GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. TGIF!
WARREN DROPS OUT, BUT DOESN'T ENDORSE — Sen. Elizabeth Warren dropped out of the 2020 presidential race yesterday, ending her 14-month campaign after disappointing performances in the early states and on Super Tuesday.
When Warren stepped out of her Cambridge home on Thursday to speak to reporters, one big question was whether she would endorse former Vice President Joe Biden or Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. Biden got a huge boost in momentum when former candidates Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar almost immediately endorsed him after dropping out — and one reason the endorsements were effective was because they happened fast.
Warren's backing could have a similar impact for either candidate. Her support could be especially important to Sanders, who has a tough election map ahead. But Warren was not in a rush yesterday.
"Let's take a deep breath and spend a little time on that. We don't have to decide right this minute," Warren said. "I want to take a little time to think a little more."
Some of Warren's prominent Massachusetts supporters are following her lead, and did not say yesterday whether they'll back Sanders or Biden. The endorsement question puts Warren supporters in a tricky position — Sanders is more ideologically similar to Warren than Biden on issues like health care and student loan debt, but the former veep won Massachusetts by a pretty wide margin on Tuesday.
Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu, a Warren surrogate who traveled to Iowa and New Hampshire for her, said it would take her some time to "get excited for the next guy" to run against President Donald Trump, with no mention of whether that should be Biden or Sanders.
"I've been part of #mapoli campaigns
that didn't win before, but this one has hit me the hardest—probably bc it feels like we're going to be missing out, that there aren't many chances left, that our fate is in no longer in a competent woman's hands & we are in dangerous times," Wu wrote on Twitter. "It's going to take me some time to get excited for the next guy that must beat Donald Trump in November. I know I'll get there because we all have to. But this is tough to swallow."
Rep. Richard Neal, who boosted Warren with an eleventh-hour endorsement before Super Tuesday, is not moving to another candidate just yet. Same goes for Rep. Jim McGovern, who "has no plans to endorse at this time" but "will support whoever the Democratic nominee is," according spokesperson Matt Bonaccorsi.
A spokesperson for Rep. Lori Trahan
had a similar message. "The Congresswoman doesn't have any immediate plans to make another endorsement at this time, but she does plan to work like hell to elect the Democratic nominee in November," spokesperson Mark McDevitt said in an email.
And Rep. Joe Kennedy III is also holding off on another endorsement. "Joe was all in for Senator Warren. He has no immediate plans to make another endorsement," spokesperson Emily Kaufman said.
So is Sen. Ed Markey, who said in a statement that his "head and heart" are with Warren. "I will be taking some time to consider who I will support," Markey said. Aides to Rep. Katherine Clark, a member of House leadership, and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, one of Warren's three national campaign co-chairs, did not respond to a request for comment.
One Massachusetts lawmaker happy to weigh in
on Warren's departure was Rep. Seth Moulton, a Salem Democrat who briefly ran for the White House himself and later endorsed Biden. Moulton said on MSNBC last night that it would be "tremendous" if she backed his candidate.
"I think what you see right now is Sen. Warren being a team player,
" Moulton said. "Every single Warren voter that I know, and I know many from Massachusetts, has told me over the past week that they're shifting their support to Biden, not to Sanders." Bay Staters have already voted, of course, but can still support campaigns by volunteering and donating money.
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
travels to Utah. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh reads to preschoolers in Roxbury to celebrate Dr. Seuss's Birthday and Read Across America Week. Walsh speaks at the opening of Pure Oasis, Boston's first retail cannabis shop, and speaks at an International Women's Day 2020 event.
Rep. Seth Moulton
holds a press conference outside South Station to discuss the coronavirus and "general news topics of interest in Boston." The Joint Ways and Means Committee holds a hearing on Gov. Charlie Baker's fiscal 2021 budget.
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- "Mass. health officials announce 3rd coronavirus case in state," by John Waller, Boston.com:
"Massachusetts public health officials announced late Thursday afternoon that a second person has tested positive for the coronavirus since Friday, bringing the state's total number of COVID-19 cases to three. The woman, who's in her 60s and lives in Middlesex County, had recently traveled to Europe, including northern Italy. "She was symptomatic, did not require hospitalization, and is recovering at home," state Department of Public Health officials said in a release."
- "62 Mass. Lawmakers Urge Governor To Ensure No-Cost Coronavirus Testing," by Carey Goldberg, WBUR: "On Monday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced an emergency move barring some insurers from charging fees, such as co-pays or deductibles, related to coronavirus testing. "These measures will break down any barriers that could prevent New Yorkers from getting tested," Cuomo said in a statement. On Thursday, Washington's insurance commissioner made a
similar move. And in Massachusetts, 62 state legislators urged Gov. Charlie Baker to follow suit."
- "State politician says violence inside the walls of Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center is spilling onto Boston streets; DOC denies claims," by Jackson Cote, MassLive.com:
"At a state housing briefing Wednesday, where activists and public officials discussed conditions at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center, State Rep. Chynah Tyler renewed her claim that an increase in violence on the streets of Boston is connected to movements within the maximum-security prison. Several prisoners were transferred to other facilities after an attack on four correction officers inside the prison on Jan. 10."
