All three Democratic Presidential contenders were at the top of their games on Saturday night, but, given the time slot the Democratic National Committee had agreed to, relatively few people saw them. Early ratings indicate that only around eight million viewers watched the debate in real time, far fewer than the 18 million who tuned in …
Tag: The New England Council
It’s the future, stupid
The future lies ahead, but which candidate will embrace it? I want to share some analysis laid out this week at The New England Council. That venerable business organization has, with bipartisan support, lobbied for years for practical solutions to bedrock issues like energy, transportation and infrastructure. Its year-long relationship with consulting firm Purple Strategies is a logical one. …
Charlie Baker: color him purple
Charlie Baker couldn't be elected dog catcher as a Republican in wide red swaths of our country. For evidence, look at just the last 24 hours. Our Republican governor is expanding diversity in businesses contracting with the state, widening opportunities for people with disabilities and LGBT orientations to share in the $4 billion a year in contracts for …
Secrecy tips the case of the Trans-Pacific Partnership
President Obama's proposed trade deal, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), has me in a quandary. I've long held that free trade benefits everyone in the long run. It's what happens in the short run that can be daunting. Reduce or eliminate barriers to other nations' products and we get the benefit of lower prices and greater selection …
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Combatting ISIS: Seth Moulton on strategy and tactics
Just 119 days into his first term in Congress, Salem's Seth Moulton, who upset longtime incumbent John Tierney in the Democratic primary last fall, brought his distinct perspective to The New England Council for the first time. He won, he said, by running to the center. And he's off to a good start, deftly responding …
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Presidential race will thwart progress in Congress
Very knowledgeable politicians speaking in Boston last Monday expressed qualified hopes that Congress could actually get something done. They pointed to the recent "doc fix," a remedy for the unrealistic curtailment of Medicare payments to providers. The bill passed by the House and awaiting Senate action even reauthorized CHIP (the children's health plan) and provided some …
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Can Martin O’Malley take on Hillary?
There's no doubt that Hillary Clinton will be the most experienced Presidential wannabe in either party - when she announces her candidacy. But the lead-up to her announcement has been dogged by missteps and reminders of why people don't want the Clintons back in the White House. Her baggage piles up every week. While most of …
Katherine Clark: too new to be cynical?
At least 16 Democrats will not seek reelection to the House of Representatives this fall. No surprise there, given that they are outnumbered 233 to 200 (with two vacant seats), and the Republican majority has no interest in power-sharing, collaboration or even communicating. Among the 51 Tea Party Representatives are some who take pride in …
What will it take to fix ACA?
When President Obama back in 2010 said of the flawed Affordable Care Act, pass it now, fix it later, perhaps he never dreamed of the extent to which politics would have paralyzed the U.S. Congress. In the past, with major laws like Medicare and Social Security, legislators took an engineering model approach. Pass it. Test …
2014 Mass. gubernatorial primaries up for grabs
Today's papers announced the latest entrant in the 2014 race for governor: a Tea Party challenger to Charlie Baker for the Republican nomination. Mark Fisher, a Shrewsbury resident and newbie at electoral politics, runs a metal manufacturing company. His website has a family photo album and an issues list that starts and ends with eliminating Turnpike tolls. …
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Marjorie Arons-Barron 