Congrats, Niki Tsongas!

[MethuenProgressive]

Another Karl Rove protege bites the dust!

[Ian David]

1. I'm still surprised this race was even close.

There's some interesting analysis on that.

Tsongas declared 5th District winner (Dems hold Mass. Congressional seat)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3031023

[rox63]

2. The 5th district has some wide red streaks running through it

I live in Lowell, which is fairly blue. But we're surrounded by red towns.

[Ian David]

3. I think that's where we should put the powerplant instead of Brockton.

In the middle of a big, "red" part of Massachusetts.

[rox63]

4. We're surrounded, I tell ya

Check the town-by-town results: http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/10/16/5th_district_us_house_results/

Chelmsford, Westford, Billerica, Tewksbury, Tyngsboro, Dracut, Methuen... Lowell is a blue island adrift in a sea of red. So is Lawrence. :(

[Ian David]

5. Lowell. Let's put the powerplant in fucking Lowell.

A) It's already a pit.
B) It's full of stupid fucking Republickers.

I think Lowell would be a great place for a natural gas powerplant.

We can name it TheOgonowski Healey Harrington Power Plant.

Fuck 'em.

[rox63]

6. Lowell is BLUE - It is not full of Republickers!

We're just surroundeded by other towns that are red. And you can keep your f*cking power plant somewhere else. ;)

[Ian David]

7. Lowell still sucks

:P

[rox63]

8. At least it ain't Brockton!

:P

[Ian David]

9. Lowell wishes it could be Brockton. Instead, they're sinking toward Fitchburg status.

Love it or leave it
Some believe Boston neighborhood gets bad rap

By Johnny Diaz, Globe Staff | November 18, 2006

<snip>

Gilmartin spent more than a year polling thousands of people nationwide online to identify the country's geographic "armpits." One other Bay State community -- Fitchburg -- made the list for its "guidos," "slum lords," and "mediocre students forced to fall back on Fitchburg State College." But Allston made Gilmartin's list by personal choice, even though he says people voted for it as a candidate.

More:
http://www.boston.com/ae/books/articles/2006/11/18/love_it_or_leave_it/?page=2

And:

- Fitchburg, MA: "The people of Fitchburg have created a hellhole for the ages, even by Massachusetts standards."
http://www.boston.com/ae/books/blog/2006/09/the_best_of_the.html

[rox63]

10. Fitchburg is hell - and Lowell is nothing like it

Lowell WAS a pit when I was growing up there. But it's come a long way since then, partly due to the efforts of Paul & Niki Tsongas. We have a thriving arts and cafe scene, two minor league sports teams (baseball and hockey), one of the best tech colleges (U-Mass Lowell) in New England, a National Historical Park, great ethnic restaurants. Check it out some time.

So what does Brockton have to offer? :P

[Ian David]

15. We have two museums, parks with very little broken glass, a stadium, baseball team...

fairgrounds, convention center, a good hospital plus one really shitty one, playgrounds, new schools, and a whole bunch of great restaurants of various ethnicities springing up.

[Rockholm]

11. Lowell is not a pit.

Lawrence, maybe, but not Lowell.

[rox63]

13. Thank you for standing up for my home town

:hi: We have a saying here: "It could be worse - At least we're not in Lawrence"

[Rockholm]

12. All the not-so-nice towns.

However, Concord, Carlisle, Harvard and Stow all voted overwhelmingly for her. Woo Hoo.

[rox63]

14. Maybe we could trade a couple of our 'burbs for towns in the southern end of the district? n/t