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GOOD MORNING, TITLETOWN, U.S.A.
COMING TO A TV NEAR SPRINGFIELD — The billionaire-funded group dedicated to impeaching President Donald Trump will launch a six-figure television ad buy in Springfield today. Tom Steyer's Need to Impeach campaign is targeting Rep. Richard Neal's district in an effort to get the House Ways and Means chairman to move forward with impeaching the president.
Need to Impeach is spending $109,000 on the two-week ad buy , and plans to hire paid staff and launch a door-to-door canvassing effort. And next week, Steyer will be in Springfield on Feb. 12 for a town hall to talk about his push for impeachment.
"It's time to hold Donald Trump accountable, and we can do our part here in Massachusetts. All we need is our Congressman Richard Neal to be with us," the ad says. "Neal can subpoena Trump's tax returns and vote to start impeachment hearings against the most lawless and corrupt president in American history."
For his part, Neal has repeatedly said Congress should " avoid the emotion " of the moment and says he is preparing a case to request Trump's tax returns in a careful, methodical way. The 30-second Need to Impeach ad targeting Neal includes a phone number, which connects the caller to an automated voice that thanks them for urging Neal to start impeachment proceedings and asks for a zip code. Need to Impeach is targeting four other House committee chairs to start impeachment proceedings against Trump. The group held a summit in Washington last week and delivered "articles of impeachment" to Neal's office, according to a Need to Impeach spokesperson.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com.
TODAY - Acting Gov. Karyn Polito, House Speaker Robert DeLeo, Senate President Karen Spilka, Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus chair Rep. Carlos Gonzalez, Treasurer Deborah Goldberg and Reverend Talbert Swan hold a Black Excellence on the Hill event at the State House. Polito, DeLeo and Spilka hold a weekly leadership meeting.
State Sen. Jamie Eldridge and State Sen. Joe Boncore tour the Nexamp, Inc. headquarters in Boston with state Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, state Rep. Shawn Dooley and Boston City Councilors Annissa Essaibi George and Matt O'Malley. Rep. Joe Kennedy III talks 'moral capitalism' at the John T. Dunlop Memorial Forum in Cambridge.
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 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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- "Relenting to courts, state will not block reinstatement of some firearm licenses," by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "In a reversal, Governor Charlie Baker's administration has told local police chiefs it will not block the court-ordered reinstatement of certain firearm licenses, opening up a new front in a legal fight that could touch hundreds of prospective gun owners. After initially resisting judicial rulings, the state has moved to process the permits of at least a dozen people who had their licenses stripped, even though the state had once cleared them to own a firearm."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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- "Bay State Dems call on Northam to resign over racist photo," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "More and more top Democrats — including members of the Massachusetts delegation — are calling on embattled Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, one of their own, to leave office after a bizarre couple of days in which he first apologized for and then denied he was in a racist yearbook photo. Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Edward J. Markey tweeted Sunday, 'For the sake of his constituents and plain decency, Governor Northam should resign. Defiance in the face of near universal agreement is either ignorance or arrogance. Both are intolerable.'"
- "Ideas on increasing diversity at State Police draw criticism," by Matt Rocheleau, Boston Globe: "How do you improve diversity and equity at the Massachusetts State Police, where eight in 10 troopers are white men, no minorities hold high-ranking positions, and numerous discrimination complaints have been filed? That was the weighty question a special commission studied throughout the fall before issuing several recommendations at the end of December. But the group's proposals have sparked criticism. Detractors, including a trooper who served on the commission, say the ideas won't bring nearly enough change."
- "Stricter background checks could ensnare thousands of child care workers," by Kay Lazar, Boston Globe: "Should someone convicted of assault for a schoolyard brawl decades ago be banned from working in child care? What if that person was charged but never convicted? A sea change in state and federal laws governing criminal background checks for child care workers, intended to improve safety in day care, could force out thousands who have a prior offense, even if they've worked without problems for years."
- "At A Boston Mosque, Baker Gets A Warm Reception," by Isaiah Thompson, WGBH News: "The Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center, the largest mosque in New England, is no stranger to Massachusetts politicians: Mosque leaders attended the swearing-in of Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey this year; and mosque Imam Shaykh Yassir Fahmy offered a benediction at Boston Mayor Marty Walsh's recent State of the City address. But Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker's visit to the mosque Friday was, according to mosque leaders, the first time a sitting Republican Massachusetts governor visited a mosque here — and Baker received a warm welcome."
