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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. TGIF.
WARREN WELCOMES BETO — Sen. Elizabeth Warren was one of several candidates who fundraised off Beto O'Rourke's entrance into the 2020 presidential race yesterday, writing "Welcome, Beto!" in an email to her supporters.
"More candidates means more people are going to take their time deciding who will get their full support," Warren wrote in her fundraising email. "If you're with Elizabeth — the woman with the bold, fearless plans to tackle the root causes of the problems we're facing in America — today is the day you need to make your first donation."
The note is a window into how Warren will distinguish herself from the 46-year-old former Texas congressman, who first captured attention when he ran for Senate and lost to Ted Cruz. We're approaching a key quarterly fundraising deadline for presidential candidates, and the pressure is on for Warren to prove she can generate a wave of small-dollar support after she swore off PAC money and courting wealthy donors.
And while this week marks O'Rourke's first official foray into the 2020 race, a group led by three Boston-based strategists has been working on his behalf. Shortly after O'Rourke announced his candidacy, the Draft Beto 2020 group led by Lauren Pardi, Will Herberich and Adam Webster shared the details of their efforts over the last several months. The organization built a list of 30,000 supporters, held events in two-dozen states and organized in the early-voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire, according to an email sent to supporters.
ST. PATRICK'S DAY BREAKFAST — State Sen. Nick Collins will host the annual St. Patrick's Day Breakfast in South Boston on Sunday. The 118-year-old tradition starts at 9:30 a.m., followed by the St. Patrick's Day Parade at 1 p.m.
The breakfast will be held at the Flynn Cruiseport on the South Boston Waterfront for the first time this year, a move Collins said is meant to highlight the port economy and act as a nod to when the area was a port of entry for thousands of immigrants, during an interview with NECN. The South Boston lawmaker said former state Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry, who used to host the breakfast, has been helping him prepare for Sunday's event.
"I find it a way to bring people together, have some fun, have some laughs, poke fun at each other, but also particularly yourself, and make light of what can be a serious job," Collins said. If you aren't headed to Southie for Sunday's revelry, you can catch the action live on NECN.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com.
PLAYBOOK POOL: It's tournament time, which means it's time for the 3 rd Annual Playbook Pool bracket challenge hosted by our Playbook authors across the country (DC, NY, NJ, MA, IL, FL, & CA)! Track who's up and who's down throughout the tournament as you compete against your friends, top Playbookers, political insiders and VIPs to win prizes including Amazon Echo, Series 3 Apple iWatch, iPhoneXR and more. Create your bracket starting on Selection Sunday (March 17) after the highly anticipated field of teams in this year's tournament are chosen. Click HERE to get in the game!
TODAY — Gov. Charlie Baker, Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera, state Sen. Diana DiZoglio, state Rep. Frank Moran, state Rep. Marcos Devers and state Rep. Christina Minicucci attend the 50th annual Ancient Order of Hibernians St. Patrick's Day Luncheon. Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, Rep. Stephen Lynch, state Sen. Nick Collins and state Rep. David Biele attend the South Boston Citizens' Association 139th Annual Evacuation Day Banquet.
Rep. Joe Kennedy III speaks at the Newton St. Patrick's Day breakfast. State Senate President Karen Spilka speaks at an Associated Industries of Massachusetts forum. The Baker administration testifies before the House and Senate Ways and Means committees in Worcester. Rep. Richard Neal attends Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni's St. Patrick's Day Party. Sen. Elizabeth Warren makes campaign stops in Salem and Exeter, New Hampshire.
The Massachusetts Association of 766 Approved Private Schools hosts a "bring your legislator to school" day at the Milestone School in Waltham with state Sen. Michael Barrett, state Sen. Mike Rush, state Sen. Ryan Fattman, state Rep. Paul McMurtry and state Rep. Kay Khan. Former Gov. Bill Weld speaks at the Wild Irish Breakfast in Nashua.
