Apr. 28, 2010: Tim Cahill on negative ads

 

THE REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS

ASSOCIATION JUST SPENT MORE

THAN A MILLION DOLLARS ON AN

AD ATTACKING INDEPENDENT

GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE TIM

CAHILL.

BUT REPUBLICAN GUBERNATORIAL

CANDIDATE CHARLIE BAKER IS

KEEPING HIS DISTANCE FROM THE

WHOLE AFFAIR.

JARED BOWEN HAS MORE.

 

>> IN POLITICS, IT'S NEVER TOO

EARLY FOR A SMACKDOWN.

 

>> BEACON HILL IS A MESS, TIM

CAHILL IS MAKING IT WORSE.

 

>> THE REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS

ASSOCIATION LAUNCHED AN ATTACK

AD AGAINST INDEPENDENT

CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR TIM

CAHILL THIS WEEK, ON BEHALF OF

REPUBLICAN CON TENER CHARLIE

BAKER.

 

>> CAHILL POCKETED THOUSANDS

FROM CAMPAIGN DONORS WHOSE

CRONIES GOT MILLIONS IN STATE

CONTRACTS.

TIM CAHILL, WRECKLESS WITH OUR

MONEY.

 

>> I THINK IN MANY WAYS TIM

CAHILL HAS NOT BEEN PART OF

THE SOLUTION ON BEACON HILL.

 

>> AT A CAMPAIGN STOP IN

BILLERICA TODAY BAKER BACKED

UP THE AD'S STEN TIMS AND

OFFERED THIS ABOUT HIS OWN AD

STRATEGY.

 

>> WE'RE GOING TO RUN AN

ISSUES BASED CAMPAIGN, THAT'S

WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING AND WHAT

WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO.

 

>> TIM CAHILL RESPONDED WITH

HIS OWN WEB BASED AD, ONE

THAT'S A LITTLE FAMILIAR

LOOKING.

 

>> CHARLIE BAKER AND HIS

WASHINGTON FRIENDS ARE

DESPERATE TO TEAR ME DOWN WITH

OVER A MILLION DOLLARS OF

NEGATIVE ATTACK ADS.

 

>> EVOKING A SENATOR SCOTT

BROWN CAMPAIGN AD FROM EARLIER

THIS YEAR, CAHILL BLASTS THE

ATTACK AD, ALL THE WHILE

INJECTING SOME FIRE INTO THE

CAMPAIGN'S PRESEASON.

AND WITH CAHILL IN SECOND

PLACE BEHIND GOVERNOR PATRICK,

ACCORDING TO A RECENT POLL,

THE SEASON IS ALREADY BLAZING.

 

>> JOINING ME NOW IS THE

INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE FOR

GOVERNOR, TIM CAHILL.

TIM, YOU MUST BE KIND OF

FLATTERED ABOUT THIS.

 

>> I AM, I DON'T LIKE TO SEE

THOSE PICTURES OF MYSELF.

I'VE GOT TO LEARN TO SMILE

MORE, WHEN PEOPLE ARE TAKING

MY PICTURE.

YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE IT MAY

END UP.

 

>> BUT THE REPUBLICAN

GOVERNORS ASSOCIATION IS GOING

AFTER YOU, AND NOT THE

DEMOCRATIC SITTING GOVERNOR.

 

>> THE STRATEGY, AT LEAST WHAT

IT APPEARED TO BE MONTHS AGO

WAS TO IGNORE ME, I'LL GO

AWAY, AND I'M NOT GOING AWAY.

SO NOW THEY'VE UNLOADED ON ME

AND ARE ATTACKING ME.

BUT I THINK PEOPLE WILL SEE

THROUGH THE ATTACKS.

I HOPE AT SOME POINT THAT

CHARLIE BAKER AND HIS TEAM

WAKE UP TO THE FACT THAT THIS

IS NOT THE WAY TO GET ELECTED

GOVERNOR, AT LEAST NOT IN

MASSACHUSETTS, IT'S NOT

EFFECTIVE AND MAYBE HE'LL

SPEAK ABOUT PULLING IT BACK.

 

>> CHARLIE BAKER IS SAYING I

DIDN'T PRODUCE THE AD, I

DIDN'T ENDORSE THE AD.

THE REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS ARE

RUNNING IT.

 

>> HE'S RUNNING AS A

REPUBLICAN FOR GOVERNOR.

SO AT SOME POINT IF HE'S

SUCCESSFUL HE'S GOING TO BE

PART OF THAT ASSOCIATION, AND

I'M SURE THEY'RE CHEPING UP IN

OTHER WAYS.

