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Presented by Transportation for Massachusetts
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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Shouldn't it be Friday by now?
THE POLS WHO DON'T ENDORSE — As Super Tuesday draws near, the Democrats running for president are boasting about Massachusetts endorsements to prove they have clout in the Bay State.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren recently released a list of her 147 Massachusetts endorsers, former Vice President Joe Biden has 90 backers here, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Mayor Pete Buttigieg enlisted state lawmakers to co-chair their state operations, and billionaire Mike Bloomberg has the former Boston police commissioner on his side.
But what about the Massachusetts pols who are radio silent with the election just five days away?
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh's endorsement has been a big question mark all year. He is close with Biden, has a relationship with Warren, and has met with a number of the other candidates. But Walsh is staying out of the fray for now, unlike in 2016 when he endorsed Hillary Clinton months before the New Hampshire primary.
On the Republican side, Gov. Charlie Baker has been tight-lipped about whom he plans to vote for, even though his mentor and former Gov. Bill Weld is waging a longshot bid against President Donald Trump. Baker endorsed New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie before the New Hampshire primary in 2016, and has said he did not check a box for President Donald Trump or Clinton in the general election.
Treasurer Deborah Goldberg skipped backing a candidate this year, and her office says she will not make an endorsement before Super Tuesday. The same goes for Rep. Bill Keating, who is not publicly supporting a candidate.
Secretary of State Bill Galvin is another official who is staying out of the presidential primary. He endorsed Clinton in 2016, but his office pointed to the caucus mishap in Iowa as a reason to stay neutral this time around.
"With the voter confidence issues caused by Iowa, he doesn't think it would be appropriate for him to declare a preference for anyone this time," spokeswoman Deborah O'Malley told me in an email.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com.
TODAY — Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito make an Affirmative Marketing Program announcement at the State House. Sen. Elizabeth Warren campaigns in San Antonio, Texas. The Senate meets in formal session. Former Gov. Bill Weld campaigns in Vermont. Attorney General Maura Healey holds a press conference on behavioral health services at Boston Medical Center. Amy Klobuchar's presidential campaign hosts a "hotdish" party in Brookline.
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A message from Transportation for Massachusetts:
Massachusetts is facing a transportation crisis. Roads, bridges, and transit statewide urgently need investment. The gas tax, which has increased by only 3 cents since 1991, is a proven, stable, and immediate solution to make our commutes better. Learn more. |
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 | HEALTH CHECK |
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- "As CDC urges preparing for an epidemic, health officials reveal that more than 600 in Mass. have been monitored for coronavirus," by Felice J. Freyer, Boston Globe: "More than 600 Massachusetts residents who traveled to China recently have voluntarily quarantined themselves at home while being monitored for the novel coronavirus, health officials revealed Wednesday. So far, 377 have completed the quarantine without falling ill, and 231 are still being monitored, Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel said. Only one Massachusetts resident — a Boston student — contracted the illness, and he is recovering well in isolation at home, Bharel said."
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| DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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- "Mass. House leaders propose gas tax increase, raising fee on Uber, Lyft rides," by Matt Stout and Adam Vaccaro, Boston Globe: "Massachusetts House leaders on Wednesday unveiled a package of fee and tax hikes designed to seed the state's transit systems with new money, proposing to increase the state's gas tax by 5 cents per gallon, hike fees on Uber and Lyft rides, and raise taxes on businesses. The long-awaited legislation would raise $522 million to $612 million more a year for transportation needs, according to House officials, in part by also eliminating a sales tax exemption that rental car companies currently enjoy when buying their fleets."
- "Massachusetts officials confirm fifth vaping-related death; man in his 40s from Suffolk County," by Michael Bonner, MassLive.com: "A fifth person in the state has died of a vaping-related lung, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced Wednesday morning. The person was described as a man in his 40s from Suffolk County, state officials said. The man said he had vaped tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), an ingredient found in marijuana. The case is among the 46 confirmed cases of e-cigarette or vaping-associated lung injury that the state has reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since September 2019."
- "Task force punts on raising the age of juvenile offenders," by Sarah Betancourt, CommonWealth Magazine: "A STATE TASK FORCE decided against taking a position on the issue of whether or not to raise the age of jurisdiction for the juvenile justice system, but is urging wider adoption of programs that focus on rehabilitation and reducing recidivism. The 21-member task force on "emerging adults" in the state criminal justice system, which brought together district attorneys, defense lawyers, advocates, law enforcement officials, and court administrators, could not reach agreement on the controversial issue of raising the age at which offenders enter the adult court system."
- "Lawmakers press State Police leaders about plan to address culture of corruption," by Matt Rocheleau, Boston Globe: "State lawmakers have remained mostly silent over the last two years as scandal after scandal has beset the State Police force. That changed Wednesday, with some legislators publicly pressing the department's colonel for the first time about widespread misconduct cases and corruption within the ranks. Why didn't anyone blow the whistle on payroll fraud that stretched back decades? What are leaders doing to change the department's cover-up culture?"
