Episodes
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Why Won't Massachusetts Elect More Women? And Is Muellergate The Dems' Benghazi?
Yes, Ayanna Pressley unseated Mike Capuano — and yes, four women currently hold statewide elected office. Still, after nearly a year of reporting and analysis, WGBH News digital editor Laura Colarusso says it’s way too hard for women to break into Massachusetts politics. Adam Reilly and Peter Kadzis talk with Laura about the status quo and how it might change — and Peter gives the Democrats some free advice on how *not* to handle the still-unreleased Mueller report. -
Mind Melding With Moulton, And A St. Paddy's Breakfast Wrap
The timing is unusual, to say the least: fresh off a failed (and widely panned) push to unseat Nancy Pelosi as House Speaker, Massachusetts Congressman Seth Moulton now says he’s seriously considering running for president. Adam Reilly and Peter Kadzis unpack what Moulton might be thinking with Scott Ferson, who helped Moulton become a congressman back in 2014 and is now advising him as he ponders a White House bid. Plus, Kadzis sizes up how the latest iteration of the South Boston St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast — which featured a new host, State Senator Nick Collins — stacked up to breakfasts past. -
Can Elizabeth Warren Take Down Big Tech?
Another week, another substantive policy proposal from Elizabeth Warren, who says it’s long past time to knock Amazon, Facebook and Google down to size. So could it actually happen? Adam Reilly and Peter Kadzis talk with Dan Primack, the business editor at Axios, who says the titans of tech aren’t trembling just yet — but that a trust-busting wave might be in Silicon Valley’s future. -
Warren, Moulton, Klobuchar: Buy Or Sell?
In the month and a half between Elizabeth Warren’s unofficial and official presidential launches, did she gain momentum or lose it? Is Seth Moulton serious about seeking the White House? And how does the Democratic equation shift with the entry of Amy Klobuchar, who jumped in the race the same weekend as Warren? The Boston Globe’s Joan Vennochi joins Peter Kadzis and Adam Reilly for some mid-winter kibitzing. -
Don't Confuse Legislating With Democracy
Last month, a blog post by a retired Beacon Hill lobbyist made waves in local political circles because it details one of state government's most verboten subjects: how legislation and the wheels of power really work in the State House. In a conversation with WGBH's Mike Deehan, Phil Sego details his experience working with lawmakers and why he tells voters not to "confuse what goes on in this building with democracy." -
What Ails Walsh And Warren? The Globe's Joan Vennochi Breaks It Down
Has Marty Walsh lost his mojo? And what's with the press (e.g., the Boston Globe editorial board) trying to pressure Elizabeth Warren out of the 2020 presidential race? Both of these questions were recently posed by Globe columnist Joan Vennochi, who's got a well-honed knack for provocation but has been on a particular tear of late when it comes to local politics. She joins Peter Kadzis and Adam Reilly to discuss she thinks Walsh is struggling; what the mayor thought of her column (spoiler: he didn't love it); and whether Warren is being held to an unrealistic standard as she inches closer to a presidential bid. -
Beacon Hill Blitz
Yes, Governor Charlie Baker won re-election by a big margin. And yes, two members of House Speaker Bob DeLeo’s leadership team lost their jobs after challenges from the left. But what’s that actually going to mean for Massachusetts policymaking and politics over the next couple of years? While skulking around the margins of a MassINC chess tournament downtown, Peter Kadzis and Adam Reilly put that question to Mike Deehan of WGBH News and Katie Lannan of State House News Service, whose answers contain plenty of deep #mapoli insight. Also weighing in: WGBH News contributor and scribe-for-hire Andy Metzger and Gintautas Dumcius of MassLive and the Springfield Republican. -
Election Day And Beyond: 8 Perspectives On The Big Vote
Get your thoughts in order. Sue O’Connell of NECN, Stephanie Murray of Politico, Dan Kennedy of Northeastern University, Marcela Garcia of the Boston Globe, and Callie Crossley and David S. Bernstein of WGBH News join Scrum hosts Adam Reilly and Peter Kadzis to make sense of the political season that closes on November 6. Since past is prologue, this episode should help you keep your head screwed on properly. -
Warren Gets Candid / Tedeschi Makes His Pitch
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
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.
