Wealthy venture capitalist, Charlie Baker (R. MA), has been getting some help on the campaign trail from big GOP name:
http://www.capecodonline.com/...
As Tropical Storm Arthur approached Cape Cod from Florida, a former Sunshine State governor, Jeb Bush, arrived in Sandwich to raise money for GOP gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker in the privacy of the gated Ridge Club.
Neither Bush, who is regarded as a potential frontrunner for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016, nor Baker, the party's presumptive nominee in the governor's race, made themselves available for comment after the Ridge Club fundraiser, which came before a cocktail reception and dinner held at the Nantucket home of Savannah and Henry Helgeson.
Like the island fundraiser, the Sandwich reception hosted by Barnstable County Sheriff James Cummings and Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O'Keefe had two parts: a private reception with a suggested donation of $2,500 to the state party's "Victory" fund and a main reception with a suggested donation of $500 — the most a donor is allowed to give to any one candidate per year — to Baker's campaign.
"Charlie is campaigning for the votes of Republicans, Democrats and independents alike, and welcomes the support of a successful, reform-minded governor who works in a bipartisan fashion," said Tim Buckley, a Baker spokesman. - Cape Cod Times, 7/3/14
And DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D. FL) took the opportunity to hit Baker and Bush on a big issue:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
Today, Republican Massachusetts gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker will be joined on the campaign trail by former Florida governor Jeb Bush. Although they will be together for a fundraiser in Cape Cod, it is unlikely that the two will discuss one of the most critical issues facing the area: the looming threat of climate change.
As a congresswoman from South Florida, I'm deeply familiar with the risks that rising sea levels and warming ocean temperatures pose to Cape Cod's local industries like tourism and fishing. And as a mother, I'm concerned that carbon pollution has contributed to increased asthma attacks among children.
Of course, the state of Massachusetts and many of its neighbors have been leaders in addressing the problem of climate change. The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative among Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states is a model for reducing carbon dioxide emissions while helping the economy. In fact, a report earlier this year found that the program is projected to return more than $2 billion in energy bill savings for households and businesses.
We know that inaction has serious potential costs to public health and safety. Meanwhile, efforts like the RGGI show that improved energy efficiency and investments in renewable energy can produce cost savings in the long run.
So why won't Bush and Baker be talking about win-win solutions on climate change?
It is because Bush, like most prominent members of the Republican Party, won't accept the science of climate change. When asked if he believed that global warming was primarily man-made, Bush claimed, "I'm a skeptic. I'm not a scientist." This sentiment has been echoed by other leading Republicans from my home state. Florida Governor Rick Scott has gone from saying he has "not been convinced that there's any man-made climate change" to responding "I'm not a scientist." Tea party favorite Senator Marco Rubio dismissed the conclusion of climate scientists as the scientists' "opinion."
Until recently, even Charlie Baker shared that view. During his last campaign for governor in 2010, Baker refused to answer whether he believed in the reality of climate change, saying "You're asking me to take a position on something I don't know enough about. I absolutely am not smart enough to believe that I know the answer to that question.''
This mentality is a fundamental misunderstanding of how a representative democracy works. As elected officials, we aren't expected to be experts on every issue. However, we are responsible for making decisions based on the best available information.
It's not even how a functioning adult acts. When I was told by my doctor that I had breast cancer, I didn't reject their diagnosis because I wasn't an oncologist myself. I listened to the advice of people who knew more than I did and started immediately on a course of action that would solve the problem.
Republicans like Jeb Bush and Charlie Baker may not be scientists. But do you know who are? The more than 300 experts who compiled the third U.S. National Climate Assessment, which found that man-made climate change is detrimental to our environment. - Huffington Post, 7/2/14
Well said. Who knows how much help Bush will be for Baker on the campaign trail but it may not be a great idea for Bush to be seen with Baker:
http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/...
Bush is thinking about following in his father’s and brother’s footsteps and running for president in 2016. With a famous name, a solid record, a strong fundraising base and hailing from the leading swing state in presidential politics, Bush has some advantages if he runs.
But there are also major challenges facing Bush, including his brother’s presidency and growing conservative discontent. Bush has been too outspoken against the tea party, clashing with them on Common Core and immigration. A critic of the Arizona immigration law, Bush has been the chief Republican championing Common Core.
Bush isn’t helping his standing with conservatives by backing Baker. Granted, Massachusetts is more liberal than most of America, but Baker is clearly to the left of the Republican center. When he ran for governor against Deval Patrick in 2010, Baker twisted the tea party’s tail. He’s doing the same thing this time out. Baker is a social liberal in the mold of his old ally William Weld, a supporter of same-sex marriage and he is pro-choice. - Sunshine State News, 7/3/14
We shall see. Meanwhile Democrats are still trying to figure out their nominee but polls indicate one true frontrunner:
http://www.masslive.com/...
Democrat Martha Coakley is still polling the strongest among the crowded field of gubernatorial contenders in Massachusetts, a new survey has concluded.
A MassINC Polling Group survey of 502 likely voters completed for Boston-based NPR affiliate WBUR concluded that Coakley, the current attorney general, performs better than the other two Democratic candidates in a hypothetical match-up against Republican Charlie Baker, the likely GOP nominee.
When Coakley is assumed to be the Democratic nominee, 41 percent of likely voters say they would choose her with 28 percent saying Baker, who also ran for governor unsuccessfully in 2010. When Treasurer Steve Grossman was placed up against Baker, the Republican wins by two percentage points, 30-28 percent. When Democrat Don Berwick takes on Baker in a hypothetical match-up, he takes just 19 percent of likely voters with 31 percent saying they'd support Baker.
All of the Democrats toppled tea party Republican Mark Fisher by wide margins in hypothetical match-ups, while the three independents, Evan Falchuk, Jeff McCormick and Scott Lively, took varying degrees of the vote from their competitors. - The Republican, 7/2/14
The poll, conducted between June 27-29, has a 4.4 percent margin of error. I'll write about the Democratic primary soon but I will give Coakley a shout out for this:
http://www.bostonglobe.com/...
Governor Deval Patrick and Attorney General Martha Coakley, responding to last week’s Supreme Court decision striking down the state’s buffer zone law, called Wednesday for legislation to crack down on harassment and obstruction outside abortion clinics.
The proposal would give police greater authority to break up unruly crowds and give the attorney general greater leeway to pursue injunctions against anti-abortion protesters at the clinics.
Legislative leaders did not specifically endorse the proposals, but praised efforts by Patrick and Coakley. Lawmakers have indicated they are committed to passing new police powers before the legislative session comes to a close at the end of the month.
The push comes a week after the Supreme Court struck down the state’s law, which barred protesters from being within 35 feet of abortion clinics. The court ruled the law was an unconstitutional infringement on the free-speech rights of antiabortion activists and suggested the state could pursue more limited measures to ensure patients’ safety. - Boston Globe, 7/2/14