It's now mid-October. Capuano is a shoo-in to win the election. His Republican candidate, J. Phillip Hyde, steps up the attack on Capuano's ethics.

Capuano, Hyde says, is not as clean a politician as he would have you believe.

Capuano's ethical problems are "well-documented," Hyde claimed.

"He said [on tape] he didn't care about the Constitution."

Then came a Boston Herald report that Capuano was involved in a questionable land transaction involving a piece of land in Somerville owned by a man who allegedly had family ties to the mob.

Capuano labeled the accusation a "smear."

Long-time Somerville residents say Capuano's only flaw is that he's "too loyal."

"I have known Mike for 20 years," says 25-year Somerville resident Francine Mello.

"One of the things that has always amazed me about his term as mayor is the ethics that Mike has brought home as mayor. The people he surrounds himself with are people with values. He's also got a sense of loyalty that is incredible," she says.

Testing of a Winner

Capuano was elected on November 3 with 82 percent of the vote.

In the days after the race, he listed Social Security and defense as two issues he'd like to tackle, aside from education.

"We must focus on America's defensive needs for the 21st century," he says, sounding like a conservative from Texas rather than a liberal from Massachusetts.

"We're the military leaders of the world. It's a role that we asked for. And I think it's a role that we should have."

Although Capuano admits that he is not too familiar with defense policy, he says it's vital to the Bay State area.

"There's a lot of military dollars coming in to Massachusetts. I have no doubt that Harvard University gets a far amount of money for military things."