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 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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- "Gov. Charlie Baker pushes bill to crack down on marijuana-impaired drivers," by Shira Schoenberg, Springfield Republican:"Gov. Charlie Baker and police officials are urging lawmakers to pass a bill that would suspend the license of any driver stopped by police who refuses a drug test — despite the lack of a fully accurate roadside test for marijuana impairment. Baker's bill — which also includes additional training for police officers, an expansion of the state's open container law, and a range of other provisions — would help the state crack down on impaired driving after marijuana legalization."
- "Dialing up the road safety debate," by Andy Metzger, CommonWealth Magazine: ROOTED IN ONE of the most abominable facets of the nation's past, racial profiling remains a risk today for drivers of color. At the same time, the havoc caused by motorists distracted by smartphones, a triumph of ingenuity and engineering, presents a uniquely modern hazard on streets and highways. Efforts to grapple with those two perils are now on a collision course in the Legislature."
- "Central, Western Massachusetts reps. reverse votes on 'gay conversion therapy' ban," by Chris Lisinski, State House News Service: "The House on Wednesday gave Rep. Susannah Whipps of Athol a rare second chance to record a vote in favor of a ban on conversion therapy after the independent legislator said that her initial vote against it was by mistake. The House voted 147-8 on Wednesday in favor of H 140, which outlaws state-licensed therapists from attempting to change a minor's sexual orientation or gender identity."
- "In This #MeToo Moment, A Bid To Raise Restaurant Server Wages," by Stephanie Leydon, WGBH News: "The restaurant's doing so well, there are plans to open a second one. And, as he makes his mark on the local food scene, Lewin is also pushing to make a key aspect of his business model the norm. He's advocating for legislation that would require all restaurants in Massachusetts to pay wait staff the prevailing minimum wage. Backers say the measure would help eliminate on-the-job harassment, but critics say upending the established system will hurt both restaurant owners and servers."
- "DRAFTKINGS ANGLING FOR PIECE OF PRO SPORTS BETTING," by Colin A. Young, State House News Service: "With legislation to legalize and regulate sports betting on the horizon in Massachusetts, representatives from a Boston-based mobile sports wagering service visited the State House on Thursday to remind a key House lawmaker of what they said are the benefits of mobile betting. With the gift of a football helmet decorated with stickers bearing the names and hometowns of Massachusetts residents who signed a petition calling for the ability to place bets on sporting events online or through a mobile app in tow, DraftKings official James Chisholm stopped by Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante's office to keep mobile betting on the Economic Development and Emerging Technologies Committee chairwoman's front burner."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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- "Group Of Civilly Committed Men Sues Mass. Alleging Gender Discrimination In 'Section 35' Law," by Deborah Becker, WBUR:"A group of men is suing the state of Massachusetts over the law, known as "Section 35," that allowed a judge to involuntarily commit each of them to addiction treatment. The lawsuit filed by 10 men civilly committed to Massachusetts Alcohol and Substance Abuse Center (MASAC), a minimum security prison in Plymouth, alleges that because the state no longer allows women to be involuntarily committed to prisons for addiction treatment, it should not do so for men, either. MASAC is overseen by the Massachusetts Department of Correction."
- "GE Says 2019 Will Be A 'Reset' Year," by Zeninjor Enwemeka, WBUR: "There's another tough year ahead for General Electric. The Boston-based conglomerate on Thursday issued a bleak forecast for 2019 that warned of lower profit targets and weak cash flow. GE said its industrial operations could lose $2 billion more cash than they generate this year. GE also said it has cut its corporate staff down to 18,000 workers -- from 28,000 at the end of 2017 — and there are 'more actions underway.'"
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| WARREN REPORT |
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| ON THE STUMP |
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- "Weld among headliners at Wild Irish Breakfast in Nashua," by John DiStaso, WMUR: " If it's St. Patrick's Day -- and it almost is - it's time for the PLUS Company's "Wild Irish Breakfast" in Nashua. This year's event, the 28th annual, will be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Nashua on Friday beginning at 7:30 a.m. The headliner is former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, who, as has been well-documented, is exploring a run for the Republican presidential nomination against President Donald Trump. There's plenty of roasting of speakers and guests at the annual breakfast and this year will certainly be no exception."
