John Kerry: Diplomacy Was Working Until Trump Abandoned It

John Kerry is campaigning for JOE BIDEN, CORPORATE SHILL who hasn't condemned tRump's ASSASSINATION.

They both voted to invade IRAQ based on LIES that were discredited in the media.

Who has any credibility?

John Kerry: Diplomacy Was Working Until Trump Abandoned It
By John KerryJan. 9, 2020
The president put us on a path toward conflict and turmoil with Iran.

President Trump says that on his watch, Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon. But if he had wanted to keep that promise, he should have left the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement in place. Instead, he pulled the United States out of the deal and pursued a reckless foreign policy that has put us on a path to armed conflict with Iran.

After Mr. Trump authorized the killing of Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani last week, Iran announced it was no longer obligated to follow the agreement, which had reined in its nuclear ambitions, and it launched ballistic missiles at two Iraqi bases housing American troops, to little effect. Adding to the turmoil, the Iraqi Parliament approved a largely symbolic resolution to expel American troops who have been fighting the Islamic State.

Though Mr. Trump has since walked back from the brink of war, I can’t explain the chaos of his presidency as it lurches from crisis to crisis, real or manufactured. The president has said he “doesn’t do exit strategies.” Clearly he doesn’t do strategies, period.

This moment was nothing if not foreseeable the moment Mr. Trump abandoned the 2015 agreement, which was working, and chose instead to isolate us from our allies, narrow our options in the region and slam shut the door to tackling additional issues with Iran through constructive diplomacy.

Now the drone strike that eliminated General Suleimani has almost certainly nailed that door shut. President Trump had the right to jettison an agreement he disliked. But we’re witnessing the consequences of that heedless act in a region that is today significantly more volatile than when his administration began in 2017. Strategies have consequences — and so does the lack of a strategy.

Let’s get one straw man out of the way. General Suleimani was a sworn, unapologetic enemy of the United States, a cagey field marshal who oversaw Iran’s long strategy to extend the country’s influence through sectarian proxies in the region. He won’t be mourned or missed by anyone in the West. Occasionally, when American and Iranian interests aligned, as they did in fighting ISIS, we were the serendipitous beneficiaries of his relationships and levers, as were the Iraqis. But this was a rare exception.

That underscores the tragic irony of Mr. Trump’s decision to abrogate the nuclear agreement: It played into General Suleimani’s hard-line strategy by weakening voices for diplomacy within the Tehran regime. What Iranian diplomat would be empowered by a skeptical supreme leader to explore de-escalation with a country that broke its word on a historic agreement and then, in their words, “martyred” arguably Iran’s second most powerful figure?

Presidents make lonely, difficult decisions about the use of force to protect our interests — usually with the solace of knowing at least that diplomacy had failed. The tragedy of our current plight is that diplomacy was succeeding before it was abandoned.

In 2013, I sat down with Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s foreign minister, for the first meeting between our countries’ top diplomats since the 1979 revolution and hostage crisis. Iran at the time had enough enriched material for eight to 10 nuclear bombs and was two to three months from being able to build one.

Two years later, after intense negotiations, we had an agreement that would be signed by seven nations and endorsed by the United Nations Security Council. Diplomacy had achieved what sanctions alone had not: Iran couldn’t have a nuclear weapon during the life span of the agreement; and if it cheated, the world was resolved to stop it.

What did we turn over to President-elect Trump in 2017? Iran was in compliance with the nuclear agreement. Our allies were united with the United States. There were no missile attacks on United States facilities. No ships were being detained or sabotaged in the Persian Gulf. There were no protesters breaching our embassy in Baghdad. Iraq welcomed our presence fighting ISIS. And Iran would be unable to move toward a nuclear weapon without our knowing it through inspections authorized by the agreement.

None of our allies thought the work was over after the deal was struck. But we had laid a foundation of diplomacy from which other issues might be addressed. In 2016, we defused deep disagreements with Iran over prisoners and averted conflict when American sailors inadvertently entered Iranian waters and were detained by Iranian forces. We were working with allies to deepen sanctions on Iran for its involvement in Yemen, its transfer of weapons to Hezbollah and its actions in Syria, its human rights violations, its threats against Israel and its ballistic missile program.

The nuclear agreement would have been justified if it did nothing more than prevent Iran from building a bomb. But it also created opportunities for the United States to bring pressure on Iran on other issues. President Trump could have built on that, with the luxury of knowing that the urgent, immediate nuclear threat had been put back in the bottle.

We know what Mr. Trump did instead. He put his disdain for anything done by the last administration ahead of his duty to keep the country safe. He alienated our allies. He recklessly rushed ahead without any strategy. We have been left with an incoherent Iran and Iraq policy that has made the region more dangerous and put Americans at greater risk.

After the president ignored Rex Tillerson and James Mattis, his first secretaries of state and defense, who argued that we should stay within the agreement, he found a new secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, who tweets video of Iraqis celebrating the killing of General Suleimani — eerily reminiscent of 2003, when Iraqis were spotted celebrating the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. It was fantasy then and it is fantasy now to believe this bodes well for our relations with Iraq, as Parliament’s vote on American forces underscores.

We are left to ponder another paradox: To assure allies that his decision was not rash, Mr. Trump will have to call on hard information from the very intelligence community he has cheerfully attacked for three years.

Mr. Trump’s foreign policy requires an unreliable regime in Tehran to behave reasonably in order to save Mr. Trump from himself. This is the tragic failure of his abandonment of diplomacy.