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- "Boston officials unveil new student privacy policy," by Sarah Betancourt, CommonWealth Magazine:
"BOSTON SCHOOL OFFICIALS are preparing to unveil a new, stricter student privacy policy intending to clarify what information federal immigration officials can access. But at a briefing for reporters on Thursday, they declined to explain how specifically the new approach differs from previous policies. Police officers with the Boston Public Schools have been criticized in the past for identifying immigrant students as potential gang members based on their social media presence, their friendships. and their school activities. That information, according to news reports, made its way into the hands
of federal immigration officials, who in turn used it as the basis for deportation proceedings."
- "Boston Schools COO resigns after being placed on leave," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald:
"Boston Public Schools' chief of operations resigned this week after after being placed on leave for more than a month and a half — and the district still isn't saying why. COO John Hanlon, who ran operations at the district since 2016, resigned Wednesday, according to the district. He had been placed on paid leave starting Jan. 15, as first reported by the Herald, and remained there until his departure, which was effective immediately. He earned just over $169,000 in 2018, the most recent year for which data is available, Herald payroll records show."
- "Arroyo: Racism is public health crisis in Boston," by Sarah Betancourt, CommonWealth Magazine: "RACE HAS LONG CREATED a divide between what should be and what is. In Boston, that has translated into a struggle to achieve racial parity in exam schools. It has leaked into the travel of black and brown MBTA riders, who experience commutes that are 64 hours longer a year than their white counterparts. Now, newly minted District 5 City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo
wants to declare racism as a public health crisis in Boston."
- "Tributes, protest mark 250th anniversary of Boston Massacre," by Philip Marcelo, The Associated Press:
"Ceremonies and a protest are marking the 250th anniversary Thursday of the massacre in Boston that helped spark the Revolutionary War. A morning tribute at the grave of the five victims of the fateful conflict included a wreath-laying ceremony and musket salute. The commemoration at the Old Granary Burial Ground in downtown Boston was the first of a number of events expected to take place across the country in the coming years to mark the 250th anniversary of America's war for independence."
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PRIMARY SOURCES |
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- "Dem Party Looking Into Natick Caucus Won by Markey," by Matt Murphy, State House News Service:
"On the Saturday after the first U.S. Senate debate in February, U.S. Sen. Edward Markey visited the Morse Institute Library in Natick to rally supporters who were caucusing to elect delegates to the state party convention in May. A day later his re-election campaign would list Natick among the caucuses that Markey won. That caucus now is the subject of an "inquiry" by the Massachusetts Democratic Party after 14 caucus-goers submitted a complaint to the party alleging that organizers blocked some people from registering to participate."
- "Libertarian ranks swell amid voter dissatisfaction," by Christian M. Wade, Gloucester Daily Times: "Driven by voter dissatisfaction with the two major parties, the state's Libertarians have seen a surge in numbers in recent years, even as other parties shrink. The Libertarian Party of Massachusetts had 19,851 members as of Feb. 12 — a more than 130% increase from 2017 when it regained its party status, according to Secretary of State's Bill Galvin's office. A sizable portion of its membership
draws from Essex and Middlesex counties, where about 6,300 voters are registered as Libertarians."
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ALL ABOARD |
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- "Why Do We Need the Bowdoin Stop, Anyway?" by Spencer Buell, Boston Magazine:
"The Bowdoin stop at end of the Blue Line might as well be the end of the earth. When I visit at 8:30 a.m. on a Friday morning—a time of day with a crush of commuters at any other downtown Boston stop—nobody is there. Well, nobody but me, along with the yellow-vested MBTA staffer who's assigned to the sleepy station for a few hours every morning to keep an eye on the place and make sure no stragglers remain on the train as it turns itself around to head back down the Blue Line toward Wonderland."
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WARREN REPORT |
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- "Elizabeth Warren won't rule out another go at the presidency," by Matthew Choi, POLITICO: "Elizabeth Warren isn't done yet. Speaking with MSNBC's Rachel Maddow on Thursday night, only hours after dropping out of the 2020 race, Warren said she hadn't ruled out another run for the presidency. "Are you ruling out another presidential run, yourself?" Maddow asked. The two had just been somberly discussing how Warren's withdrawal struck
a chord for many women — she was the last female major candidate to drop out of the race."
- "'White men get to be the default': Women lament Warren's demise," by Laura Barrón-López, POLITICO:
"And then there were two white men in their late 70s. Elizabeth Warren's exit from the presidential race has left Democrats, including those who supported or ran rival campaigns, evaluating how the party arrived at Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders as the last two candidates standing. Yes, they acknowledge that Tulsi Gabbard and her one earned delegate remain in the race. But if you'd told Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) a year ago that the final two candidates would be white and male — from a field that included a half-dozen women, three African Americans, a Latino,
and three Asian Americans — "no," she would not have believed you."
