Ben Affleck became the second big-name Democrat on Christmas Eve to take a pass on the soon-to-be-vacant Massachusetts Senate seat. It is, however, a boon to former Sen. Scott Brown, who is likely to run on the Republican side and has high name recognition throughout the state. “The fact that Ted Kennedy decided not to run isn’t a big surprise, and the [Democratic] field is the same at the moment.” 
 
 The names that come up most frequently on the Democratic side are Massachusetts Reps. Michael Capuano, Stephen Lynch and Ed Markey. Brown was defeated in November by Democrat Elizabeth Warren as he sought a full six-year term.
– Ben Affleck is done being coy about his political ambitions, and is joining the growing list of people who won't be running for John Kerry's Senate seat, reports Politico. "I love Massachusetts and our political process, but I am not running for office," Affleck wrote on his Facebook page. "Right now it's a privilege to spend my time working with Eastern Congo Initiative, supporting our veterans, drawing attention to the great many who go hungry in the US everyday and using filmmaking to entertain and foster discussion about issues like our relationship to Iran." Affleck joined the ranks of Ted Kennedy Jr., who yesterday made a similar announcement, reports Politico. Kennedy said that while he's “extremely grateful for all the offers of support,” uprooting his family from Connecticut wasn't in the cards—though he did leave open the idea of a run for public office: “Although I have a strong desire to serve in public office, I consider Connecticut to be my home, and hope to have the honor to serve at another point in my future."