We have too often forgotten that the United States should never go to war on a lark, for a lie or a mistake. We have also seen the divisions over Vietnam and Iraq tear at the fabric of life in our country. Yet now, young Americans are again worrying that they might have to die because their political leaders did not exhaust or even explore, but rather abandoned the possibilities of diplomacy.

Our diplomacy should not be defined by bluster, threats and brinkmanship, tweets or temper tantrums, but by a vision for peace and security addressing multiple interests of the region.

John Kerry, a former Democratic senator and candidate for president, was secretary of state from 2013 to 2017.

The president put us on a path toward conflict and turmoil with Iran.

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Opinion | John Kerry: Diplomacy Was Working Until Trump Abandoned It

The president put us on a path toward conflict and turmoil with Iran.

RSN: Norman Solomon | Kerry's Endorsement of Biden Fits: Two Deceptive Supporters of the Iraq War

06 December 19

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RSN: Norman Solomon | Kerry's Endorsement of Biden Fits: Two Deceptive Supporters of the Iraq War

Norman Solomon, Reader Supported News
Solomon writes: "Kerry and Biden don't want to acknowledge a historic tie that binds them: Both men were important supporters of the Iraq war."

n Thursday afternoon, The Washington Post sent out a news alert headlined “John Kerry Endorses Biden in 2020 Race, Saying He Has the Character and Experience to Beat Trump, Confront the Nation’s Challenges.” Meanwhile, in Iowa, Joe Biden was also touting his experience. “Look,” Biden said as he angrily lectured an 83-year-old farmer at a campaign stop, “the reason I’m running is because I’ve been around a long time and I know more than most people know, and I can get things done.”

But Kerry and Biden don’t want to acknowledge a historic tie that binds them: Both men were important supporters of the Iraq war, voting for the invasion on the Senate floor and continuing to back the war after it began. Over the years, political winds have shifted — and Biden, like Kerry, has methodically lied about his support for that horrendous war.

The spectacle of Kerry praising Biden as a seasoned leader amounts to one supporter of the Iraq catastrophe attesting to the character and experience of another supporter of the same catastrophe.

The FactCheck.org project at the Annenberg Public Policy Center has pointed out: “Kerry agreed that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and should be overthrown, and defended his war authorization vote more than once — including saying in a May 2003 debate that Bush made the ‘right decision to disarm Saddam Hussein.’ … Kerry also told reporters in August 2004 that he would have voted for the resolution even if he had known that the U.S. couldn’t find any weapons of mass destruction.”

As for Biden, he can’t stop lying about his major role in pushing the war authorization through the Senate five months before the March 2003 invasion. During his current presidential campaign, more than 16 years after the invasion, Biden has continued efforts to conceal his pro-war role while refusing to admit that he was instrumental in making possible the massive carnage and devastation in Iraq.

Three months ago, during a debate on ABC, Biden claimed that he voted for the war resolution so it would be possible to get U.N. weapons inspectors into Iraq — saying that he wanted “to allow inspectors to go in to determine whether or not anything was being done with chemical weapons or nuclear weapons.” But that’s totally backwards.

It was big news when the Iraqi government announced on September 16, 2002 — with a letter hand-delivered to U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan — that it would allow the U.N. weapons inspectors back in “without conditions.” The announcement was a full 25 days before Biden joined with virtually every Republican and most Democratic senators voting to approve the Iraq war resolution.

That resolution on October 11 couldn’t rationally be viewed as a tool for leverage so that the Iraqi government would (in Biden’s words) “allow inspectors to go in.” Several weeks earlier, the Iraqi government had already agreed to allow inspectors to go in.

Biden keeps trying to wriggle out of culpability for the Iraq war. But he won’t be able to elude scrutiny so easily. In a mid-October debate, when Biden boasted that he has a record of getting things done, Bernie Sanders (who I actively support) made this response: “Joe, you talked about working with Republicans and getting things done. But you know what you also got done? And I say this as a good friend. You got the disastrous war in Iraq done.”

Indeed, Biden — as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee — presided over one-sided hearings that greased the war-machine wheels to carry the war resolution forward. He was the single most pivotal Senate Democrat for getting the Iraq invasion done. While sometimes grumbling about President George W. Bush’s diplomatic performance along the way, Biden backed the invasion with enthusiasm.

Now, dazzled by Kerry’s endorsement of Biden, mainstream news outlets are calling it a major boost. Media hype is predictable as Kerry teams up with Biden on the campaign trail.

“The Kerry endorsement is among Mr. Biden’s most significant to date,” The New York Times reports. “His support provides Mr. Biden the backing of the Democratic Party’s 2004 presidential nominee and a past winner of the Iowa caucuses.” Kerry praised Biden to the skies, declaring that “I believe Joe Biden is the president our country desperately needs right now, not because I’ve known Joe so long, but because I know Joe so well.”

This year, many progressives have become accustomed to rolling their eyes at the mention of Biden’s name. A facile assumption is that his campaign will self-destruct. But that may be wishful thinking.

The former vice president has powerful backers in corporate media, wealthy circles, and the Democratic Party establishment. Deceitful and hidebound as he is, Joe Biden stands a good chance of becoming the party’s nominee — unless his actual record, including support for the Iraq war, catches up with him.

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Norman Solomon is co-founder and national coordinator of RootsAction.org. He was a Bernie Sanders delegate from California to the 2016 Democratic National Convention and is currently a coordinator of the relaunched independent Bernie Delegates Network. Solomon is the author of a dozen books, including War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death.

Reader Supported News is the Publication of Origin for this work. Permission to republish is freely granted with credit and a link back to Reader Supported News.

