Apr. 20, 2010: Republicans re-energized

>> Rooney: MASSACHUSETTS

REPUBLICANS ARE FLUSH WITH

CONFIDENCE THESE DAYS,

BUOYED BY SCOTT BROWN'S

SENATE WIN AND THE

PROSPECT OF RETAKEING THE

GOVERNOR'S OFFICE.

THEY WERE CONFIDENT IN

2004 WHEN THEN GOVERNOR

MITT ROMNEY TRIED TO ROLL

BACK DEMOCRATIC DOMINANCE

AND BEACON HILL.

THAT YEAR THE G.O.P. LOST

SEATS, BUT REPUBLICANS SAY

THIS FALL WILL BE

DIFFERENT.

THE STATE REPUBLICAN

CONVENTION IN WORCESTER

WAS A CORONATION FOR

CHARLIE BAKER, WHERE HE

EASILY WON HIS PARTY'S

ENDORSEMENT FOR GOVERNOR.

>> IF YOU BELIEVE, LIKE

ME, THAT MASSACHUSETTS

CANNOT AFFORD FOUR MORE

YEARS OF TAX AND SPEND

MEDIOCRITY, THAT YOU, THE

PEOPLE OF THIS STATE,

DESERVE A MORE ACCOUNTABLE

AND RESPONSIVE GOVERNMENT

THAN THE ONE YOU WANT NOW,

THEN YOU SHOULD VOTE FOR

ME.

>> Rooney: SOME LESSER

KNOWN CANDIDATES ALSO

TAPPED INTO THE PARTIES

NEW RUN.

SHE SAYS THERE IS REASON

TO RUN IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF

G.O.P. DARLING SENATOR

SCOTT BROWN.

>> SCOTT BROWN IS VERY

MUCH A PERSON LIKE ME WHO

UNDERSTOOD IN HIS CORE

THERE IS SOMETHING GOING

ON AMONG THE PEOPLE.

>> Rooney: EVEN THOSE

CANDIDATES LESS INCLINED

TO REPLICATE BROWN, THEY

AGREED BROWN'S WIN BEARS A

CRUCIAL LESSON.

>> THAT'S THE ONE THING

THAT SENATOR BROWN SHOWED

US, WAS THAT THERE IS

NOTHING MORE POWERFUL THAN

HAVING THE RIGHT MESSAGE

AND THE RIGHT ISSUES AT

THE RIGHT TIME.

WE TRULY DO HAVE THAT.

>> Rooney: AND SHESEL

SAYS THE CONTRAST BETWEEN

THIS YEAR AND 2004 WHEN

REPUBLICANS MAIN A BIG

PUSH TO GAIN GROUND IS

STARK.

>> I THINK THE MAJOR

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 2004

AND 2010 IS WHERE THE

MOMENTUM IS COMING FROM.

IN 2004 IT WAS COMING FROM

THE TOP DOWN, FROM

GOVERNOR ROMNEY.

I THINK THIS YEAR IT IS

TRULY COMING FROM THE

LOCAL LEVELS.

>> Rooney: WHETHER THAT

DIFFERENCE WILL MEAN WINS

THIS NOVEMBER IS AN OPEN

QUESTION.

BUT THE MESSAGE THAT THE

G.O.P. IS DOWN RIGHT

FOOLISH ABOUT ITS

PROSPECTS.

JOINING ME ARE ADAM

REILLY, AND G.O.P.

CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE

JON GOLNIK.

YOU GAVE UP A RAINY SUNDAY

TO ATTEND THE REPUBLICAN

CONVENTION.

THIS IS SORT OF LIKE THE

OLD-FASHIONED CONVENTIONS

WHERE STUFF REALLY

HAPPENED AND PEOPLE GOT

RILED UP.

>> COMPARED TO SOME OF THE

NATIONAL CONVENTIONS --

THERE WAS A QUESTION IF

CHRISTIE MYHOS WAS GOING

TO MAKE THE BALLOT.

HE ENDED UP NOT MAKING THE

BALLOT.

THE SENSE OF ENERGY WAS

REALLY PALPABLE.

YOU GOT THE IMPRESSION

THAT STATE REPUBLICANS ARE

VERY CONFIDENT THEY'RE

GOING TO PICK UP SEATS IN

NOVEMBER.

AND ALSO THEY'RE

EXPERIENCING SORT OF

FIRSTHAND THE REINVENTION

OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A

MASSACHUSETTS REPUBLICAN.

THAT WAS PALPABLE ALL

ACROSS THE CONVENTION HALL

ON SATURDAY.

>> Rooney: YOU'RE

RUNNING AGAINST NIKI

TSONGAS.

RIGHT NOW OR CONGRESSIONAL

DELEGATION IS ALL

DEMOCRATIC.

WE HAVE A SENATOR,

DEMOCRATIC, AND A

REPUBLICAN PARTY FOR THE

FIRST TIME.

TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT

HOW YOU FELT ENERGIZED BY

THIS GATHERING.

AND WAS THERE A UNIFIED

MESSAGE THAT EVERYBODY IS

ON HERE?

>> YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE

WAS A LOT OF ENERGY THERE.

AND I THINK THAT THIS IS

LARGELY BEING DRIVEN BY

SCOTT BROWN'S ELECTION

BACK IN JANUARY.

I THINK THAT SCOTT BROWN'S

ELECTION PROVED TO VOTERS

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A

LONG TIME THAT THEIR VOTE

DOES COUNT.

A LOT OF VOTERS ARE FEEG

DISENFRANCHISED, AND THEY

DON'T HAVE A VOICE.

SO IT IS AN EXCITING PLACE

TO BE.

>> DORIS: FOR SCOTTBROWN -- .

>> Rooney: FOR SCOTT

BROWN, THERE WAS A LOT OF

THINGS THAT HAPPENED.

MARTHA COAKLEY WAS

CRITICIZED FOR RUNNING A

MON TONE, VISIONLESS

CAMPAIGN AND SOME REGARDS.

SCOTT BROWN, THE BARN

JACKET.

THE HANDSOME, YOU KNOW --

HE HAD THE HEALTH CARE

BILL ISSUE TO GRAB ON TO.

I MEAN, IT IS NOT SO EASY

TO RIDE ON TO SOMEBODY'S

COAT TAILS.

>> IT ISN'T.

PEOPLE LIKE TO ASK ME IF

I'M A SCOTT BROWN

REPUBLICAN.

AND MY ANSWER IS THAT IS

I'M A JON GOLNIK

REPUBLICAN.

I DON'T THINK THERE IS ANY

REPUBLICAN THAT WILL AGREE

WITH ANY OTHER REPUBLICAN

ON EVERY SINGLE ISSUE.

SO, YOU KNOW, I TELL

PEOPLE I'M GOING TO RUN MY

OWN RACE.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING

I'M GOING TO FOCUS ON IS

LISTENING TO THE PEOPLE.

>> IT IS WORTH KNOWING

THAT A LOT OF THE

CANDIDATES, INCLUDING YOU,

I'M SURE, HAD MADE THE

DECISION TO RUN BEFORE

SCOTT BROWN.

WHICH, I THINK, TO MY MIND

MAKES IT MORE CREDIBLE,

THE ARGUMENT THERE IS

REALLY SOMETHING AFOOT

HERE, A GRASSROOTS FORMAT

GOING ON.

IF YOU JUST DECIDED TO RUN

BECAUSE SCOTT BROWN GOT IN

AND YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD

GIVE IT A SHOT, THEN IT

WOULD SEEM LIKE A

KNEE-JERK REACTION, AND

THAT'S NOT WHAT IS

HAPPENING.

>> WHAT IS INTERESTING, I

STARTED THIS PROCESS A

LITTLE LESS THAN TWO YEARS

AGO.

I DID A LOT OF RESEARCH

INTO THE DISTRICT AND THE

ELECTION TRENDS IN THE

DISTRICT.

I WENT TO WASHINGTON, D.C.

IN AUGUST --

>> Rooney: SHE WAS ONLY

ELECTED 18 MONTHS AGO.

>> RIGHT.

AND SHE RAN UNOPPOSED IN

THE 2008 CYCLE.

BUT I HAD TALKED TO THE

NATIONAL REPUBLICAN PARTY

DOWN IN WASHINGTON IN

AUGUST, AND THEN I WENT

AHEAD AND STARTED PUTTING

TOGETHER MY CAMPAIGN, A

GROUP THAT WOULD RUN MY

CAMPAIGN IN SEPTEMBER.

SO WE FELT SOMEWHAT

VINDICATED BY SCOTT

BROWN'S ELECTION BECAUSE

WE'RE AT THE POINT WHERE

SOMETHING IS GOING ON IN

MASSACHUSETTS AND WE FELT

THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY

HERE.

>> Rooney: I'M CURIOUS

ABOUT THE KIND OF TEA

PARTY PRESENCE THERE.

YOU WERE TELLING ME A LOT

OF PEOPLE -- THEY WERE

YOUNG AND ORGANIZED.

BUT ACCORDING TO THAT

STUDY THAT JUST CAME OUT

LAST WEEK, MOST OF THE TEA

PARTY PEOPLE ARE OVER 45,

WHITE MALE, WEALTHIER.

BUT THAT IS NOT

NECESSARILY THE NEW

REPUBLICAN.

>> I DON'T THINK THAT'S IT

ACROSS THE BOARD.

ONE GUY WHO I THINK IS

REPRESENTATIVE OF THE TEA

PARTY STRAIN HAVING AN

EFFECT ON THE BROADER

G.O.P. -- I SHOULDN'T SAY

THE BROTHER G.O.P., BUT

CAMREL JANE, AND A WOMAN

WHO CAME UP IN THE STATE

REPUBLICAN ESTABLISHMENT.

