ED: WE HAVE HAVE CALLED TOGETHER THE SUNDAY ROUNDTABLE.
JOINING US ARE DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL ANALYST MARY ANNE
MARSH, AND REPUBLICAN POLITICAL ANALYST ROB GRAY.
LET ME ASK YOU OFF THE TOP YOU , JUST HEARD JOHN BARROS.
WHERE IS HE IN THE STARTING LINE COMPARED TO OTHER MAYORAL
CANDIDATES?
MARY ANNE: JOHN BARRO IS THE ONLY ONE RUNNING IN 2021 WHO RAN
IN 2013 AND CAME IN SIXTH.
MARTY WALSH WON THE PRIMARY WITH TWICE THAT.
A COUPLE OF STUMBLES IN THIS INTERVIEW, INCLUDING THE RECORD
OF GIVING CONTRACTS TO WOMEN A MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES.
ACROSS THE BOARD, YOU HAVE TO SAY, DID HE DO ANYTHING IN THE
LAST SEVEN OR EIGHT YEARS TO MAKE HIM A BETTER CANDIDATE?
WILL HE RAISE MORE MONEY BECAUSE HE W DEVELOPMENT -- BUSINESS
DEVELOPMENT?
THERE ARE A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
ED: THERE IS STILL SOME TIME.
MAYBE?
ROB: HE IS LAST NOW, BUT IN A SIX WAY RACE, LAST IS NOT FAR
FROM FIRST.
YOU MAY BE ABLE TO GET IN WITH 18% TO 20% OF T VOTE AND THAT
IS AN ADVANTAGE FOR SOMEONE LIKE JOHN BARROS.
IT IS AWED FOR HIM TO BE CRAVING -- CLAIMING CREDIT FOR THE WALSH
ADMINISTRATION.
THINK HE ALSO STUMBLED ON HIS PERSONAL VACCINATION ANSWER.
I THINK THERE WILL BE MORE QUESTIONS ASKED AND WHETHER HE
JUMPED OUT OF LINE.
JANE LET’S SWITCH FROM CITY HALL TO THE STATEHOUSE.
IT’S BEEN BREWING ALL YEAR, BUT THE POLITICAL FEUD BETWEEN
GOVERNOR BAKER AND THE TEACHERS UNION IS FINALLY OUT IN THE
OPEN.
BAKER SAYS MEETING TEACHERS’ DEMAND TO SET UP VACCINE CLINICS
AT THEIR INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS WOULD TAKE AWAY LIMITED SUPPLIES
FROM THE ELDERLY STILL TRYING TO GET APPOINTMENTS
WHO IS RIGHT HERE, ROB?
ROB: CHARLIE BAKER IS 1000% RIGHT.
THE TEACHERS UNIONS HAVE BEEN THE MA ROADBLOCK TO KIDS
GETTING BACK TO SCHOOL -- MAIN ROADBLOCK TO GETTING KIDS BACK
TO SCHOOL.
IT HASN’T BEEN HEALT CONCERNS OR PARENT CONCERNS OR THE CDC,
IT HAS BEEN THE TEACHERS UNIONS.
FINALLY SOMEONE IN POWER IS TAKING THEM ON.
THEY HAVE GUMMED UP THE LOCAL WORKS IN SCHOOL DISTRICTS FOR
MONTHS AND NOW IT IS MARCH AND KIDS ARE STILL NOT IN SCHOOL.
JANE IS ROB RIGHT?
MARY ANNE: SOMEONE MORE POWERFUL TH CHARLIE BAKER, JOE BIDEN,
SAID TEACHERS, STAFF, AND BUST WRITERS SHOULD B VACCINATED --
BUS DRIVERS SHOULD BE VACCINATED BEFORE SCHOOL IS BACK IN.
IT IS EITHER BAD DECISION AND BAD MANAGEMENT, OR HE IS TRYING
TO PICK A FIGHT WITH THE TEACHERS UNION TO GET VOTES FROM
SUBURBAN AND ENROLLED VOTERS, PARENTS WHO ARE UPSET ABOUT THE
FACT THAT KIDS ARE NOT IN SCHOOL.
HE DID AN EVENT IN LYNN TO MAKE THAT POINT, STARTS TO MAKE IT
LOOK A LITTLE MORE POLITICAL.
ED: TEACHERS UNIONS, FELLOW TEACHERS, AND CATHOLIC -- RO
TEACHERS UNIONS, FELLOW TEACHERS, AND CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
HAVE BEEN TEACHING.
ED THE NEXT ITEM INVOLVED IS THE GOVERNOR.
THE GOVERNOR IS APPARENTLY PAYING DOUBLE WHAT MOST OTHER
STATES ARE PAYING TO HEALTH CARE FACILITIES VACCINATING THE
PUBLIC, $90 VERSUS $45, THE NATIONAL MEDICARE RATE.