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| WHAT CITY HALL IS READING |
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- "Michelle Wu sees 'crisis of public trust' in wake of Boston City Hall bribery scandal," by Catherine Carlock, Boston Business Journal: "This week, Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh called for changes to the city's Zoning Board of Appeal in wake of the bribery scandal that swept through the planning and development arm of the city last year. But City Councilor Michelle Wu, who clashed with the mayor last fall over the city's reaction to that scandal, this week said there are still too many unanswered questions regarding the scandal, and it's creating "a crisis of public trust" in city government."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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- "Progressives target the political sausage-making in Boston," by Milton J. Valencia, Boston Globe: "Voters from several Boston neighborhoods who head to the polls for the March 3 presidential primary could also be deciding on the future of the city's progressive movement. In East Boston, downtown and in the South End, and out to Hyde Park and Mattapan, progressive Democrats are mounting campaigns to wrest control of Democratic Party ward committees from the old guard. They are asking voters to elect new slates of candidates that, they argue, better represent the diversity and values of their neighborhoods."
- "Nubian Square Needs City-Led Strategy, Report Says," by Saraya Wintersmith, WGBH News: "A new report released Wednesday laid out a multi-pronged strategy for revitalizing Roxbury's Nubian Square and recommends Boston's Office of Economic Development take the lead role. The report, published by The American City Coalition, suggested that current residents and businesses could benefit from alternative policing methods, better access to parking and more market-rate housing in the renamed business district formerly known as Dudley Square ."
- "Why Boston Is Getting Too Bright," by Scott Kearnan, Boston Magazine: "Light pollution is a bona fide problem, and the Boston area, which has seen a massive amount of skyline-shaping development over the past decade, really is seeing much more of it. In 2017, researchers found that light pollution has been increasing nationally at a rate of 2.2 percent per year; in Massachusetts, though, that rate has been more like 4 to 6 percent, according to Tim Brothers of the MIT Wallace Astrophysicist Observatory. One major culprit: Many communities, including Boston, have been switching from yellowish sodium lights—which, if you ask me, are a hell of a lot more soothing—to starkly bright LEDs, which are more energy efficient."
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| PRIMARY SOURCES |
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- "Joe Biden supporters gather at Massachusetts State House, say he's ready for White House 'on day one,'" by Benjamin Kail, MassLive.com: "Minutes after Joe Biden picked up an expected, but vital, endorsement from U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina ahead of Saturday's primary, dozens of Bay State lawmakers and labor groups gathered in front of the Massachusetts State House Wednesday morning to show support for the former vice president. Biden, long the national frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination before Sen. Bernie Sanders started winning early states, has looked to pick up steam heading into South Carolina and Super Tuesday next week."
- "Mike Bloomberg donated millions to Massachusetts nonprofits and politicians: See the full list," by Michelle Williams, MassLive.com: "Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg is funding his 2020 presidential campaign through his vast fortune. On the campaign trail, the billionaire contrasts himself from the other Democratic candidates and President Donald Trump by self-funding his campaign and donating a significant portion of his estimated $60 billion fortune to charities and political campaigns. Between 2014 and 2018, Bloomberg's Family Foundation donated more than $1.6 billion to charitable and government organizations."
- "Auchincloss lands first union endorsement in 4th District race," by Ted Nesi, WPRI: " Fresh off the first debate of the campaign, Democrat Jake Auchincloss has landed what his campaign says is the first union endorsement in the race to replace Massachusetts Congressman Joe Kennedy III. The National Association of Government Employees is backing Auchincloss because of his support as a Newton city councilor for "great public education, reducing income inequity, and making communities sustainable," Dave Holway, the group's president, said in a statement released by the campaign."
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| DAY IN COURT |
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- "Columbia Gas agrees to sale, $53 million fine as part of guilty plea," by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: "The parent company of Columbia Gas of Massachusetts will take steps to sell the utility as part of a plea deal to criminal charges stemming from the 2018 gas disaster in the Merrimack Valley. Indiana-based NiSource, one of the largest utilities in the country, agreed to the sale as part of a deferred prosecution for its role in the disaster, said U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Andrew Lelling. Columbia Gas also agreed to pay a fine of more than $53 million as part of the deal. In addition, Columbia Gas will be required to allow federal monitors to supervise its operations for three years."
- "FBI investigating state's licensing of massage therapists with fake credentials," by Andrea Estes, Boston Globe: "The FBI has launched an investigation into how applicants with phony or questionable credentials were able to get Massachusetts massage therapist licenses, according to two people briefed on the probe, bringing upheaval to a board that is supposed to help prevent sex trafficking. Investigators are looking into why employees of the state Board of Registration of Massage Therapy approved the applications of candidates who reported getting their training at Axiom Healthcare Academy in New Jersey, after the school closed in 2014, according to the two people."
- "Globe sues State Police, alleging agency failed to comply with public records law," by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: "The Boston Globe is suing the Massachusetts State Police, alleging the agency has failed to comply with state law in its handling of at least three public records requests the newspaper has filed. In the lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Suffolk Superior Court, the Globe asserted that the agency did not meet deadlines outlined in the public records law, ignored orders from the state's public records supervisor, and refused to provide the Globe the information it sought."