JANE USED TO BE A

LIBERTARIAN.

HE IS ENDORSED BY RON

PAUL.

HE IS A BIG TEA PARTY FAN,

AND HE MANAGED TO GET THE

15% TO GET ON THE BALLOT.

NOW, I'M NOT EXPECTING HIM

TO BEAT MARY.

HE HAS A VERY, VERY TOUGH

ROW TO HOE THERE.

BUT HE SEES HIMSELF, AND

CANDIDATES LIKE HIM, AS

SORT OF BRINGING THE

MASSACHUSETTS REPUBLICAN

PARTY BACK TO WHERE IT

SHOULD BE.

BRINGING IT AWAY FROM A

WILLINGNESS TO SUPPORT BIG

GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS.

MAKING IT MORE

CONSERVATIVE FISCALLY, AND

IN SOME CASES, SOCIALLY,

ALSO.

>> Rooney: JON, WHERE DO

YOU SEE YOURSELF FITTING

IN WITH THE WHOLE TEA

PARTY STRUCTURE?

>> I TELL EVERYONE I'M

WILLING TO GO AND TALK TO

ANY GROUP.

MY MESSAGE IS NOT GOING TO

CHANGE WHATEVER GROUP I'M

TALKING TO.

I WAS AT THE TEA PARTY

EVENT IN BOSTON.

AND I WAS AT THE TEA PARTY

EVENT IN LOWELL.

I THINK THAT THE TEA

PARTY -- WHAT THE MEDIA

THINKS OF IT IS SAD.

I THINK IT IS AN

ORGANIZATION WHICH IS A

GOOD ORGANIZATION --

>> Rooney: YOU'RE

ASSUMING THAT THE MEDIA

DOESN'T THINK MUCH OF IT?

>> THAT'S MY GENERAL

IMPRESSION.

I DO THINK THAT THE TEA

PARTY IS BRINGING PEOPLE

WHO UP UNTIL NOW HAS NOT

BEEN INVOLVED IN THE

POLITICAL PROCESS.

THAT'S GOOD FOR DEMOCRACY

AND GOOD FOR US.

>> Rooney: COMING OUT OF

THIS CONVENTION, I WAS

SURPRISED THAT CHARLIE

BAKER WAS IMMEDIATELY

TALKING ABOUT TIM CAHILL,

AS OPPOSED TO GOVERNOR

DEVAL PATRICK, WHO IS MORE

LIKELY TO BE HIS PRIMARY

OPPONENT, LET'S FACE IT.

>> THAT'S TRUE, BUT

CHARLIE BAKER NEEDS TO

SHORE UP HIS BASE BEFORE

HE CAN WORRY ABOUT DEVAL

PATRICK.

AND CAHILL HAS BEEN IN SID

WUS TO THE TEA PARTY AND

RUNNING TO THE RIGHT ON A

LOT OF ISSUES.

THERE WAS A POLL THAT CAME

OUT, A WESTERN NEW ENGLAND

COLLEGE POLL TAKEN PRIOR

TO THE G.O.P. CONVENTION.

BUT IT SHOWED BAKER

TRAILING BOTH CAHILL AND

PATRICK.

AMONG REGISTERED VOTERS,

34% FOR PATRICK, AND 29%

FOR CAHILL, AND 27% FOR

BAKER.

AND NOW THAT MAY BE

DIFFERENT TODAY BECAUSE OF

ALL OF THE VISIBILITY

BAKER HAS.

CAHILL IS NOT A ROSS PER

PER -- ROSS PEROT.

HE IS A REAL THREAT.

>> Rooney: CHARLIE

BAKER, AND ALL OF THE

GOVERNORS ARE FISCALLY

CONSERVATIVE, SOCIALLY OR

EVEN MODERATE LIBERAL.

CHARLIE BAKER IS THE SAME

ON THAT ISSUE.

DOES THAT MATTER TO THE

TRUE DIE-HARD REPUBLICAN?

>> I THINK THIS YEAR'S

ELECTIONS ARE GOING TO BE

POCKETBOOK ISSUES.

THOSE ISSUES ARE GOING TO

MATTER TO A SEGMENT OF THE

REPUBLICAN PARTY.

BUT OUR CAMPAIGN IS

FOCUSING ON JOBS.

WE THINK OUR MESSAGE CUTS

ACROSS THE POLITICAL

SPECTRUM.

AS I SAID EARLIER, WE'LL

GO AND TALK TO ANYBODY WHO

WANTS TO LISTEN TO US.

>> Rooney: WE'RE LOOKING

FORWARD TO HOSTING A

DEBATE HERE BETWEEN YOU

AND NIKI TSONGAS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> THANK YOU.

>> Rooney: WHEN WE

CONTINUE, THE QUESTIONS

YOUNG WOMEN ARE AFRAID TO

ASK.