IS THIS MORE ABOUT SMART POLITICS TO ERADICATE ANY
SLUGGISHNESS IN THE VACCINATION SYSTEM OR IS THIS MORE OF A
, STATEMENT ABOUT THE POWER OF THE HEALTH CARE/HOSPITAL LOBBY?
MARY ANNE: I THINK THIS IS PART OF A LARGER PROBLEM AND HOW
BAKER HAS APPROACHED DEALING WITH THE PANDEMIC.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FACT THAT HE OVERLOOKED LOCAL HEALTH
DEPARTMENTS AND SPENT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO DO THIS VERY THING
, VACCINATE PEOPLE, HE DID NOT USE KNOWN VENDORS AND INSTEAD
HIRED PEOPLE HE HAD NEVER HIRED BEFORE AND PAID MORE PEOPLE.
THERE ARE A LOT OF QUESTIONS HERE.
LAST POINT, THE STATE PAID BUSINESSES WHO VIOLATE COVID
REGULATIONS ACROSS THE STATE 1.4 MILLION DOLLARS, YET THERE ARE
ALL THESE BUSINESSES WHO NEVER GOT A PENNY.
THERE ARE A LOT OF QUESTIONS TO ASK AND THEY SHOULD BE ASKED N
. THE MEDIA AND LEGISLATURE IS
STARTING TO ASK THEM BUT IT IS A BIGGER PROBLEM.
ED ROB?
ROB: I HAVE CONFIDENCE BAKER WOULD NOT HAVE DONE THIS IF IT
WAS NOT ESSENTIAL TO GETTING VACCINES OUT.
THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN PRINTING FUNNY MONEY AND SHOVELING IT OUT
TO STATES TO DEAL WITH THIS CRISIS, RIGHTLY SO.
STATES SHOULD SPEND IT FORGETTING VACCINATED MORE
QUICKLY.
JANE STAYING ON THE VACCINE POLITICS, A PRE-REGISTRATION WAS
LAUNCHED FOR THE SEVENTH LARGEST VACCINATION SITE.
IS THIS BETTER LATE THAN NEVER, OR TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE?
RO STILL, 5 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE STATE NEED TO G
VACCINATED, SO DESPITE THE ROCKY ROAD, IT MAKES ALL THE SENSE IN
THE WORLD TO USE FIX IT NOW BECAUSE THE VAST MAJORITY NEED
TO GET VACCINATED.
MARY ANN THERE IS THIS COMPANY CALLED GOOGLE THEY ARE USI
NOW.
MAYBE YOU HAVE HEARD ABOUT IT.
IT IS AMAZING THEY ARE DOING THE REGISTRATION,
THE BOOKING.
LET’S SEE HOW THE BIG GOOGLE MACHINE WORKS, WHICH COULD HAVE
BEEN DONE.
ED: HOW DO YOU SPELL THAT GOOGLE?
MARY ANN I THINK IT STARTS WITH A G.
ED: WE IN MASSACHUSETTS HAVE SEEN GOVERNOR BAKER SHED TEARS
MORE THAN A COUPLE OF TIMES.
BUT WHEN HE CHOKED UP THIS WEEK REFLECTING ON THE YEAR OF
SACRIFICES AND DEATHS, HE MADE THE NATIONAL NEWS SHOWS.
>> THIS IS THE ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE SIGNING OF
TH - OF THE EXECUTIVE ORDER HERE IN MASSACHUSETTS.
ED NO ONE DOUBTS THAT HE CARES, BUT DOES THIS BUY HIM WIGGLE
ROOM IF HE RUNS AGAIN?
MARY ANNE: CERTAINLY, THE LOSS OF OVER 16,000 FELLOW RESIDENTS
OF MASSACHUSETTS IS WOR MOURNING OR SHEDDING SOME TEARS.
IF YOU LOOKED AT THE QUESTION, IS CHARLIE BAKER DOING A REALLY
GOOD JOB, ONL 23% OF PEOPLE THOUGHT HE WAS DOING A GOOD JOB.
TEARS ARE CERTAINLY WORTHY OR APPROPRIATE, BUT WHETHER THAT
HELPS CHARLIE BAKER, WE WIL SEE.
ED: I AM NOT SUGGESTING HE WAS THINKING OF A THIRD TERM WHILE
HE WAS CRYING.
DOES THAT BUY HIM WIGGLE ROOM?
ROB: IT WAS GENUINE AND FEELS GOOD TO VOTERS.
COMPARE THAT TO THE SNIDE ANSWERS OF ANDREW CUOMO IN SOME
REFORMS.
IN T