Bachrach for Congress

In the crowded race to take Joseph P. Kennedy's seat in the 8th Congressional District--which includes Cambridge--it has been hard to make a clear choice. Most of the 10 candidates for the Democratic nomination share similar stances on the issues; the only significant exception is that former Boston mayor Ray Flynn--once the front-runner because of his name recognition--is pro-life.

Of the 10, the best choice to serve the district with a vigorous voice in Congress is George Bachrach, a former state senator from Watertown and a long-time advocate of improved education and home health care funding for seniors. Bachrach ran for the seat in 1986 and came in a very close second to Kennedy. In the intervening years, he has headed both the Massachusetts President of Americans for Democratic Action and the state Office for Children. Most recently he has worked as the head of a company which raises money for non-profit organizations.

Throughout his career in public service, Bachrach has been an articulate proponent of increasing education spending to repair crumbling schools, lower class size and fund programs for three- and four-year-olds to start school early.

Bachrach has also drawn support from seniors in the district with his attention to the need for funding for home health care, so that the elderly are not unnecessarily sent into nursing facilities. He stands out among the field in the seriousness with which he addresses the needs of both young and old. Bachrach has also been the most outspoken proponent of a woman's right to choose in the race.

Finally, in his advertising campaign, Bachrach has revealed a refreshingly self-deprecating sense of humor. In one ad promoting small class size, he stands in front of 40 screaming children and attempts to teach amid flying erasers and paper airplanes. The conclusion? He can't teach such a crowded group, but he will work for improved education funding in Congress.

Voters in this traditionally liberal district are not only choosing a Congressional representative; they are granting membership to a select club that includes both John F. Kennedy '40 and former Speaker of the House Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill. Of the 10 Democrats in this tight race, George Bachrach most deserves a chance to join that club.