POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: OUR REVOLUTION eyes MASSIE and no one else — Shining a light on DARK MONEY sources — ROSENBERG’s new digs
01/03/2018 07:09 AM EDT
By Lauren Dezenski (ldezenski@politico.com; @LaurenDezenski) with Rebecca Morin (rmorin@politico.com; @RebeccaMorin_)
GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Heat wave: It's going to climb into the 20s today ... And winter storm warnings have been posted for much of the state ahead of tomorrow's storm, with a blizzard warning all along the commonwealth's coast. Check out the latest thinking from the National Weather Service.
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK - OUR REVOLUTION EYES MASSIE OR NO ONE IN GOV'S RACE - The Massachusetts wing of the Bernie Sanders-aligned group Our Revolution is weighing a gubernatorial endorsement. But it will either endorse environmental activist Bob Massie or stay out of the race completely, despite the fact that there are three candidates in the Democratic field.Our Revolution Massachusetts is currently polling its members on the choice in a non-binding statewide advisory poll underway until Friday, the group tells me.
Asked why Our Revolution is only considering Massie or none-of-the-above, spokeswoman Andrea Burns tells me that "poll choices reflect initial feedback received in late December from affiliate members across the state, with people from over 10 affiliates expressing support for Bob Massie and members of four saying they prefer not to endorse at this time."
"There wasn't a single response expressing support for endorsing Jay Gonzales [sic] and only one for Setti Warren," according to the email blast to Our Revolution members, which was obtained by POLITICO.
Timing is a factor in the potential endorsement. To ensure that Massie makes the Democratic primary ballot with 15 percent of pledged delegates at the state convention this summer, "an endorsement would therefore be much more meaningful sooner rather than later," according to the email blast. The Democratic party caucuses, which nominate delegates to the state convention - the delegates then elect the primary candidates - are held in late January and early February.
FLASHBACK TO JUNE - Massie enjoyed a warm reception and a spark of potential Massiementum at last summer's Democratic state convention in Worcester. The convention also saw a heavy turnout from newly activated Our Revolution with more than 700 elected delegates, though both Our Revolution-proposed changes to the party charter were defeated.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: ldezenski@politico.com.
TODAY - The state Senate and House meet in formal session - The state Senate swears in Republican Sen.-elect Dean Tran, who won the Worcester and Middlesex special election to replace Jen Flanagan, who is now on the Cannabis Control Commission. Gov. Charlie Baker and LG Karyn Polito plan to attend. Former state Senate President Stan Rosenberg is not planning to attend to swearing-in, according to his office - Sen. Ed Markey plans to hold a press conference at his Boston office with DREAMers and immigrant rights advocates including MIRA's Eva Millona in support of comprehensive immigration reform and passage of the DREAM Act.
DATELINE BEACON HILL -
- "Bay State nonprofit penalized for violating campaign finance law," by Matt Stout, Boston Herald: "A Lynnfield nonprofit with ties to Bay State Republicans funneled more than $1.1 million into two failed ballot questions backed by Gov. Charlie Baker without disclosing its donors, which included former Gov. Mitt Romney's presidential campaign committee, officials said today. The group, Strong Economy for Growth, was ordered to pay a $31,000 penalty and file paperwork revealing its donors after the Office of Campaign and Political Finance determined it violated the state campaign finance law."
MORE CAMPAIGN FINANCE QUESTIONS - "The Modern Campaign-Finance Loophole: Governors Associations," by Susan Pulliam and Brody Mullins, Wall Street Journal: "At the RGA's nondescript headquarters on Pennsylvania Avenue near the White House, top staff met in the summer of 2014 where they discussed, among other things, helping Massachusetts gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker using money committed by casino magnate Steve Wynn, according to a person in the room at the time."
FOR YOUR CALENDAR - Gov. Charlie Baker's state of the commonwealth address will be scheduled for Tuesday, January 23rd, in the House Chamber of the Massachusetts State House.
SITUATIONAL AWARENESS - Out of the Senate President's office but still in the building, former Senate President and - now just state senator - Stan Rosenberg has been assigned to his new office. It's Room 70C, in the basement near Gardner Auditorium, which is the Senate's temporary digs while the chamber is under renovation. The state legislature's website has been updated to reflect the office change as the Senate Ethics Committee parses Rosenberg's past actions.
TRUMPACHUSETTS -
- "US Rep. Richard Neal optimistic Congress can reach bipartisan infrastructure agreement despite recent fights," by Shannon Young, Masslive.com: "Although GOP-led efforts to overhaul the health care system and American tax code drew partisan rancor on Capitol Hill, at least one Massachusetts Democrat said he believes his party is willing to work with the White House on a bipartisan infrastructure package. U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, a Springfield Democrat and ranking member of the House Ways and Means Committee, said he thinks 'there's room' for compromise on infrastructure improvements in spite of recent spats between the two parties."