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| DATELINE D.C. |
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- "Mitt Romney, Mass. Democrats vote to block President Donald Trump's emergency declaration," by Shannon Young, Springfield Republican: "U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney, a Utah Republican and former Massachusetts governor, crossed the political aisle Thursday to join Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey and other Democrats in voting to block President Donald Trump's declaration of a federal emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border. Romney, who was among a handful of GOP lawmakers to endorse the House-passed resolution, helped Democrats advance the controversial measure through the Republican-led Senate on a 59 to 41 vote."
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| KENNEDY COMPOUND |
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- "Rep. Joe Kennedy: Fall River Deserves 'Stability,' Mayor's 'Full Attention,'" by Tori Bedford, WGBH News: "Following the vote recall and ultimate re-election of embattled Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia, Rep. Joe Kennedy III said that while he thinks Correia should step down, the "will of the voters" must be respected. "Fall River deserves some stability and someone who can devote their full attention," Kennedy said during an interview with Boston Public Radio Thursday. "I can only imagine how much attention somebody can give to the job of serving the public when they're under multiple counts of a federal indictment." In Tuesday's special election, Correia was recalled and then re-elected, despite his arrest last year on federal fraud and tax evasion charges. Correia denies the charges."
- "Here's what Joe Kennedy III had to say about his 'good friend' Beto O'Rourke running for president," by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: "Rep. Joe Kennedy III is admittedly in an "odd position." Last summer, the Massachusetts congressman traveled to Texas to campaign for fellow Democrat and former House classmate Beto O'Rourke, who was challenging incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. "Everybody asks me all the time who's going to be the next president of the United States," Kennedy said in a video filmed while he drove O'Rourke in April."
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| EYE ON 2020 |
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- "Beto, Biden, Bernie beg the question: Is this the right time for a white guy?" by Stephanie Ebbert and James Pindell, Boston Globe: "Beto O'Rourke's entry Thursday into a crowded field of Democrats running for president in 2020 brought up an awkward question for perhaps the first time ever in American politics: Is this the right time for a white guy to run? It's an inverted question in a country where 43 of 44 presidents have fit that precise demographic. The current field of 15 Democrats is the most diverse in history, featuring two African-Americans, five women, a Latino, an Asian-American, and a gay man. And the 2018 midterms delivered historic wins for women and people of color, sending a wave of diversity to Washington ."
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "TRANSPARENCY, CASINO-STYLE," Globe: "More artists are tied to scam artist's charity," "Deadly attacks on mosques in N. Zealand," "ALL IS BRIGHT AT THE CATHEDRAL." |
| FROM THE 413 |
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- "Neal spokesman: 'Strong case' taking shape to request Trump tax returns," by Larry Parnass, The Berkshire Eagle: "A spokesman for U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal cites progress in preparing a case to request President Donald Trump's income tax returns. But the pace has mobilized progressive Democrats, who question the methodical approach taken by the Springfield Democrat, who became chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee on Jan. 3. "A strong case is being built," said William Tranghese, a Neal spokesman. "Chairman Neal will continue to conduct this process in a judicious, methodical and deliberative manner." Neal's office was asked for an update Wednesday, the day activist Tom Steyer held a town hall-style gathering in the state's 1st Congressional District, part of an effort to pressure Neal on the tax return issue."
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| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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- "'Revenge politics;' Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia kicks opponent off committee hours after re-election," by Jacqueline Tempera, MassLive.com: "Less than 24 hours after Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia II won his position back amid a recall election and federal charges he removed one of his challengers from the B.M.C Durfee High School Building Committee. "We have a word down here for this - revenge politics," Paul Coogan said in an interview with MassLive Thursday. "It's not what's best for the city it's what's best for the mayor." Coogan, who is the former vice principal of the B.M.C Durfee High School, came in a close second place in the mayor's race."
TRANSITIONS - Frank A. De Vito was elected managing director of Rackemann, Sawyer & Brewster, and will succeed outgoing Managing Director Michael F. O'Connell on July 1.
- David Hess joins The Dowd Agencies as an insurance producer responsible for writing personal, commercial and life insurance plans.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to the New York Times' Sopan Deb.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? Yes and no! The Celtics beat the Kings 126-120. The Jets beat the Bruins 4-3.
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