The Hiller Instinct: Pelosi endorses Capuano

A few years ago, I made a wager with Congressman Mike Capuano, and after I won, he sent me this very nice note with the compliment "good guess."

Now I'd like to make another guess: the Capuano Campaign has it exactly wrong...what he thinks is his biggest strength is actually his weakness...

"It will be my loss when Michael goes to the United States Senate," Nancy Pelosi said today.

Getting the endorsement of the House Speaker is a picture perfect example.

We get it! Capuano has clout, and we know what that means to him:

"I've been trained in the House to know the way of Washington..."

"…that is part of being a senator that can only be done if you know how to work in Washington," Capuano said.

But here's the problem: Washington doesn't work!

Take healthcare. Capuano voted yes when the House narrowly passed a bill that strips women’s access to abortion.

Now he is one of so many Reps saying they wouldn't vote that way again, the House probably couldn't pass the bill again.

So Capuano can say he was for the health care bill before he was against it.

Now that's how Washington really works!

And then there are "earmarks"--the money congressmen add to the federal budget for projects in their district.

Capuano brags about winning record funding for local transportation projects--more than five billion dollars.

The problem for voters is that 535 members of Congress want to bring home the bacon...and no one wants to be out-porked.

So they scratch each other's backs...they go along to get along...and we pay the bill for all of it.

'If you think you can go down and change Washington like this, God bless you--good luck," Capuano said.

But we shouldn't need God or luck. Isn't that why we have elections?

I’m Andy Hiller, and that’s my instinct

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