July 7, 2009 : State Treasurer Tim Cahill leaves the Democratic Party

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; 07/07/09 7:30 PM
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;;;; GREATER BOSTON

>> TONIGHT ON "GREATER BOSTON",

RISKY DECISION OR SMART

POLITICS?

STATE TREASURER TIM CAHILL ON

HIS PLAN TO LEAVE THE

DEMOCRATIC PARTY.

PLUS MEMORIAL FOR A KING.

AS MICHAEL JACKSON IS

EULOGIZED, HOW WILL HE BE

REMEMBERED?

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GOOD EVENING.

STATE TREASURER TIM CAHILL'S

DIGS TO QUIT THE DEMOCRATIC

PARTY AND RUN FOR GOVERNOR

SENT SHOCK WAVE AS CROSS

BEACON HILL TODAY.

AND THE REVERBERATIONS MAY NOT

STOP UNTIL A YEAR FROM

NOVEMBER.

BY DECLARING HIS POLITICAL AND

FISCAL INDEPENDENCE FROM DEVAL

PATRICK AND THE DEMOCRATIC

LEGISLATURE, POLITICAL

INSIDERS SAY CAHILL HAS

TRANSFORMED HIMSELF FROM AN

IMPOSSIBLE LONG SHOT TO A

POLITICAL WILD CARD.

AND HIS CANDIDACY COULD MAKE

THE NEXT YEAR'S GOVERNORS RACE

THE MOST INTERESTING ONE IN

RECENT MEMORY.

THEY SAY THE NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE

TASK OF FEEDING GOVERNOR

PATRICK IN A DEMOCRATIC

PRIMARY, TREASURER CAHILL'S

DECISION TO LEAVE THE PARTY

WAS LESS A MATTER OF WHY THAN

WHY NOT.

>> I THINK IF YOU TALK TO HIS

PEOPLE THEY'LL SAY, GEE, THE

MAJORITY OF VOTERS IN THE

STATE ARE INDEPENDENT ANY WAY.

IF WE'RE RUNNING AGAINST A

STACKED DECK IN THE PRIMARY,

WHY NOT TAKE AN OUTSIDE RUN.

>> JIM O'SULLIVAN SAYS THE

BOLD MOVE IS A WORRY TO BOTH

GOVERNOR PATRICK AND TO

REPUBLICAN CHALLENGERS LIKE

BUSINESSMAN CHRISTIE MIHOS AND

POSSIBLY HARVE VARD PILGRIM

HEALTH CARE C.E.O. CHARLIE

BAKER.

>> FOR ANY NUMBER OF REASONS

TIM CAHILL COULD BE A

PALATABLE CANDIDATE.

>> JIM MALONE WHO

UNSUCCESSFULLY CHALLENGED PAUL

CELLUCCI IN 1998 GIVES CAHILL

CREDIT FOR GUTS, BUT SAYS HE'S

CRAWLED ONTO A DANGEROUS

POLITICAL LIMB.

>> HE'S BURNING BRIDGES, THIS

IS A LEAP ON HIS PART WHERE I

DON'T THINK HE EVER GETS TO GO

BACK AND BE A DEMOCRAT AGAIN,

AT LEAST NOT ONE THAT SEEKS

PUBLIC OFFICE.

>> BUT MALONE SAYS CAHILL IS

ALSO TAP IG INTO A TRADITION

OF IMPORTANT FOR SOCIALLY

LIBERAL BUT ECONOMICALLY

CONSERVATIVE GOVERNORS, LIKE

MITT ROMNEY AND BILL WELD.

>> THE INCREASE IN THE SALES

TAX AT A TIME WHEN FAMILIES,

INDIVIDUALS, BUSINESS PEOPLE

ARE ALL TRYING TO TIGHTEN

THEIR BELTS AND GOVERNMENT IS

SAYING HEY WE'RE TAKING MORE

MONEY OUT OF YOUR POCKET, THAT

IS GOING TO BE ONE OF THOSE

SITUATIONS THAT FELSERS

BETWEEN NOW AND ELECTION DAY.

I THINK IT WILL HURT GOVERNOR.