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POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: PEOPLE’S PLEDGE saga continues — ROLLINS grilled on BC suicide case — CHILD CARE aid falls short

PEOPLE’S PLEDGE saga continues — ROLLINS grilled on BC suicide case — CHILD CARE aid falls short

BY STEPHANIE MURRAY GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. I hope you had a great holiday! KENNEDY, LISS-RIORDAN TO SIGN PEOPLE'S PLEDGE — Senate candidates Rep. Joe Kennedy III and attorney Shannon Liss-Riordan plan to sign a so-called People's Pledge this afternoon to limit outside spending in the race for Sen. Ed Markey's seat. But there will be one person missing at the ceremony today: the incumbent. Kennedy and Liss-Riordan say they are moving forward with the pledge after waiting for Markey to come on board. The two challengers had planned a pledge-signing ceremony in November but canceled it to accommodate Markey, who said he needed to be in Washington, D.C. for votes on the day it was scheduled. "After multiple attempts to include the Markey campaign in a signing ceremony, including a last minute cancellation of an event early last month, the two campaigns decided to move forward and put the onus on the Markey campaign to sign the pledge in the coming days," the joint release from Liss-Riordan and Kennedy said. But Markey's got another idea. The Malden Democrat plans to propose a pledge of his own this morning, his campaign told me. Markey could not attend the signing ceremony today because he needs to be in Washington, his campaign said. Markey's new "People's Pledge 2020" proposal would "say no" to all outside negative advertising in the primary, but would permit "positive voices" like climate and reproductive health advocates to spend money in the race. The nonprofit Environment Massachusetts has said it plans to put together a $5 million campaign to support Markey's reelection. "We do not want to stifle or silence the positive voices that have a right to discuss the issues that matter most to residents of Massachusetts - the reproductive health community, labor unions, environmental and climate advocates, the LGBTQI+ community, among many others," Markey's proposed pledge says. "And these positive voices must disclose their donors so that they are transparent. We need these positive, engaged, and active voices in our political debate in 2020." The People's Pledge dust-up is one of several challenges the Senate candidates have posed to one another — typically these challenges are designed to highlight one's own strengths or point out a rival's flaws. Markey invited his opponents to a climate debate, which Liss-Riordan accepted and Kennedy skipped. Kennedy called on his competitors to agree to a People's Pledge, and Liss-Riordan is calling for a $6 million spending cap for candidates in the race. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: AUCHINCLOSS' NEW PLAN — Congressional candidate Jake Auchincloss is releasing a two-part transportation plan today that calls for passing the Green New Deal and putting more federal, state and local resources into trains and buses to ease traffic congestion and pollution. "Climate change is our planet's biggest problem. Transportation is the biggest problem for Massachusetts, and the 4th District in particular. And because the transportation sector is the state's largest emitter of carbon pollution—driving roughly 40% of total emissions—the two are inextricably linked," the plan says. Auchincloss is running to replace Rep. Joe Kennedy III. Six Democratic candidates have jumped in the 4th District House race since Kennedy launched a campaign against Sen. Ed Markey, and a seventh Democrat is considering a bid. The plan proposes building a zero-emissions, statewide rail service that is available 24 hours a day. Auchincloss also suggests putting resources behind the South Coast rail project to connect Taunton, Fall River and New Bedford to Boston by train. His plan calls for chartering a federal infrastructure bank and designing a high-frequency regional bus network, among other ideas. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: DONATO GETS A CHALLENGER — State Rep. Paul Donato will face a challenger from his own party next year. Nichole Mossalam, a progressive from Malden, will announce today that she's running against Donato, who is a member of House Speaker Robert DeLeo's leadership team. "Our state legislature has failed to adequately address the challenges that so many people in our communities are facing," Mossalam said in a statement. "On a wide array of issues, we have seen too many legislators follow the Speaker's agenda. We need independent leaders who will put the concerns of our families first." Mossalam's campaign is part of a larger trend in Massachusetts. A number of progressive Democrats have waged primary challenges against incumbents at the local, state and federal level, in recent years, and several are doing so now. Mossalam is chair of Malden's Disability Commission and is former co-chair of Our Revolution Massachusetts, the Bay State offshoot of Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com. TODAY — Gov. Charlie Baker, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito, Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Robert DeLeo hold a leadership meeting. Baker, Lynn Mayor Thomas McGee, state Sen. Brendan Crighton and state Rep. Lori Ehrlich make a MassWorks announcement in Lynn. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh is in Belfast, Northern Ireland, as part of a sister-city agreement between Boston and Belfast. Rep. Bill Keating speaks at a New England Council breakfast. Lauren Kennedy moderates a talk on childcare at the Kennedy Institute featuring Samantha Aigner-Treworgy, JD Chesloff, Amy O'Leary, and Tania del Rio. DATELINE BEACON HILL - "RMV employees complained of quality, public safety, but 'War on Wait Times' took precedent," by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: "Multiple employees told auditors that the state government's so-called "War on Wait Times" improved customer service but hampered the quality of record-keeping at the Registry of Motor Vehicles and ultimately risked public safety, despite their complaints. Employees at the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, interviewed in the wake of the New Hampshire crash that killed seven motorcyclists, told the auditing firm, Grant Thornton, that their concerns about computer glitches piling up, lack of training on regulations, out-of-state records processing and dwindling resources went unaddressed, according to a 294-page transcript released this week." - "MA lawmakers want rules for electric scooters," by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: "Electric scooters are gliding around cities and towns as a cheap, environmentally friendly means of transportation, but the devices are technically illegal under state law. Massachusetts requires that all motorized scooters — whether they be sitting or standing, electric or gas powered — be equipped with brake lights and turning signals like mopeds. Some communities, like Salem, have allowed high-tech companies such as Zagster, Lime and Bird to rent out scooters as part of pilot projects, but there are no statewide rules or guidelines. Lawmakers are considering several proposals to legalize e-scooters by setting rules for how and where they can be used in cities and towns that want them." - "Gov. Baker Signs Bill To Overhaul Campaign Finance Rules," The Associated Press: "Republican Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has signed into law a bill aimed at overhauling the state's campaign finance rules. The new law requires state lawmakers and some mayoral candidates to adhere to a system that already covers statewide and county officials. Under the new law signed Tuesday by Baker, state lawmakers must report campaign contributions and expenditures in monthly statements filed by their banks." - "Driving is surging in Massachusetts. Gas tax revenue? Not so much," by Adam Vaccaro, Boston Globe: "For public officials around the nation looking to fix beat-up roads and bridges or buy new buses and subway cars, it's one of the most reliable turns in the playbook: Raise the gas tax and watch the money flow in. But as the Massachusetts Legislature prepares to debate a massive fix to the state's beleaguered transportation system — one that could include a stiff increase in the gas tax — they might take note that it may not be such a reliable source of revenue for much longer. Gas tax collections by the state have barely increased over the past five years — just 2.5 percent since fiscal year 2015, the first full year after lawmakers last increased the tax, by 3 cents, to 24 cents a gallon, according to Massachusetts tax collection data." FROM THE HUB - "Draconian state child care assistance leaves too many working poor with debt, advocates say," by Kay Lazar, Boston Globe: "Chanice was so buried in bills in 2017, she took on part-time work at a taxi company in addition to her full-time job answering phones at a Boston community health center in hopes of digging herself out. Still, she staggered under the weight of the copayments she was expected to contribute for state-subsidized child care. With more than $2,100 in overdue child care bills, the young Roxbury mother lost her day care spot for her son. Then she lost her job." - "Q&A: Business coalition backs pro-immigrant legislation," by Sarah Betancourt, CommonWealth Magazine: "THREE YEARS into the presidency of Donald Trump, the main ways immigrants can remain in the country legally - through a protected status or with one of over 160 types of visas - have changed significantly. From new or higher fees, to adjustments in what paperwork must be submitted, to the complete rescinding of some immigration statuses (like Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which impacts young adult immigrants brought to the country illegally as children), the legal landscape of who can stay and who must go has changed. These changes have had a strong impact on the businesses that employ immigrants. The changes have affected who can retain work authorization to stay on their job, altered what employers must do to keep immigrant employees, and created uncertainty about employees being deported because of a sudden change in federal policy." - "The state's largest employer is changing its name," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "PARTNERS HEALTHCARE, the state's dominant health care provider and the largest employer in Massachusetts, is changing its name to Mass General Brigham. The new name shifts the focus of the health care system away from an all-encompassing, corporate title that was created 25 years ago and zeroes in on the company's two world-renowned hospitals - Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women's. In a letter to the company's 75,000 employees, Anne Klibanski, the president and CEO, unveiled a new patient-centered strategy for the health care system." MOULTON MATTERS - "Why supervised drug injection sites make sense," by Rep. Seth Moulton, CommonWealth Magazine: "SINCE 2000, 17,496 citizens of Massachusetts have died from an opioid overdose. Half of those deaths came in the last five years. That's like one of at least 245 communities in the Commonwealth disappearing in 19 years. Enough people in Massachusetts have died from an opioid overdose to fill all but 69 of the seats at the TD Garden for a Bruins game. Nationwide, the Centers for Disease Control estimates 700,000 Americans died from an opioid overdose death in the years spanning 1993-2017. That's more people than live in the entire city of Boston." DAY IN COURT - "Suffolk district attorney defends prosecution in BC suicide in TV interview," by Jeremy C. Fox, Boston Globe: "Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins defended her prosecution of a Boston College student accused of manipulting her boyfriend into suicide and addressed high-profile disagreements with other officials that have marked her first year in office as she spoke in a televised interview Sunday. WCVB's Ed Harding introduced Rollins, who was the first African-American woman elected to be a Massachusetts district attorney, as "Boston's trailblazing prosecutor," on Sunday's "On the Record." But Harding and co-host Janet Wu didn't pull any punches as they questioned Rollins about the Inyoung You case and her public friction with federal, state, and local authorities." - "SJC faces tricky constitutional challenge in indigent defense case," by Michael Jonas, CommonWealth Magazine: "THE STATE'S HIGHEST COURT is wrestling with a case centered on how to guarantee a fundamental constitutional right of the judicial system — the right of criminal defendants, even those too poor to hire a lawyer, to be represented by an attorney. But both sides in the case, as well as the SJC justices who must rule on it, seem to agree that the ultimate solution to the problem doesn't actually rest with the court but instead with the budget-writing powers of the Legislature. That's raising a second constitutional issue — the separation of powers limiting the reach of different branches of government — and presenting a challenge for the court to craft a ruling that upholds one fundamental constitutional principle without overstepping another." WARREN REPORT - "How a fight over health care entangled Elizabeth Warren — and reshaped the Democratic presidential