News : POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: BAKER floated for BIDEN role — State drafts VACCINE BLUEPRINT

Wednesday, October 21, 2020

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: BAKER floated for BIDEN role — State drafts VACCINE BLUEPRINT — A MILLION have ALREADY VOTED

Oct 21, 2020

GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS.

BAKER FLOATED FOR BIDEN ROLE — Gov. Charlie Baker says he isn't packing his bags for Washington any time soon.

The governor is among Republicans being floated for a post in Democratic nominee Joe Biden's administration if he wins the election next month, according to a POLITICO report that made waves in Massachusetts Tuesday. Baker has said publicly that he will not vote for President Donald Trump, but has not said whether he would vote for Biden.

"You're going to be stuck with me for at least the next two years," Baker said yesterday, brushing off speculation that he'd leave his term early. "It's flattering to be considered but I like the job I have."

But the mere mention by Biden's team has sparked conversation about what would it mean if Baker did move on, for Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and the 2022 gubernatorial race.

Baker's not the only Massachusetts political figure seen as a potential Biden pick. In conversations with state operatives, consultants and donors about who should be on Biden's radar, a few big-name elected officials come up often. The departure of any of them would have a major impact on Bay State elections.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren: Once a presidential candidate herself, Warren is often floated as an option for Treasury secretary in a would-be Biden administration. After the end of her own Democratic primary campaign, Warren hit the trail for Biden in Maine, New Hampshire and elsewhere, and headlined fundraisers for the former vice president.

The last Massachusetts senator to give up their post to join a presidential administration was John Kerry, who became secretary of state in the Obama administration. That created an opening for Sen. Ed Markey to run in 2013. Dozens of Democrats would at least consider running for an open Senate seat if Warren left office. And if any current lawmakers jumped in — Rep. Ayanna Pressley is often mentioned — a special election victory would create another vacancy, and another race.

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh: Biden and Walsh have been close for years, and the former veep even spoke at the mayor's 2018 inauguration. Some wonder whether Walsh could make Biden's list for Labor secretary, or perhaps another job in his potential administration.

If Walsh did go to Washington, it would open up Boston's 2021 race for mayor. City Councilors Andrea Campbell and Michelle Wu have already entered the contest, and Walsh is expected to run for reelection, though he has not formally announced a campaign. Without the popular incumbent mayor in the mix, the field would surely expand.

Attorney General Maura Healey: Known for her lawsuits against the Trump administration, Healey has been asked about a potential post in the Biden administration in recent weeks. During an interview on WCVB, Healey said she's focused on the November election, not what comes after.

But if Healey did move on, perhaps to a role at the Department of Justice, an open race for attorney general would draw another crowded field, especially in a Democratic primary. Outgoing Rep. Joe Kennedy III has been floated by political watchers as a potential contender, as have Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins and Boston City Councilor Lydia Edwards.

Additional names that come up as possible Biden administration picks are Kennedy, who will be out of office in January; Reps. Seth Moulton and Stephen Lynch; and Kerry, who was among Biden's most visible surrogates in the Democratic primary and served with him in the Obama administration.

Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com.

TODAY — State lawmakers hold a hearing on Gov. Charlie Baker's revised fiscal 2021 budget. Rep. Lori Trahan kicks off phone banks for Democratic state representative candidates Deb Busser and Meg Kilcoyne.

THIS WEEK - NEW EPISODES OF POLITICO'S GLOBAL TRANSLATIONS PODCAST : The world has long been beset by big problems that defy political boundaries, but many of those issues exploded over the past year. Are world leaders and political actors up to the task of solving them? Is the private sector? Our Global Translations podcast, presented by Citi, unpacks the roadblocks to smart policy decisions and examines the long-term costs of the short-term thinking that drives many political and business decisions. Subscribe now for Season Two, launching Oct. 21.

THE LATEST NUMBERS

– "Massachusetts reports 821 new COVID cases, 5 deaths on Tuesday," by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: "State health officials confirmed another 821 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, marking the second consecutive day of more than 800 new cases since rates started to decelerate in May. That's based on 17,238 new molecular tests reported on Tuesday. There are now 142,295 COVID-19 cases in Massachusetts, according to the Department of Public Health."

