This week, the Boston Globe highlighted Congressman Mike Capuano’s $24,000 in congressional travel expenses to foreign nations over recent years. The implication appears to be that Capuano, a candidate for Ted Kennedy’s senate seat, has been wasteful with taxpayer money during international trips. Such criticism is without merit – much like the Globe’s overall coverage of Capuano’s campaign has been. The Globe is backing Attorney General Martha Coakley for the Senate seat, and in its presumption, it is attempting to anoint the next senator, playing kingmaker to satisfy its own preferences. What remains unexamined in the Globe’s reporting is Attorney General Coakley’s year-long campaign for higher office. Throughout the past year, Coakley’s appearances have been accompanied by costly delegations of highly compensated state officials who have effectively been campaigning on her behalf. In a political contest, all tactics are permissible – and this senate race leans more toward combat than civility. Capuano opposed the Iraq War and possesses genuine foreign policy experience. His travels have taken him to Iraq, the Middle East, and Europe, whereas Attorney General Coakley has campaigned through Springfield, Worcester, Lowell, and similar cities with her substantial entourage in tow. The Globe has made no effort to calculate the expenses associated with the attorney general’s year of campaigning. Instead, they are tallying Capuano’s travel expenditures – figures that pale in comparison to the cost of a new Ford Fusion with a sunroof. Capuano has demonstrated political acumen in distinguishing himself from other candidates vying for Kennedy’s senate seat through his criticism of Coakley. The Globe does not support him. Capuano is conducting his campaign independently – precisely as he prefers.
Capuano’s travels
