MA: Independent Candidate Describes Leftwing Tea Partisan Campaign for Congress

From Mr. Zine by Michael Engel:

I ran as an independent candidate for Congress in Massachusetts against a visibly tired and increasingly unpopular but entrenched liberal Democratic incumbent, and a Tea Party Republican.  My message was, "The old system is broken -- let's start building a new one!"  I stated that I wanted to fight what I described as the trend towards a corporate state.  In that context, I criticized an overgrown and unresponsive federal government, Obamacare, the stimulus package, financial regulatory legislation, and the bailouts.  In short, I took the Tea Party line leftward.

I advocated a decentralized, community-based approach to economic recovery and job creation and I explicitly described myself as a "democratic socialist" on economic issues.  I participated in four debates, got lots of radio interviews and decent media coverage, and was endorsed by at least one local paper, with favorable comments in two more.  The state Green-Rainbow Party endorsed my candidacy . . .