DATELINE BEACON HILL

– "Amid more State Police controversy, Baker, lawmakers point fingers at each other," by Matt Rocheleau, Boston Globe: "Governor Charlie Baker clashed with legislators on Tuesday over the best way to reform the Massachusetts State Police on the heels of revelations that dozens of troopers remain on the force despite past illegal conduct. A spokeswoman for Baker called on legislators to hurry up and act on legislation he submitted nine months ago aimed at holding law enforcement more accountable. Lawmakers, meanwhile, argued that Baker already has the power to reform the state's largest police force, which has been awash in controversy since an overtime abuse scandal surfaced more than two years ago."

– "Baker Establishes COVID Vaccine Priorities — When It's Available," by Mike Deehan, GBH News: "Massachusetts will distribute COVID-19 vaccine in multiple phases, with front line workers, vulnerable populations and the elderly at the front of the line when, and only when, a safe vaccine is available. Gov. Charlie Baker said Tuesday he expects an initially limited supply of any vaccine when one is first approved and will distribute doses to the neediest first, with other essential workers coming after those medically vulnerable and health care personnel."

– "Lawmakers want to extend federal benefits," by Christian M. Wade, CNHI News: "State lawmakers are moving ahead with a plan to extend federal unemployment benefits to jobless workers who fall just below the threshold to qualify. On Wednesday, a legislative panel on Beacon Hill will hear testimony on a pair of bills that would bump up state unemployment benefits for jobless workers who get less than $100 per week. That's the minimum needed to qualify for the extra $300 per week in jobless payments from the federal government."

– "East Longmeadow, Watertown school districts being audited after remote learning continues despite low COVID rate," by Melissa Hanson, MassLive.com: "Two Massachusetts school districts are being audited by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education after students have been kept in remote learning models despite low rates of coronavirus transmission, officials said. Watertown and East Longmeadow are being audited, according to a spokeswoman for the Executive Office of Education."

– "Mass. is deploying cell phone alerts to combat COVID-19 spread in high risk communities," by Dialynn Dwyer, Boston.com: "If you live in, or near, a community that has been designated by Massachusetts public health officials as being at high risk for COVID-19, you may be hearing directly from the state about how to stay safe from the virus. Starting Monday, the state's COVID Enforcement and Intervention Team and COVID-19 Command Center began sending out emergency alerts to cell phones in high risk communities."

FROM THE HUB

– "Walsh files proposal he says would help add diversity to Boston's police force," by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: "In an attempt to further diversify Boston police, Mayor Martin J. Walsh is pushing for the state's civil service system that governs the department's hirings to include a preference for prospective officers who graduated from the city's high schools. The home-rule petition, which the City Council is scheduled to discuss at its Wednesday meeting, would need both council and State House approval to become a reality."

– "Boston Police Union President: New Oversight Office 'Seems Like It's About Jobs And Money,'" by Aidan Connelly, GBH News: "The president of the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association said Tuesday that instead of creating a new independent office to oversee city police's handling of misconduct claims, which Mayor Marty Walsh said he supports, the city should focus on reforming the current Community Ombudsman Oversight Panel."

– "Councilor Edwards recommends passage of Walsh's eviction proposal, with a caveat," by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: "The chairwoman of the Boston City Council's committee on government operations is recommending the council pass a Mayor Martin J. Walsh proposal aimed at keeping residents informed of their rights during evictions amid the COVID-19 crisis, so long as the city declares pandemic evictions to be health violations in the city."

– "4 things to know about Michelle Wu's 'food justice' agenda," by Christopher Gavin, Boston.com: "A sweeping report geared towards how Boston can better address food justice issues, released Tuesday by mayoral hopeful Michelle Wu, calls for systemic changes across the city's food service and related industries and in how officials consider and increase access to healthy, locally sourced food."

– "How much you need to earn to live comfortably in Boston and other major cities," by Ashley Portero, South Florida Business Journal: "The residents of 14 U.S. cities must earn at least $100,000 a year to comfortably rent or own a home in their area, according to an analysis from GoBankingRates.com. The website used housing information from Zillow and price estimates of necessities like transportation and groceries from Sperling's Best Places to determine how much a person needs to earn to live in the country's 50 largest metros."