race," by Annie Linskey, Jeff Stein and Dan Balz, Washington Post: "In mid-November, a few dozen of the country's most influential advocates of Medicare-for-all were reviewing details of Sen. Elizabeth Warren's plan to finance the proposed government-run program when they learned that she had unexpectedly changed her position. Warren (D-Mass.), who had excited liberals when she initially embraced a Medicare-for-all idea first proposed by rival presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), was suggesting a more centrist idea: to delay enactment of the single-payer system and, in the interim, give consumers the choice to opt in. The change might have seemed insignificant to most Americans, but to many in the suburban Washington conference room, Warren's new stance marked an abrupt retreat, according to several people in attendance. That moment highlighted the political turbulence that Warren has experienced in recent weeks as she has attempted to extricate herself from a policy dilemma that has blunted her steady rise to the top ranks of the Democratic nominating contest." - "Elizabeth Warren responds to new Pete Buttigieg ad airing in Iowa that criticizes free college tuition for all," by Kim Norvell, Des Moines Register: "In response to a new television ad airing in Iowa, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren said she wants to provide tuition-free college to every American as "an investment in an entire generation of young people." The senator from Massachusetts was responding to a reporter's question about an ad by South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg that says he will not provide free college tuition to the children of millionaires." IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN - "John Kerry: We are way behind on climate change," by Matthew Choi, POLITICO: "Former Secretary of State John Kerry said no country is taking the necessary steps to combat climate change and that the issue should be treated "like a war." "There are great efforts out there, many environmental groups, young people, particularly, but no country is getting the job done," Kerry told NBC's Chuck Todd on Sunday. Kerry's comments on "Meet the Press" came just after the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee launched a bipartisan coalition with lawmakers, world leaders and celebrities to raise awareness of climate issues." - "John Kerry Launches Star-Studded Climate Coalition," by Lisa Friedman, The New York Times: "John Kerry, the former senator and secretary of state, has formed a new bipartisan coalition of world leaders, military brass and Hollywood celebrities to push for public action to combat climate change. The name, World War Zero, is supposed to evoke both the national security threat posed by the earth's warming and the type of wartime mobilization that Mr. Kerry argued would be needed to stop the rise in carbon emissions before 2050. The star-studded group is supposed to win over those skeptical of the policies that would be needed to accomplish that." - "'Forever chemicals' are found in MWRA fertilizer, drawing alarm," by David Abel, Boston Globe: "The sludge arrives by the ton, pumped through miles of underwater pipes from Deer Island to a waste-water treatment plant on the banks of the Weymouth Fore River, where it's spun through centrifuges into a kind of wet cake, dried by large furnaces, and made into fertilizer pellets. Converting much of the region's sewage into a valuable byproduct was a major achievement of the Boston Harbor cleanup. Over the past three decades, the fertilizer has been sold or given away in massive amounts: tens of thousands of tons a year sent to farms and golf courses, parks and gardens across the region." ABOVE THE FOLD — Herald: "SKY FALL," "SLUSH HOUR," — Globe : "Poor workers struggling with child-care debt trap," "Trump's lawyers reject role in hearing." THE LOCAL ANGLE - "Care worker digs: A nursing home owner on the Cape offers housing to his employees," by Robert Weisman, Boston Globe: "Struggling to find workers for his nursing home and assisted living center in this seaside tourist town, Bill Bogdanovich tried a new strategy: Buying properties on the southeastern elbow of Cape Cod to rent to employees. He offered below-market rents to workers, many recruited from off the Cape and as far away as Puerto Rico, who were having trouble finding places to live. He also allowed them to spread the cost of higher winter heating bills over 12 months. A year later, his gambit appears to have paid off: Bogdanovich has been able to hire and retain more workers — the better for his senior housing residents, and for business." - "Where did the money go? Buyers of lucrative state tax credits remain secret," by Paul Leighton, The Salem News: "When Windover Development was converting a former box factory into veterans housing, the state and federal government awarded the company more than $2 million in tax credits through a program designed to encourage historic rehabilitation. More than six years after the Pleasant Street Apartments opened, those tax credits are still generating controversy, including a recent resolution by a Beverly city councilor alleging "manipulation" of the program. For all of the attention the tax credits have received, however, there's still one question that hasn't been answered: Who ultimately cashed in on them?" - "On 50th National Day Of Mourning, Indigenous People In Plymouth Say They're Still Fighting," by Quincy Walters, WBUR: "Hundreds of people gathered in the rain and wind in Plymouth on Thursday to observe the 50th National Day of Mourning. The annual tradition began in order to give Native Americans an opportunity to speak on a holiday they say often negates their experiences. This year, the message was one of continuation: Native Americans are still being lied to, they say, and their lands are still being violated. People from tribes in New York, Louisiana, Canada and Mexico spoke out against pipelines, dams and hydropower stations." TRANSITIONS - Matt Corridoni joins Pete Buttigieg's campaign as deputy rapid response communications director. Corridoni previously worked on Rep. Seth Moulton's campaign and his Serve America PAC. HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY - to Larry Summers and James Sonne , who both celebrated on Saturday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to Morgan Hughes. DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? No! The Texans beat the Patriots 28-22. Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you're promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com.   Follow us on Twitter Stephanie Murray @StephMurr_Jour   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters FOLLOW US

