Kerry challenger tours Western Massachusetts

09th April 2008

Kerry challenger tours Western Massachusetts

Wednesday, April 9

GREAT BARRINGTON -- Massachusetts U.S. Senate candidate Jim Ogonowski spent Monday morning in a half-dozen coffee shops in Berkshire County, meeting voters and trying to convey his philosophy of government.

"What better way to meet people and find out what's on their minds?" he said of what he called his People Before Politics Tour. "It's a laid-back environment. We're just sitting around, talking over coffee."

But, man, that's a lot of coffee.

"Yes, but there's some very good coffee here in Berkshire County," he said Monday.

Ogonowski, a Republican, is running for the seat that has been held by Democrat John Kerry since 1985. A retired veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Ogonowski lives in Dracut with his family.

In 2007, he was defeated by Democrat Nicola "Niki" Tsongas for a 5th District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. The margin of defeat, 51-46, was closer than many political pundits had expected.

Monday, Ogonowski kicked off a weeklong statewide campaign that will criss-cross Massachusetts diners and coffee shops.

From 7 a.m. to about 1 p.m. Monday, he hit diners and coffee shops in North Adams, Lanesborough, Pittsfield, Lee,

Stockbridge, Great Barrington and Sheffield. In the afternoon, he was in diners in West Springfield and Springfield.

"I think people are fed up with Washington," he said Monday, a few minutes after he visited the Sunrise Diner in Sheffield. "They want change. I honestly believe that 2008 will be a year where many incumbents will be asked to go home by the voters."

One of those incumbents, Ogonowski hopes, will be Kerry, a candidate whom he decries as a Washington insider out of touch with his constituency.

Monday, Ogonowski said that many Berkshire County residents expressed concerns to him about reliable access to the Internet, which has been a longtime issue in the county, as well as about national security and the economy -- in particular, the energy situation.

"The price of energy is just out of control," he said. "And everyone is affected, not just commuters who drive to work. I run a farm in Dracut, and the cost of energy has impacted me greatly. Because of the increase in gasoline prices, my fertilizer costs have gone up about 70 percent. It's time we had some real leadership to help us gain energy independence."

Ogonowski added that he is not intimidated by running as a Republican in a largely Democratic state.

"Well, let's look at some names: Bill Weld, Paul Cellucci, Mitt Romney," he said, referencing a list of GOP governors. "I think they have proven that Republicans can win in Massachusetts. And I also believe that we will see a Republican governor after this administration's term is up."

Ogonowski was referring to the current governor, Deval L. Patrick.

He added that he enjoyed his stop in Berkshire County, and that he will be coming back to campaign as the year goes on.

"Absolutely," he said. "I really enjoyed it. There are a lot of great people out here, and I enjoyed meeting some of them."