Fourth Congressional District Candidates to Hold Town Hall Meetings at Stonehill
October 17, 2012
Democratic candidate for the Fourth Congressional District Joseph Kennedy III and his opponent Republican candidate Sean Bielat will hold individual town hall style meetings on the campus of Stonehill College on Tuesday, October 23. Kennedy (left) will answer attendee questions in his session scheduled for 12 noon inside the Martin Insitute while Bielat will answer questions later that night at 7 p.m. in the same location.
Members of the public are invited to attend the two sessions, which are not just for Stonehill students and staff.
The two squared off in what was supposed to be their final debate last Monday, disagreeing over taxes, social welfare and experience. After taking criticism from Bielat for only agreeing to one televised debate, Kennedy has scheduled another for Wednesday, October 24 on WFXT-TV.
In their debate on the 15th, Kennedy focused on Bielat's support for the budget proposed by Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan.
"Sean has endorsed the plan authored by Paul Ryan and the Ryan budget. And that makes some drastic cuts to some baseline programs and offers huge tax breaks to the wealthiest," Kennedy said.
Bielet (left) responded by saying, "You heard a minute ago and you'll hear fifteen more times tonight about Sean Bielat endorsing the Paul Ryan budget. That's a little bit debatable at best. Here's the thing: We have a hundred page piece of... not even legislation. A hundred page philosophy on what we can do about the debt and the deficit going forward. I think it's a great starting point."
Bielat (left) has accused Kennedy of running a front-runners' strategy in hopes of cruising into office. With his fundraising advantage and famous name, Kennedy is considered the heavy favorite in the race to replace Democratic US Representative Barney Frank.
Kennedy, 32, served as an Assistant District Attorney for Middlesex County in Massachusetts as well as in the counties of Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket. Prior to his work in the law field, Kennedy served in the Peace Corps from 2004-2006, where he worked on economic development and community reinvestment in the Puerto Plata region of the Dominican Republic. He attended Harvard Law School and studied Management Science and Engineering at Stanford University.
Bielet, 37, currently runs an online start-up company and prior to his 2010 campaign against Barney Frank, he led a $100 million defense robotics program at iRobot Corporation and was a management consultant at McKinsey & Company. He also serves in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Bielet holds an MBA from Wharton and degrees from Harvard University and Georgetown University.
About the Jospeh Martin Institute for Law and Society
The Joseph W. Martin Institute for Law and Society was established by Stonehill in 1990, with Congressional funding, in memory of Joseph Martin Jr. (1884-1968), the former Speaker of the House of Representatives.
The Martin Institute seeks to prepare the students of Stonehill College for leadership as active citizens in service to an improved human community. Through rigorous, critical interdisciplinary inquiry, the Institute challenges students to explore the vital issues of public policy and social justice. It is committed to a curriculum and co-curriculum that bridges theory and practice, inviting student curiosity in and engagement with the pressing issues of the day.
Peter Ubertaccio directs the Martin Institute. An Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science & International Studies at Stonehill, his work focuses on political parties, marketing and institutions. He is a sought after source on national politics, political conventions, and the race for the White House. He is also a close observer of Massachusetts state politics and a widely quoted expert on its elections and politicians.
Contact
For more information, contact Communications and Media Relations at 508-565-1321.