there might be times when a tradeoff is inevitable between protecting those liberties and safeguarding ourselves against terrorist attacks.

•

On Tuesday, the voters of Massachusetts will have a chance to improve the political balance of the U.S. Senate and inject fresh blood into that anemic body. They should not miss that opportunity.

A special election will pit Edward Markey, a liberal Democrat, against Gabriel Gomez of the GOP, in a contest to replace John F. Kerry, who left to become secretary of state. Mr. Markey, of Malden, is a 37-year fixture of the House of Representatives, marching in lockstep with the Democratic Party’s left wing. Mr. Gomez, a former naval aviator and U.S. Navy SEAL, is a successful businessman with an MBA from Harvard Business School.

His impressive résumé is onlywas convicted of distribution of cocaine, contrary to the laws and

statutes of the State of Florida, Florida Statute Section 93.13.” This Original

Information correctly listed Perez’s prior conviction as being a cocaine conviction

in Florida. The Original Information also correctly listed the month and day of that

drug conviction, but contained a mistake in the last digit of the year of the

conviction. Perez was convicted on February 18, 1991 rather than on February 18,


                                          2
1992, as stated in the Original Information. On April 18, 1994, the government

mailed to Perez’s counsel