A piece headlined question of successor emerges notes that Capuano, who represents the Eighth Congressional District, “has made no secret of his desire” to see his district encompass more of Boston. The following sentence continues: “By 2002, some sources close to the discussion speculated yesterday, the [Ninth Congressional] district may not even encompass South Boston, which has controlled the seat for years.”

“I’m not looking for South Boston,” says Capuano, who notes that he already represents most of the South End and parts of Jamaica Plain. “I’m not looking not to have it, either. If it’s given to me, I think I can represent it very well. I think it would be good to keep all districts as homogeneous as possible.”

In many ways, it would make cultural sense for Capuano to want to exchange the “wine and cheese” elements of his district — Brattle Street and Belmont — for South Boston. As mayor of all-American Somerville, he thrived on a blue-collar base; he could use more lunch-pail voters to offset a challenge from the left.

“South Boston is much more in keeping with parts of Somerville and East Cambridge than some of the more progressive parts of Capuano’s district,” says Mary Anne Marsh, a Democratic strategist. “Capuano is naturally much more appealing to Reagan Democrats than he is to Clinton Democrats.”

Yet Capuano takes issue with this analysis. “I get along very well with the people of Brattle Street,” he says, adding that too much is made of the image of him alienating lefties. “I’m about as left as anyone in the House. Somebody at the extreme left of my district wouldn’t get a lot done down here.”

Whether he wants Southie or not, though the question of what will happen to the Ninth Congressional District probably won’t hinge on what Capuano wants. What Moakley wants is more important.