June 15, 2010: Rep. Stephen Lynch's primary challenger

>> Rooney: SCOTT BROWN'S SURPRISE SENATE WIN PROVES THAT 2010 WOULD BE A YEAR OF POLITICAL UPHEAVAL AND A BEVY OF RECENT ELECTIONS HAVE HAD UNEXPECTED OUTCOMES.

NOW ANOTHER MASSACHUSETTS CONTEST COULD BE TESTING JUST HOW FAR THIS FERMENT CAN GO.

OUSTING A SITTING CONGRESSMAN ISN'T EASY.

BUT MAC D'ALESSANDRO SAYS THE STARS HAVE ALIGNED TO LEAVE STEPHEN LYNCH VALUABLE IN THIS FALL'S DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES.

>> WHETHER IT IS ANTI INCUMBENT OR NOT, IT IS THERE.

ALL OF THOSE THINGS TOGETHER CONTRIBUTE TO US HAVING A REAL SHOT AT DOING THIS.

>> Rooney: D'ALLESSANDRO IS CRITICAL OF LYNCH FOR BACKING THE WAR IN IRAQ.

AND BEING THE ONLY MEMBER OF THE MASSACHUSETTS DELEGATION TO VOTE AGAINST THE HEALTH CARE REFORM.

>> THE NO VOTE ON HEALTH CARE WAS REALLY DISAPPOINTING TO ME.

THE WORDS PERFECT AND LAW HAVE NOT BEEN USED IN THE SAME SENTENCE.

BUT NOW 32 MILLION AMERICANS WHO DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTH INSURANCE WILL HAVE IT.

>> Rooney: LYNCH ISN'T TOO WORRIED ABOUT HIS CHALLENGE TO THE LEFT.

>> THE RESPONSE HAS BEEN VERY POSITIVE TO MY VOTE ON THE HEALTH CARE.

NOT ONLY FROM THE PEOPLE DEAD SET AGAINST IT, BUT THOSE WHO THOUGHT IT DID NOT MEET THEIR EXPECTATIONS.

>> Rooney: AND, SAYS LYNCH, BEING AN UNORTHODOX DEMOCRATIC, HAS ITS ADVANTAGES.

>> I NEVER WANT THE DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP IN CONGRESS SAY WE KNOW HOW HE IS GOING TO VOTE.

WE DON'T HAVE TO TALK TO THEM.

I WANT THEM TO BE VERY CAREFUL HOW THEY REGARD MY VOTE.

I WANT THEM TO COME TO ME.

AND I WANT THEM TO NOT TAKE THE VOTES OF THE PEOPLE THAT I REPRESENT FOR GRANTED.

>> Rooney: MEANWHILE, SOME HAVE QUESTIONED MAC D'ALESSANDRO'S MOTIVES.

BEFORE HE JUMPED INTO THE RACE, HE WAS A POLITICAL OPERATIVE FOR THE POWERFUL SERVICE EMPLOYEES INTERNATIONAL UNION, WHICH BACKED HEALTH CARE REFORM.

THAT HAS PROMPTED SPECULATION THAT HE WAS RECRUITED TO PUNISH LYNCH FOR HIS NO VOTE, SOMETHING D'ALLESSANDRO DENIES.

>> I WAS NOT ASKED BY ANYONE IN LABOR TO DO WHAT I'M DOING.

I'M DOING THIS SAYS A CONSTITUENT WHO IS DISAPPOINTED IN THE ADVOCACY BEING PERFORMED BY HIS CURRENT CONGRESSMAN.

>> Rooney: WHATEVER HIS RATIONAL, HE PICKED A GOOD YEAR TO RUN.

JOINING ME IS POLITICAL ORGANIZER HARMONY WU WHO ONCE CONSIDERED CHALLENGING LYNCH, AND SCOTT FERSON.

>> THANK YOU.

>> Rooney: I'M SURE YOU HAVE SEEN THE POLL THAT SAYS ONLY 39% OF VOTERS IN THE NINTH DISTRICT THINK CONGRESSMAN STEPHEN LYNCH SHOULD GET ANOTHER SHOT AT THIS.

HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO IT?

>> IT IS A TOUGH YEAR FOR INCUMBENTS.