– "Scores of Mass. scientists, doctors sign open letter against herd immunity proposal," by Martin Finucane, Boston Globe: "Scores of Massachusetts doctors and scientists are among the thousands who have signed onto an open letter that criticizes the idea of using herd immunity as a response to the coronavirus pandemic, even as the idea appears to have gained influential supporters in the White House."

– "Proposal to suspend exam schools admissions test highlights inequities," by James Vaznis, Boston Globe: "A proposal to temporarily suspend the admission test for Boston's three exam schools and instead rely almost exclusively on student grades is shining new light on concerns about grade inflation and inconsistent academic standards among the city's public and private schools. The concerns have been mounting in recent years, with critics saying the system possibly hinders the chances of Black and Latino students securing seats at Boston Latin School, Boston Latin Academy, and the O'Bryant School of Math and Science."

– "The Boston Police Patrolmen's Association has apologized after calling out a local taqueria on Twitter," by Erin Kuschner, Boston.com: "After calling out a former Yellow Door Taqueria employee on Twitter, the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association has apologized to the taqueria's management team. On Tuesday, the BPPA tweeted out two photos: On the left, a screenshot from Instagram user @hot_empath, whom they identified as Caitríona O'Grady; on the right, a screenshot from a 2018 episode of 'Broad Appeal,' which showed O'Grady making a cocktail."

THE SENATE SHOWDOWN

– "Charlie Baker endorses Republican Senate hopeful Kevin O'Connor over incumbent Democrat Ed Markey," by Lisa Kashinsky, Boston Herald: "Gov. Charlie Baker's vote helped Senate hopeful Kevin O'Connor win the state's Republican primary in September. Now, the GOP governor is formally endorsing O'Connor in his bid to unseat Democratic incumbent U.S. Sen. Edward Markey."

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

– "Feeling un-railroaded? Thursday session invites comment on two-year study," by Larry Parnass, The Berkshire Eagle: "For the third time, and possibly the last, regular folks can say what they think of steps taken to envision new passenger rail service from the Berkshires to Boston. The project is far from assured of happening, given its high cost, the study's lead manager noted last month. But, advocates of passenger rail, like state Rep. William 'Smitty' Pignatelli, D-Lenox, call the effort a generational investment that could transform local economies across the state."

YOU'VE GOT MAIL

– "More than a million ballots have already been cast in-person and by mail in Massachusetts as of Tuesday," by Michelle Williams, MassLive.com: "Election Day is two weeks away yet Massachusetts hit a voting milestone. More than a million ballots have been cast as of Tuesday afternoon. Specifically, 1,001,725 ballots have been returned to the Secretary of State's office, which is up 192,485 since Monday. The number of ballots cast as of Tuesday is equal to just under 30% of the total number cast in Massachusetts in the 2016 election."

BALLOT WARS

– "Advocates cast Question 1 as crucial to independent mechanics," by Robert Mills, Lowell Sun: "Santiago Castillo, owner of Pro Car Auto Repair on Riverside Street in Lowell, explains the need behind ballot Question 1 — the 'right to repair' question — with the story of a would-be customer who recently stopped by his garage because their check engine light was on. Castillo said he likely could have helped with whatever the issue was, but when he tried to connect to the car's internal computer system to find out why the light was on, he was prompted to enter a password that only a dealership has access to."

– "Cambridge has used ranked-choice voting for 80 years. But it's almost nothing like what November's ballot question proposes," by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "Robert Winters has been a busy man. With a November ballot question calling for ranked-choice elections in Massachusetts, people have been asking — 'pummeling' him, he said — about Cambridge's own ranked-choice system, hoping to plumb the mathematician and election guru's deep well of expertise before they vote on the statewide proposal."

DAY IN COURT

– "Advocates Press Lawsuit Despite DOC Claims Of Improved Involuntary Addiction Treatment," by Deborah Becker, WBUR: "It was earlier this year, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, that Kim Agrella found herself not knowing where to turn to get help for her son. Her son, Derek Rooney, was seriously injured after he took pills he bought off the street and fell from the third floor of his apartment building. The 33-year-old underwent surgery and a stay in the ICU. Agrella worried her son's addiction might affect his healing once he left the hospital."