>> PATRICK SAYS HE DOESN'T

BELIEVE CAHILL WILL BE ABLE TO

PIN THE CLASSIC TAX AND SPEND

LABEL ON HIS OLD PARTY OF

>> IF HE'S GOING TO BE A

CANDIDATE, THEN FINE, WE'LL

TALK ABOUT ALL THAT IN THE

COURSE OF THE CAMPAIGN.

>> THE ELECTION IS STILL 16

MONTHS AWAY.

BUT IT'S ALREADY GAME ON.

ALL RIGHT.

STATE TREASURER TIM OKAY HI IS

HERE.

WELCOME.

>> THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> SO A COUPLE MONTHS AGO I

ASKED YOU ABOUT WHETHER YOU

MIGHT BE LEAVING THE

DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND YOU SAID

I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT IT, MY

PEOPLE AREN'T TALKING ABOUT IT,

AND UNLESS THE PARTY DISOWNS

ME OR THROWS ME OUT I'M A

DEMOCRAT.

WHAT'S CHANGED?

>> I THINK THE FISCAL

SITUATION IN THE STATE AND IN

TERMS OF MY POSITION WITHIN

THAT, THE DECISION HAS BEEN

MADE OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS

ABOUT REALLY DEBATE BETWEEN

WHICH TAXES WE RAISE AS

OPPOSED TO WHETHER OR NOT WE

SHOULD OR SHOULDN'T RAISE

TAXES.

AND I WAS TAKEN ABACK BY SOME

OF THE GOVERNOR'S STATEMENTS

THE DAY HE SIGNED THE TAX

INCREASE TO SIGN THE BUDGET,

BUT SAYING THAT HE BELIEVES WE

SHOULD BE RAISING GAS TAX

EXCESS MAYBE A GRADUATED

INCOME TAX.

IN THE SECOND TERM.

SO ALTHOUGH I HAVEN'T

OFFICIALLY DECIDED IF I'M

GOING TO RUN YET, AND I WON'T

DO THAT UNTIL AFTER LABOR DAY,

I FELT THAT THERE WAS JUST

VERY LITTLE ROOM FOR ME WITHIN

THE PARTY AS A FISCAL

CONSERVATIVE.

AND I'VE SPENT THE LAST AT

LEAST 18 MONTHS TRYING TO MAKE

CHANGES AND HAVE A CHOICE FROM

WITHIN THE PARTY.

I'M NOT AS SUCCESSFUL AS I

WISH I HAD BEEN AND NOW I'LL

TRY TO MAKE CHANGE TONS

OUTSIDE OF THE PARTY.

I THINK THAT WILL HOPEFULLY BE

HEARD AND PROBABLY LEAD ME TO

A DECISION AFTER LABOR DAY AS

TO WHETHER OR NOT I CAN RUN A

CREDIBLE CAMPAIGN FOR

GOVERNOR.

>> BUT YOU'VE ALSO HAD A

HISTORY OF BAD BLOOD HERE WITH,

AND YOU'RE WORK --

WHAT IS THAT ALL ABOUT?

>> I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY.

I JUST HAVEN'T TOWED THE LINE

I GUESS.

I HAVEN'T MAYBE MADE ENOUGH

FRIENDS WITHIN THE PARTY, CUT

ENOUGH DEALS.

>> DO YOU REFUSE TO IMPORTANT

EITHER HILLARY CLINTON OR

BARACK OBAMA OR ENDORSE EITHER

ONE OF THEM.

WAS THAT SEEN AS A REJECT

SHUN?

>> I DON'T KNOW, THAT WAS MORE

OF A CONVENIENT EXCUSE.

I THINK THE PARTY INSIDERS

WERE TRYING TO SENT ME A

MESSAGE, BECAUSE I WAS

CRITICIZING THE GOVERNOR AT

THIS POINT IN TERMS OF THE

FISCAL POLICIES.

AND I THINK THAT WAS SORT OF A

SUBTLE MESSAGE.

BUT WE TOOK IT, I TOOK IT AS A

WAKEUP CALL.

AND I'M NOT COMPLAINING ABOUT

IT OR WHINING ABOUT WHAT

HAPPENED, BUT IT WAS A REALITY

CHECK FOR ME.

AND THEN I HAD TO THINK ABOUT

WHAT CHANCE WOULD I HAVE IN A

CONVENTION, WHERE YOU ARE TO

GET 15%.

