ED: GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.
IT’S SUNDAY DECEMBER 22.
REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE BILL WELD IS OUR GUEST.
LET’S GO "ON THE RECORD." WITH IOWA AND NEW HAMPSHIRE JUST WEEKS AWAY FROM VOTING, CAN A MASSACHUSETTS MODERATE STILL MAKE AN IMPACT?
WHY BILL WELD ISN’T GIVING UP ON THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
PRES. TRUMP: TO IMPEACH THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES FOR THAT IS A DISGRACE.
ED: PRESIDENT TRUMP FACES IMPEACHMENT WITH HIS SIGNATURE DEFIANCE, WILL THE REPUBLICAN MAJORITY HOLD THE LINE IN HIS SENATE TRIAL TED: THE PERFECT GIFT, YOUR OWN
SET OF EXQUISITELY CRAFTED MINIATURE LITTLE WOODEN MBTA CARS.
ED: IN HIS OWN SPECIAL WAY, TED REINSTEIN GOES HOLIDAY SHOPPING FOR BAY STATE POLITICIANS.
WHAT THEY’LL UNWRAP ON THE BIG DAY.
FROM TODAY’S NEWSMAKERS GOING "ON THE RECORD." ED: GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO "OTR." I’M ED HARDING, ALONG WITH NEWSCENTER 5 POLITICAL REPORTER
JANET WU.
OUR GUEST THIS MORNING IS FORMER MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR BILL WELD, WHO IS A CURRENT CANDIDATE FOR THE REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION.
HE SERVED AS GOVERNOR IN THE COMMONWEALTH FROM 1991 TO 1997.
BEFORE THAT HE WAS THE UNITED STATES ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR THE CRIMINAL DIVISION.
HE ALSO SERVED AS THE U.S.
ATTORNEY FOR THE DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS.
HE HOLDS DEGREES FROM HARVARD, AND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, OXFORD.
IT IS GREAT TO HAVE YOU WITH US.
FMR. GOV. WELD: THANK YOU.
ED: WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO BE CALLED?
BILL: BILL.
JANET: THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US.
THE IMPEACHMENT PHASE NOW TURNED INTO A SENATE TRIAL OR WHAT AT LEAST PEOPLE THINK.
AND THE OUTCOME SEEMS CERTAIN, BUT WHY DO YOU BELIEVE THAT REPUBLICANS ARE SO LOYAL TO THE PRESIDENT?
BILL: I DO NOT THINK THEY ACTUALLY FEEL THAT LOYALTY AND I DO NOT THINK THEY APPRECIATE BEING ORDERED TO WALK THE PLANK, BUT THE COMMON WASHINGTON PROBLEM WITH BEING OBSESSED WITH
BEING ELECTED.
I WAS NATIONAL CHAIRMAN OF TERM LIMITS WHEN I WAS IN OFFICE, SO I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THAT.
IT IS A LIVE, BREATHING ANIMAL IN WASHINGTON DC AND CAUSES ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS.
JANET: DO YOU SEE POTENTIAL OR ANY CHANCE THAT THE SENATE COULD CONVICT HIM?
BILL: I DO.
I THINK OF LEADER MCCONNELL TOOK A STRAW POLL AND SAW MORE THAN A HANDFUL WHO WERE WILLING TO SAY, WE JUST AS SOON HAVE THIS GUY GO AND BE REELECTED, BUT HIS FIRST ALLEGIANCE I DO THINK IT TO THE
SENATE BUT NOT THE PRESIDENT KEEPING HIM IN OFFICE.
ED: SHOULD THERE BE A FULL TRIAL WITH WITNESSES?
BILL: THERE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN, I READ ALL OF THE IMPEACHMENTS, AND IT HAS NEVER HAPPENED AT THE MANAGERS FROM THE HOUSE SAY, HERE WE ARE, HERE ARE WITNESSES AND DOCUMENTS AND THE
SENATE SAYS OR CHIEF JUSTICE SAYS, NO THANK YOU.
WE DON’T WANT TO HEAR ANY EVIDENCE.
I HAVE TRIED A LOT OF CASES IN COURTS, AND THAT HAS NEVER HAPPENED.