--

HELPING HIM IN OTHER WAYS.

BUT WHATEVER, IT'S PART OF THE

BUSINESS, IT'S PART OF THE

GAME.

YOU GET ATTACKED, YOU HAVE TO

DEFEND YOURSELF.

I'M CONFIDENT ABOUT MY RECORD.

I FEEL WE'VE GOT A GOOD

RECORD.

OUR LOTTERY IS AMONG THE BEST

PERFORMING LOTTERIES IN THE

COUNTRY.

WE SAVE BILLIONS OF TAXPAYER

DOLLARS.

SO I'LL RUN ON MY RECORD, I'LL

STAND BEHIND IT.

BUT MOSTLY I WANT TO RUN ABOUT

THE FUTURE, TALK ABOUT THE

ECONOMY AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO

PUT PEOPLE BACK TO WORK, AND I

HOPE THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE REALLY

WANT FROM ALL OF US.

 

>> YOU PUSHED BACK A LITTLE

WITH THIS WEB BASED AD TODAY.

IT LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE THE

SCOTT BROWN ONE, INCLUDING THE

ZIPPER.

BUT THE BAKER CAMPAIGN IS

SAYING YOU WERE THE FIRST ONE

TO RUN AN ATTACK AD WITH THE

AD THAT RAN IN MARCH, BY WHICH

THE WAY DISAPPEARED FROM YOUR

WEBSITE, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER

THAT'S COINCIDENTAL OR NOT.

BUT THEY'RE SAYING YOU STARTED

IT.

 

>> WE'VE ONLY RESPONDED TO

THEM.

THEY STARTED ATACKING US

MONTHS AGO.

THEY HAVE A PERSON THAT

FOLLOWS ME AROUND SINCE THE

BEGINNING OF MARCH WITH A

VIDEO RECORDER TAKING PICTURES

OF ME AND RECORDING THINGS

THAT I SAY, HOPING I'LL SLIP

UP OR HOPING THEY CAN TAKE A

PIECE WHAT WAS I SAY AND MAKE

IT LOOK BAD, LIKE THEY USED IN

NEWSPAPER ARTICLES AND SNIP

IT'S OF NEWSPAPER ARTICLES TO

MAKE IT LOOK LIKE I HAVE

MISMANAGED MY OPERATIONS.

 

>> THAT'S WHAT ATTACK ADS DO,

THOUGH.

 

>> THAT'S WHAT THEY DO.

BUT THEY HAVE BEEN PRETTY

AGGRESSIVE AS MY POLL NUMBERS

HAVE BEEN RISING.

THEY'RE THE ONES THAT REALLY

WENT AFTER US FIRST, AND THIS

IS AS AGGRESSIVE AS YOU CAN

GET.

A MILLION DOLLARS IS A LOT OF

MONEY.

 

>> IT IS.

YOU'VE BEEN EVERYWHERE TODAY,

YOU'VE BEEN ALL OVER THE RADIO,

YOU'RE DOING TELEVISION HERE.

HAVE YOU FELT THAT YOU NEEDED

TO JUMP ON THIS?

BECAUSE THESE KINDS OF ADS,

IT'S HARD FOR THE AVERAGE

PERSON TO NUANCE, WHEN YOU'RE

TALKING ABOUT BILLIONS OF

DOLLARS IN THE PENSION FUND,

YOU SAY IT MATE MONEY, THEY

SAY IT LOST.

THE AVERAGE PERSON CAN'T DO

IT.

THEY SAY, YEAH, HE DOES SOUND

LIKE THE ULTIMATE INSIDER.

 

>> THAT'S THE PROBLEM, YOU

HAVE TO RESPOND TO IT.

WE LEARNED THAT WHEN MICHAEL

DUKAKIS WAS RUNNING FOR

PRESIDENT, WHEN JOHN KERRY WAS

RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT.

BILL CLINTON WAS SOMEONE WHO

PROFESSIONALIZED THE RESPONSE

TO ATTACK ADS.

YOU CAN'T LET THEM LIE OR

PEOPLE MIGHT BELIEVE THEM.

 

>> THEY'RE SAYING THAT THIS

ISN'T A NEGATIVE AD, IT THE

TRUTH.

 

>> IT CLEARLY A NEGATIVE AD,

EVERYONE KNOWS THAT.

IF THEY DON'T KNOW IT THEY'RE

IN ALICE IN WONDERLAND WORLD.

IF THAT'S HOW CHARLIE WANTS TO

WIN THE RACE, I WISH HE WOULD

JUST DO IT RATHER THAN HIDING

BEHIND SOMEONE ELSE DOING AND

PRETENDING HE DOESN'T KNOW

ABOUT IT.