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POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Who ROB DELANEY donates to — New name for DUDLEY SQUARE? — VAPING BAN survives court

Who ROB DELANEY donates to — New name for DUDLEY SQUARE? — VAPING BAN survives court

BY STEPHANIE MURRAY Presented by Bay State Wind GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. WHO ROB DELANEY DONATES TO — What do Ed Markey and Rob Delaney have in common, aside from a penchant for one-liners? An interest in politics and a shared home state, apparently. The Boston-born comedian donated $250 to Sen. Ed Markey's reelection campaign in September, according to the lawmaker's quarterly FEC filing. Delaney is outspoken on climate issues and Democratic politics online. Looking through recent campaign finance documents, there are some familiar and not-so-familiar donor names. Among them: Markey received a $5,000 boost from the Waxman Campaign Committee, the account belonging to retired California Democratic Rep. Henry Waxman. The pair partnered on the 2009 Waxman-Markey climate bill. And Rep. Joe Kennedy III, who is running for Markey's Senate seat, received $4,000 from Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema's campaign account. Sinema had openly urged the 39-year-old congressman to run against her colleague in the Senate before he jumped in. But instead of tallying up the lawmakers, bundlers and donors that appear in this quarter's campaign finance reports, here's a lighthearted look at the famous — or at least semi-famous — names I noticed in the FEC filings. Markey's donors include Peter Farrelly, who is known for directing and producing the movies "Dumb and Dumber" and "There's Something about Mary," among others. Farrelly gave Markey $200. Rick Rosenthal Jr., the filmmaker who directed "Halloween II," gave Markey $250. Actress and activist Heather Thomas, who starred in the 1980s television series "The Fall Guy," gave Markey $2,800. The guy who managed the band AC/DC in the 1980s, Peter Mensch, donated $5,600 to Markey's campaign. Mensch formed the management company Q Prime and counts Def Leppard as a client during his career, along with Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Snow Patrol and others. Remember Lloyd Braun , one of the many recurring characters on "Seinfeld?" He was played by actor Matt McCoy, who donated $250 to Kennedy this quarter. McCoy is also known for his role in the 1992 film "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle." And speaking of "Seinfeld," Rep. Ayanna Pressley received $500 from environmental activist Laurie David, who produced the 2006 documentary "An Inconvenient Truth." David was previously married to "Seinfeld" co-creator and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" star Larry David. Pressley also received $500 from Gavin Polone, a film and TV producer who was nominated for half a dozen Primetime Emmy Awards for his work on "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse, the 30-year-old waging a generational campaign against Democratic Rep. Richard Neal, got a boost from one of the founders of a quintessential millennial brand. Neil Parikh, the co-founder of Casper, the company that will mail you a mattress in a box, gave Morse $2,800. Morse and Parikh both went to Brown University. REPORT: PRIVATE EQUITY BOOSTS MASS. ECONOMY — The private equity industry supports 741,000 jobs in Massachusetts and around $1.8 billion in state and local taxes, according to a new report from Ernst & Young and the American Investment Council. The industry employs 243,000 workers in Massachusetts, who earn on average $74,000 a year in wages and benefits. The report comes as the private equity industry comes under fire on the 2020 campaign trail — perhaps most notably from Bay State Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com. TODAY — Gov. Charlie Baker speaks at the National Council of State Housing Agencies annual conference. Baker speaks at the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission annual health care cost trends hearing. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito attends several STEM events in Westfield, attends a ribbon cutting at Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School in Fitchburg, and attends a ribbon cutting at the Cisco Networking Academy in Somerville. Polito visits the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology in Boston. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh receives an award at the Mass Health Council awards gala. Suffolk County District Attorney Rachel Rollins is a guest on WGBH's "Greater Boston." A message from Bay State Wind: Bay State Wind delivers: on our promises, on our timelines and on our commitments. With the combined expertise of Ørsted and Eversource, we will deliver on our promise to bring clean, reliable offshore wind to Massachusetts. More at baystatewind.com     POLITICO's ENERGY PODCAST sponsored by Chevron: A new, daily five-minute update on the latest in energy and environmental politics and policy - must-know stories and candid insights from POLITICO's 10-person energy team and journalists across our newsroom. Ways to listen: Via your email - click the link in the POLITICO Morning Energy newsletter, or subscribe for free - click here and follow the link for your podcast player.     DATELINE BEACON HILL - "House Readies K-12 Education Bill for Debate," by Colin A. Young, State House News Service: "The House on Monday teed up an education financing reform bill for debate Wednesday, giving initial approval to a piece of legislation that hews more closely to the bill that came out of the Education Committee than the version the Senate passed unanimously earlier this month. After House Speaker Robert DeLeo, Senate President Karen Spilka and each branch's Education Committee chair unveiled consensus legislation that would invest a new $1.5 billion in the state's public K-12 education system over the next seven years with a focus on providing resources that will help low-income students, the Senate unanimously passed its own amended version on Oct. 3." - "Lawmakers: Baker's health care bill a good start," by Andy Metzger, CommonWealth Magazine: "LAST SESSION, Beacon Hill's big three - the governor, the House speaker, and the Senate president — each had fundamentally different ideas about how to reform the state's health care system, and attempts at compromise sputtered and failed. Now, Gov. Charlie Baker is taking another go at changing the health care marketplace, and he's getting some early buy-in from House Speaker Robert DeLeo and Senate President Karen Spilka, which may have something to do with the fact that the governor's sweeping health care proposal borrows extensively from provisions that have passed either the House or Senate but stopped short of becoming law." - "Bill seeks registry to protect disabled people," by Noor Adatia, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "People with disabilities who need a caregiver are closer to being protected from abuse through a registry that would maintain a list of such perpetrators — similar to that of sex offenders. Massachusetts senators unanimously passed an amended version of a bill that would establish the registry last week, advancing it to the House which will decide the fate of the legislation." FROM THE HUB - "City man accused of threatening to kill Boston city councilor Michael Flaherty," by Milton J. Valencia, Boston Globe: "Boston police arrested a city man Monday morning in relation to threats against City Councilor Michael Flaherty, the councilor confirmed. The man, who was not immediately identified, was arrested during a violent struggle with police in which he drove his car into police cruisers in the Stop & Shop parking lot in South Boston. Officers were forced to break the car window and grab him out of the car. The incident occurred not long after the man arrived at Flaherty's headquarters nearby and threatened that he would kill the councilor and those affiliated with him." - "Activists Say A New Name Means A New Dudley Square, Others Not So Sure," by Saraya Wintersmith, WGBH News: "Two weeks before Boston voters weigh in, opinions in Roxbury are mixed on whether to rename the neighborhood's commercial center. But residents and business owners agree depressed conditions in and around Dudley Square need to change. Ballots citywide in the Nov. 5 election will include an advisory referendum on making "Nubian Square" the official name of what once was one of the busiest shopping districts in Boston." - "Trooper at center of discrimination case the State Police lost is still vetting recruits," by Victoria McGrane, Boston Globe: "Ten months after a federal jury found that Massachusetts State Police discriminated against a black recruit, denying him entrance to the academy because of his race, the trooper who conducted the background investigation that triggered the rejection is still working in the unit responsible for vetting recruits. In December, jurors ruled that Orlando Riley, a veteran New Bedford police officer, had been barred from the State Police Academy because he is black and awarded him $130,000. The case largely turned on Trooper Robert Lima and the background investigation he had performed on Riley." - "Boston's middle, low earners feel housing crunch," by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: "Developers built or permitted 24,953 new homes and apartments between 2011 and 2018, but most people still find it hard to afford the cost of living in Boston as rent and home price increases far outstrip growth in wages. Home prices in Boston grew 8% faster than household incomes during that period and in Suffolk County rent increased six times as fast as household income, according to federal statistics." - "Vertex's drug for almost all cystic fibrosis patients approved five months early," by Allison DeAngelis, Boston Business Journal: "Boston-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. has achieved one of the biggest feats to date for cystic fibrosis patients — a treatment that could benefit 90 percent of patients with the rare lung disease. The FDA approved a combination of three drugs Monday called Trikafta, which targets a mutation in the F508del gene. That genetic error is found in approximately 90 percent of patients with the rare lung disease." PRIMARY SOURCES - "SUFFOLK COUNTY SHERIFF TOMPKINS ENDORSES KENNEDY FOR U.S. SENATE," from the Kennedy campaign: "Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins endorsed Congressman Joe Kennedy in his bid to join the United States Senate. "Since his election back in 2013, Congressman Kennedy has shown himself to be a champion for civil rights, a powerful opponent of economic and educational inequity and a staunch supporter of criminal justice reform. I am proudly endorsing his candidacy for the U.S. Senate," Tompkins said." - "Senator Ed Markey Endorsed by Association of Flight Attendants, Communications Workers of America," from the Markey campaign: "Senator Ed Markey received the endorsement of the Association of Flight Attendants-Communications Workers of America (AFA-CWA) in his bid for re-election to the United States Senate, Union President Sara Nelson announced. "This endorsement of Ed Markey by our Flight Attendant union is also a personal one for me. I'll never forget standing in the middle of our crisis room at the Hilton Logan in the wake of 9/11, grieving the loss of people I love and trying to make sense of our new world, when Ed walked in without fanfare to listen, grieve with us, and commit to Never Forget," Nelson said." ALL ABOARD - "Scenes from a Disaster: Today's Surprise Orange Line Shutdown," by Alyssa Vaugh, Boston Magazine: "As part of its aggressive new weekend repair schedule, the MBTA shut down the Orange Line from Sullivan Square to Tufts Medical Center Friday night at 8:45 p.m., intending to open the stretch back up at the beginning of service on Monday. However, the overnight work schedule was interrupted due to an accident, which meant that the track replacement work was not completed in time and the eight stops in the middle of the line had to remain closed—during the Monday morning rush hour." THE OPINION PAGES - "Want to protect jobs? Protect the ocean." by former Sen. John Kerry, Boston Globe: "Our ocean is miraculous and mysterious. When it is healthy, it regulates our climate, supplies three-billion people with food, and contributes $1.5 trillion to our global economy annually. But today we need to navigate not just a roadmap to increase the value of the marine economy's bounty, we need to unite as a blue generation that carves a path to protect the ocean for the next generation, the ocean that our generation pushed to the brink of breaking."       DAY IN COURT - "Suspended troopers investigated in overtime abuse scandal cannot be reinstated, Mass. Superior Court judge rules," by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: "Four troopers who were suspended without pay amid an overtime abuse investigation should not be reinstated to the Massachusetts State Police until the probe is complete, a Massachusetts Superior Court judge ruled. In his order, Judge Paul D. Wilson said the MSP is entitled to complete its investigation into whether these troopers engaged in that "serious breach of the duty of honesty and integrity," and that the agency has a public duty to answer that question." THE VAPING SALES BAN - "Superior Court Judge: Vaping prohibition to stay in place, says lifting ban would be against public interest," by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: "A Superior Court judge denied in part a motion to lift Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker's temporary ban on the sale of vaping products on Monday. In his ruling, Suffolk Superior Court Judge Douglas Wilkins wrote that the "balance of harms weigh" in favor of the state, and that the requested injunction would "contravene the public interest." Wilkins laid out a series of steps the state must take before continued enforcement of the ban." WARREN REPORT -- "How Warren could pay for 'Medicare for All,' by Alice Miranda Ollstein, POLITICO: "With Warren's primary rivals pressuring her