ED: DO YOU THINK IT MIGHT BE IN THE PARTY’S BEST INTEREST TO MOVE QUICKLY, HOW OFTEN DO YOU SEE MITCH MCCONNELL SAY WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ON?
BILL: I THINK THAT IS A DAY-TO-DAY CALCULUS THAT CHANGES ON WHETHER IT IS IN THEIR INTEREST OR NOT TO GET CLOSER TO THE PRIMARIES AND IOWA’S IN FEBRUARY 3, NEW HAMPSHIRE,
FEBRUARY 11, AND THAT COMES AFTER THE HOLIDAYS.
IT IS ANYONE’S GUESS, BUT I CAN TELL YOU ONE THING, IT WILL NOT BE THE SAME CONCLUSION FOR BOTH PARTIES.
ED: CONVENTIONAL WISDOM SUGGESTS THAT THERE WILL BE NO WAY TO THE PRESENT IS REMOVED FROM OFFICE, WHAT DO YOU THINK?
BILL: I DON’T KNOW, I THINK HE IS WAY OUT THERE.
SOME OF HIS RECENT RANTS SEEM TO NOT BE TETHERED TO REALITY AND I THINK HIS PERFORMANCE HAS BEE MORE ERRATIC.
I NOTICED BEGINNING IN AUGUST AND NEW HAMPSHIRE THAT MORE VOTERS, MORE PEOPLE WERE COMING UP TO ME IN THE STREET AND SAYING, GOVERNOR, GOOD TO SEE YOU, AS OPPOSED IT TO ME GOING
AND BUTTON HOLING THEM, AND I WAS THE ONLY CANDIDATE IN THE MANCHESTER PARADE CROSSING THE STREETS, PRETENDING THAT I STILL HAD MY WING MAN.
I WOULD GO AND MAKE THE EXIT, AND PEOPLE WOULD COME ACROSS THE STREET AND SAY, CAN WE GET THAT GUY OUT OF THERE.
THEY NEVER MENTIONED THE NAME TRUMP, THEY DON’T WANT TO HEAR THE WORD, TRUMP, BUT THEY HAVE THIS EMOTIONAL FEELING THE, CAN WE GET THAT GUY OUT OF THERE.
THE ENORMITY OF THE FACTUAL ALLEGATIONS THAT THE HOUSE DID BRING, WHEN THAT SINKS IN, PEOPLE MAY HAVE A DIFFERENCE I CAN REACTION.
JANET: IN ORDER FOR YOU TO BEAT THEM, YOU HAVE TO BE ON THE BALLOT IN MASSACHUSETTS WHERE YOU WON THE ELECTION TWICE AS GOVERNOR.
TRUMPIANS TRY TO KEEP YOU OFF OF THE BALLOT AND IT WAS THE DEMOCRATIC SECRETARY OF STATE TO REALLY CAME TO YOUR RESCUE.
WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?
BILL: TRUMP HAS SENT THE ORDER TO EVERY REPUBLICAN STATE PARTY, TRY TO KEEP WELD OFF THE VALLEY.
HE EVEN PROPOSED TO DOING AWAY WITH THE FIRST IN THE NATION PRIMARY IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
THAT DID NOT GO DOWN TOO WELL AND NEW HAMPSHIRE, BUT THE TRUMP PEOPLE LOYALTY SAID, WE SHOULD ABOLISH OUR OWN PRIMARY.
THAT IS HOW FANATICAL THE TRUMP PEOPLE ARE ABOUT HAVING NO COMPETITION.
I THINK I KNOW THE REASON WHY.
THE PRESIDENT, AND I SAY IT WITH RESPECT, HE HAS NO SUBSTANTIVE KNOWLEDGE BASE ABOUT ANY ISSUE.
HE DOES NOT UNDERSTAND CLIMATE CHANGE SO HE CALLS IT A HOAX.
HE DOES NOT UNDERSTAND THE SUBTLETIES OF IMMIGRATION POLICY AND WHY WE NEED MORE IMMIGRANT VIS AND NOTA FEWER, HE DOES NOT UNDERSTAND THAT, SO HE HAS ONE WORD POLICIES.
WALL.
IT IS A THIRD GRADE LEVEL.
