2020 PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFULS WILL FACE THEIR BIGGEST TEST OF THIS
ELECTION CYCLE IN JUST FOUR DAYS: SUPER TUESDAY, WHEN
DELEGATES FROM 14 STATES INCLUDING MASSACHUSETTS WILL BE
AWARDED TO CANDIDATES. THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BALLOT IN
MASSACHUSETTS WILL INCLUDE FORMER GOVERNOR BILL WELD, WHO
IS CHALLENGING PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP FOR THE PARTY'S
NOMINATION. AND EIGHT NAMES WILL BE ON THE
DEMOCRATIC BALLOT. TONIGHT, WE TAKE A CLOSER LOOK
AT THE TWO CANDIDATES PUSHING HARD TO WIN HERE, MASSACHUSETTS
SENATOR ELIZABETH WARREN AND VERMONT SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS.
FOR THE PAST WEEK, A UMASS LOWELL POLL HAD THE TWO NECK AND
NECK IN THIS STATE AMONG LIKELY DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY VOTERS.
NOW, A POLL FROM WBUR AND MASS INC HAS SANDERS AHEAD OF WARREN
25% TO 17%. MANY OF THE CANDIDATES HAVE
CRISSCROSSED THE COUNTRY MAKING THE CASE FOR WHY THEY ARE THE
BEST PICK FOR THE OVAL OFFICE. >>> AHEAD OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE
PRIMARY EARLIER THIS MONTH EASTHAMPTON MAYOR NICOLE
LACHAPELLE WAS AMONG MANY PEOPLE IN THIS REGION WHO HEADED TO THE
GRANITE STATE. SHE WAS THERE TO KNOCK ON DOORS
AND TRY TO GARNER SUPPORT FOR SENATOR ELIZABETH WARREN'S 2020
PRESIDENTIAL BID. I ASKED LACHAPELLE EARLIER TODAY
WHY SHE'S SUPPORTING WARREN. >> ELIZABETH GETS THINGS DONE.
PLAIN AND SIMPLE. I MET HER FIRST IN 2012 WHEN SHE
WAS RUNNING FOR SENATE. I REMEMBER VERY CLEARLY, WHAT
SHE SAW NEEDED TO HAPPEN IN THE SENATE ESPECIALLY AROUND
HEALTHCARE. WE ARE LESS THAN A DECADE INTO
HER BEING A SENATOR AND SHE'S HAD SEVERAL PROGRESSIVE WINS,
BUT ALSO HAS WORKED ACROSS THE AISLE.
MOST RECENTLY ON THE BILL TO MAKE HEARING AIDS AVAILABLE OVER
THE COUNTER. I SEE THE LAST 10 YEARS REALLY
MAKES THE FOUNDATION FOR A GREAT PRESIDENT.
AND I'M THRILLED THAT SHE DECIDED TO RUN.
HER PLANS HAVE SUBSTANCE. IT'S BIG, STRUCTURAL CHANGE AND
NOT THEORETICAL AND THAT HAS CHARACTERIZED ELIZABETH'S ENTIRE
CAREER, AND I THINK BACK IN HER WORK AT THE CONSUMER PROTECTION
BUREAU, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE A $12 BILLION RETURN TO CONSUMERS
AND WORK ON BANKRUPTCY. >> YOU MENTIONED CHANGE.
CHANGE THIS WEEK FROM THE BOSTON GLOBE EDITORIAL BOARD WHICH CAME
OUT IN SUPPORT OF ELIZABETH WARREN AS I'M SURE YOU'RE
FAMILIAR. >> YES.
>> IT WASSING AND TO LOOK BACK BECAUSE IN 2018 THE GLOBE DID
NOT SUPPORT EVEN THE IDEA OF SENATOR WARREN RUNNING FOR
PRESIDENT. >> RIGHT.
>> THEN AHEAD OF NEW HAMPSHIRE, THE GLOBE KIND OF WENT AGAINST
TRADITION, DIDN'T ADVANCE -- DIDN'T EDITORIALIZE IN FAVOR OF
A SPECIFIC CANDIDATE AND THEY SAID THIS IN PART.
QUOTE, WARSEN UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO ACCOMPLISH SERIOUS
REFORM WITHOUT SACRIFICING WHAT'S WORKING IN OUR ECONOMY
AND THE INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM. SHE WOULD GET UNDER THE HOOD TO
FIX THE ENGINE, NOT DRIVE OFF A CLIFF, BUT ALSO, NOT JUST KICK
THE TIRES. WHAT DO YOU ENVISION IN
ELIZABETH WARREN PRESIDENCY LOOKING LIKE?
>> WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S JUST SO ATTRACTIVE ABOUT
ELIZABETH'S CAMPAIGN AND WHAT I BELIEVE SHE'LL DO IN THE OVAL
OFFICE IS THAT SHE HAS -- ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHEN YOU LOOK AT
HEALTHCARE, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE ENVIRONMENT, WHEN YOU LOOK AT
UNIVERSAL CHILD CARE. BUT SHE HAS A PLAN TO GET IT
DONE. THE WEALTH TAX, YOU KNOW, 2
CENTS, YOU KNOW OFF OF BILLIONAIRE'S MONEY AFTER THEIR
FIRST $50 MILLION. I MEAN, THAT'S JUST AMAZING.