WARREN REPORT

– "Bill Barr and Elizabeth Warren find a common enemy: Google," by Peter Kafka, Vox: "You have to do something extraordinary to unite Elizabeth Warren and Bill Barr. But that's what Google has done. President Trump's attorney general and personal fixer has filed an antitrust suit against the trillion-dollar internet titan. And the Massachusetts senator, who despises everything about the Trump administration and has called on Barr to resign, is cheering him on. Sort of."

MOULTON MATTERS

– "New '988' suicide hotline signed into law," by Christian M. Wade, Gloucester Daily Times: "A new three-digit number to reach a nationwide suicide prevention hotline will make it easier for people in crisis to seek help. Over the weekend, President Donald Trump signed into law a bill that will allow people to dial '988' to seek help, similar to calling 911 for emergencies. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline currently uses a 10-digit number, 800-273-TALK (8255), which directs calls to crisis centers around the country."

AS SEEN ON TV

– "Chaotic Campaign Tests Presidential Debate Director Janet Brown, Who Has Mass. Roots," by Callum Borchers, WBUR: "In the early 1980s, the British author Jeffrey Archer set out to write a novel imagining America's first female president. He enlisted a young woman who worked in the Reagan White House to help make every detail feel authentic and eventually 'realized that, in many ways, she was a role model to be president, herself.'"

ON THE STUMP

– "Rep. James McGovern, challenger Tracy Lovvorn exchange barbs in Worcester," by Brad Petrishen, Telegram & Gazette: "Longtime U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern and his second-time challenger Tracy Lovvorn traded barbs Tuesday in a pointed debate downtown. While the event was socially distanced - only reporters, moderators and one guest for each candidate were allowed into the room - it was far from impersonal, with each candidate at different points accusing the other of lying and engaging in scare tactics."

DATELINE D.C.

– "Lawmakers ask Justice Department to consider criminal charges against Purdue and the Sacklers," by Ed Silverman, STAT: "More than three dozen Democratic lawmakers asked the Department of Justice to consider filing criminal charges against Purdue Pharma executives and members of the wealthy Sackler family, which controls the drug maker, for their role in fomenting the opioid crisis."

ABOVE THE FOLD

— Herald: "SORRY, CHARLIE," "PASS A STIMULUS!" — Globe: "Possible vaccine protocol a challenge," "A new role for sports to play."

FROM THE 413

– "Families of Holyoke Soldiers' Home vets tell heartbreaking tales," by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: "At Tuesday's hearing at Holyoke Community College, family members told heartbreaking stories of being left in the dark as their loved ones suffered. They detailed the management failures that led to an inability to curb the deadly outbreak – and some problems that have continued after the outbreak was controlled."

THE LOCAL ANGLE

– "Before Census Deadline, Community Organizers Rushed To Raise Awareness," by Carrie Saldo, GBH News: "The U.S. Census ended late last week, halting the work of volunteers who thought they had another two weeks to encourage people to fill out their Census forms. But the once-in-a-decade count ended Thursday night after the Supreme Court sided with the Trump administration's request to end the process early. It was the third change to the deadline in recent weeks. And it had volunteers in communities like Worcester working quickly to encourage residents to fill out their Census before time was up."

– "Rep. Paul Frost faces familiar opponent in Terry Burke Dotson," by Kim Ring, Telegram & Gazette: "State Rep. Paul K. Frost, R-Auburn, is facing a familiar opponent, but this time, Terry Burke Dotson, a Millbury independent, is campaigning full time and hopes to unseat the longtime incumbent in the 7th Worcester District. The district is composed of Auburn, Millbury, and parts of Charlton and Oxford."

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY – to Michael Clark, former senior advisor to state Sen. Eric Lesser and current New England progressive outreach director for AIPAC, who celebrated Tuesday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to the Dorchester Reporter's Daniel Sheehan, Erik Bruun, Sam Hiersteiner, Brian Rosman and Megan Murray.

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.

GLOBAL PULSE, GLOBAL PURPOSE: At a high-stakes moment when global health has become a household concern, it is pivotal to keep up with the politics and policy driving change. Global Pulse connects leaders, policymakers and advocates to the people and politics driving global health. Join the conversation and subscribe today for this new weekly newsletter.