College administrator Niki Tsongas (D) continues to rack up establishment support in the special election to replace Rep. Marty Meehan (D), who is stepping down on July 1.

Tsongas, the widow of former Sen. Paul Tsongas (D), appeared this week at a senior citizen center with Rep. Barney Frank (D), who endorsed her bid.

“Niki Tsongas is superbly qualified to be a Member of Congress,” Frank said in a statement.

Tsongas, one of five leading Democrats in the Sept. 4 special primary, also announced she has a Women for Tsongas fundraising event scheduled for Monday in Boston.

Meanwhile, the lone Republican in the special election, Air Force veteran Jim Ogonowski, used the 63rd anniversary of D-Day on Wednesday to lay out a plan to achieve victory in Iraq, stabilize the Middle East and protect the United States from terrorist attacks.

Ogonowski, whose brother was a pilot on one of the hijacked planes that slammed into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, said that while he opposed President Bush’s decision to invade Iraq, he now believes a quick withdrawal would be “cowardly and shortsighted.”

Ogonowski has sent copies of his proposal to Bush, Vice President Cheney and every Member of Congress.
— Josh Kurtz