August 20, 2008 — John F. Kerry must think his Senate seat is a birthright.
We believe, though, if the junior senator continues to refuse to debate Gloucester attorney Ed O’Reilly, his Democratic opponent, before the Sept. 16 primary, he may be in for a real eye-opener about his stature in his adopted home state.
In 24 years, Kerry has some real accomplishments he can hang his hat on, including his rising profile and his work on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, his efforts to fight global warming and his support for the new G.I. Bill and education funding and reform.
But all of that has been achieved on the national stage. Kerry, like his colleague Sen. Edward Kennedy, has name recognition around the state from his time as lieutenant governor, congressman, four-term senator and presidential candidate.
But unlike Kennedy, Kerry does not have the gravitas here to assume his resume is sufficient to win another term without answering to Bay State voters.
