Capuano's fierce loyalty to his 634,835
constituents is clear. A long-time democrat and a supporter of Barack
Obama, Capuano believes the new president is doing well so far, but he
refuses to write him a "blank check" or offer his unfettered support
simply because they belong to the same political party.

"I
don't work for [Obama], I work for the people that elected me." Capuano
says, stating that while he knows, of course, that we are part of a
large country, his job and priority is to fight for the needs of the
residents of Somerville, Cambridge and Boston.

Capuano expresses
disdain for the media and the nation's impatience with Congress and the
measurements, such as the first 100 days, that have been implemented to
monitor President Obama's progress. "They [the measurements] are
stupid." Capuano says "And current American society is too impatient.
It takes a long time to build a general consensus. These things take a
while."

Capuano also states that American society and the
Media believe that Legislators are "the bad guys" and that they are the
only ones playing the political game, which Capuano ridicules,
asserting that everyone from local politicians and regional bureaucrats
on up have to play the political maneuvering game in order to get
anything done.

It isn't easy to fight for much in Congress these
days, however, because legislation regarding the "economy is taking up
all the oxygen in D.C," Capuano says. Meanwhile, "other issues are not
gaining any steam."

According to the congressman, the current
economic crisis is a result of "Wild West Borrowing" and while everyone
may be looking for a scapegoat for the economic problems we're
experiencing, Capuano's response is to "look in the mirror," and that
the greater public happily took credit cards at 0% APR and borrowed
against what they don't have. In the congressman's eyes, we all have a
hand in the state of the economy.

When asked about the current
political climate in D.C., Capuano's Somerville toughness shone
through. "It hasn't changed at all," he said. According to Capuano,
bipartisan behavior in D.C. is the same as always, but Capuano's take
on this is a positive one. He believes that there ought to be arguments
and differences of opinion in Washington.

"Our country is a huge
and diverse place and to imagine that we are going to hold hands and
walk down a rainbow path is ridiculous," Capuano says. The Congressman
ran his campaigns on a set of ideas that he plans to fight for and he
expects nothing less from his colleagues.

The only issue Capuano
takes with the rabid bipartisan behavior in Washington is when it is
conducted without respect. "It's when it becomes personal, then it gets
ugly," Capuano says. The ugliness of politics is something he became
familiar with while serving as Mayor of Somerville from 1990 to 1998,
after serving as an Alderman for six years. "Local politics can be
uglier because you're fighting the same people day after day, and it is
often a more personal fight," Capuano says, "There are times when I
miss it."