for details, lawmakers, health policy experts and academics say she has several credible options for paying to extend government health insurance to all Americans. Here are some of the taxes, spending cuts and budget shuffling ideas under consideration by experts, and the pros and cons." - "Democratic 2020 hopeful Warren still weighing Medicare for All financing options," by Amanda Becker, Reuters: "White House hopeful Elizabeth Warren is taking heat from her Democratic rivals for her demurrals when asked whether her Medicare for All healthcare plan would require raising taxes on middle-class households. One explanation, according to sources close to Warren's campaign, is that the U.S. senator from Massachusetts is still considering financing options and at least one under review does not include a middle-class tax hike. How best to expand health insurance coverage has become one of the defining issues in the Democratic nominating contest to take on Republican President Donald Trump in November 2020." - "Warren releases education plan that would boost funding for public schools and end it for expanding charter schools," by Ryan Wangman, Boston Globe: "Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren said Monday she wants to boost spending on public schools, eliminate high-stakes testing, and end federal funding for charter school expansion as a part of a comprehensive education reform plan. Warren, who got her professional start as a public school teacher, released a plan in which she also promised if elected president to use federal funding as an incentive for more states to better integrate their schools — a move she said is crucial to achieving the best educational outcomes for all students." MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS - "How One Mass. Town Learned To Love The Cannabis Business," by Steve Brown, WBUR: "Voters attending the Fall Town Meeting in Uxbridge Tuesday night will be asked if they want to remove a cap on the number of cannabis businesses allowed in the town. The Cannabis Control Commission has already granted five licenses in the town of roughly 14,000 people. Four other Uxbridge businesses have applications in the queue waiting for the commission to act, and the town has heard from more businesses wanting to set up shop." EYE ON 2020 - "Cory Booker, Yankees fan, seeks support in Red Sox territory," by Steve LeBlanc, Associated Press: "New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, a Yankees fan, worked to whip up support for his presidential bid by venturing into the heart of rival Red Sox territory — a sports bar across from Fenway Park. On Monday, Booker told backers at the fundraising event that fellow Democratic presidential hopefuls should aim higher than just trying to oust President Donald Trump in next year's election." THE LOCAL ANGLE - "Want to know a Newton City Council candidate's opinion on Riverside? Northland? Don't ask." by John Hilliard, Boston Globe: "As the Nov. 5 municipal election approaches, many candidates running for Newton City Council are keeping their opinions to themselves on two major mixed-use developments that will need council approval. A city attorney argues that councilors must not say whether they support or oppose those proposals in order to maintain the fairness of the city's formal review process. And many challengers are following suit — they, too, have remained silent in case they are elected and asked to deliberate on the projects." - "State fines former Pepperell selectmen $6,000," by Jon Winkler, Nashoba Valley Voice: "The state Ethics Commission has fined the former chairman of the Board of Selectmen $6,000 after he admitted to violating the state's conflict of interest law multiple times over the last year. According to a press release from the Ethics Commission issued on Monday, Roland Nutter violated the law by participating in discussions involving the employment contract and salary of his wife,Treasurer-Collector Debbie Nutter." - "Bodies unclaimed: No one required to pick up the dead in Mass." by Brad Petrishen, Telegram & Gazette: "No state law requires anyone to retrieve a body in a timely fashion, and no state regulations define whose responsibility it is to arrange for that to occur. That means that, unless the state Medical Examiner accepts a case, the job falls to police. And it can be a very difficult job, as a Western Massachusetts police officer learned. "We tied up two officers for a total of five hours while we made arrangements," Hadley Lt. Mitchell Kuk recalled recently of a case in which a man died in his town with no immediate kin." - "Taunton Mayor Debate," by Tim White, WPRI: "On a special edition of Newsmakers: a debate between the two candidates running for Taunton mayor, Estele Borges and Shaunna O'Connell. The pair debate issues including the closure of the landfill, proposals for new pot shops, and Gov. Charlie Baker's last-minute appointment for the incumbent mayor." WELCOME TO THE WORLD - Shane Dunn, head of development and alumni relations at Brandeis International Business School and a GLAD board member, and Elizabeth Bernardi welcomed their second child, Eleanor, on Oct. 13. HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to state Rep. John Rogers, public information officer & education policy adviser for the city of New Bedford Jonathan Carvalho; Lindsay Kalter, Jenna Lamond, and Connor Meoli, who is 25 today. DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? Yes! The Patriots beat the Jets 33-0. FOR YOUR COMMUTE: WU TRAIN PLAN - On this week's Horse Race podcast, Steve Koczela and I break down the latest Democratic presidential debate. We speak with Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu about her proposal to scrap the BPDA, and Steve talks about Gov. Charlie Baker's ban on vaping sales with Allyson Perron of the American Heart Association. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud. Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you're promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com. A message from Bay State Wind: With the most in-the-field research, most advanced permits and most experienced team, Bay State Wind knows how to deliver quality projects on-time and on-budget. We know how to bring jobs and benefits to our local communities. But most importantly, we know Massachusetts. Backed by Ørsted and Eversource, we're building Massachusetts' clean energy future, one turbine at a time. More at baystatewind.com     NEXT WEEK ― POLITICO PULSE AT MILKEN: We will bring a special edition of the POLITICO Pulse newsletter to the Milken Institute Future of Health Summit in Washington, D.C., from Oct. 28 - 30. Dan Diamond will take you inside the most influential gathering of industry leaders and innovators of the year, keeping you apprised of the key takeaways, pivotal moments and most important conversations each day. Sign up today to receive exclusive coverage of the Summit.       Follow us on Twitter Stephanie Murray @StephMurr_Jour   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters FOLLOW US

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