By Alli Knothe, Globe Correspondent The Harvard alumni directory for the class of 1962, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, contains a bizarre entry for Ted Kaczynski, the graduate who went on to send deadly bombs through the mail as the mysterious and elusive Unabomber. While many of his classmates sent in lengthy updates on their lives for the 2 ½-inch-thick “red book,” the entry for Theodore John Kaczynski only contains nine lines. The listing says his occupation is “Prisoner,” and his home address is “No. 04475-046, US Penitentiary—Max, P.O. Box 8500, Florence, CO 8126-8500.” Under the awards section, the listing says, “Eight life sentences, issued by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, 1998.” Kaczynski’s name was also included in ... Continue reading →

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) has endorsed Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), who is facing a Tea Party challenge from former state Sen. Dan Liljenquist (R). "I want him to win. I join Sean Hannity and Mark Levin and other conservatives who would like to see Mr. Balanced Budget return to Washington," Palin said on Fox News on Tuesday night. "He wants to apply that common-sense economic principle of balanced-budget fiscal responsibility, and I want to see him reelected."Palin is the latest big-name conservative to signal she has no problem with the six-term senator.Hatch has a big advantage over Liljenquist — his fundraising numbers are much stronger, polls show he remains popular with Republicans overall in the state, and while conservative FreedomWorks is targeting him, ... Continue reading →

Mitt backs Mack: Romney throws his support behind Connie Mack’s Senate bid Here’s something you don’t see every day: A party’s presumptive presidential nominee wading into a primary fight in a swing state. But former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has done just that with a short statement today backing U.S. Rep. Connie Mack in the GOP primary for U.S. Senate over former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux and tea-party favorite Mike McCalister. Romney’s statement: “Connie Mack is a friend, a strong conservative and the type of principled leader we need in Washington to restore fiscal responsibility. By electing Connie Mack, the people of Florida will be sending a clear message to Senator Nelson and President Obama that their failed policies have not worked to change the ... Continue reading →

Here come the Super PACs: Groups for, against Obama already hitting Florida airwaves The general election might be almost six months away, but so-called Super PACs are already starting the air wars in Florida over whether President Barack Obama should be re-elected. Perhaps predictably, the ads are more about slamming the other guy than touting each group’s choice. Obama’s Super PAC, Priorities USA Action, was the first to hit the air with an ad that the group says is going up in Florida and several other swing states. The commercial tells the story of the same steel plant that the Obama campaign focused on in a two-minute ad about former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s business record. (That ad, near as anyone can tell, ran for ... Continue reading →

Americans Elect, the deep-pocketed nonprofit group that set out to nominate a centrist third-party presidential ticket, admitted early Tuesday that its ballyhooed online nominating process had failed.The group had qualified for the general election ballot in 27 states, and had generated concern among Democrats and Republicans alike that it could wreak havoc on a close election between President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. Continue Reading But just after a midnight deadline Monday, the group acknowledged that its complicated online nominating process had failed to generate sufficient interest to push any of the candidates who had declared an interest in its nomination over the threshold in its rules. “Because of this, under the rules that AE delegates ratified, the primary process would end today,” said the ... Continue reading →

Gloria Romero Roses makes EMILY’s List EMILY’s List, a national PAC that works to elect pro-choice women, announced Tuesday that it’s backing Gloria Romero Roses in her bid to win the congressional seat currently held by Republican Rep. David Rivera. Roses, who also has the backing of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, also faces a primary against Joe Garcia, a Democrat who ran for Congress in 2008 and 2010. “Gloria is a successful businesswoman who knows how the recession has affected Florida families,” Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILY’s List, said in a news release about the announcement. “Gloria knows firsthand how to bring people together to tackle problems in her community, and her problem-solving skills are exactly what we need right now to ensure that ... Continue reading →

The News Service of FloridaTALLAHASSEE -- Florida A&M's famous Marching 100 band will not take the field for another year, university president James Ammons announced Monday, as the fallout from a hazing death continues to roil the school. Ammons said he had spoken with a wide cross-section of students, faculty, alumni and supporters of the school's athletics programs before deciding that sensitivity to the family of drum major Robert Champion, who died in an alleged band-related hazing, and the need for more time to come up with new policies for the band should carry the day. "After thoughtful considering of all of the information, I have decided that the suspension of the band will continue through the 2012-13 academic year," Ammons told members of the ... Continue reading →