AND WHAT IT FUNDS, IT PUTS $800 BILLION BACK INTO OUR PUBLIC
EDUCATION SYSTEM AND SHE KNOWS THE ECONOMICS BEHIND IT.
SHE SURROUNDS HERSELF WITH THE VERY BEST STAFF AND EXPERTS AND
SHE WILL GET IT DONE AND SHE DID GET IT DONE.
AS WE'VE SEEN IN THE SENATE AND AS WE SAW WHEN SHE WAS WORKING
DOWN IN D.C., ON CONSUMER PROTECTION.
I HAVE GREAT CONFIDENCE. I MEAN, SHE WILL.
SHE DOESN'T THROW THE BABY OUT WITH THE BATH WATER.
>> YOU MENTIONED THE TAX ON BILLIONAIRES, THAT'S ONE OF THE
THINGS THAT SHE'S BEEN CRITICIZED FOR, SORT OF GOING
AFTER PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THAT UPPER ECHELON INCOME BRACKET, DO
DOYOU THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE E OF THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE WOULD
CONTINUE TO ATTACK HER ON IF SHE GETS THE NOMINATION?
>> MAYBE FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE ON THE EXTREME
CONSERVATIVE. I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S ANY
OTHER WAY REALLY TO PRODUCE THE CHANGE AND INCREASE THE QUALITY
OF LIFE OF EVERY AMERICAN CITIZEN AND RESIDENT, BUT ALSO,
YOU KNOW, GETTING, YOU KNOW -- REALLY USING TODAY'S PROFITS
LIKE HER MARIJUANA PLAN TO GO BACK AND CORRECT, YOU KNOW, 25
YEARS OF THE WAR ON DRUGS AND OVERPOLICING NEIGHBORHOODS WHICH
ARE CLEARLY IN ECONOMIC DISTRESS.
YOU KNOW, HER PLANS ARE VERY CLEAR OF HOW IT WILL GET DONE.
>> YOU MENTIONED MARIJUANA. EASTHAMPTON IS ONE OF THE FEW
COMMUNITIES THAT HAS A DISPENSARY UP AND RUNNING RIGHT
NOW. SENATOR WARREN'S PLAN LOOKS AT
SOME OF THE THINGS THAT MASSACHUSETTS TRIED TO ROLL OUT,
LOOKING AT SOCIAL EQUITY AND RACIAL JUSTICE WITHIN THE
MARIJUANA INDUSTRY. MASSACHUSETTS, IT'S NO SECRET,
HAS TRIPPED IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT.
IT'S BEEN PROBLEMATIC. WOULD THE BENEFIT OF HINDSIGHT,
ARE THERE THINGS THAT YOU'VE NOTICED AS THE MAYOR OF
EASTHAMPTON THAT YOU THINK COULD HAVE BEEN ADJUSTED AND FEED THAT
UP THE CHAIN TO SEE IF MAYBE THOSE CHANGES COULD COME IN AT
THE FEDERAL LEVEL? >> SURE.
OUR GOING INTO THE OPENING OF OUR FIRST RETAIL CANVAS
DISPENSARY, WE WERE VERY FOCUSED ON HEIGHTENED CRIME, NEEDED
SECURITY, HOW CASH AND PRODUCT WOULD GET IN AND OUT OF OUR
COMMUNITY. HOW IT WOULD AFFECT SCHOOLS, THE
SYSTEM. WHAT WE FOUND OUT LOOKING BACK
WAS REALLY HOW TO TRULY OPEN AND LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD IN THE
INDUSTRY AND EASTHAMPTON IN PARTICULAR WOULD HAVE HAD A MORE
COMPETITIVE MARKET FOR CANNABIS. WE ONLY STILL HAVE ONE CANNABIS
DISPENSARY OPEN. WE'VE GOT A REAL CONCENTRATION
IN CAPITAL IN THAT INDUSTRY ON THE VERY TOP AND THEY'RE NOT
LOCAL, FOLKS. WHEN I LOOK AT ELIZABETH'S PLAN,
YOU KNOW, SHE'S NOT JUST LOOKING TO FLIP A SWITCH AND MAKE
MARIJUANA FEDERALLY LEGAL. SHE'S LOOKING TO OPEN A DOOR AND
ALLOW STATES MORE FLEXIBILITY TO CREATE PLANS AND ACCESS TO
MARIJUANA AND THE INDUSTRY THAT IS EQUITABLE AND MORE FAIR
WITHOUT FEDERAL INTERFERENCE AND, YOU KNOW, IF MASSACHUSETTS
COULD GET A MULLIGAN, THE CONTROL OF CAPITA AND SOCIAL
INEQUITY IN THE BUSINESS IS ONE THING I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO
SEE, AND I THINK ELIZABETH'S PLAN IS GOING TO ALLOW US TO DO
THAT IN MASSACHUSETTS. >> POLLS HAVE SHOWN LEADING UP
TO SUPER TUESDAY ON TUESDAY THAT SENATOR WARREN AND SENATOR
BERNIE SANDERS WERE EITHER NECK AND NECK.
