Stephen Lynch

WORCESTER - If a Massachusetts U.S. Senate seat were to open up, Worcester County Sherriff Guy Glodis said Thursday that he would expect, and look forward to, a crowded and spirited Democratic field running for the seat.

Glodis, who is said to have one of the largest political machines in the state, told PolitickerMA.com at the Democratic State Committee meeting Thursday that it is "very premature" to speculate about who would run. But in the event the U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-Boston) were to be tapped for a post in the Obama, Glodis said there are some pols that would already be serious contenders.

"I think you have [Attorney General] Martha Coakley, who would be a very strong candidate," Glodis said. "[Congressman] Steve Lynch has represented labor and has a great base in Suffolk. And some people say [Congressman Michael] Capuano and [Congressman Bill] Delahunt. I think all four of them would automatically be considered frontrunners."

Congressman Michael Capuano (D-Somerville)

CAMBRIDGE - Congressman Michael Capuano, a Democrat who is frequently named by political insiders as having high political aspirations, declined to rule out a run for the U.S. Senate should the opportunity present itself.

In an interview with PolitickerMA.com this week, Capuano, of Somerville, said he wouldn't rule out running but carefully qualified his answers by saying that he wasn't focused on the possibility.

"Who in their right mind would ever close the door on anything," Capuano said. "Anybody that tells you they have closed the door is either lying to you or lying to themselves. At the same time, that's not the same thing as saying I've got it all planned out, because anybody that's done that is crazy too. The answer is somewhere in the middle."

Eight of the Bay State's 10 congressmen voted for the economic bailout plan Friday, while Reps. Stephen Lynch and Bill Delahunt cast their vote against it.

The bailout plan, which the Senate passed on Wednesday, passed in the House by a vote of 263 to 171.

Congressmen Stephen Lynch (D-Boston) and Bill Delahunt (D-Quincy) voted against the measure, as they did on Monday. Congressman John Tierney (D-Salem), who voted against the measure on Monday, supported it on Friday.

In a statement, Tierney said he changed his vote because of the deteriorating financial situation.

Congressman Stephen Lynch's office just confirmed that he plans to vote against the $700 billion Wall Street bailout plan Friday.

U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Boston)Meaghan Maher, a spokesman for Lynch, told PolitickerMA.com that the Boston Democrat is "still a ‘no.'"

The Associated Press reported Thursday that Lynch was planning to oppose the proposal that passed in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday.

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Congressman Bill Delahunt plans to vote against the economic bailout plan Friday, according to this office.

U.S. Rep. Bill Delahunt (D-Quincy)The Quincy Democrat voted against the measure on Monday and has not been persuaded by the add-ons the U.S. Senate added to the bill before passing it on Wednesday.

The Associated Press first reported on Thursday that Delahunt still opposes the bill Thursday. Delahunt's office confirmed that he had not changed his mind Friday.

The three members of the Bay State's congressional delegation that voted against the $700 billion Wall Street bailout plan in the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday are still opposed to the Senate version of the bill that passed by a large margin Wednesday, the Boston Globe reports.

U.S. Reps. Stephen Lynch (D-Boston), Bill Delahunt (D-Quincy) and John Tierney (D-Salem) voted against the measure Monday.

"Of the three House members from Massachusetts who opposed the bill on Monday," the Globe reports, "none pledged to support the new measure."

Survey USA polled voters in the 6th, 9th and 10th Congressional Districts on the House vote of the bailout/rescue plan. There are some interesting results.

Q: Did you want your congressman to vote FOR or AGAINST the rescue plan? 

6th: For 40% Against 47%

9th: For 45% Against 43%

10th: For 41% Against 43%

By a margin of +7, -2 and +2 percent, voters in these three districts wanted their representatives to vote against the plan.

Next, voters were told that in fact their representative voted against the plan and then asked if they had cast the right vote.

Q: Your congressman, _______, voted against the rescue plan. Did your congressman cast the right vote? Or the wrong vote?

6th: Right Vote 53% Wrong Vote 33%

9th: Right Vote 45% Wrong Vote 41% 

10th: Right Vote 52% Wrong Vote 36%

Now, by margins of +20, +4 and +16, voters say that the "right vote" was to vote against the rescue plan.

Simply by being told how their representative voted, constituents' opinions shifted by +13, +6 and +14 percent in the direction of their representative.

Looks like U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch has the least sway over his constituents...or they're the most independent.

Congressmen Michael Capuano and Stephen Lynch, two Democrats who voted on opposite sides of the $700 billion Wall Street bailout plan on Monday, agreed Tuesday night that the financial rescue plan is resting in a precarious position.

U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano (D-Somerville)In their appearance on WGBH's "Greater Boston," Capuano, who voted for the measure, said changing the legislation now so it will pass will be very difficult.

"If we change it to get Steve's vote, we will either lose votes in the Senate or lose the president's support. If they change it another way, they might lose my support," Capuano, of Somerville, said. "So this bill is teetering on the brink."

Lynch, of Boston, agreed and said that part of the reason he and some others opposed the bill is that is isn't guaranteed to solve the current financial crisis.

Congressman Stephen Lynch said Monday night that he voted against the $700 billion Wall Street bailout plan because it asked too much of taxpayers and not enough of those on Wall Street that would benefit from the measure.

The Boston Democrat told PolitickerMA.com that the bill, which failed to pass Monday, did not do enough to protect the interests of taxpayers, who would be forced to pay for the bailout.

"From a general perspective," Lynch said, "the entire burden was placed on the average taxpayer while at the same time Wall Street and those that were going to get the greatest bailout were not asked to pay anything more."