THE WARREN REPORT -
- "Joe Biden beats Liz Warren to punch as bell rings for 2020 in Boston," by Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald: "On the first day of 2018, the jockeying for 2020 began in earnest, with former Vice President Joe Biden scoring the first points here in Boston. ... With Sen. Elizabeth Warren curiously absent, Biden stole the show at Mayor Martin J. Walsh's swearing-in with a speech that showed why he shouldn't be dismissed as a 2020 contender."
ON THE STUMP -
MITT NEWS CONTEXT - Tweet from @gdebenedetti: "As the R governor of MA preps to run for re-election, an ex-R governor of MA, who twice ran for president, considers a Senate bid in Utah, and an ex-D governor of MA floats amid presidential speculation-just a year after another ex-R governor of MA ran for vice-president. Got it?"
- "Orrin Hatch's Retirement Paves the Way for a Romney Senate Bid," by McKay Coppins, The Atlantic: "Utah Senator Orrin Hatch announced Tuesday in a video released by his office that he would not seek reelection next year, clearing the way for a possible Senate bid by Mitt Romney. ... The announcement comes after months of speculation about Hatch's plans, and intense backstage political jockeying around his Senate seat."
TSONGAS ARENA -
- "Why The 3rd Congressional Race Could Turn Into A Big Bucks Battle," by David S. Bernstein, WGBH News: "We sagely expect that this crowded field will quickly narrow to a handful of serious candidates at most. The others, lacking funding to compete, will either drop out or troop along irrelevantly on the fringe of the campaign. ... It might not turn out that way. We could see many candidates raising enough money to compete-with one or more topping that $4 million figure on their own."
WOOD WAR - Herald: "PUSHING KIM'S BUTTON," "TRACKING A 'MONSTER,'" "ISAIAH'S MISTAKE," "MITT'S MOVE, LITERALLY." - Globe: "T's goal: Tougher contract oversight," "With Hatch not running, eyes on Romney," "And now, another blow," "Trump picks up where he left off, with tweet storm," "Conductor accused of sexual assault."
THE LOCAL ANGLE -
YES IT IS VERY COLD - "It's a glacier out there: Waters off Mass. are freezing solid," by Emily Sweeney and Laney Ruckstuhl, Boston Globe: "In the wake of a nearly seven-day deep freeze, the Coast Guard has been busy breaking up ice off the shores of Hingham, Weymouth, and Winthrop, according to Coast Guard officials."
- "Contracted services are a persistent problem for the T," by Adam Vaccaro, Boston Globe: "As it embarks on major projects like the $2.3 billion Green Line extension and a replacement of its fare system, the MBTA is reckoning with an old Achilles' heel: keeping outside contractors in line."
- "Fear and Loathing In Worcester: Turtleboy, Facebook, A Judge's Daughter, and The DA'S Office," by Evan Lips, New Boston Post: "The onset of the new year has breathed new life into the still unsubstantiated claim that Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early had a hand in ordering the blackout of incriminating details from the arrest report concerning a prominent local judge's daughter. ... The latest allegation involves the same Worcester-based blog that was the first to break the story about the Massachusetts State Police's treatment of Alli Bibaud's arrest report - she, the daughter of Dudley District Court Judge Timothy Bibaud."
- "Second potential buyer makes offer for Boston Herald," by Brian Dowling, Boston Herald: "A Los Angeles investment group is pledging a $5.75 million bid for the Boston Herald, the second public bid for the tabloid since it filed for bankruptcy in December. Revolution Capital Group filed its bid yesterday with the federal bankruptcy court in Delaware. The company previously offered to buy the Herald in 2013."
- "McGrory says the Globe will pass 100,000 digital subs in the next six months," by Dan Kennedy, Media Nation: "Boston Globe editor Brian McGrory closed out 2017 with a characteristically upbeat message for his staff. Weighing in at nearly 900 words, his email - sent out at 8:30 p.m. on Sunday and passed along to me by a newsroom source - looks back on the paper's journalistic successes of the past year and forward to continued progress on the business front."
- "Peter Gelzinis, News Poet Of The City, Retires From Boston Herald After 45 Years," by David Boeri, WBUR: "After a run of 45 years as columnist and reporter for the Boston Herald, Peter Gelzinis has met his last deadline. Dubbed the news poet of the city, Gelzinis wrote thousands of stories that brought readers a picture of tragedies and triumphs, in the streets of Greater Boston and across the nation as well."
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to Andover Sen. Barbara L'Italien, SEIU 509's deputy Communications Director Ana Victoria Morales, and Tim Sullivan, chief of staff for intergovernmental relations and senior adviser to the mayor for personal affairs in Boston.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? - Yes! The Bruins topped the Islanders 5-1.
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