- "Warren joins Senate's club of failed presidential hopefuls," by Marianne Levine and Andrew Desiderio, POLITICO:
"Elizabeth Warren is now a member of a crowded club that no one wants to join: senators who tried — and failed — to win the presidency. It's always painful to lose. And returning to the often-mundane days of the Senate after rallying thousands across the country or battling billionaires on the debate stage might make it extra hard. But those who have been in her position say it's not all bad, and that she can come back with new influence based on the following she's built."
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THE PRESSLEY PARTY |
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- "AYANNA PRESSLEY'S HUSBAND SPENT 10 YEARS IN PRISON. NOW HE AND PRESSLEY ARE FIGHTING FOR RE-ENTRY REFORM," Kira Lerner, The Appeal:
"For U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, the issue of prison re-entry is personal: Both her father and husband went through it themselves. Last week, her husband, Conan Harris, testified before the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security on barriers to making a successful return from prison, drawing on his experience of reintegrating into his community after serving 10 years for drug trafficking."
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MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS |
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- "Boston's 1st Pot Shop Opens Monday, More Than 3 Years After Legalization Vote," by Zeninjor Enwemeka, WBUR:
"Boston's first pot shop will soon open its doors, after the Cannabis Control Commission on Thursday authorized Pure Oasis to commence operations. Pure Oasis, located on Blue Hill Avenue in Dorchester, will open for business on Monday at 11 a.m., according to the company's co-founders Kobie Evans and Kevin Hart. "On behalf of the entire team at Pure Oasis, we are excited to reach this important moment where we will open our doors as the first retail cannabis business in Boston and as the first economic empowerment candidate in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts," Evans and Hart said in a statement
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ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "WOE IS THEM!" "CORONA SCRUB," — Globe:
"In the fight, but out of the running." |
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FROM THE 413 |
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- "City clerk apologizes for override ballots running out in one Northampton ward," by Gerta Jochem, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "On Tuesday afternoon, some voters at Leeds Elementary School, the polling place for Ward 7B, couldn't cast their ballot for the Proposition 2 ½ override vote or were forced to wait. Around 5:15 p.m, election workers at the poll ran out of override ballots, which were not resupplied until 6:01 p.m.,
according to Bob Riddle, the Ward 7B election warden."
- "Multiple Springfield Public Schools staffers quarantined for possible coronavirus exposure," by Douglas Hook, MassLive.com:
"Three members of the Springfield Public Schools staff are under a two-week quarantine for possible exposure to coronavirus. The three employees recently traveled to Italy. They were sent home and told to follow self-quarantine protocols. None reported symptoms connected to the virus. "This step is taken as a precautionary measure and based solely on the state guidelines put forward yesterday afternoon by the MA DPH," said Springfield Public Schools spokesperson Azell Cavaan in a statement to MassLive."
- "Coronavirus prompts Peter Pan Bus Lines, PVTA to step up cleaning," by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican: "Peter Pan Bus Lines on Thursday distributed boxes of cleaning supplies including hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes to all 125 of its stops across the Northeast as part of its plan to combat the spread of the new coronavirus. Locally, the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority is doing much the same thing. Drivers are asked to wipe down hard surfaces like handrails, said Chris Crean, vice president of safety and security for Peter Pan. The Springfield-based bus carrier
has also enhanced its bus cleaning procedure to fight the virus."
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THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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- "Class action attorneys accuse Rivera of playing politics," by Jill Harmacinski, Eagle-Tribune:
"Class action attorneys handling the $143 million Merrimack Valley gas disaster settlement criticized Lawrence Mayor Daniel Rivera, saying he made a political, not legal, argument by asking for their $28 million in legal fees to be reduced by 75%. "From the inception, here Mayor Rivera makes not a legal argument, but a political one. From the inception of the case he has disparaged the lawyers involved and the profession at large in court and in the media, without any basis," court documents filed this week by the class action attorneys state."
- "Plymouth schools closed Friday to sanitize buildings after student reports flu-like symptoms," by Stephanie Purifoy and Matt Berg, The Boston Globe: "Plymouth Public Schools cancelled all classes for Friday in order to disinfect all buildings and school buses after a student who returned from a school trip to Italy was taken to the hospital with flu-like symptoms, officials said. The Plymouth high school student had recently traveled to Milan for a school trip and was taken to Beth Israel Deaconess Lahey Plymouth after they
started to exhibit flu-like symptoms, Superintendent Gary Maestas said in a statement Thursday."
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to UMass Journalism's Steve Fox, Blake Gottesman of Berkshire Partners, Jenn Queally and
Lauren Young.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? Yes! The Bruins beat the Panthers 2-1.
FOR YOUR COMMUTE: SUPER TUESDAY RECAP BARN BURNER - Listen to a very special live episode of the Horse Race podcast with the hosts of the Deep Democracy podcast
Gina Christo and Wilnelia Rivera, and guest Will Rasky of Rasky Partners. 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:
The Massachusetts House of Representatives just voted on milestone legislation that will help fix our crumbling roads and bridges, improve public transit across the Commonwealth, and reduce congestion on our roadways. We can fix the Commonwealth's transportation crisis with proven policies like the ones advanced by the House this week. Read more about the House bill at:
t4ma.org/housebill. |
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