Cunningham launches long shot bid to unseat Markey

A quick look at U.S. Rep. Edward Markey's resume makes one wonder why anyone would ever want to challenge him. But Republican John Cunningham has found a reason.

Markey (D-Malden) is a 32-year incumbent and chairman of John Cunningham (R-Revere)the Select Committee on Energy Independence and the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet. He is widely rumored to be close to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), which means he has a better chance of advancing his agenda in the House than most members. Oh, and he has a $2.6 million war chest, the largest of any member of the Bay State's congressional delegation.

Cunningham, however, decided to challenge Markey this year. A Revere small business owner, Cinningham told PolitickerMA.com that the iCAP program that Markey proposed this year provided the catalyst for his run.

"He's made a really big mistake with this legislation, iCAP," he said. "It's designed to stop global warming by greatly increasing taxes and adding a whole bunch of government programs. His idea is to make gasoline so expense that people simply can't use it anymore."

Markey's iCAP, or "Investing in Climate Action and Protect" act, was introduced at the end of May. If enacted, it would create a "cap and invest" system, where polluters would have to "buy 100 percent of the tradable pollution at auction," according to Markey's statement when he introduced the bill. The money raised by buying those pollution allowances, Markey said, would be invested in developing alternative energy technologies. The end goal, according to Markey's web site, is to reduce U.S. global warming pollution by 85 percent by 2050.

An increase in the price of gas or the gas tax is not included in the numerous materials Markey provides on his web site, but Cunningham insisted that "economists say that if [iCAP] were to pass, the price of gas would go to eight or nine dollars per gallon."

"The economy is the main issue for me," he added. "[Markey] is willing to destroy the economy in order to save the environment."

Cunningham's message is centered on the rising price of gas, repeatedly using the phrase "Markey mark up" to describe high prices at the pump. Despite that being a top concern of voters this year, analysts said Cunningham's chance of beating Markey are best described as a long shot. Asked about the chances of Cunningham winning, University of Massachusetts Boston political scientist Paul Watanabe said simply, "It's slim."

Nevertheless, Cunningham is going forward by proposing a different philosophy of how the government should handle the economy.

"I think the government should have no taxes on production, distribution and the sale of energy from renewable sources," he said. "That would accomplish the same thing, it would encourage investment in renewable energy which is good for the environment and also reduces our dependence on foreign oil."

"It's just a different point of view," he went on. "When [Markey] sees a problem he things the answer has to be m ore taxes, more government."

Cunningham said he is relying on a door-to-door campaign and intends to send out mailings as Election Day nears. He reported just $635 cash on hand at the end of the second quarter but said that he currently has "tens of thousands" of dollars in the bank.

Some in the district have yet to hear of him, however. Dennis Hale, a political scientist at Boston College who lives in the district, said Cunningham has yet to make an impact. "I haven't seen any evidence of Republican campaign against Markey," he said.

Cunningham insists, however, that his message will resonate with voters. The rising price of gasoline and the economy are the top issues on voters' minds, he said. "Couple that with the fact that he's made a big mistake and all that has to happen for me to win is for us to get the message out there that Ed Markey means high gas prices. If people hear that and it's clear enough, they'll realize that now is the time."