AND HOW MUCH TIME WOULD I HAVE

TO PEN DOING THAT AND HOW MANY

DEALS WOULD I HAVE TO MAKE, TO

GET THAT 15%.

AND I'M NOT JUST WILLING TO

MAKE THOSE KIND OF CONCESSIONS,

AND I REALLY FEEL THAT THE

ONLY WAY TO GET THE MESSAGE

ACROSS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE AN

ALTERNATIVE TO THE TAX AND

SPEND POLICIES OF DEMOCRATS AS

A WHOLE IS TO STEP OUTSIDE THE

PARTY.

>> BUT YOU KNOW THAT NO ONE

HAS EVER RUN UNENROLLED OR

INDEPENDENT WON A STATEWIDE

OFFICE.

I GUESS WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET

AT HERE IS JUST MORE

IDEOLOGICALLY MOTTI RATED OR

POLITICALLY.

NOW YOU'VE POSITIONED YOURSELF

SO YOU CAN HAVE AN INDEPENDENT

RUN.

YOU DON'T NEED THE PARTY,

ALTHOUGH YOU'RE ALSO TURNING

YOUR BACK ON THEM, AND THE

DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS STILL THE

POWER HOUSE IN THE STATE.

>> YES, IT'S PROBABLY A

COMBINATION OF THE TWO.

I HAVEN'T THOUGHT IT OUT.

ALL THAT MUCH IN A SENSE,

BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO

DO OVER THE NEXT TWO MONTHS.

AND --

>> WHY DROP OUT NOW THEN?

>> BECAUSE I THINK IT WAS

IMPORTANT FOR ME TO TELL

PEOPLE WHAT PATH I WANTED TO

MAKE BEFORE I MADE MY

DECISION.

AND TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, I'M

NOT REALLY GOOD AS BEING

INDECISIVE, IT'S NOT MY STYLE.

AND I FELT MYSELF OVER THE

LAST TWO MONTHS OF BEING VERY

INDECISIVE.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO, HOW

ARE YOU GOING TO DO IT.

AND AS I STARTED THINKING MORE

AND MORE ABOUT THAT, IT BECAME

SORT OF, IT MADE SENSE FOR ME.

TO ME I FEEL MORE HONEST AS AN

INDEPENDENT.

THAT'S SORT OF THE WAY I WAS

BROUGHT UP, THAT'S THE WAY I

STARTED MY CAREER AS A CITY

COUNCILLOR.

THE PARTY IS NOT REALLY A

FACTOR IN TERMS OF GOVERNING,

AND THAT'S SOMETHING I FEEL

MORE COMFORTABLE DOING.

THE LAST SIX YEARS HAVE REALLY

BEEN MORE OF A CHANGE FOR ME,

TRYING TO FIT IN.

WHERE I DON'T FEEL LIKE I FIT

IN.

AND I DO REALLY STRONGLY FEEL

THAT PEOPLE DESERVE A CHOICE

IN NOVEMBER.

SO IF I MAKE THIS DECISION

AROUND, IT WILL BE ABOUT A

NOVEMBER RACE, WHERE PEOPLE

WILL HAVE A CHOICE BETWEEN

THOSE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO PEND

MONEY AND TAX HIGHER IN ORDER

TO TRY TO SOLVE OUR FISCAL

PROBLEMS OR THOSE PEOPLE WHO

HAVE ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS FOR

THAT.

AND IT'S A COMBINATION OF

EVERYTHING, IT'S NOT

POLITICALLY CALCULATED BECAUSE

OBVIOUSLY IT HAS NEVER BEEN

DONE BEFORE.

BUT I DO LIKE A CHALLENGE.

>> HAVE YOU ALREADY MADE THE

MOVE?

HAVE YOU TAKEN YOUR NAME OFF

THE --

>> I'LL BE DOING THAT OVER THE

NEXT COUPLE DAYS, AT LEAST BY

FRIDAY.

IT'S JUST MORE OF GETTING TIME

TO GO TO QUINCY CITY HALL AND

MAKING THE PHYSICAL CHANGE AND

SIGNING THE PAPERWORK.

IT'S PRETTY SIMPLE AND I WILL

DEFINITELY HAVE THAT DONE BY

FRIDAY.