IT DOESN'T WORK HERE, IT

DIDN'T WORK FOR KERRY HEAL YE

IN 2006, IT DIDN'T WORK FOR

MARTHA COAKLEY WHEN OUTSIDE

FORCES TRIED TO STEM THE SCOTT

BROWN TIDE.

AND I'M NOT SURE THAT IT'S A

GOOD STRATEGY.

 

>> THEY HAVE WORKED IN THE

PAST.

 

>> THEY DO, AND THEY'RE TRYING

TO DEFINE ME BEFORE OTHER I'M

DEFINED.

BUT I'VE BEEN IN THIS BUSINESS

FOR A LONG TIME AT THE LOCAL

LEVEL, I'VE WORKED MY WAY UP

FROM THE BOTTOM.

I THINK PEOPLE KNOW THE

RECORD.

AND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE

ABLE TO DISCREDIT 23 YEARS OF

SERVICE, ESPECIALLY AS A

FISCAL CONSERVATIVE, WITH SOME

ADS.

BUT WE DO HAVE TO RESPOND, BUT

WE'RE RESPONDING WITH POSITIVE

STATEMENTS.

 

>> I THINK THEY'VE GOT YOU ON

THE FENCE TOO BECAUSE YOU'VE

HAD TO RESPOND SPECIFICALLY TO

THESE CHARGES ABOUT THE

PENSION FUN, ABOUT THE

RENOVATIONS TO YOUR OFFICE,

ABOUT EXPENSES, ABOUT HIRING

PEOPLE AT THE LOTTERY AND THAT

KIND OF THING.

 

>> YEAH, BUT AGAIN I'M OKAY

WITH THAT, AS LONG AS IT'S THE

TRUTH.

AND THE TRUTH IS WE MADE MONEY

OVER SEVEN YEARS.

THEY WANT TO PICK OUT A

THREE-MONTH PERIOD OR A

KNOWN-MON PERIOD.

WE MADE MONEY AT THE PENSION

FUND, WE MADE BILLIONS OF

DOLLARS AT THE STATE LOTTERY.

WE'RE RUNNING A LESS EXPENSIVE

LOTTERY TODAY THAN WE WERE IN

2007.

SO WE'VE ACTUALLY CUT BACK.

SO YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE

PICTURE OF PEOPLE, LOOK AT THE

WHOLE BREAD T OF MY EXPERIENCE

WENT AND I THINK THEY'LL BE

IMPRESSED WITH WHAT I'VE DONE.

AND THAT'S AGAIN THAT'S WHAT

CAMPAIGNS ARE ALL ABOUT.

SO I'M NOT COMPLAINING, YOU

KNOW.

AGAIN LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S A

LITTLE BY FLATTERING, ALTHOUGH

I'M NOT SURE, BE CAREFUL WHAT

YOU WISH FOR, NOW THAT WE'VE

GOT THEIR ATTENTION, I KNOW I

HAVE A BULLS EYE ON MY BACK.

 

>> AS YOU SAY THERE'S A $1.1

MILLION CAMPAIGN, YOU CAN'T

REALLY FIGHT BACK ON THE

AIRWAYS THE SAME WAY.

YOU DON'T HAVE A PARTY.

SO YOU NEED PEOPLE TO COME UP

WITH THOSE DONATIONS.

 

>> I USED TO THINK THAT WAS

AADVANTAGE WHEN I FIRST

STARTED.

I REALLY THINK IT AN ADVANTAGE

THAT I DON'T HAVE A PARTY AND

I THINK THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE ARE

RESPONDING TO.

THAT'S WHY MY POLL NUMBERS ARE

GOING UP.

I THINK PEOPLE ARE DRAWN TO

THE FACT THAT THIS ISN'T THE

SAME OLD DEMOCRATIC OR

REPUBLICAN PARTY MACHINES.

AND I DO HONESTLY BELIEVE

THAT, AND I THINK AT THE END

OF THE DAY IF WE CAN WITH STAB

THE BARRAGE, THAT WE CAN WIN

THIS RACE BECAUSE I'M

APPEALING TO PEOPLE WHO ARE

SICK AND TIRED OF THE PARTY

POLITICS.

AND ANY OF THESE GROUPS FROM

THE OUTSIDE COMING IN TRYING

TO TELL MASSACHUSETTS VOTERS

WHAT THEY SHOULD THINK OR HOW

THEY SHOULD THINK --

 

>> DO YOU THINK THIS IS THE

YEAR OF THE INDEPENDENT,

BECAUSE VERY FEW INDEPENDENTS

HAVE BEEN ELECTED.