- "Wynn CEO reassures investors Everett casino will open on time," by Jon Chesto, Boston Globe: "The Massachusetts Gaming Commission hasn't given Encore Boston Harbor the green light yet. But that isn't stopping Wynn Resorts from reassuring investors the $2.6 billion casino is still scheduled to open in June, as planned. Wynn's chief executive, Matt Maddox, crowed to analysts on Wednesday that the company was on track for a June 23 opening, despite an unresolved state investigation. A major financial boost for Wynn, he promised, is just five months away."
- "Massachusetts Will Likely Wait To Recoup Unpaid Conn. Tolls," by Susan Haigh, Associated Press: "Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker wants Connecticut to help his administration collect millions of dollars in unpaid highway tolls, calling for a reciprocity agreement with neighboring state officials. But the Republican may have to wait to see whether 2019 is the year Connecticut lawmakers finally vote to implement some form of tolling."
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| ON THE STUMP |
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- "Spending On Statewide Campaigns In 2018 Down From Last Cycle," Associated Press: "Candidates for statewide office in Massachusetts spent $26.4 million during the last election cycle, a big number but 20 percent less than what was spent by statewide candidates four years ago. That's according to figures released by the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance."
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| TRUMPACHUSETTS |
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- "LIVELY CONSIDERING 2020 RUN FOR CONGRESS IN ANY DISTRICT," by Matt Murphy, State House News Service:"Conservative and controversial pastor Scott Lively says he's considering running for Congress in 2020, and also hasn't ruled out another run for governor after earning 36 percent of the Republican primary vote in the 2018 election against Gov. Charlie Baker. Lively, an anti-gay Springfield pastor and ardent supporter of the president's, said his goal is not only to win, but to 'deliver' Massachusetts for President Donald Trump in 2020."
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| WARREN REPORT |
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- "Warren flexes muscles with campaign kickoff tour," by Natasha Korecki, POLITICO: "Sen. Elizabeth Warren is preparing a robust launch to her presidential campaign in her home state of Massachusetts next week, followed by a six-state, cross-country tour that will take her to four early presidential states, key Southern states and delegate-rich California, where an early primary is becoming an critical calculation to 2020 Democratic aspirants."
- "Cherokee Nation says Warren apologized for DNA test," by Caitlin Oprysko, POLITICO: "Sen. Elizabeth Warren has apologized to the Cherokee Nation for her widely panned decision to promote DNA test results showing traces of native ancestry, the tribe said Friday. 'We are encouraged by this dialogue and understanding that being a Cherokee Nation tribal citizen is rooted in centuries of culture and laws, not through DNA tests,' said Julie Hubbard, executive director of communications for the Cherokee Nation."
- "2020 Democratic holdouts wait for Harris, Warren to trip," by David Siders, POLITICO: "Beto O'Rourke has no timetable for deciding if he'll run for president. Terry McAuliffe could stay on the sidelines until March, and Steve Bullock just opened a Montana legislative session that likely would push back any announcement as far as April or May. Amid a series of high-profile campaign announcements in January — and with Cory Booker's entry Friday continuing the push this month — another class of Democrats is lying in wait. They say they just haven't decided. But they're also sizing up the emerging field — and hoping for one or more of the early front-runners to stumble ."
- "Soak the rich? Americans say go for it," by Ben White, POLITICO: "The prospect of 70 percent tax rates for multimillionaires and special levies on the super-rich draw howls about creeping socialism and warnings of economic disaster in much of Washington. But polling suggests that when it comes to soaking the rich, the American public is increasingly on board."
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| 2020 WATCH |
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- MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE: "In N.H., Senator Kirsten Gillibrand reaches out to voters with a populist message," by Jeremy C. Fox, Boston Globe: "US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand espouses liberal views on many issues — she supports Medicare for all, comprehensive immigration reform, and 'common-sense' gun control laws — but the New York Democrat also describes herself as able to find common ground with Republicans, even in this era of hyperpartisanship. On Gillibrand's initial visit as a potential presidential candidate in the state with the first-in-the-nation primary, she presented herself Saturday as brisk and focused, but enough of a regular person to pause retail politicking for some retail therapy, trying on and buying a blue dress with a subtle floral pattern — off the sale rack."
