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
Page last updated: Oct 13, 2021