State of Massachusetts Archives: on Homeland Security


Ed Markey: Don't compromise innocent haystack looking for guilty needle

The two clashed on the National Security Agency's collection of billions of Americans' phone and Internet records. Gomez said Edward Snowden, the former intelligence contractor who claimed responsibility for revealing the surveillance programs, should be held accountable. "Is Snowden a hero or a traitor? I think it's going to be determined after we find out more facts," Gomez said. "But if his information puts anybody at risk, he's by far not a hero. He is a traitor."

Markey said Snowden should accept responsibility, but added that Americans shouldn't have to choose between security and privacy. "We have to make sure that we have in place the privacy protections so that as law enforcement officials are looking for the guilty needle that there is not a compromise of the innocent haystack of e-mails and phone calls that all Americans are making," Markey said.

Source: Boston Herald on 2013 MA Senate debates Jun 11, 2013

Gabriel Gomez: Only traitors reveal harmful surveillance information

The two clashed on the National Security Agency's collection of billions of Americans' phone and Internet records. Gomez said Edward Snowden, the former intelligence contractor who claimed responsibility for revealing the surveillance programs, should be held accountable. "Is Snowden a hero or a traitor? I think it's going to be determined after we find out more facts," Gomez said. "But if his information puts anybody at risk, he's by far not a hero. He is a traitor."

Markey said Snowden should accept responsibility, but added that Americans shouldn't have to choose between security and privacy. "We have to make sure that we have in place the privacy protections so that as law enforcement officials are looking for the guilty needle that there is not a compromise of the innocent haystack of e-mails and phone calls that all Americans are making," Markey said.

Source: Boston Herald on 2013 MA Senate debates Jun 11, 2013

Gabriel Gomez: Fight to preserve Western Massachusetts' military units

The sparring started on the first substantive question, about how to address unemployment in Western Massachusetts. Gomez said he would fight to preserve Western Massachusetts' military units--the 439th Airlift Wing based at Westover Air Reserve Base and the 104th Fighter Wing at Barnes Air National Guard Base.
Source: Springfield Republican on 2013 MA Senate debates Mar 28, 2013

Martha Coakley: Protect due process in any plan to keep America safe

On Fighting Terrorism: Has said any plan to keep America safe must also protect due process. She has touted her work as Middlesex County district attorney after the Sept. 11 attacks to ensure that Muslims were not unfairly targeted by law enforcement.
Source: Nancy Reardon, Quincy Patriot-Ledger: 2010 MA Senate debate Jan 14, 2010

Scott Brown: Supports enhanced interrogation techniques

Backs "enhanced interrogation techniques"--called "torture" by others--feeling they lead to useful information, and opposes giving suspected terrorists constitutional rights. He has said that U.S. laws are intended to "protect this nation, not our enemies."

Citing his experience as a lieutenant colonel in the National Guard, Brown has attempted to position himself as the candidate with the strongest stance against terrorism.

Source: Nancy Reardon, Quincy Patriot-Ledger: 2010 MA Senate debate Jan 14, 2010

Scott Brown: No constitutional rights for enemy combatants

Brown took issue with Coakley on how terrorist suspects should be tried. He said alleged 9/11 mastermind Khaled Sheikh Mohammed should be treated as an enemy combatant and not tried in New York. "To think that we would give people who want to kill us constitutional rights and lawyer them up at our expense instead of treating them as enemy combatants to get as much information as we can under legal means--it just makes no sense to me," Brown said.
Source: WBUR article on 2010 MA Senate debate Jan 12, 2010

Alan Khazei: Would vote against Patriot Act

During the debate, Congressman Capuano questioned Attorney General Martha Coakley's view on the Patriot Act. Coakley says she would vote against it as it is currently formulated. Khazei and Pagliuca also would vote against it.
Source: NECN on 2009 MA Senate debate Dec 3, 2009

Martha Coakley: Would vote against Patriot Act as currently formulated

During the debate, Congressman Capuano questioned Attorney General Martha Coakley's view on the Patriot Act. Coakley says she would vote against it as it is currently formulated. Khazei and Pagliuca also would vote against it.
Source: NECN on 2009 MA Senate debate Dec 3, 2009

Stephen Pagliuca: Would vote against Patriot Act

During the debate, Congressman Capuano questioned Attorney General Martha Coakley's view on the Patriot Act. Coakley says she would vote against it as it is currently formulated. Khazei and Pagliuca also would vote against it.
Source: NECN on 2009 MA Senate debate Dec 3, 2009

Jeff Beatty: Restructure forces, larger, & for liberation, not occupation

We don’t have a force structure that’s designed to support an occupation. Didn’t have it in 2003, and I would be surprised if we ever have it again. During the Cold War, maybe we had it. During World War Two we had millions of people in uniform. The Russians, who have occupied their share of countries--they had had millions of people in uniform. We only have hundreds of thousands of people in uniform.

Let’s talk about what my take is on how our military should be used. I think that the American military is small, should not be, and it won’t be structured for occupation. We should really be a military that when we use it, it’s a last resort, but it should be used for liberation not occupation. When you do that you’re able to go in, you try to keep as much of the host country infrastructure in place as you can. That’s what we did after World War II in Japan, we kept a lot of infrastructure in place.

Source: Dedham Times Interview on 2008 MA Senate Debate Jul 16, 2008

  • The above quotations are from Commonwealth of Massachusetts Politicians: Archives.
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2020 Presidential contenders on Homeland Security:
  Democrats running for President:
Sen.Michael Bennet (D-CO)
V.P.Joe Biden (D-DE)
Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I-NYC)
Gov.Steve Bullock (D-MT)
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)
Sen.Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Secy.Julian Castro (D-TX)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Rep.John Delaney (D-MD)
Rep.Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)
Sen.Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Gov.Deval Patrick (D-MA)
Sen.Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
CEO Tom Steyer (D-CA)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Marianne Williamson (D-CA)
CEO Andrew Yang (D-NY)

2020 Third Party Candidates:
Rep.Justin Amash (L-MI)
CEO Don Blankenship (C-WV)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Howie Hawkins (G-NY)
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Howard Schultz(I-WA)
Gov.Jesse Ventura (I-MN)
Republicans running for President:
Sen.Ted Cruz(R-TX)
Gov.Larry Hogan (R-MD)
Gov.John Kasich(R-OH)
V.P.Mike Pence(R-IN)
Gov.Mark Sanford (R-SC)
Pres.Donald Trump(R-NY)
Rep.Joe Walsh (R-IL)
Gov.Bill Weld(R-MA & L-NY)

2020 Withdrawn Democratic Candidates:
Sen.Stacey Abrams (D-GA)
Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-NYC)
Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Sen.Mike Gravel (D-AK)
Sen.Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Gov.John Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Gov.Jay Inslee (D-WA)
Mayor Wayne Messam (D-FL)
Rep.Seth Moulton (D-MA)
Rep.Beto O`Rourke (D-TX)
Rep.Tim Ryan (D-CA)
Adm.Joe Sestak (D-PA)
Rep.Eric Swalwell (D-CA)
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