NOW, SENATOR SANDERS APPEARS TO HAVE CLICKED AHEAD IN THE POLLS
ACCORDING TO THE LATEST DATA. SENATOR SANDERS DECIDED TO COME
TO MASSACHUSETTS, HE'LL BE IN BOSTON TOMORROW, HE'S IN WESTERN
MASSACHUSETTS TONIGHT. WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE FACT
THAT HE'S MAKING SUCH A STRONG SHOWING IN MASSACHUSETTS?
>> WELL, I THINK ONE, ELIZABETH IS HERE ALL OVER THE STATE ALL
THE TIME. SO SANDERS JUST LOOKING AT THE
POLLS IS, YOU KNOW, WANTING TO COME TO MASSACHUSETTS, THE
NEIGHBORING STATES. AS FAR AS THE POLLS ARE
CONCERNED, I MEAN, LESS THAN 3% OF THE TOTAL DELEGATES NEEDED TO
BE THE NOMINEE HAVE BEEN DECIDED.
I FIND IT INTERESTING IN THE PRESS THAT THEY WILL PAIR UP ONE
CANDIDATE AGAINST ANOTHER, BUT REALLY I THINK NOT TAKE IN THE
FULL CONSIDERATION OF THIS PRIMARY, WHO KNOWS WHAT'S GOING
TO HAPPEN? THERE'S SO MANY CANDIDATES WITH
SO MANY IDEAS THAT ARE VERY CREDIBLE.
I HAVE RESPECT FOR ALL OF THEM. YOU KNOW, THE DIFFERENCE, WHAT
PUTS ME OVER THE LINE WITH ELIZABETH, THOUGH, IS SHE KNOWS
ON DAY 1 HOW SHE'S GOING TO GET IT DONE.
>> ONE OF THE WAYS IN THE DEBATE THIS WEEK IN SOUTH CAROLINA THAT
SENATOR WARREN CHOSE TO DIFFERENTIATE HERSELF WAS POINT
OUT SOME OF THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HERSELF AND SENATOR
SANDERS AND TO HER POINT SHE RAISED SEVERAL TIMES SHE FELT
LIKE SHE HAD A STRONGER PLAN TO YOUR POINT TO GET THINGS DONE.
SHE RAISED MEDICARE FOR ALL, WHICH SHE AND SENATOR SANDERS
BOTH CHAMPIONED, BUT IF SENATOR WARREN WERE ELECTED PRESIDENT,
SHE WOULD HAVE TO FACE THE REALITY THAT SENATOR McCONNELL
HAS CALLED THIS MEDICARE FOR NONE, ONLY OVER MY DEAD BODY
WILL THIS GET DONE SORT OF APPROACH.
HOW WILL SHE NAVIGATE THAT STAUNCH OPPOSITION IN THE
SENATE? >> I THINK SHE WOULD TAKE -- I
DON'T THINK, I KNOW SHE WOULD TAKE A TRANSITIONAL APPROACH.
MEDICARE FOR ALL IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS JUST GOING TO
HAPPEN. IT'S NOT A FLIP OF A SWITCH.
WE DON'T WANT -- I DON'T WANT THE PEOPLE IN EASTHAMPTON TO ALL
OF A SUDDEN LOSE THE BENEFITS THEY HAVE WHILE WE FIGURE OUT A
NEW SYSTEM. >> MASSACHUSETTS CAN CURRENTLYS
THE MOST NUMBER OF ENROLLEES IN ITS STATE SYSTEM.
>> ABSOLUTELY AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT TRANSITION IS
SMOOTH AND WE ALSO DON'T WANT TO GET KICKBACK FROM THE STATES
LIKE WE SAW UNDER THE ACA, WHICH WAS NOT WRITTEN AND PASSED AS A
PERFECT PIECE OF LEGISLATION, BUT ELIZABETH WILL TAKE THE
STRONGEST PIECES OF THAT RIGHT NOW, KEEP IT IN PLACE, USE
EXECUTIVE ORDER POWER TO PROTECT PEOPLE WITH PRE-EXISTING
CONDITIONS AND SHE ALSO HAS A PLAN ON THE WEBSITE THAT TALKS
ABOUT TRANSITION TO MEDICARE FOR ALL, AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY
IMPORTANT. YOU SAW OUT IN NEVADA THE
CULINARY UNION DIDN'T ENDORSE AND A PART OF THE REASON WAS IS
THAT MEDICARE FOR ALL LESS BENEFITS THAN THEIR OWN UNION'S
BENEFITS AND THEY WEREN'T SEEING A PLAN FROM A PERSON THAT THEY
HAD ENDORSED BEFORE OF HOW THEY STILL WERE GOING TO BE OKAY AND
ELIZABETH'S PLAN REALLY OUTLINES THE TRANSITION STEPS IN HOW WE
CAN GET TO MEDICARE FOR ALL, A HIGH-QUALITY MEDICAL PLAN FOR
EVERYONE IN THE COUNTRY, VERY -- IT'S NOT OVERNIGHT.
NOTHING IS, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BILLIONS, TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS.