Thursday, March 24, 2016
By Jay Fitzgerald and Keith Regan
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Today: Baker to address convention, gaming commission hearing, GE chief in Boston
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Gov. Charlie Baker speaks at the National Society of Black Engineers' 42nd annual convention, Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, 10 a.m.
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission holds a public hearing to receive information on plans for a casino at the Brockton Fairgrounds and the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe's proposal for a resort casino in Taunton, 101 Federal Street, 12th floor, 10 a.m.
General Electric chief executive Jeffrey Immelt speaks at the Boston College Chief Executives Club luncheon, Boston Harbor Hotel, Wharf Room, 70 Rowes Wharf, 12 p.m.
Moulton goes there: Compares Trump to Hitler
Here's the straightforward lead on the Globe's story by Travis Andersen: "U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton compared the rise of Republican presidential front-runner Donald J. Trump to the election of Adolf Hitler and said Wednesday that constituents should warn 'that crazy uncle' against voting for the businessman if he wins the GOP nomination." OK, yet another Hitler/Munich/World War II analogy, often dragged up by pols and hack pundits alike when harshly criticizing someone else's motives and foreign policy views. But even Moulton seems to admit it's a tired analogy. From the YouTube transcript of the Globe's "Political Happy Hour" talk at Suffolk University yesterday between Moulton and the Globe's Joshua Miller:
Moulton: When you're in politics, one of those, sorta, like, cardinal rules is: You never say what I'm about to say. But people should read the history of how Germany elected Hitler. Read that history. And just try to understand the analogies. And, uh, I think that's important at this -- at this time. I'm not saying that Donald Trump is necessarily Hitler. I'm not saying that. But you ought to understand how an unbelievably educated, advanced society can elect a demagogue and how bad it can get as a result.
Miller: That's, that's, that's quite a thing to say, so I want you to elucid -- sort of elaborate on it a little bit --
Moulton: See I'm already in trouble. [Audience laughter]
Miller: Yup. You've opened that door. ...
There's then a brief discussion of a pre-WW II article by the NYT, apparently this one, on Hitler's early rise to power and how his anti-Semitism was downplayed or dismissed by many at the time. But here's the key line from Miller on all the Hitler talk: "But just to, just to take it one more step forward: Obviously for several million reasons, the comparison to Hitler is a pretty inflammatory one."
And those several million reasons are the crux of the matter. Moulton could have justifiably said everything else - including Trump's views being "radical, ridiculous, and immoral, they're also really stupid" - and he would have been fine. But, no, he had to make the Hitler comparison. Meanwhile, Rep. Stephen Lynch appears to have touched on very similar and sensitive subjects in a more responsible way with the Herald, without a reference to the most evil mass-murderer in history, though we didn't check the full transcript, it should be noted.
Bill to ease license suspensions for drug offenses heads to Baker's desk
The majority of drug offenders sentenced to prison in Massachusetts would no longer face automatic driver's license suspensions under a compromise bill OK'd by the House yesterday and expected to be passed today by the Senate, State House New Service's Matt Murphy reports. Gov. Baker has said he supports the bill in concept. Keep in mind: The House unanimously approved the bill, 150-0, signifying a major shift on the "war on drugs." Would such a vote have occurred even five years ago? http://bit.ly/1S8l4MP (pay wall)
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