Former Pennsylvania Congressman Joe Sestak, a former three star Admiral, was in Boston to endorse Steve Grossman for governor.
He was joined by Massachusetts political leaders who are also veterans to highlight the work they say Grossman has done on veterans issues and why they feel he is the best candidate in the race. Grossman says he will make the Secretary of Veterans Services a full cabinet position reporting to the Governor.
The State Treasurer has just over one month to close the 25-point gap that separates him from the Democratic primary frontrunner, Attorney General Martha Coakley. Despite spending $300,000 on the first ad of the primary two weeks ago and another $100,000 spent by a pro-Grossman super PAC, the polls have not seen significant change.
Methuen State Rep. Linda Dean Campbell, a veteran, says it is grassroots campaigning - not just this summer but over years in politics - that will make the difference for Grossman on primary day.
"I don't think people are paying attention yet and I think that Steve has been in virtually every city and town in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts ten times over," she said.
"We're knocking on every weekend more than 5,000 doors, every weekend, we've been doing it right along. We've been making tens of thousands of phone calls every week, but having an army of activists is critical," Grossman added.
Martha Coakley believes people are paying attention because, she says, she's talking to them everyday.
Politics
Coakley says she's feeling good about the race, but that's not based on the polls. She learned how quickly polls can change in her shocking 2010 loss to Scott Brown. She agrees with Grossman that grassroots is the key, but she says she just thinks it's her campaign with the best network.
"Our own work across the Commonwealth tells me that we've knocked on over 50,000 doors. We've done a lot of work with veterans and other groups and I know I will have support from educators, from veterans, from moms," Coakley said.
Don Berwick, Obama's former Medicare chief, does not seem concerned that he's trailing in the polls with just 5 percent. He says he is the most progressive candidate in the race and points to the fact that he's the only candidate who supports single payer health care and is opposed to casinos.
"This is where we expected to be at this point. We haven't yet gone up on radio and TV, debates haven't happened. We have an enormous field open that's out there knocking on doors getting posed for what's going to happen the last few weeks of this campaign and we'll surge," Berwick said.
