Photo: Massachusetts Governor's Office
Former Rep. Barney Frank (D) clearly wanted the gig, but John Kerry's Senate vacancy is instead going to an unexpected choice.
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) will appoint his former chief of staff, William "Mo" Cowan, to be the interim pick to fill the state's vacated U.S. Senate seat at 11:00 am ET Wednesday, a top Democratic aide and a Massachusetts political operative confirm to NBC News.
Cowan, who is African American, will be Massachusetts' second black U.S. Senator. The first was Republican Ed Brooke, who served from 1967 to 1978.
Cowan is not an especially well-known figure outside the Bay State, but the AP reported, "Cowan, 43, became chief-of-staff to Patrick in 2010 after first serving as chief legal counsel during the Democratic governor's first term. He stepped down as Patrick's top aide in December, though he remained on a senior adviser through the filing last week of the governor's state budget request."
There is a fair amount of historical significance associated with the choice. Once Cowan takes office, he'll be only the eighth African American to serve in the U.S. Senate, and it will be the first time in American history that two African-American senators served at the same time -- South Carolina's Tim Scott (R) was appointed to fill Jim DeMint's vacancy earlier this month.
Moreover, with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D) having been elected a few months ago, this will also be the first time in American history that a state's Senate delegation has been made up of one woman and one African American. While we're at it, let's also note that Massachusetts will now be the first state to ever be represented by an African-American governor and an African-American senator at the same time.
Looking ahead, Cowan will serve though the June special election, and will not seek a full term of his own. That said, the Democratic race is poised to get a little larger -- Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) will launch his campaign in Boston tomorrow, and will take on Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) in a primary.
It's worth noting that Lynch is the only Democrat in New England who voted with Republicans to kill health care reform, supported the Iraq war, and opposes abortion rights, suggesting he may struggle to win his party's nod.
On the other side of the aisle, Republican Scott Brown, who just lost his Senate seat three months ago, is reportedly "leaning strongly" toward running again, despite his recent public rejection.
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I love Barney Frank, but he overplayed this on every level, including tooting his own horn too loud about having to have an experienced hand in such a short term.
It is now going to be Markey versus Brown. And Deval Patrick didn't lift a finger to help.
For anyone even faintly pragmatic about the uphill battle for the Senate in 2014, this situation called for hardball politics. Independent of personalities, there were 3 tactical stances:
The Governor took the weakest possible path. If Brown wins, people will look to Patrick for failing to take seriously the dire situation for the Senate in 2014. They will ask why he didn't make the hardball or at least softball move.
Personally, I strongly favored Barney Frank since it was clear that Rachel was not going to at least spring for a temporary appointment. Maybe she put it in privately- if so, good for her, but I doubted it after Frank announced. Personally, I believe his assurances he would not run. Besides integrity, I think he never would have gone up against Markey, both for legacy and fratricide reasons. To win the seat the Dems needed to avoid a replay of Bobby Kennedy versus McCarthy.
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I am still lighting a candle in the window for Rachel. If there is not exploratory committee in the next days, we have to be balls to the wall for Markey- we have to focus the climate change folks on him so he has an enormous war chest.
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Because having lost Romney as a shining object, Wall Street is going to dump mind blowing amounts of cash on this race.
I believe the governor made the appointment so that Cowan gets his face before the voters so that he can run for elective office in the near future, possibly the governorship.
If it is a slam dunk for Markey as the PPP poll suggests with all those undecideds being those who went for Warren (TheHill), then option 1 was the responsible choice to build up future leaders. I have reason for skepticism after the Dem party massive failure with Coakley. Polls where heavily mixed with some showing her 8 and 11 points ahead, and Brown crushed her.
If the PPP poll is correct about the undecideds, its a good sign. You know Elizabeth is going to press her network of voters hard not just to vote for Markey, but Get out the Vote for him.
So the main liability for Deval Patrick would be p*ssing off Lawrence O'Donnell- which by the way could be a very serious liability given the legendary ire of his Irishness, sir lawrence.
I don't think the temporary pick is going to be a factor in a big money showdown in Mass. As for Rachel, whose ratings are trending upward, I'm pretty happy having her on tv five nights a week. I don't have confidence that any one person can move a mountain in the Senate...
should be interesting to watch.
