The Scrum

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INSTASCRUM: Unpacking The Democratic Debates Jun 28, 2019

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They were messy, stressful, and boring, depending on the moment—and they’re going to have a major impact on the Democratic landscape as the party seeks its next nominee. Peter Kadzis and Adam Reilly size up two nights of debates with Paul Singer, their WGBH News colleague and ex-USA Today politics editor. Don’t miss the debut of Kadzis and Singer’s 2020 Democratic Power Rankings (TM) at the very end.

Two From Kadzis: Baker And Walsh's T Tiff / Warren Gets The Kiddie Table Jun 20, 2019

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We’re doing something different in this episode. Instead of bringing his wisdom incrementally, over the course of a Q and A with a guest or two, Peter Kadzis steps into the spotlight — weighing in on the politics of MBTA dysfunction and CNN’s decision to stick Elizabeth Warren in the JV Democratic debate, even though her campaign seems to be surging.

The #Mapoli Push To Expand Abortion Rights Jun 12, 2019

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Now that Brett Kavanaugh is on the U.S. Supreme Court, filling a seat that could have been occupied by Merrick Garland, there’s a real chance that Roe v. Wade — the landmark Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion — will be overturned. As red states try to force the issue by passing a bevy of restrictive new laws, blue states are moving in the opposite direction, passing legislation aimed at consolidating and expanding abortion rights.

Case in point: Massachusetts, where a bill dubbed the ROE Act gets a State House hearing on Monday, June 17. Still, despite the Commonwealth’s progressive reputation, the bill’s passage hardly a sure thing. Among other things, it’s received a cool reception from Governor Charlie Baker, who says he doesn’t support late-term abortions (which would be easier to obtain if the ROE Act becomes law) and that Massachusetts women are already protected in the event of a Roe v. Wade reversal.

Adam Reilly and Peter Kadzis dig into the ROE Act’s details — and its political prospects — with two key supporters: State Senate President Emerita Harriette Chandler, who filed the bill, and Rebecca Hart Holder, the executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts.

Did Barack Obama's Earliest Policy Decisions Give Us Donald Trump? Jun 05, 2019

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The election of Donald Trump can seem overdetermined, to use academic parlance: from Russian skulduggery to Hillary Clinton ignoring Wisconsin to racism stoked by the election of first black president, a million different factors explain Trump’s win and Clinton’s loss.

But what if Obama himself deserves a significant measure of blame? That’s the provocative contention of Reed Hundt, a card-carrying member of the Democratic establishment who served on Obama’s transition team. Hundt was, and is, a huge fan of the 44th president — but in his book “A Crisis Wasted: Barack Obama’s Defining Decisions,” he argues that by not responding to the economic meltdown of 2008 with sufficient ambition and alacrity, Obama inadvertently gave us the political reality we’re living in today.

In this episode of “The Scrum,” Peter Kadzis speaks with Hundt about what he thinks Obama got wrong, and why — then sizes up Hundt's thesis with Adam Reilly.

McGovern Responds To Muller: "We Have To Do What's Right" May 29, 2019

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Just a few hours after special counsel Robert Mueller broke his silence — pushing back at AG Bill Barr’s characterization of the Mueller Report, and pointedly reminding Congress that it does, in fact, have the authority to impeach President Trump — Congressman Jim McGovern joined Peter Kadzis and Adam Reilly.

His takeaway on Mueller’s comments? It’s time to stop worrying about how impeachment might play at the polls, and for the House Judiciary Committee to open a formal inquiry into whether impeachment is warranted. Or, as McGovern put it: “We’re beyond talking about this in terms of political implications. We have to do what’s right.”

Casino Kabuki; Rivera Versus Moulton May 23, 2019

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After Peter Kadzis sizes up the recent dalliance between Wynn Resorts and MGM over the controversial Everett casino, Adam Reilly talks with Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera — who recently raised eyebrows by rage-tweeting about the massive Democratic presidential field and calling Congressman Seth Moulton a non-essential candidates. Then, it’s back to Kadzis — who says Rivera’s concerns are legit.

Is The Mass. GOP Charlie Baker's Party — Or Donald Trump's? May 16, 2019

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Governor Charlie Baker, the state’s most powerful Republican, has offered Massachusetts as a model for the way politics *should* be, saying our civility and pragmatism set us apart. But under new chair Jim Lyons, the Massachusetts GOP has moved in a very un-Baker-like direction, accusing Democrats of hating America and seeking to perpetrate infanticide. So what’s driving the party’s shift? And is it a smart way to grow Republicans’ paltry presence (Baker notwithstanding) in Massachusetts politics? Adam Reilly and Peter Kadzis talk it through with Stephanie Murray of Politico, WGBH News’s own Mike Deehan, and Boston Broadside editor Lonnie Brennan, who’s bullish on Lyons’ approach.

The Politics Of Mayor Pete's Sexuality May 07, 2019

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If Pete Buttigieg wins the Democratic presidential nomination, he’ll make history as the first openly gay nominee from either party. Politically speaking, Buttigieg’s orientation offers some advantages: it sets him apart from the other white men in the race; gives him access to a national donor base; and could attract voters eager to participate in a “first,” a la Barack Obama’s election in 2008.

Still, Buttigieg’s sexuality also carries some political risks — and the reaction *inside* the LGBTQ community might not be as uniformly positive as you’d think. Adam Reilly and Peter Kadzis talk it through with Sue O’Connell, host of NECN’s The Take and co-publisher of Bay Windows, the LGBTQ Boston paper, and Susan Ryan-Vollmar, the former Bay Windows editor and Boston Phoenix news editor.

Boston Politics: Pitching Wu, Council Upheaval, And A BPS Reckoning Apr 30, 2019

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Is Michelle Wu Boston’s mayor in waiting? That’s the contention of the Atlantic, which recently published a glowing profile of the at-large city councilor. But would Wu actually challenge incumbent Marty Walsh — especially since sitting mayors are notoriously tough to beat?

Adam Reilly and Peter Kadzis talk it through with Yawu Miller of the Bay State Banner and Joan Vennochi of the Boston Globe (spoiler alert: signs point to yes). Then the foursome tackles two other #bospoli topics of note: the 2019 city-council elections, which could end with that body controlled by women and people of color, and the soon-to-be-completed search for Boston’s new school superintendent, which has elicited some frustration among BPS parents.

Power Of The Purse: Budget Czar Aaron Michlewitz Tells All Apr 17, 2019

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The 2018 midterms yielded plenty of political continuity in Massachusetts, but there were also some big changes — including Ayanna Pressley’s win over Mike Capuano and, on Beacon Hill, the exit of House Ways and Means chair Jeffrey Sanchez, who was ousted in the Democratic primary by Nika Elugardo. That development, in turn, yielded a promotion for Representative Aaron Michlewitz of the North End, who’s stepped into Sanchez’s old role as maestro (on the House side, at least) of the Massachusetts budget process. WGBH News State House correspondent Mike Deehan talked with Michlewitz about his new gig, how he put his first-ever House budget together, and whether he’d be interested in another promotion down the road. Peter Kadzis hosts.

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