Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Baker's big interview

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Baker's big interview

Presented by

TALKING POLITICS — GOP Gov. Charlie Baker typically eschews wading into national politics. But he made a splash yesterday, using a rare cable news interview to urge his party to ditch Donald Trump ahead of the former president's expected 2024 campaign launch.

“We need, as a party, to move past President Trump and to move on to an agenda that represents the voices of all those in the party and the people of the country,” Baker told CNN’s Jake Tapper in a State House sit-down interview taped Sunday and aired Monday.

Baker’s repudiations of Trump have been well documented, as has the former president’s disdain for the Massachusetts governor. But Baker, coming off a pre-election Harvard lecture in which he sounded alarms about extremism and its effect on the electorate, is joining other Republicans in stepping up warnings about Trump after GOP candidates underperformed nationwide.

“I certainly think there’s significant influence from the former president and I think that influence probably hurt the party and hurt the party’s chances on Election Day” in Massachusetts and elsewhere, Baker, who's ceding his office to Democrat Maura Healey in January, told Tapper. “One of the big lessons that the Republican Party nationally needs to take away from it is voters want collaborative elected officials, they don’t want extremes.”

The GOP governor chose friendly airwaves on CNN, rather than Republicans’ typical go-to Fox News, to deliver his assessment that his party has to do more to engage independent voters in Massachusetts and beyond. Baker “invited me to his office,” Tapper said, “because he was seemingly so distressed about where the Republican Party was headed.”

Massachusetts Republican Gov. Charlie Baker on CNN's "The Lead with Jake Tapper." | CNN screenshot.

Tapper tried to get Baker to talk about any potential higher-office ambitions. Citing Baker’s recently reclaimed title as the nation’s most popular governor, Tapper wondered why Republicans aren’t “running to you and saying Governor Baker, run for president?”

Baker, who’s repeatedly said he has no intention of waging such a campaign, told Tapper that his brand of fiscally conservative, more socially moderate Republicanism might not be so salient outside of New England.

But Baker's been hinting he’ll speak more about politics as he prepares to leave office. Asked last week about the burgeoning fight for state GOP chair and the future of his party after it got pummeled in the election, Baker replied that he’s got a job to do — but “we can talk about this stuff” come January. It seems he'll at least have an audience on CNN, which aired portions of his interview throughout the day Monday and teased there would be more today.

GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Tips? Scoops? Birthdays? Email me: lkashinsky@politico.com .

TODAY — Baker attends Republican Governors Association meetings in Florida. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito chairs a meeting of the Governor’s Council to address sexual assault and domestic violence at 1 p.m. at the State House. Sen. Ed Markey hosts a webinar on the future of Alzheimer’s research at 3 p.m.

A message from NextEra Energy:

NextEra Energy is the first company in history committed to moving past net zero all the way to Real Zero , leveraging low-cost renewables to drive energy affordability for customers.

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— “As Mass. sends out tax refunds, many anxious they won’t get one,” by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: “Massachusetts residents who have yet to receive their tax refunds from the state government are concerned when — and if — they will arrive. Over 85% of about 700 readers who responded to a MassLive survey said they are still waiting for their refunds, even as state officials began doling out nearly $3 billion in excess tax revenues — as required by a controversial tax cap law known as Chapter 62F — at the start of the month. Survey responses were collected Thursday through Monday.”

— “Voters call on Beacon Hill to pry open meetings,” by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: “Act on Mass, a coalition of progressive groups and unions, is among those seeking to [make Beacon Hill more transparent] by putting pressure on legislative leaders to improve transparency and accountability and shed more light on the process. In the midterm elections, the coalition tacked nonbinding questions onto ballots in at least 20 communities asking voters to indicate if they want their representatives in the House to change the rules next session to make each lawmakers’ votes publicly available on the Legislature’s website. The referendums were overwhelmingly approved in at least a dozen communities, in some cases winning more than 90% of the vote, according to preliminary data. In the other House districts, the measure was ahead by a wide margin with vote tallies not yet finalized.”

— “Regulators concerned about national sports betting ads violating local rules,” by Chris Van Buskirk, MassLive: “Gaming regulators aired concerns Monday morning that national sports betting advertisements broadcast on local stations could run afoul of future state regulations when the industry launches in Massachusetts. But national executives and local media players told the Massachusetts Gaming Commission that both broadcasters and sports leagues impose myriad internal regulations that promote responsible gambling and limit the intensity or saturation of sports betting advertisements during professional games.”

— “Report: Mass. well-positioned to weather recession,” by Christian M. Wade, Salem News: “Massachusetts has enough money socked away in its rainy day funds to weather a moderate recession without having to resort to deep spending cuts or tax increases to close the potential budget gaps. That’s according to a new report by the Pew Charitable Trusts, which found that the Bay State has enough savings and budget surplus funds to cover state spending for a median of 60 days — the 17th highest among states, and above the national average. Only 18 states, including Massachusetts, have sufficient savings set aside to weather a moderate recession, according to the report’s findings.”

