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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS.
DEVAL PATRICK LOOKS TO FUTURE, AND PAST — Is Deval Patrick a moderate or a progressive? It depends who you ask. But the former Massachusetts governor says the party should ditch the labels altogether.
"I think the party is a party of big ideas that work. And I think, increasingly, I think a moderate seems to be a progressive who actually gets results," Patrick said during an interview yesterday. "We're having a lot of conversations about universal healthcare. We worked on that here. So apparently I'm a moderate because we actually accomplished it, or are accomplishing it. I don't think any of the labels really work."
After half a decade in the private sector, Patrick has reentered the political arena during a transformative time in Democratic politics. Patrick made the comments during a recording of the Horse Race podcast. (Disclosure: I co-host the show with Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith.)
The former governor's presidential campaign has been unconventional since day one -- he entered the race in November, months after a considerable number of candidates had already dropped out. Patrick's poll numbers are low and he has yet to make a debate stage. But pointing to the number of undecided voters in the early states, Patrick says his path to victory is as open as a "boulevard."
And while Patrick is focused on the fast-approaching primary, he also reflected on the highs and lows of his two terms as governor.
The wide-ranging conversation touched on how the state came together after the Boston Marathon bombing, challenges Patrick faced with the Health Connector, and his push to raise the state income tax to fund education and transportation — two issues the state continues to grapple with. The legislature ultimately scrapped Patrick's proposed income tax hike, and the former governor explained how he felt at the time.
Patrick declined to say whether he thinks Gov. Charlie Baker has done a good job managing the MBTA. Similarly, Baker declined to weigh in on Patrick's legacy when he announced his campaign in November.
"It's his turn," Patrick said . "My own view of my own opportunity in the job is that political capital is to be spent, if you want to do something, not just accumulated. And that's what we tried to do." The full episode is worth checking out, you can listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com.
TODAY — Boston Mayor Marty Walsh hosts the annual Three Kings Day celebration at City Hall. The Supreme Judicial Court hears arguments in Boston. Boston City Councilor Julia Mejia hosts an inaugural celebration at Hibernian Hall in Roxbury. Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Bill Keating are guests on WGBH's "Boston Public Radio."
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POLITICO TECH AT CES - This week we are bringing a special edition of the POLITICO Tech newsletter to CES 2020 . Written by Nancy Scola and Cristiano Lima, the newsletter will take you inside the largest and most influential technology event on the planet, featuring every major and emerging industry in the technology ecosystem gathered together in one place. The newsletter runs from Jan. 6 - 10 and will focus on the public policy related aspects of the gathering. Sign up today to receive exclusive coverage of the Summit.
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 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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- "Backers coalesce behind real estate tax bill," by Sarah Betancourt, CommonWealth Magazine: "LAWMAKERS AND HOUSING ADVOCATES are starting to coalesce behind a new proposal that would allow municipalities the local option to assess a tax of up to 2 percent on real estate transactions above the statewide median sales price and up to 6 percent on more speculative property sales. The group of over 30 housing groups, municipal leaders, and legislators call themselves the "2 Cents for Housing Coalition," and said at a State House press conference on Wednesday that their new consensus or "compromise" bill would raise hundreds of millions of dollars for affordable housing."
- "Warning light: A long, and likely expensive, ballot fight over the information spit out by your car is beginning," by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "The shadowy figure, its features hidden by an expressionless mask, invites viewers to consider a question: "You wouldn't give your car keys to a stranger, why give up your data?" It's a cryptic advertisement, with a reference to "RTR" and the generically named Coalition for Safe and Secure Data. It also means something you might not expect: the beginning of a long, and likely expensive, debate over the information spit out each day by your car."
- "Cities, towns weigh banning gas hookups," by Christian M. Wade, The Salem News: "More than a dozen cities and towns are writing plans to ban new natural gas hookups for homes and businesses, according to one environmental group, despite complaints that the efforts are illegal. In November, Brookline became the first community in the state to ban new gas hookups. Its bylaw, approved at Town Meeting, prohibits the installation of oil and gas heating systems in new construction beginning in 2021. Other communities - including Cambridge, Newton, Arlington and Lexington - are weighing similar bans."