The thing is that with issues as pertinent to the American people's well being, an experienced person like Barney Frank would know how to navigate and deal with recalcitrant people in the House and Senate. I thought Frank would be the wise choice.
I do agree that he came on too strong, but he wasn't being untruthful about his qualifications.
I think he way overplayed the supposed value of having an experienced hand. It's not like any Republican is going to be swayed by Frank, and it's not like any short time senator will do anything significant in committee. I hope he decides to run for the seat...
Well, Dude, let's just hope Brown doesn't win thanks to Patrick's inexplicable choice of William Cowan.
Beats me! Seems like a "buddy" pick to me. This is no time to put a novice in the senate. There's so much at stake.
They need to put another woman up against Scott Brown. His ham handed and insensitive attitude will proceed to win the election for us.
Scott Brown congratulates Governor Deval Patrick, for appointing a stand in poster child for the nearly invisible John Kerry. Next a state primary full of politicians, who having won too easily, for so many terms, are singularly invisible and inexperienced in running seriously competitive campaigns. Then to expect in 60 days to make clear choice, the only thing that made less sense would have been to appoint Scott Brown!
This leaves us to call Frank out of retirement, sacrificing his personal goals, for the betterment of the dysfunctional Senate.
Well, Kumbaya! But not for long; Patrick should have appointed someone to spend the next 5 months running for the seat himself. Brown is running double digit points right now.
I'm not so sold that Scott Brown will run again there is way to much recent negative press about him so he would be going in with a disadvantage. I am looking for a GOP Dark Horse...someone who plays middle of the road but is a closet tea partyer...don't know who fits that bill yet but I know they're out there
Folks wouldn't really make a second mistake and put corporatist Brown in there again ... would they?
Tony Reno,
Let's hope not , but they've made worse choices, and likely Koch money is behind Brown.
You read my mind, India.
I’ve always been a Barney Frank fan and I’m sorry Gov. Patrick didn’t appoint him. But Cowan won’t run for a full term. So he says now anyway. Frank can run in the special election and I hope he does.
Barney Frank for the US Senate!!!!!
I don't like the insuation as to the reason that Gov. Patrick appointed him. He did not appoint him because he was the best canidate, but rather because "Cowan, who is African American, will be Massachusetts' second black U.S. Senator. The first was Republican Ed Brooke, who served from 1967 to 1978."
Thank you. I'd like to believe that his work ethic & knowledge base gave him qualifications that are needed for the job....
I like Frank but am glad there will be some new blood. We need someone with a record to run against Scott Brown.
Patrick is an IDIOT, Frank would have had nothing to lose in venting the BS comity gas, from all of those old fart space suits and separating wheat from chaff.
A very stupid move for someone who is supposed to be so politically astute and savvy.
I do not CARE about ethnicity, nor did I know the guy is black, BFD. He's not a negotiator with cred in DC polemic aversion efficacy.
Moronic choice.
Where is the value either way? To expect anything other than a vote from Frank is disengenuous, he is not well-loved by the Republicans. Patrick certainly is no "idiot", and he deserves to make his choice without the grandstanding Frank did. The spot is a filler, nobody would or will be a hero.
Frank would've had a good idea whose arms to twist, who to make uncomfortable, and set-up Brown to take a stand on the issues.
This is a highly qualified man who Gov. Patrick selected. Look at his resume, it's pretty impressive actually.
For those who aren't aware of this, Mr. Cowan is a man who was always on the governor's list of candidates for the position of interim Senator.
Let's remember how the Democrats know how to rig elections, or at least appointments, to favor their party, too. This from the Boston Globe 12/04/12:
Given the recent focus by this blog on how Republicans are trying to rig elections, it is interesting how this posting failed to mention the Democrat party's manipulation.
I'm glad Governor Patrick put in HIS choice.
Must be the anti-Tim Scott appointment. I went to Northeastern Grad School and get the Alumni Magazine. Never heard of Mo Cowan.
Lynch is really a Republican mole embedded in the Democratic Party.
We have got to convince Barney Frank to run for Governor of Mass Because Brown now has the choice of governor or Senator. Brown could do more damage as governor.