and professional boxer, is a Democrat.

“There’s fewer and fewer eyes watching what’s going on," Connaughton said. "I intend to be a very powerful set of eyes and keep people informed.”

Connaughton, 49, of Framingham, was appointed to the Turnpike Authority board in 2005. Her job there ends this month as the authority is subsumed by a new state transportation department being formed as part of a larger overhaul in the state's network of roads, bridges, and trains.

Connaughton is a certified public accountant known for challenging the Patrick administration often and for delving into the details of the authority’s expenses. She lost a 2004 bid for state representative.

By Michael Levenson, Globe Staff

Mayoral challenger Michael F. Flaherty Jr. seized today on a series of recently disclosed e-mails from a senior City Hall official that appear to disparage Allston residents who have been challenging plans for a new housing complex in the neighborhood.

Michael F. Flaherty

The e-mails, which were posted on an Allston blog, were sent to and from Jay Rourke, a senior project manager at the Boston Redevelopment Authority, and they concern plans to relocate Charlesview Apartments, an affordable housing complex, from North Harvard Street to a Harvard-owned former strip mall on Western Avenue.

In one e-mail, Rourke belittles neighbors who are seeking a less-dense project than the one sought by the developer, saying: “Let them play their games.” In another, he says, “When referring to the ‘community,’ I’m speaking of a few individuals who are forcing their ideas and beliefs on the masses.” In a third e-mail, he comments on neighborhood activists, saying: “Why do we continue to meet with these … people?”

Flaherty, an at-large city councilor running to unseat Mayor Thomas M. Menino, was joined at the news conference by his campaign partner, Councilor at Large Sam Yoon, and a dozen neighborhood activists holding his campaign signs. He cited the e-mails to reiterate his call to split the BRA into separate planning and development agencies, saying, "We will actually get input from the community that will be taken seriously."

Rourke has apologized for his comments, saying they were "internal e-mails" and "should not reflect on the agency."

By Michael Levenson, Globe Staff

Mayoral challenger Michael F. Flaherty Jr., a son of South Boston who grew up playing hockey, joined the Teamsters as a young man, and still likes to hit the heavy bag at the gym in the morning, isn’t exactly known as a touchy-feely type.

But talking about his approach to conflict resolution today, he sounded more like a New Age guru than a rough-and-tumble man of the streets, saying that, as mayor, he wouldn’t keep a “naughty list” of critics and political opponents -- a reference to a phrase found in the emails of a top aide to Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino.

"If you come to a community meeting or you come to a press conference, or you offer a concern or a different point of view or you’re critical, we’re going to hug it out," Flaherty said at a news conference about development in Allston. "We’re going to recognize it for what it is and work through it."

Paul Alford, an Allston resident who was at the press conference and had been sharply questioning Flaherty about how many community meetings he had attended, piped up and asked: “Do I get a hug after the conference?”

Flaherty nodded. "You get a hug," he said, to laughter from his campaign staff and several local activists.

Not to be outdone, Councilor at Large Sam Yoon, who is campaigning with Flaherty, offered his own embrace, as well. "We’re going to hug it out," he said.

By Alex Beam, Globe Staff

So my maiden assignment is an expense-account funded pub crawl. Covering politics sounds like fun!

Alex Beam

Yes, it does seem like an odd moment for the senator to be popping corks and tapping kegs. It was just a few weeks ago that the former Cambridge mayor left the scene of a hit-and-run traffic accident, prompting the Globe and others to remind readers of his previous encounters with the DUI laws.

By Frank Phillips, Globe Staff

Not so fast, Scott Brown. Jack E. is back.

Jack E. Robinson, a perennial Republican candidate for office, has spent $100,000 of his own money over the last month to hire signature-gatherers, and he now appears poised to make the Senate ballot in the Dec. 8 GOP primary.

Robinson, who said he contracted with a Somerville consultant to get him the necessary 10,000 certified signatures, plans to make an official announcement of his candidacy next week. Assuming he does join the race, Robinson will go head-to-head with Brown, the Wrentham state senator whom the party has rallied behind in the race to fill Edward M. Kennedy's Senate seat.

Robinson's last-minute entry has caught the party -- and the political world -- by surprise. Though some GOP leaders acknowledge they face an uphill battle, the party is trying to at least set Brown up nicely for a future statewide run if he comes up short this time. One Republican official, who asked to remain anonymous, said the party would review the validity of Robinson's signatures to determine whether to challenge them, with an eye to knocking him off the ballot.

Republicans first promoted Robinson to challenge Kennedy in 2000, but then had to back off when controversial issues surfaced in his personal life. Since then, he has been a GOP nominee for secretary of state and for Congress.

Robinson, a Duxbury resident and lawyer who became wealthy in the late 1990s after selling a Caribbean-based telecommunications company, said he had not been asked by Republican leaders to back off. If he were, he said, he would tell them primaries are good for the party and that he would not back down.

By Matt Viser, Globe Staff

Alan Khazei is hardly a household name -- indeed, the City Year co-founder is one of the least-known entrants into the US Senate race. Many political observers -- and even Massachusetts Senate President Therese Murray, one of the state's leading Democrats -- have bungled his name.

Trouble is, it looks like the problem extends to his campaign.

This afternoon, campaign spokesman Dave Jacobson sent out a press release misspelling the name of his boss, in both the subject line and the body of the email.

The press release, touting an endorsement of a nonprofit advocating for nuclear disarmament, was titled as follows: “KHAZEE RECEIVES ENDORSEMENT FROM THE COUNCIL FOR A LIVABLE WORLD—NATIONS LEADING ORGANIZATIONON ON NUCLEAN PROLIFERATION ISSUES.”