JANET: DID YOU EVER GET A CALL FROM THE HEAD OF THE PARTY HERE IN MASSACHUSETTS OR HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS?
BILL: NO, I HAVE NOT.
I THOUGHT ABOUT GOING TO A REPUBLICAN PARTY THAT HE IS HAVING NEXT WEEK, AND I AM ON EVERYBODY’S LIST.
I WAS ON KAMALA HARRIS’S LIST FOR SOME TIME.
[LAUGHTER] JANET: I DO NOT THINK SHE IS A REPUBLICAN.
BILL: I SAY EVERYBODY.
ED: I HEAR YOU ARTICULATE EACH POINT AND HOW YOU SUGGESTED THE PRESIDENT DOES OR DOES NOT KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON, SO IT STRIKES IN ME A DEBATE WOULD BE INTERESTING BETWEEN THE TWO OF
YOU.
IS IT FAIR TO SAY YOU ARE STRUGGLING TO GET TRACTION IN MOST STATES?
BILL: NO, I DON’T THINK SO.
ED: HOWEVER YOU WOULD CATEGORIZE IT.
BILL: I HAVE A GOOD WAYS TO GO IN EVERY STATE INCLUDING NEW HAMPSHIRE, BUT I THINK I CAN GET THERE.
ED: I DEBATE WOULD GIVE YOU A MUCH NEEDED PLATFORM.
IS THERE ANY CHANCE YOU WOULD GO FACE-TO-FACE WITH THE PRESIDENT?
BILL: THAT THE PRESIDENT WOULD DO THAT -- ED: WITH YOU?
BILL: I DON’T THINK HE WOULD, HIS HANDLERS ARE TOO SMART.
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A DATABASE AND YOU ARE GOING UP AGAINST SOMEONE WHO HAS A PRETTY GOOD GROUNDING IN THE ISSUES, AND INCLUDING INTERNATIONAL HAVING TRAVELED WIDELY FOR THE LAST 15
YEARS ON BUSINESS AND LAW CASES, NO, I DO NOT THINK THEY WOULD LET HIM DO IT.
JANET: NO CHANCE WHATSOEVER?
BILL: I WISH THEY WOULD, BUT YEAH.
ED: INTERESTING.
JANET: AMAZING.
ED: IT IS JUST INTERESTING, I AM JUST THINKING OF THE THEATRE IT WOULD PROVIDE.
A POP QUIZ WILL PROVIDE ITS OWN THEATER.
BILL: THERE YOU GO.
ED: WE HAVE IT FROM AN INSIDER, A WELL-PLACED INSIDER.
JANET: WHO WILL BE ON THE SHOW LATER -- NINE ED: YOU CAN FIGURE OUT WHO IT IS.
YOU WANT TO JOKE THAT THAT YOUR ANCESTORS DID NOT COME OVER ON THE MAYFLOWER, THEY SENT THE SERVANTS HONORED TO GET THE COTTAGE READY.
YOU CAN LAUGH AT IT.
BILL: THAT WAS THE FIRST BILL BULGER BREAKFAST AFTER I WAS ELECTED.
ED: THERE WAS ANOTHER SHIP THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO SAIL ALONG WITH THE MAYFLOWER, BUT WAS FOUND TO BE LEAKY.
WHAT WAS THE NAME OF THAT SHIP?
CORNFLOWER, SPEEDWELL, OR HOLLAND.
BILL: CORNFLOWER, I DON’T KNOW.
[LAUGHTER] ED: SPEEDWELL, THE SHIP HAD TO BE SOLD AT AUCTION BUT EVENTUALLY RETURNED TO THE HIGH SEAS.
HERE’S A TOUGH ONE, BECAUSE THERE’S NO MULTIPLE CHOICE THIS TIME.
FOUR TOWNS IN MASSACHUSETTS WERE FLOODED TO CREATE THE QUABBIN RESERVOIR IN THE 1930’S.
YOUR QUESTION, CAN YOU NAME ANY OF THE FOUR TOWNS?
FOUR TOWNS.
BILL: DANA, ENFIELD PART OF NEW SALEM, HALF OF NEW SALEM WAS FLOODED.
ED: YOU GET THE ANSWER.
GREENWICH AND PRESCOTT.
DANA WAS IN WORCESTER COU