IF YOU LOOK AT POLLS, OTHER THAN SCOTT BROWN, ARE REFLECTIVE OF THAT.

I THINK THE FRUSTRATION IS OVER THE VOTE ON HEALTH CARE, THE VOTE ON THE BANK BAILOUT AND THE RESPONSE TO B.P.

STEPHEN LYNCH CAN MAKE A PRETTY INCREDIBLE CASE.

AND WE FEEL PRETTY COMFORTABLE ABOUT IT.

>> Rooney: HARMONY, WHY DID YOU DECIDE NOT TO GO FOR THIS?

>> I DECIDED NOT TO GO FOR THIS BECAUSE IT WASN'T RIGHT FOR ME AND MY LIFE AND MY FAMILY.

I HAVE YOUNG CHILDREN.

BUT I'M ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTED THAT MAC HAS STEPPED UP AND HE IS GOING TO RUN WHAT I THINK IS A BIG RISK CAMPAIGN.

I THINK HE HAS A GREAT SHOT.

THE POLL RESULTS DO NOT SURPRISE ME AT ALL.

IT CORRESPONDS WITH WHAT I HAVE HEARD AND SEEN ON IN THE POLITICAL ORGANIZING WORLD, WHICH IS TALKING TO MY NEIGHBORS AND ORGANIZING FOR ISSUES LIKE HEALTH CARE.

BEFORE I WAS REALLY INVOLVED IN A LOT OF THIS STUFF, I JUST KEPT HEARING, WELL, I JUST WISH SOMEONE WOULD CHALLENGE STEPHEN LYNCH.

AND THE RESPONSE, FROM MY POINT OF VIEW, HAS BEEN REALLY, REALLY POSITIVE.

AND MAC IS A GREAT GUY.

AND HIS POSITIONS ARE MUCH MORE IN LINE AND MUCH MORE IN STEP WITH MANY OF THE PEOPLE IN THE NINTH DISTRICT.

>> Rooney: STEPHEN LYNCH IS A GOOD GUY, TOO, BUT THAT DOESN'T REALLY COUNT TOO MUCH THESE DAYS.

>> OF COURSE NOT.

>> Rooney: SCOTT, I WAS LOOKING OVER THE DISTRICT, AND IT IS MIND BOGGLING WHAT THE NINTH COVERS, LARGE PARTS OF BOSTON, BACK BAY, RANDOLPH, BRAINTREE, ALL OF THESE MEANDERING, BIG, HUGE, SUBURBAN CITIES AND BLUE COLLAR DISTRICTS.

A LOT OF THAT WAS, AS YOU WELL NOW, SCOTT BROWN TERRITORY?

>> NOBODY KNOWS THE DISTRICT BETTER THAN STEPHEN LYNCH.

FROM HIS FIRST ELECTION 2001, A PRETTY HEALTHY VOTE.

AND HE HAS HAD CHALLENGERS, AND CHALLENGERS FROM THE LEFT AND CHALLENGERS FROM THE RIGHT.

HE TAKES NOTHING FOR GRANTED.

I THINK THE FACT HE HASN'T TAKEN ANYTHING FOR GRANTED IN HIS PAST RACES WHEN THEY'VE BEEN, QUOTE,"EASIER YEARS," WILL SERVE HIM WELL.

YOU'LL FIND PINGS ON THE LEFT AND PINGS ON THE RIGHT.

I THINK THE ONE COMMONALITY THAT STEPHEN WOULD SAY IS HE'S HIS OWN PERSON AND HE WILL MAKE UP HIS OWN MIND ABOUT IT.

>> Rooney: HARMONY, HE DID HAVE AN ANTIWAR OPPONENT THE LAST TIME AROUND AND HE SLID BY HIM EASILY.

THE FACT HE HAS HAD AN ECLECTIC VOTING RECORD MAY VERY WELL PROVE TO HIS BENEFIT.

EVEN THE NO VOTE ON HEALTH CARE.

A LOT OF PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE, NOT JUST THIS STATE, BUT THE NATION, FELT THAT WAY ABOUT IT.

>> THAT'S CORRECT.

AND I THINK THAT HE IS THAT VOTE WAS VERY SMART IN SOME WAYS.

ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE SCOTT BROWN CONTEXT, WHERE THERE IS A LOT OF VOTER ANGER AT SUPPOSED DEMOCRATIC DOMINANCE HERE IN MASSACHUSETTS.