Maybe we're being picky, but careful readers will note that “organizationon” and “nuclean” are also misspellings, and that "nations" should be "nation's." Jacobson sent out a revised release five minutes after the first that corrected Khazei's name, but the other errors remained.

The first sentence contends that the campaign “continues to gain momentum throughout the state.” How about gaining some proofreaders?

By Matt Viser, Globe Staff

In many ways, US Representative Michael Capuano and former governor Mitt Romney are like night and day.

One wears crisp business suits (Romney); the other is notorious for donning short-sleeved shirts with his ties (Capuano). One is an unabashed liberal (Capuano); the other proudly broadcasts his conservatism to a national audience (Romney). One of them (Romney) has hair fit for a television commercial; the other one (Capuano), well, not so much.

But there’s one thing that both politicians believe in: using your sons to pitch in on the campaign trail.

During his presidential race, Romney’s five adult children started a blog, Five Brothers, on which they pitched their dad's campaign message and shared intimate insights, such as their love of the Red Sox, Billy Joel, and “Saturday Night Live.”

Capuano’s US Senate campaign recently launched a blog, and his two sons have begun posting updates from the trail.

By Jack Nicas, Globe Correspondent

Are things getting a little rough in the City Council race?

At-large candidate Tito Jackson reports that someone threw a brick through the window of his Grove Hall home last week. The Schulyer Street home is adorned with Tito Jackson campaign signs, as are many other residences on the street, Jackson said.

But he's calling it a coincidence.

“I don’t look at it as being targeted,” he said. “I think that it could’ve happened to anyone.”

Jackson’s mother, with whom he lives, was home during the incident, he said, but she was not in the room where the brick smashed through the glass. He said she reported the incident to police.

Jackson is one of eight candidates running for four citywide council seats on Nov. 3.

By Andrea Estes, Globe Staff

US Representative Michael Capuano may be trailing Attorney General Martha Coakley in the polls, but he's winning so far among Senate race drop-outs.

US Representative Michael Capuano

This morning, Tierney announced his support for Capuano at a Lynn deli.

"I am supporting Mike ... because I know how hard he works to stand up for middle-class families, to achieve affordable, universal health care, and to create jobs here in Massachusetts," said Tierney, of Salem. "There is no other candidate in this race who can match his work ethic, his years of legislative experience, and his steadfast commitment to his principles and professive beliefs."

By Andrea Estes, Globe Staff

"There's no job I'd rather have right now."

That's Gerry Leone talking about being district attorney of Middlesex County. Usually, in politics, that kind of quote is code for "I'd leave this job in a second if a better one came up." But Leone, who had been considered one of the strongest potential candidates for attorney general next year, appears to actually mean what he says.

Leone told supporters Thursday night at a campaign event at Anthony's Pier 4 that he will not be a candidate for AG, telling them he loves his post and is staying put. He explained in an interview, “I wake up every morning with a passion for my job and the opportunity to help people."

So if Attorney General Martha Coakley manages to win the US Senate seat held by Edward M. Kennedy in the Jan. 19 special election, it looks like voters will have to look elsewhere.

Bristol County District Attorney Sam Sutter, meanwhile, he said he will run for the seat. Sutter, who has been DA since 2006, is hardly known outside of southeastern Massachusetts. But he was once a professional tennis player, according to his bio. Other prosecutors and lawyers eyeing a run include Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett; Norfolk County District Attorney William Keating; and former Lowell Mayor Eileen Donahue. Secretary of State William Galvin is another possible candidate.

They would have a high hurdle to clear: If Coakley wins, the Legislature would get to choose an interim successor, who would serve for nine months before facing a re-election campaign. That person, of course, would be able to run from the powerful position of incumbent.

By Matt Viser, Globe Staff

Candidates for US Senate released their first campaign finance filings on Thursday, and most of it was what you'd expect -- hefty hauls of campaign contributions, spending on consultants, the first TV advertising buys.

But there were a few interesting tidbits hidden in the data.

Celtics co-owner Stephen G. Pagliuca took in about a quarter of his fund-raising dollars ($51,025) from the business where he has spent much of his career, Bain Capital. But that didn’t stop City Year co-founder Alan Khazei from also going after employees of the firm, which has been a big supporter of the national service program. Khazei brought in $11,336 from Bain employees.

And while Pagliuca has NBA donors wrapped up, Khazei may be going after the NFL: He netted a $2,400 check from Joe Banner, the president of the Philadelphia Eagles. Khazei also collected maximum donations from New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and J.J. Abrams, the producer of the TV show “Lost.”

The travel-in-style award goes to Attorney General Martha Coakley: She paid $217.94 to Carey Limousine for transportation in Washington D.C. on Sept. 18.

The thrifty spending award goes to Pagliuca: He reported making an 85-cent purchase at Staples on Sept. 24.

The clean teeth award goes to US Representative Michael Capuano: He took in $5,000 from the American Dental Political Action Committee.

By Michael Levenson, Globe Staff

"Mel King and I never heard that problem when we were running for mayor of Boston," former Mayor Raymond L. Flynn told reporters this morning, as he spoke at a news conference at which he and King, who ran against each other in 1983, jointly endorsed Flaherty. Flynn, an Irish-American politician from South Boston, glanced over at King, an African-American activist from the South End, and joked, "As a matter of fact, I was almost tempted one time to wear a dashiki to one of my events."

As Flaherty's supporters laughed, Flynn suggested that perhaps King had done something to try match Flynn's look for Wednesday's endorsement. "You notice," Flynn said, pointing to something folded in King's pocket, "that Mel has the Irish scally cap."

(Photo at right, by Pat Greenhouse/Globe staff, shows Ray Flynn, Mel King, and the scally cap outside Boston City Hall this morning.)