>> THIS IS A REAL TRIP WIRE,

BECAUSE IT SETS OFF A CHAIN

REACTION, ALREADY STEVE GROSS

MAN WHO RAN FOR GOVERNOR HAS

SAID HE'S IN IT FOR TREASURER.

SO IF YOU DON'T REDECLARE THAT

YOU WANT TO RUN FOR THAT

OFFICE, THERE WILL BE A WHOLE

BUNCH OF PEOPLE.

I GOT A COUPLE E-MAILS FROM

PEOPLE SAYING THEY WERE GOING

TO JUNE INTO THE TREASURER'S

RACE.

WHY DON'T YOU MAKE A CLEAN --

>> BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO BE

A SPOILER.

IF THAT'S ALL I CAN SEE MYSELF

BEING IS A SPOILER, SORE OF AN

AFTER THOUGHT, THEN I MIGHT

CHOOSE NOT TO DO IT AT THE

END.

IF I CAN'T --

I HAVE TO CONVINCE MYSELF THAT

IT'S DOABLE.

IT'S NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE.

WHAT'S THE PATH, HOW ARE YOU

GOING TO PUT PEOPLE TOGETHER.

WILL PEOPLE CONTRIBUTE TO A

CAMPAIGN OF SOMEONE WHO IS AN

INDEPENDENT.

I DON'T KNOW ANY OF THAT

BECAUSE I'VE NEVER BEEN THERE.

I WANT TO MAKE SURE I HAVE A

CREDIBLE CHANCE OF BEING MORE

THAN AN AFTER THOUGHT OR A

SPOILER.

I WOULDN'T BE MAKING THIS STEP

IF I DIDN'T THINK I COULD PUT

THAT TOGETHER.

BUT UNTIL I FEEL MORE

COMFORTABLE ABOUT WHAT MY

OPTIONS ARE AND WHAT MY

CHANCES ARE AND SORT OF THE

WAY I'LL DO IT, I FEEL IT

WOULD BE, IT'S WISE FOR ME TO

MAKE THIS DECISION BECAUSE

IT'S JUST THE WAY I ALWAYS

MAKE DECISIONS, NOT RASH.

I WANT TO KNOW HOW I'M GOING

TO PAY FOR IT, HOW I'M GOING

TO GET THE MESSAGE ACROSS.

I THINK WE SHOULD KNOW HOW

WE'RE GOING TO PAY FOR

SOMETHING BEFORE WE PROMOTE IT

AND MAKE LEGISLATIVE CHANGES,

AND I'M SEEING LESS OF THAT.

SO I WANT TO BE TRUE TO MYSELF

TO MAKE SURE IT'S A PLAN.

I MAY END UP BRINGING ON MORE

CHALLENGE TOLLS MYSELF IF I

DECIDE NOT TO DO IT.

I THINK THIS IS A STEP THAT

PUTS ME MORE IN LINE WITH

RUNNING, I'M JUST NOT READY TO

TAKE THAT LEAP YET UNTIL I'VE

LINED THINGS UP A LITTLE MORE.

>> YOU HAVE A LOT OF

CHALLENGERS HERE.

DOUG RUBIN IS NOW RUNNING THE

PATRICK CAMPAIGN.

YOU'VE GOT WALSH THAT RAN

PATRICK'S CAMPAIGN, I CAN'T

REMEMBER WHAT HIS TERM WAS --

KILL ME.

>> OUT FOR BLOOD.

AND THE GOVERNOR SAYING YOU

BETTER BRING YOUR A GAME.

THIS IS SERIOUS STUFF.

>> YES.

AND HONESTLY I'VE BEEN VERY

NERVOUS OVER THE LAST WEEK AS

I WAS FORMULATING THIS

DECISION.

TALKED ABOUT IT WITH MY WIFE.

AND FELT COMFORTABLE WITH IT.

BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL YESTERDAY

AND TODAY THEY FELT TOTALLY AT

EASE, AND CONFIDENT THAT I HAD

MADE THE RIGHT MOVE.

I SLEPT REALLY WELL LAST NIGHT,

WHICH SURPRISED ME, BECAUSE I

KNEW WHAT KIND OF A DAY I'D

HAVE TODAY.