I THINK THAT STEPHEN LYNCH IS APPEALING TO THOSE VOTERS.

BUT, HOWEVER, WHEN HE SENDS OUT HIS MAILINGS, HE IS USING ARGUMENTS FROM THE LEFT TO DEFEND A POSITION.

>> Rooney: LIKE WHAT?

>> WELL, THAT THE HEALTH CARE DOES NOT GO FAR ENOUGH.

THE PUBLIC OPTION WAS STRIPPED OUT.

>> Rooney: YOU THINK IT WAS A POLITICAL MOVE

>> IT SEEMS VERY POLITICAL TO ME.

INCREDIBLY INCOMPREHENSIBLE.

I WAS IN HIS OFFICE SPEAKING TO HIM ABOUT HIS VOTE TWO OR THREE WEEKS BEFORE THE FINAL VOTE CAME DOWN.

AND I WAS FLABBERGASTED AT WHAT I WAS HEARING.

HE WAS PREPARING TO VOTE NO, AND HE WAS USING THE PUBLIC OPTION AS HIS DEFENSE.

>> Rooney: ON THE OTHER HAND, IT COULD HAVE COST HIM A SENATE SEAT.

IF YOU ARGUE HE VOTED WITH HIS HEART, AND HE COULDN'T RUN FOR SENATE FEARING THAT THE UNIONS WOULDN'T BACK HIM?

>> I CAN'T SPEAK TO THAT.

I'M A CONSTITUENT FIRST.

AND I KNOW THAT I FELT I AND MANY, MANY OTHERS FELT VERY FRUSTRATED AT WHAT WE WERE PERCEIVING TO BE A LACK OF COMMUNICATION.

>> I THINK I CAN SPEAK TO THAT.

YOU KNOW, HE TOOK A HARD STAND, AND THE UNIONS REBELLED AGAINST HIM WHEN HE WAS LOOKING AT THE SENATE RACE.

IT WASN'T DONE FOR POLITICAL EXPEDIENCY.

HE IS NOT GOING TO BE AFRAID TO TAKE STANDS HE BELIEVES IN.

IF YOU DISAGREE WITH HIM, THAT'S FINE.

IN DEMOCRACY, ANYBODY CAN RUN.

THAT'S HEALTHY FOR OUR DEMOCRACY, AND IT WILL BE GOOD TO HAVE THIS DEBATE.

>> Rooney: YEAH.

I MEAN THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A CHALLENGER, IT LOOKS LIKE SOMEBODY WHO WILL DO RETAIL, DOOR TO DOOR POLITICS.

>> ALL ACROSS THE DISTRICT.

I CAN'T REMEMBER WHEN I'VE EVER SEEN CONGRESSMAN LYNCH IN NEEDHAM.

>> Rooney: YEAH, NEEDHAM.

YOU FORGET NEEDHAM IS PART OF THE DISTRICT.

>> YES, IT IS.

IT VERY MUCH IS.

>> Rooney: THAT'S WHAT I WAS SAYING, IT IS A LARGE, RE MEANDERING DISTRICT.

JUST TO COVER IT.

>> I THINK THE VOTES IN HIS PAST RACES WOULD SHOW HE DOES GET AROUND.

HIS VOTE TOTALS ARE HEALTHY IN URBAN AREAS AND SUBURBAN AREAS, TOO.

>> Rooney: WHAT ABOUT THE REPUBLICAN CHALLENGER?

ANY CONCERNS ABOUT HIM?

>> WELL, HE WILL NOT BE SOMEONE I WOULD END UP SUPPORTING, SO I'M MAKING SURE PEOPLE HEAR ABOUT MAC.

>> Rooney: IT IS A HEAVILY DEMOCRATIC DISTRICT, BUT A LOT OF THAT DISTRICT, INCLUDING NEEDHAM, WENT FOR SCOTT BROWN.

>> I THINK THE BEST THING FOR LYNCH IS TO RUN YOUR PARTY AND NOT WORRY ABOUT THE OTHER PARTIES.

>> Rooney: WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE RACE IN THE MONTHS TO COME.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

WHEN WE CONTINUE, THE SCHILLINGS PERSONAL FAMILY STORY.