- "After court ruling, au pair host families struggle to comply with wage and worker protection rules, by Shira Schoenberg, Springfield Republican: "Robina Habib worked as a dentist internationally and is now a full-time student putting in long hours to get certified in Massachusetts. Her husband, a financial manager, works three days a week, working nearly 12-hour days. They rely on an au pair to care for their 8- and 9-year-old children. The au pair came from South Africa, where she got a master's degree in tourism, to experience American culture. Habib's relationship with her au pair became more complicated — and more expensive — after the U.S. Appeals Court ruled in December that au pairs are subject to Massachusetts' Domestic Worker Bill of Rights."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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- "Marty Walsh hears the footsteps of the future," by Joan Vennochi, Boston Globe: "In his annual State of the City speech Tuesday, Mayor Marty Walsh celebrated Boston's great economic success and presented an ambitious vision for sharing it with more Bostonians. Walsh delivered his "Believe in Boston" agenda with passion — and a keen awareness of a city undergoing dramatic change, not just to its skyline but to its politics. He clearly believes in Boston and the inspirational citizens he showcased during the Symphony Hall event. But it's also true that incumbency does not seem as invincible as it once was — especially for an old-school, white male politician in a city growing younger and more diverse. Walsh, now in his second term, surely hears the footsteps behind him."
- "Fourth person dies in Massachusetts from vaping," by Felicia Gans, Boston Globe: "A fourth person has died in Massachusetts from a vaping-related illness, state health officials announced Wednesday. The person was a man in his 70s from Middlesex County who reported vaping THC, the compound of marijuana that makes consumers high. His case is one of 36 confirmed vaping-related illnesses that the state has reported to federal health officials at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since Sept. 11, 2019. There are 73 other cases that are considered probable that have also been reported to the federal agency."
- "Encore Boston Harbor is disputing a report about job cuts, but admits it has to do some 'right sizing,'" by Nikolas DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: "Encore Boston Harbor may have created 5,000 new jobs. But not all of them are set in stone. Amid lower-than-expected revenue in its opening months, the Everett casino is in the process of "right sizing" its business operations. According to a Boston 25 report Tuesday, Encore officials told 70 bartenders, apprentices, and casino workers last Friday that their jobs were being cut — and at least some were being replaced by automated drink dispensers. The casino, however, is disputing those figures."
- "Marty Walsh wants half a billion for new housing. What would all that money buy?" by Tim Logan, Boston Globe: "When Mayor Martin J. Walsh during his State of the City speech Tuesday night vowed half a billion dollars in new funding for affordable housing in Boston over the next five years, he left out an important detail: What, exactly, all that money would buy. Calling housing "the biggest economic challenge" facing Boston residents, Walsh pledged a "bold" and "progressive" effort to develop new affordable housing and preserve more of what already exists. While the speech was light on specifics, the mayor's aides this week outlined a grab bag of programs they envision the $500 million paying for."
- "Suspended Babson College staff member apologizes after urging Iran to list American cultural targets," by Rick Sobey and Alexi Iafrato, Boston Herald: "A Babson College staff member who was suspended, with pay, Wednesday after posting a status on Facebook — suggesting Iran list 52 American cultural sites that it would bomb — has apologized for his "bad attempt at humor." In a Facebook post Tuesday, which has since been removed, but is circulating widely on social media, Babson's director of sustainability Asheen Phansey wrote, "In retaliation, Ayatollah Khomenei should tweet a list of 52 sites of beloved American cultural heritage that he would bomb. Um... Mall of America? Kardashian residence?" Turtleboysports.com reported on a screen shot of the post on Tuesday."