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| WARREN REPORT |
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- "Warren calls on Trump admin to explain process for bringing back Americans infected by coronavirus," by Marianne Levine, POLITICO: "Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) is calling on Trump administration officials to explain its handling of the evacuation of the Diamond Princess cruise ship, after 14 passengers infected with the coronavirus flew on a plane with other travelers despite a warning from the Centers for Disease Control. The infected passengers were among the 300 Americans evacuated from the cruise ship in Japan and flown home earlier this month. In a letter sent Wednesday to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar and Centers for Disease Control director Robert Redfield, the 2020 presidential candidate cited recent reports the CDC recommended that the 14 infected passengers, who tested positive after leaving the cruise ship, remain in Japan instead of fly back with other non-infected travelers."
- "While everyone piled on Bernie Sanders during the debate, Elizabeth Warren did something different," by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: "The Massachusetts senator needed to make an argument for why she would be a better Democratic presidential nominee than Sen. Bernie Sanders, the primary race's current leader. At the same time, Warren could not alienate the progressive voters on which both she and the Vermont senator depend. So while every other candidate on stage attacked Sanders's agenda as too expensive and politically risky during the 10th Democratic primary debate, Warren took a different approach."
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "CLAMPDOWN," "LIZ HIT AGAIN OVER CHEROKEE CLAIMS," "DELEO EYES GAS TAX HIKE," — Globe: "Gas tax, ride fees may fund transit fixes," "Utility pleads guilty in '18 blast." |
| FROM THE 413 |
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- "Holyoke mayor's brother dies of overdose," by Dusty Christensen, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "On Monday, Mayor Alex Morse and his family got the devastating call that too many in the region have also received: They had lost a loved one to addiction. Douglas "Doug" Morse, the mayor's older brother, had been found dead of a drug overdose after years of struggling with heroin addiction. He was 40 years old. "With his passing, he's become yet another reminder of the deadliness of this disease and the need for greater access to effective and compassionate treatment," Morse said in a Facebook post that drew reaction from across the city and beyond."
- "In response to proposed FAA regulations, local hobby-flight enthusiasts to protest in Washington D.C." by Zack DeLuca, Greenfield Recorder: "A Deerfield hobby-flight enthusiast is heading to Washington D.C. this weekend for a protest at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) headquarters in opposition to proposed regulations on remote-controlled hobby flight for planes and drones. Mike Duhl is a co-owner of Ronin Audio Productions with James Hanaburgh. In addition to participating in the protest, the two co-workers and friends will film the event. The peaceful protest will begin with a picket Friday and another full-day event Saturday."
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| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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- "Ashes to go. Local pastor provides Lent tradition at a local Dunkin's drive-through," by Cesareo Contreras, MetroWest Daily News: "With his black coat buttoned up, Pastor John Hudson stood patiently as cars lined up in the Dukin' drive-through line. Placed next to him stood a white sign with the words: "ashes to go prayers too" In honor of Ash Wednesday, Hudson, the pastor at Pilgrim Church on Main Street, stood outside Sherborn Fuel to help people celebrate the first day of the Lent season. As Dunkin' patrons waited to pick up their morning coffee, Hudson offered to place ash on their forehead and handed them a prayer card."
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| MEDIA MATTERS |
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- "Six women. Two years. One better family leave policy." by Mel Grau, Poynter: "The women weren't work wives or best friends. They were just colleagues who felt strongly that for newsrooms to survive and thrive, they needed to create an environment where women could advance in leadership. They felt strongly that for newsrooms to survive and thrive, they needed to create an environment where women could advance in leadership. Some were done having kids. A few were pregnant or planning to get pregnant soon. One wasn't sure she even wanted kids. But they were all mid-career journalists with years of experience, including Pulitzer wins. So, they said, they felt like they could command the attention of leadership."
MARK YOUR CALENDAR - The Horse Race podcast is taping a live post-Super Tuesday episode with Gina Christo and Wilnelia Rivera of the Deep Democracy podcast on March 4 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Boston. The live show is free to attend, but guests must register in advance. The details.
TRANSITIONS - The Irish International Immigrant Center is changing its name to the Rian Immigrant Center.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to state Sen. Eric Lesser (h/t Candy Glazer); and reporter Susan Zalkind.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN?
FOR YOUR COMMUTE: BERNING DOWN THE HOUSE - On this week's Horse Race podcast, hosts Steve Koczela and Stephanie Murray talk all things Super Tuesday. Beth Huang from the Boston chapter of Democratic Socialists of America discusses Bernie Sanders and the possibility of a brokered Democratic National Convention. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud.
Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you're promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com.
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A message from Transportation for Massachusetts:
In every corner of the Commonwealth, people are frustrated with our transportation system. From potholed and congested roads, to delayed trains, to regional transit buses that don't run on the weekends, transportation is holding back our economy, hurting our quality of life, and polluting our air. The gas tax must be part of the solution. Each one-penny increase in the gas tax raises $30 million per year for transportation improvements statewide, including an increase to Chapter 90 local road repairs, dedicated funding for Regional Transit Authorities, and upgrades to the MBTA. Learn more. |
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