Word: mason
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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...Mason will be counting on the western part of the district because the eastern portion is pretty much in Drinan's pocket. The Catholics in the west often say they don't like a priest in politics and seem enthusiastic about the challenger up until Election Day. Linsky is familiar with this phenomenon. "People complain about a priest in politics, but in Fitchburg they vote 8-to-1 or 9-to-1 for him. The people fall all over you, but once they get into the voting booth, they don't want to vote against someone who is a 'messenger...
Framingham could be the pivotal town in the district. Mason must win a large majority of the vote there and stay fairly even in the rest of the distdrict to have a chance to win. Mason is now favored in Framingham, which has large blue-collar and middle class communities. State Representative Barbara Grey gives Mason a slighted edge in Framingham because he is better-organized and because of Drinan's liberal views on abortion, which are being criticized in local churches...
...Mason started to think about running for Congress a year and half ago. "I thought our district needed an effective legislator. I didn't think we were getting the right type of legislator for 1976," Mason says. Mason objects to Drinan's voting record on defense appropriations, claiming that Drinan has voted against "every single defense budget since he's been in Congress. And now, when the Army is thinking about closing Ft. Devens in the northern part of the district, Mason says that Drinan's fight to keep the base open is "hypocritical and lacks credibility...
...Mason's campaign is focusing on the economic issues of the district, which has a very high unemployment rate. "I would stimulate the economy in the Northeast through tax incentives and training programs, and would try to get the solar institute here," he says...
...campaigning in defense of his seat. His campaign strategy has been to emphasize his record in Congress. "He's talking about traditional Democratic values--he's cut unemployment in the district by 25 per cent," Lois S. Traub, Drinan's campaign manager, says. Traub says that Drinan welcomes Mason's challenge because it will put to rest a lot of misunderstanding about the support Drinan has in the district...