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| DAY IN COURT |
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- "Lawyers Argue About Extent To Which Public Officials — Including Police — Can Be Secretly Recorded," by Quincy Walters, WBUR: "The federal appeals court in Boston heard arguments Wednesday about the extent to which private citizens can secretly video and audio record police or other government officials in public spaces. In 2018, a judge ruled private citizens do have that right, but the Suffolk County District Attorney's office appealed that ruling in 2019. The office argued on Wednesday for a clearer definition of what "government officials" and "public spaces" are. For instance, if a person confides to a uniformed officer that they've been sexually assaulted, would a secret recording of that interaction be constitutionally protected?"
- "A Wayfair Employee Says She Was Harassed by a Coworker, and Now She's Suing," by Spencer Buell, Boston Magazine: "Wayfair, the Boston-based online furniture retailer that employs a small army's worth of this city's 20- and 30-somethings, is now the subject of a lawsuit alleging the gargantuan company overlooked a manager's harassment complaints and then retaliated against her. According to a lawsuit filed on January 3, Emily Forsythe, 33, alleges that she was harassed over several months by a man she oversaw in her role as an associate director of industrial engineering at Wayfair in 2019."
- "Immigrant facing deportation cuts off monitor, flees," by Sarah Betancourt, CommonWealth Magazine: "A BRAZILIAN IMMIGRANT who was expected to turn himself in for deportation on Tuesday cut off his electronic monitoring device and escaped. According to a filing by the Department of Justice, federal agents found Romilson Batista Ferreira's ankle bracelet in a box outside of an undisclosed church in Massachusetts, along with a note reading, "I'm not going back to Brazil." Todd Pomerleau, an attorney who presents Ferreira, said he learned his client went missing from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, and doesn't know where he is."
- "In court filing, former Massachusetts State Police lieutenant alleges 'bogus' sexual harassment investigation," by Shira Schoenberg, Springfield Republican: "In a civil lawsuit set to go to trial in March, a former female state police lieutenant suing her former male supervisor and the State Police claims the supervisor discussed intimate sexual details with her, then retaliated when she reported his conduct. In 2016, then-Sgt. Daralyn Heywood, a 23-year veteran of the state police, filed a lawsuit against Lt. Kevin Buckley and the agency in Suffolk Superior Court, asking a judge to award her $1 million."
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| WARREN REPORT |
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- "How Elizabeth Warren Is Being Squeezed by 2 Democratic Factions," by Astead W. Herndon, The New York Times: "The voter asked Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts the question on many Iowans' minds: What did she have to offer besides her litany of policy proposals? At first, Ms. Warren responded with a story about her working-class upbringing, saying she intimately understood a family's day-to-day financial struggles. Then she gave a second answer, a more direct argument for her ability to beat President Trump."
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| PATRICK PRIMARY |
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- "For Deval Patrick, Campaigning on Hope Just Won't Cut It Anymore," by David Bernstein, Boston Magazine: "By the time Democratic presidential hopeful Deval Patrick took the stage at a campaign event in Paradise, Nevada, following a procession of speeches delivered by his rivals, the audience had already mostly cleared out, leaving only a few dozen stragglers behind. For Patrick, still in the early days of his candidacy, it was actually a healthy crowd. Only a few days later, by comparison, he was forced to cancel a speaking engagement at Atlanta's Morehouse College when only two people showed up, b oth of whom just happened to be walking by when organizers lured them in."
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| TRUMPACHUSETTS |
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- "Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey slam Trump's threats on Iranian cultural sites," by Lisa Kashinsky, Boston Herald: "U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey are denouncing President Trump's threats to attack Iranian cultural sites, filing a new resolution Wednesday even as the president said Iran was "standing down" after a flurry of attacks between the two countries. Trump addressed the nation late Wednesday morning after Iran fired more than a dozen missiles at two bases in Iraq housing United States troops, a retaliatory strike for the Trump administration's killing of Qassem Soleimani, a top Iranian military general."
