Here’s one of the little reasons I like him (from his weekly e-newsletter received yesterday – emphasis mine):
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) just announced that it would consider allowing cell phone use during flights. The FCC will review the matter at its December 12th meeting. I have concerns about this. If cell phone use is allowed, will airlines then begin charging passengers, either to sit in cell phone free rows or in rows that allow calls? An airplane is a confined space with no ability to move into another compartment or switch seats if someone is talking loudly and at length. Unlike trains, airlines cannot offer “quiet cabins”. We’ve all been in the presence of someone who is not considerate of others when engaging in conversation on a cell phone. That situation is significantly more challenging in a confined space. No one wants to be stuck sitting next to someone talking loudly on their phone for an hour or more when they have nowhere to go for some quiet.I will be expressing my concerns to the FCC.
I still scratch my head that he lost the Senate primary to Coakley by almost a 2:1 margin. If you want to understand pathological behaviors of the Democratic party – a party of which I am a member – you’d do well to start your investigation there. From the Globe following a Dec. 2009 debate between candidates for Senate (lead up to the special election to fill Kennedy’s seat – the primary was about a week later):
Mike Capuano spent much of the debate with a look of frustration on his face, as if he were an air conditioning repairman who had just stepped into a symposium on the philosophical underpinnings of the air conditioner…
Capuano isn’t about change and doesn’t pretend to be; he’s about the realities of the sausage-making process. His challenge lies in convincing voters his gruffness has a purpose – frustration can translate into action, and ugly truths can turn into legislative gains.
A challenge he obviously failed to meet. Really though, how could we not nominate this guy? Also from the Globe:
And then there was the February [2009] congressional hearing, when he lectured apologetic bankers on the financial crisis.
“You come to us today, on your bicycles, after buying Girl Scout cookies, and helping out Mother Teresa, telling us ‘We’re sorry, we didn’t mean it, we won’t do it again. Trust us,’ ’’ he said, fairly spitting. “Well, I have some people in my constituency that actually robbed some of your banks, and they say the same thing. They’re sorry, they didn’t mean it, they won’t do it again. Just let ’em out.’’
He gets it.