SO I'VE ALWAYS BROUGHT MY

A-GAME.

NO ONE HAS EVER OPENED ANY

DOORS FOR ME FROM THE FIRST

RACE UNTIL THE LAST RACE I

RAN.

NOBODY REALLY WANTED ME TO WIN

THAT TREASURER'S SEAT.

I HAD TO DO IT --

I'VE ALWAYS HAD TO DO IT THAT

WAY.

IT'S JUST MY NATURE.

I JOKED TO SOME OF MY PEOPLE

WHEN WE WOULD NEVER WANT AN

EASY RACE, AND THEY ALL

LAUGHED AND SAID YES WE WOULD.

BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU

WANT BADLY ENOUGH AND YOU'LL

MAKE SACRIFICES FOR.

AT THE END OF THE DAY IF

YOU'RE SUCCESSFUL IT MEANS FOR

TO YOU AND YOU'LL FIGHT HARDER

TO KEEP IT.

THAT'S WHAT I'M LOOKING AT.

I KNOW THE ROAD WOULD BE HARD.

IT WOULD BE EQUALLY HARD TO

RUN AGAINST AN INCUMBENT

GOVERNOR IN MY PARTY. SO

THERE'S NO EASY PATH FOR ME.

BUT I'M NOT CONTENT FOR

SOMEONE, THE WAIT FOR SOMEONE

TO RESIGN OFFICE OR THE DOOR

TO BE OPENED FOR ME.

I FEEL IN THIS ENVIRONMENT WE

NEED LEADERSHIP.

OTHERWISE WE'RE GOING TO FLOAT

FOR THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS IN A

BAD ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT.

>> YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF AS

FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY

FROM GOVERNOR PATRICK?

YOU SAID YOU'RE IN SUPPORT OF

CASINOS, WHICH COULD IMPACT

THE STATE LOTTERY.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY,

GIVEN THE STATE'S FISCAL

ENVIRONMENT, OTHER THAN

CASINOS.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

>> WELL, I WOULDN'T HAVE

SUPPORTED A TAX INCREASE AND

WOULD HAVE FOUGHT HARD AGAINST

ANY TAX INCREASE.

AND WE WOULD HAVE, I WOULD

HAVE HAD A PROPOSED CUTS IN

LOCAL AID, I WOULD HAVE HAD

PROPOSED CUTS PROBABLY IN

HEALTH CARE.

IN THIS ENVIRONMENT, AND I'VE

SAID THIS BEFORE, I DON'T KNOW

IF WE CAN AFFORD THE HERE

EVERY CITIZEN OF THE STATE.

IT'S A GREAT IDEA, I SUPPORT

THE THEORY BEHIND AND IT THE

IDEA.

BUT YOU GOTTA HAVE THE MONEY

TO PAY FOR IT.

I DON'T WANT TO BANKRUPT EVERY

MIDDLE CLASS TAX PAYER IN THE

STATE IN ORDER TO COVER EVERY

INDIVIDUAL.

EDUCATION IS ANOTHER AREA.

THERE'S THREE BIG AREAS IN

STATE GOVERNMENT THAT HAVE TO

BE CUT, BUT ALSO LOOKING AT

SOME OF THE STATE PAYROLL.

OUR PAYROLL IS A HIGHER COST

FOR US TODAY THAN IT WAS IN

2006.

YET WE'VE GOT $3 BILLION LESS

IN REVENUE.

SO I'M NOT SAYING IT'S EASY.

AND THAT'S KIND OF THE WAY I

LOOK AT CAMPAIGNING, IF IT'S

EASY THEN YOU'RE NOT FULLRY

PREPARED TO DO THE TOUGH

THINGS YOU HAVE TO DO WHEN

YOU'RE ELECTED.

SO IF IT'S A TOUGH RACE AND

I'M SUCCESSFUL I THINK THAT

WILL PREPARE ME BETTER FOR

WHAT I THINK WILL BE A VERY

TOUGH ROAD IN 2011, TO TRY TO

STRAIGHT TEN STATE AND GET IT

BACK ON ITS FEET.

>> ALL RIGHT, STATE TREASURER

TIM CAHILL, PRESSURE --

PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU.

>> THANK YOU, EMILY.