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

— “Halfway into November, still no firm opening date for Green Line’s Medford extension,” by Daniel Kool, Boston Globe: “The MBTA said last August that the new Medford branch of the Green Line would open in late November. Halfway into the month, there’s still no word on when service begins. The MBTA ‘expects to have a date for the start of service by the end of the week,’ spokesman Joe Pesaturo wrote in an email Tuesday. He did not say whether that start date was expected to come before the end of the month.”

— “SRTA makes its bus service totally free for a month. Here's how to take a ride,” by Dan Medeiros, Herald News: “Thanks to a grant included in the state budget and awarded by MassDOT, all SRTA bus and paratransit services will be free to all from Nov. 25 to Dec. 31 as part of its ‘Try Transit’ program. The program is designed to entice new customers who normally drive to try commuting, shopping, doing errands and getting around the city via bus — and give a financial break to people who already rely on public transportation.”

POLITICO APP USERS: UPGRADE YOUR APP BY DECEMBER 19! We recently upgraded the POLITICO app with a fresh look and improved features for easier access to POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Starting December 19, users will no longer have access to the previous version of the app. Update your app today to stay on top of essential political news, insights, and analysis from the best journalists in the business. UPDATE iOS APP – UPDATE ANDROID APP .

HEALEY WATCH

— “Google settlement drops $9.3M in Maura Healey’s lap in final days as Massachusetts attorney general,” by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: “Recently minted governor-elect [Maura Healey] suddenly will have a $9.3-million piggy bank for which she has the ‘sole discretion’ to dole out in her waning days as the state’s top law-enforcement official. Healey’s office, one of a coalition of 40 attorneys general involved in the investigation of Google, trumpeted the ‘largest multistate data privacy settlement’ in U.S. history, with the tech giant agreeing to pay $391.5 million in total, of which precisely $9,334,014.62 will go to the Bay State. A spokeswoman for Healey, whose office will be receiving this cash in her final month as AG, said it will go into the general fund and also be used for consumer-protection programs. The specifics are still in the works.”

YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS

— “DiLisio declares for mayor, joining two others vying for top Attleboro job,” by George W. Rhodes, The Sun Chronicle: “City voters now have a third choice in the upcoming special election for mayor triggered by Paul Heroux winning his race for Bristol County sheriff. City Council President Jay DiLisio announced his run for the corner office Monday in an email to The Sun Chronicle.”

MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS

— “New documents show top DeSantis official coordinating with ‘Perla’ over migrant flights,” by Gary Fineout and David Kihara, POLITICO: “Documents released Monday night show a high level of coordination between a top official in Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration and some of the key people responsible for facilitating flights of migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard. In response to a lawsuit, the DeSantis administration released a handful of text messages between DeSantis’ safety czar, Larry Keefe, and Perla Huerta, the woman who is believed to have recruited migrants in San Antonio for the trips to Massachusetts. … While many of the texts focus on mundane issues like scheduling or meeting times, others show that Keefe was involved in coordinating the flights at the highest level. DeSantis picked Keefe, an ex-U.S. Attorney appointed by former President Donald Trump, to serve as his public safety czar last year with a special focus on cracking down on illegal immigration in the state.”

— More: “Florida judge dismisses lawsuit against DeSantis migrant flights on technical grounds,” by Andrew Atterbury, POLITICO: “A Florida judge on Monday threw out a lawsuit challenging Gov. Ron DeSantis’ migrant relocation program, removing a potential obstacle to the Republican governor for resuming the effort that drew massive publicity and condemnation from Democrats. But Leon Circuit Judge John C. Cooper kept the door open for the legal fight, giving state Sen. Jason Pizzo (D-Miami) — the plaintiff who sued DeSantis and other state officials — two weeks to revamp his lawsuit.”

— "National Guard Lt. Col Hoffman faces third OUI, other charges in tour bus chase case," by Sarah Carlon, Cape Cod Times: "An off-duty officer with the Massachusetts National Guard was arraigned on multiple charges last week connected with his alleged chase of a tour bus he thought was bringing migrants to Cape Cod in September at the behest of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis."

A message from NextEra Energy:

BIDEN TIME

— “Legal peril for Biden’s student debt relief prompts calls to extend payment pause,” by Michael Stratford, POLITICO: “White House officials expressed confidence over the weekend that they would ultimately prevail in reversing court rulings that have shut down President Joe Biden’s effort to cancel student loan debt for tens of millions of Americans. But the legal limbo is already prompting calls from the left for the Biden administration to delay the planned restart of student loan payments Jan. 1.”

IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

— “Avangrid refuses to budge on need for pricing changes,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “The Department of Public Utilities was very clear a week ago, telling the state’s two leading offshore wind developers that they could either move forward with the pricing contracts they negotiated with the state’s utilities or withdraw from the proceedings and start over again. … Avangrid, the developer of the 1,200-megawatt Commonwealth Wind project, asked for more time to respond and then waited until the very last minute on Monday before filing a response that largely ignored the DPU’s order."

MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS

— “As recreational marijuana prices plummet in Massachusetts, medical sales slump,” by Dan Adams, Boston Globe: “Six years after Massachusetts voters legalized marijuana, the state’s cannabis industry is bigger than ever, with cumulative recreational sales soaring toward $4 billion and more than 225 retailers now open in communities from Provincetown to Pittsfield. That maturation is good news for consumers, who are finally seeing greater selection and lower prices after years of paying some of the highest prices in the country for legal weed that was often of mediocre quality. But increasing competition and supply are also starting to cause measurable headwinds for marijuana operators."

FROM THE 413

— “Federal judge in Springfield approves $58 million settlement for Holyoke Soldiers Home vets, families,” by Stephanie Barry, Springfield Republican: “A federal judge on Monday signed off on a $58 million settlement for victims of the 2020 COVID-19 outbreak at the Soldiers Home in Holyoke, the largest of its kind nationwide. The class action lawsuit was filed in July of that year against ousted leaders of the state-run home, plus gubernatorial appointees in charge of veterans’ and health and human services for the commonwealth. The approved settlement figure crept up from $56 million after three more families were added to the lawsuit, according to plaintiffs’ attorneys.”

— “Mayor, members weigh in on council fracas in Easthampton,” by Emily Thurlow, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “Several current and former city councilors and the mayor are weighing in on a dispute between two council members who in recent weeks have lodged mutual claims of bullying and harassment against each other. Some observers are taking sides, and others are hopeful that the public airing will lead councilors to find positive ways to interact with each other as they conduct the city’s business.”

GO INSIDE THE MILKEN INSTITUTE FUTURE OF HEALTH SUMMIT: POLITICO is featuring a special edition of our “Future Pulse” newsletter at the 2022 Milken Institute Future of Health Summit from Dec. 6 to 8. The newsletter takes readers inside one of the most influential gatherings of health industry leaders and innovators solving the biggest global health issues to ensure a healthier, more resilient future for all. SUBSCRIBE TODAY TO RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE .

KENNEDY COMPOUND

— IN MEMORIAM: “Paul Schrade, 97, Who Was Wounded When Robert Kennedy Was Slain, Dies,” by Richard Sandomir, New York Times.

MEDIA MATTERS

— ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES: The Boston media market is undergoing some big changes. The Boston Globe named Nancy Barnes, who was most recently chief news executive at NPR, as its new editor . Barnes will succeed Brian McGrory in February, and will be the first woman to hold the job in the paper’s 150-year history. She’s scheduled to greet employees at the Globe’s newsroom today, per an email sent to staffers and obtained by Playbook.

As the Globe gains a new leader, GBH News is losing one. GBH politics editor Peter Kadzis will retire in January after a half-century in the business. He’ll continue with GBH as a political contributor. Kadzis’ announcement comes a month after Axios reported that Jim Braude’s run hosting GBH’s “Greater Boston” will end when his contract expires at the end of the year. Braude will continue co-hosting “Boston Public Radio” with Margery Eagan. And it follows Janet Wu’s announcement earlier this month that she’ll be retiring from WCVB at the end of the year after 50 years of reporting in Boston.

— “Fired NBC Boston reporter alleges sexual harassment, retaliation in federal court lawsuit,” by John Hilliard, Boston Globe: “A former NBC Boston reporter who was fired in 2019 for purportedly failing to disclose her relationship with a local police chief is suing the station in federal court, arguing she was sexually harassed by a female colleague and was dismissed in retaliation for complaining about a hostile work environment.”

A message from NextEra Energy:

NextEra Energy is the first company committed to reaching Real Zero™, as in 100% clean energy. We’re not just offsetting carbon emissions — we’re eliminating them.

HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH

TRANSITIONS — Shanique Spalding is the new executive director of the Massachusetts Voter Table. Spalding was previously the BIPOC director for Fair Share for Massachusetts.

— President Joe Biden has appointed former Rep. Mike Capuano to the Public Buildings Reform Board, an independent agency that identifies opportunities for the federal government to reduce its inventory of civilian real property.

SPOTTED — Rep. Jake Auchincloss having drinks on Monday night at Charlie Palmer with Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to MassLive alum Melissa Hanson, Gail Gitcho, Emily Schlichting, Alexandra Lippman and Micah Rosen.

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 .

Follow us on Twitter