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "HOLDING HIS OWN," "FOR THE WIN," — Globe : "Fight over car repair rules arises - again," "Confrontation appears to ease." |
| ALL'S WELD THAT ENDS WELD |
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- "Weld Says He Encouraged Chafee To Join Presidential Race As A Libertarian," by Phillip Martin, WGBH News: "Former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld said he urged his friend Lincoln Chafee, a former Rhode Island governor and U.S. senator, to run for president on the 2020 Libertarian ticket. Weld ran for vice president on the Libertarian Party ticket in 2016, and this election year is challenging President Donald Trump for the Republican nomination for president. Weld told WGBH News he met with Chafee, who filed to run for president on Sunday, in his Boston office in December to discuss the prospect of Chafee running."
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| EYE ON 2020 |
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ENDORSEMENT WATCH - State Rep. Tommy Vitolo endorses Sen. Elizabeth Warren for president. Link.
- State Rep. Mike Connolly endorses Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders for president. Link.
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| FROM THE 413 |
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- "Pittsfield schools chief responds to draft-related anxieties with note home to families," by Amanda Drane, The Berkshire Eagle: "The nation's conflict with Iran sparked confusion and fear over a draft this week, said Superintendent Jason McCandless, who sought to quell them with a note home to families. The email, sent Wednesday afternoon, outlines the difference between registering for draft eligibility and the draft itself. McCandless referred to misinformation shared via social media that described the draft as imminent."
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| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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- "Trahan, officials urge public to support the Spinners," by Luke O'Roark, The Lowell Sun: "The Lowell Spinners need more than just politicians and city officials to save the longtime franchise, U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan said Tuesday afternoon to a full gathering at LeLacheur Park. The franchise needs fans, residents and businesses to step up and speak out against a recent Major League Baseball proposal that would eliminate the Spinners and 41 other Minor League teams across the nation, Trahan said."
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| MEDIA MATTERS |
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- "Free commuter newspaper Metro Boston shuts down after 19 years," by Don Seiffert, Boston Business Journal: "Metro Boston, the free daily newspaper launched in 2001, has shut down. Last week, the New York Post reported that the newspaper's two sister publications — Metro New York and Metro Philadelphia — were sold to New York-based Schneps Media, and this week, Metro New York was merged with another free daily to form amNewYork Metro. Reached by phone today, Schneps COO Bob Bennett said he didn't know what the plan was for the Boston Metro."
NEW: The Harvard Institute of Politics announces its spring 2020 resident fellows today. The fellows are:
- Tiffany Cross - co-founder and managing editor of The Beat DC.
- Lord Kim Darroch - former British Ambassador to the United States.
- Mark Harvey - special assistant to the president and senior director for resilience policy at the National Security Council.
- Rohini Kosoglu - former chief of staff to California Sen. Kamala Harris, who also held a senior role on Harris' presidential campaign.
- Tara Setmayer - political commentator on CNN and ABC, and GOP congressional communications director.
- Gov. Bill Walker - former governor of Alaska from 2014 to 2018.
TRANSITIONS - Travis McCready is leaving the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center to join a health care startup. Timothy McGourthy, deputy secretary of Gov. Charlie Baker's Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, has been appointed as the center's acting president and CEO. Link.
- Daniel F. Cence was named CEO and managing partner of Solomon McCown & Company. Moving forward, the agency will be known as Solomon McCown & Cence.
HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY - to Jay Gonzalez, Democratic gubernatorial candidate in 2018, who celebrated Wednesday.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to former Rep. Mike Capuano, who is 68, state Rep. Brad Jones; Dan Black, press secretary for Rep. Joe Kennedy III; Amy Mahler, director of SPARK Boston; Sasha Goodfriend, president of Mass NOW; Shanice Wallace, client engagement coordinator at TSNE; Kevin Walther, brand manager at FIRST; Gustavo Quiroga and Marjorie Nesin.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? No! The Spurs beat the Celtics 129-114.
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