- "The 'Draft Beto' campaign started in a diner in Dorchester," by James Pindell, Boston Globe: "More than 2,300 miles from El Paso, Texas, the hometown of former US Senate candidate and Democratic Party rock star Beto O'Rourke, three friends gathered in November for a late breakfast at Victoria's Diner behind the South Bay shopping center in Dorchester. Through text messages and conference calls, the trio of thirtysomething Massachusetts political operatives had been celebrating and commiserating about Democratic wins and loses around the country — but the conversation kept coming back to O'Rourke, the 46-year-old, three-term US representative who used social media to raise more money than any other Senate candidate in history."
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| MOULTON MATTERS |
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- "Inside the Midterm Misstep That May Haunt Seth Moulton," by Hanna Trudo, National Journal: "Ahead of his trip to Bedford on Saturday, interviews with nearly a dozen Democratic Party operatives, activists, and former campaign staffers in the first-in-the-nation primary state reveal a misstep that could play an outsized role in determining Moulton's showing here should the ambitious congressman from neighboring Massachusetts decide to run for president."
- "Seth Moulton dances around 2020 talk in brief N.H. visit," by James Pindell, Boston Globe: "Representative Seth Moulton traveled Saturday across the state's northern border, where he introduced himself to major Democratic activists in the first-in-the-nation presidential primary state. It was just unclear why he came. With roughly a year to go until the 2020 New Hampshire primary, a number of potential candidates are hiring local staff and crisscrossing the state, like Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York was scheduled to do all weekend. But as Moulton, 40, took questions for about 45 minutes from the crowd of 50 in a house on a quiet cul-de-sac, the Salem Democrat never even winked at whether he would be the second person from Massachusetts to seek the presidency."
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "THE JOY OF SIX" — Globe: "DYNASTY ROLLS ON," "Pats rock Rams, tie title record." |
| FROM THE 413 |
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- "Senator proposes new office," by Grace Bird, Greenfield Recorder: "Western Massachusetts is brimming with opportunities to get outdoors during every season — there's skiing, fishing, hiking, even hot-air ballooning. The problem, according to Sen. Adam Hinds, D-Pittsfield, is that these activities aren't well-known. To raise awareness about outdoor activities in Massachusetts, Hinds has filed a bill that would create an Office of Outdoor Recreation. The office would operate within the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. The Executive Office declined to comment, as the legislation is pending."
- "McGovern vows not to accept corporate money," by Luis Fieldman, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "Since Democrats won the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives following the 2018 midterm elections, campaign and ethics law reform has emerged as a legislative priority. On Saturday, U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern held a town hall event at the World War II Club to address the powerful influence that major corporations have on American politics - and pledged to no longer accept corporate donations."
- "Long-distance lockup | Out-of-county jail deepens women's woes," by Heather Bellow, Berkshire Eagle: "While sending women to the Chicopee jail solves a logistics problem for the Berkshire County sheriff, it results in a system that treats women in custody differently than men, making it harder and more expensive for them to remain in touch with families and complicating their access to legal representation."
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| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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- "Derailed bid to restore historic Worcester Market is a tale of 'what might have been,'" by Mark Sullivan, Telegram & Gazette:"It's the building the downtown redevelopment boom forgot. The Worcester Market at 627 Main St. is one of the city's most remarkable landmarks. With its glazed terracotta exterior decorated with medallions of rams' heads and game birds, its name spelled out in ornate lettering crowned by a high-relief steer's head, the store was perhaps the largest indoor market of its kind in the country when it was built in 1914, and a prototype of the modern supermarket. However, an ambitious plan in 2017 to restore the building as a Faneuil Hall-style public market did not get off the ground, when the prospective buyer could not reach a deal with the landlord."
- "National Park employees 'excited to be back' to work," by Aimee Chiavaroli, New Bedford Standard-Times: "The New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park staff is happy to be back to work and looking forward to monthly programs following the end of the record-long government shutdown. 'The staff was excited to be back. We had volunteers show up for their shifts as soon as we opened. Lots of people sent emails and left voicemails welcoming us back and the visitor center staff said there was a celebratory feel to the week,' said Jennifer Smith, acting superintendent at the park, via text message on Sunday afternoon."
SPOTTED: Sen. Ed Markey and Dr. Susan Blumenthal on Sunday afternoon at Bethesda Row Cinema watching "Vice."
HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY - to Boston Police Commissioner William Gross, who celebrated Friday, and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, who celebrated Sunday.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to David Edelman, director of MIT's Project on Technology, Economy & National Security, and Gov. Charlie Baker's senior adviser Tim Buckley.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? Yes!!! The Patriots beat the Rams 13-3 to win the Super Bowl!
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