SENATOR JOE LIEBERMAN DID IT

AFTER DROPPING OUT OF THE

DEMOCRATIC PARTY.

CHARLIE CRIST, GOVERNOR OF

FLORIDA ANNOUNCED THAT HE'S

DROPPING HIS REPUBLICAN PARTY

AFFILIATION, RUNNING AS AN

INDEPENDENT.

BUT THE SENATE, AND

GOVERNORSHIPS AROUND THE

COUNTRY ARE NOT LOADED WITH --

 

>> NO, THEY'RE NOT.

BUT NEW ENGLAND HAS A HISTORY.

LOWELL WEICKER IN CONNECTICUT,

ANGUS KING IN MAINE RAN TWICE

AND WAS ERECTED --

ELECTED TWICE.

VERMONT HAS BERNIE SANDERS WHO

WAS OFFICIALLY AN INDEPENDENT.

AND THEN LIKE YOU SAID

CONNECTICUT.

SO NEW ENGLAND HAS THREE

INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES FOR

GOVERNOR WHO ARE LEGITIMATE IN

THIS CYCLE AND I BELIEVED IT

BACK IN THE SUMMER BEFORE

SCOTT BROWN WAS ELECTED AND

BEFORE PEOPLE STARTED TO FEEL

THIS WAVE THAT PEOPLE ARE SICK

AND TIRED OF THE DEMOCRATS

BEING DEMOCRATS AND THE

REPUBLICANS BEING REPUBLICANS

AND WE GOT ALL THESE PROBLEMS

THAT NO ONE IS FOCUSED ON

FIXING.

 

>> SCOTT BROWN DIDN'T POSITION

HIMSELF AS AN INBUT HE HAD THE

BACKING OF THE PARTY.

 

>> BUT HE DID DIFFERENTIATE

HIMSELF AND I THINK HE TRIED

TO RUN TO THE MIDDLE AND HE

CALLED WHEN COAKLEY STARTED

AND WHEN PEOPLE STARTED

BACKING HIM, HE CALLED FOR

OUTSIDE INTERESTS OUTSIDE OF

MASSACHUSETTS TO STAY OUT OF

THE RACE.

LET US HANDLE THIS OURSELVES.

AND I WOULD ASK CHARLIE BAKER

TO DO THE SAME THING.

LET THE OUTSIDERS DEAL WITH

OTHER STATES, LET US CAMPAIGN,

LET US DEBATE, LET US FIGHT

THE FIGHT.

LET US SPEND OUR OWN MONEY

THAT WE'VE RAISED TO DEFEND OR

TO ATTACK.

AND IF HE WANTS TO ATTACK ME,

THAT'S FINE.

 

>> HOW ABOUT GOVERNOR PATRICK,

ANYBODY GOING TO BE ATTACKING

HIM, HOW ABOUT YOU?

 

>> I DON'T KNOW.

WE'RE GOING TO COMPARE RECORDS,

WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT WHAT

I'VE DONE, WHAT HE'S DONE.

AGAIN THE GOVERNOR AND I BOTH

UNDERSTAND WE'VE GOT RECORDS,

SO DOES CHARLIE.

CHARLIE SPEND 10 YEARS AT A

HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANY.

 

>> YOU'RE NOT THE BEST OF

BUDDIES, AND YOU THE GOVERNOR.

 

>> WE HAVE POLITICAL

DIFFERENCES MORE SO THAN

PERSONAL DIFFERENCES, AND IT

REALLY IS POLICY BASED.

IT'S A THREE-WAY RACE.

I WANT TO BE PART OF THAT

DISCUSSION, I WANT TO GIVE

PEOPLE A CHOICE.

WHAT I THINK BOTH PARTIES WILL

END UP DOING IS MAKING

ATTACKING ME BOTH BECAUSE THEY

DON'T WANT SOMEONE ELSE TO

RUIN THE PARTY, THEY DON'T

WANT AN INDEPENDENT TO COME IN

AND SPOIL THE BATTLE BETWEEN

DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS.

SO I HOPE THAT BOTH PARTIES

NATIONALLY STAY OUT OF

MASSACHUSETTS, BECAUSE I THINK

WE CAN SETS THIS ON OUR OWN.

 

>> ALL RIGHT.

TIM CAHILL, ALWAYS A PLEASURE

TO HAVE YOU HERE.

 

>> THANK YOU, EMILY.

 

>> WHEN WE CONTINUE, THE

VOLCANO IN ICELAND AS YOU'VE

NEVER SEEN BEFORE.