The Scrum

Latest Episodes:

Warren Gets Candid / Tedeschi Makes His Pitch Oct 05, 2018

Show notes

The core of this week’s Scrum is a convo with Peter Tedeschi, who’s taking on incumbent Democratic Congressman Bill Delahunt in the MA9 race. Peter Kadzis and Adam Reilly had two goals: kick the tires on a candidate who’s impressed the GOP establishment and has a decent shot at victory; and figure out how moderate Massachusetts Republicans not named Baker are pitching themselves in the Trump Era. First, though, Peter K. tries to explain Senator Elizabeth Warren’s unexpected pre-election admission that she is, in fact, interested in a presidential run — just like her Republican opponent Geoff Diehl’s been saying all along.

Three Paths For Gonzalez Sep 20, 2018

Show notes

It’s been a rough few days for Jay Gonzalez. A new Suffolk University poll shows him trailing Governor Charlie Baker by 27 percent in the governor’s race, and his plan to tax the endowments of deep-pocketed colleges and universities hasn’t gone over too well. But all is not necessarily lost! In this episode of the Scrum, the Boston Globe’s Joan Vennochi joins Peter Kadzis and Adam Reilly to discuss three things Gonzalez *might* be able to use to his advantage between now and November: the terrifying gas blasts in the Merrimack Valley; Baker’s endorsement of State Rep Geoff Diehl in the US Senate race; and the enthusiastic support of Senator Elizabeth Warren, Diehl’s opponent.

New Kids On The Block: Nika Elugardo and Jon Santiago On Their Wins And What Comes Next Sep 12, 2018

Show notes

Ayanna Pressley’s win over Mike Capuano was the big national story coming out of Massachusetts’ September 4 primary, but there were some other dramatic developments, too — including Rachael Rollins’ win in the Suffolk DA race and the ouster of two members of House leadership, Ways and Means chair Jeffrey Sanchez and majority whip Byron Rushing. Lawyer and activist Nika Elugardo and physician Jon Santiago, Sanchez and Rushing’s victorious challengers, join Peter Kadzis and Adam Reilly to discuss their wins, the change they hope to bring to the House, and who they’ll back in the next election for House Speaker.

Pre-Primary Palaver Aug 30, 2018

Show notes

With the drama-packed Massachusetts primary just a few days away, Adam Reilly and Peter Kadzis size up recent developments and home-stretch storylines to watch with their colleague Mike Deehan, Mass Live’s Gin Dumcius, and Twitter’s own @ScamwellTarley, Topics covered include Mike Capuano going 0 for 2 with the Boston Globe and Herald; whether Charlie Baker should be praised or blamed for not debating Scott Lively; and what’s at stake for Boston Mayor Marty Walsh on September 4.

Who's Got The Edge In The Capuano-Pressley Contest? Aug 09, 2018

Show notes

Boston City Councilor Ayanna Pressley and Congressman Mike Capuano clashed recently in a debate sponsored by UMass Boston, the Boston Globe, and WBUR; in a few days, they’ll meet for another tete-a-tete hosted by WGBH News’s Jim Braude. Which parts of the incumbent’s and challenger’s pitches are working, and which are falling flat? And what — if anything—should Capuano and Pressley do differently in the race’s final weeks? Adam Reilly and Peter Kadzis talk it over with the Globe’s Joan Vennochi and Yawu Miller of the Bay State Banner — and delve into some state-level primary fights that also pit progressive incumbents against progressive challengers.

Republican Beth Lindstrom On Donald Trump And The Race Against Elizabeth Warren Jul 26, 2018

Show notes

33 minutes of pure politics. Former Mass. state official and political operative Beth Lindstrom is one of three Republicans seeking the GOP’s blessing to challenge Democratic incumbent Elizabeth Warren for a seat in the U.S. Senate. State Senator Geoff Diehl and businessman John Kingston are her competitors. This episode of the Scrum opens with a consideration of Republican front-runner Diehl (00:00 – 05:12); moves on to an extended interview with Lindstrom, including a discussion of President Donald Trump and the Helsinki summit with Russian President Putin (05:13-28:32); and closes with speculation on how a race against Warren might play out (28:33-32:34).

The Muzzle Awards, Or, The Year In Free-Speech Failures Jul 03, 2018

Show notes

Peter Kadzis flies solo in this episode, talking with WGBH News contributors Dan Kennedy and Harvey Silverglate about their annual compendium of threats to or diminishments of free speech. Some big names in this year’s edition: Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, Boston Police Commissioner Bill Evans, former President Barack Obama, and President Donald Trump — plus UMass Boston, Tufts, and Northeastern.

SJC Dynamites #mapoli, Plus Dorchester's House from Hell Jun 19, 2018

Show notes

Adam Reilly and Peter Kadzis examine the two biggest political stories of the moment: the demise of the “Millionaires’ Tax” ballot question, and Governor Charlie Baker’s break with the Trump Administration over forced parent-child separations at the US-Mexico Border. Then Jennifer Smith of the Dorchester Reporter and Molly Boigon of WGBH News explain how — in the midst of a punishingly hot real estate market -- an uninhabitable, decrepit wreck of a house on a classic Savin Hill street has been able to resist the efforts of Boston City Hall to turn it into something, well, middle class. It’s a bizarre case study in zombie real estate.

In Worcester, Mass. Dems Rebuke Bill Galvin and Wax Ambivalent on Charlie Baker Jun 03, 2018

Show notes

There were two big developments at the 2018 Massachusetts Democratic Party
convention: challenger Josh Zakim getting an endorsement in the secretary
of state's race over six-term incumbent Bill Galvin, and Jay Gonzalez winning
the endorsement for governor in resounding fashion over Bob Massie. But the
convention also highlighted the awkward fact that, with the general election
just five months away, Democrats aren't sure whether to attack Republican
Governor Charlie Baker or ignore him. WGBH News's Adam
Reilly, Peter Kadzis, and Mike Deehan size up what happened in Worcester
with Zakim, Mass Dems chair Gus Bickford, and Quentin Palfrey, who won the
convention's endorsement for lieutenant governor — and get some instant analysis and insight from
Gintautas Dumcius of Mass Live and the Springfield Republican and Lauren
Dezenski of Politico.

Housing: Boston City Hall Versus the Market May 17, 2018

Show notes

Boston’s overheated real-estate market is already changing the its fundamental character, and there’s grave concern that, in the future, lower- and middle-class people simply won’t be able to call the city home. Adam Reilly and Peter Kadzis speak with Boston City Councilors Lydia Edwards and Michelle Wu, who say there’s still time to craft policies to keep that from happening — and describe in detail what they think needs to be done. (Listen for a cameo from Cass, Councilor Wu’s charming younger son.)

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