“This is not how we do business in Massachusetts.”
 
BOSTON - At a press conference today, U.S. Sen. John Kerry called on Scott Brown to tell his out of state supporters to put an end to the bullying and intimidation tactics of the past few days.
 
Recent media reports have described a range of these outrageous tactics, ranging from the theft and burning of lawn signs to threatening comments posted on the Facebook pages of Coakley supporters to death threats posted on Coakley’s own Facebook page.
 
Meanwhile, at a West Springfield event on Saturday, when a Brown supporter yelled “Shove a curling iron up her butt!” in reference to Coakley, Brown himself smiled in acknowledgment of the threat.
 
“I'm no stranger to hard fought campaigns, but what we’ve seen in the past few days is way over the line and reminiscent of the dangerous atmosphere of Sarah Palin's 2008 campaign rallies.  This is not how democracy works in Massachusetts.  Scott Brown needs to speak up and get his out of state tea party supporters under control.  In Massachusetts, we fight hard and win elections on the issues and on our differences, not with bullying and threats,” said Senator John Kerry.
 
“He stoked the fires himself - smirking at threats against the Attorney General, busing scores of paid ‘supporters’ into his events, and standing by while his supporters call his opponents ‘Nazis.’  But what we’ve seen over the past two weeks is these out of state supporters coming in and engaging in tactics we’ve never seen here before.  Now, as Election Day approaches, it’s become increasingly clear that Scott Brown has lost control of his campaign, and we are calling on him to tell his out of state supporters to stand down,” said Coakley spokesman Corey Welford. 
 
 

John Kerry sent this email out to his list today in support of Martha Coakley:

Hello Brian,

Not a lot of time left, so here are the three quick reasons why I need you to dig deep and help Martha Coakley in these final crucial days in her slugfest down to the wire battle against the national Republican Party and the powerful special interest bankrolling his campaign:

1. It's not the Massachusetts way to see the seat Ted Kennedy served in for 47 years handed off to someone who has pledged again and again to destroy Ted's life's work - health care reform.

2.  It's wrong to allow Republican money to pour into Massachusetts at the last moment to distort, deceive, and divide the way to a Republican win. But the anonymously funded, shadowy right wing groups are blanketing the air with ads attacking Martha Coakley. they're counting on you taking a pass on this race.

3. Jobs, Jobs, Jobs. We were losing 800,000 jobs a month under George W Bush, and Martha Coakley's opponent didn't stand up and fight. Now he says he'll be "independent." Where was he when people were hurting the most? Martha will fight for jobs in Massachusetts and across the country - and she'll do what she's done as Attorney General: stand up to the scam artists and the sub-prime mortgage pushers and all those who drove our economy into the ditch. We need her in the Senate to fight alongside us.

Those are the stakes - I need you to contribute what you can to help.

National Republican groups - including some of the people who funded the attack ads against me in 2004 - are bringing their lies to this race in Massachusetts.

The GOP is looking at next week's election as a key contest in their drive to stop reform,  so please, give $20, $50, or $100 dollars to Martha Coakley for this vital election.

The Republican Party drove us into a ditch, and we're not going to let them stop us as we climb our way out of it.

Thank you for all you've done.

Sincerely,
John Kerry