July 8, 2009 : Harvard Pilgrim's Charlie Baker in the race for governor

 

 

>> TONIGHT ON "GREATER BOSTON",

THE RACE FOR GOVERNOR HEATS UP

AGAIN.

AS HARVARD PILGRIM C.E.O.

CHARLIE BAKER SAYS HE'S IN.

PLUS AEROSMITH DRUMMER JOEY

KRAMER WITH HIS NEW BOOK, HIT

HARD, A STORY OF HITTING ROCK

BOTTOM AT THE TOP.

AND THE THREAT TO FISHERMEN ON

THE CAPE.

AND THE UNIQUE MOVE TO KEEP

THEM IN THE WATER.

Closed Captioning

brought to you by AFLAC:

Ask about it at work.

GOOD EVENING.

IT'S BEEN A ONE-TWO PUNCH THIS

WEEK, AS FIRST STATE TREASURER

TIM CAHILL AND NOW HARVARD

PILGRIM CHIEF CHARLIE BAKER

HAVE SIGNALED THEIR INTEREST

IN RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR.

AFTER TEN YEARS ON THE JOB,

BAKER TODAY TOLD HARVARD

PILGRIM EMPLOYEES HIS LAST

WOULD BE JULY 17.

HE SPOKE WITH THE PRESS THIS

AFTERNOON.

>> IT'S PRETTY CLEAR THE

COMMONWEALTH IS FACING NOT

JUST A ONE YEAR BUDGET GAP BUT

PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST

SERIOUS LONG-TERM FINANCIAL

AND ECONOMIC CHALLENGES

CERTAINLY IN MY LIFETIME.

AND IT'S ONE THAT'S GOING TO

TEST PUBLIC SECTOR LEADERS AND

STAFF, STATE OFFICIALS, LOCAL

OFFICIALS, PRETTY MUCH

EVERYBODY, FOR A EVAN LONGORIA

TIME.

IF YOU LOOK AT OUR JOB

PERFORMANCE OVER THE COURSE OF

THE PAST DECADE, WE HAVE NOT

ADDED ONE NEW JOB, ONE NET NEW

JOB TO THE STATE'S ECONOMY IN

THE PAST TEN YEARS.

I THINK THE BIGGEST THING THAT

YOU HAVE TO DO TO GROW JOBS IS

LIVE WITHIN YOUR MEANS AND

TAKE A REALLY SERIOUS RUN AT

REFORMING STATE GOVERNMENT.

NOW, YOU DON'T USUALLY GET A

LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES TO REFORM

STATE GOVERNMENT WHEN TIMES

ARE GOOD.

I'M GOING TO PITCH MY CASE.

AND WE'LL SEE HOW THAT GOES,

AND IT COULD BE THAT IT WILL

BE EXACTLY WHAT PEOPLE ARE

LOOKING FOR AND WHAT THEY WANT

TO HEAR, AND THAT WILL WORK

OUT REALLY WELL.

OR NOT.

>> REACTION ON BEACON HILL

TODAY WAS DIZZYING,

REPUBLICANS WERE THRILLED WITH

THE NEWS THAT BAKER WOULD TOP

THEIR TICKET.

DEMOCRATS SIGNALED CONCERN FOR

DEVAL PATRICK'S FUTURE.

JARRED BOWEN HAS MORE.

>> Reporter: REPUBLICANS WERE

FLEEFUL TODAY THAT THE NEWS

THAT BAKER HAS ENTERED THE

RACE FOR GOVERNOR.

>> IT'S A DREAM COME TRUE FOR

THE PEOPLE OF MASSACHUSETTS

AND IT'S A NIGHTMARE FOR DEVAL

PATRICK.

>> Reporter: BAKER IS CREDITED

WITH TURNING AROUND HARVARD

HEALTH CARE.

HE IS COMMITTED TO

MASSACHUSETTS, SAYS STATE

SENATOR SCOTT BROWN.

>> HERE YOU HAVE A GUY WHO IS

EXPERIENCED, HE'S A

BUSINESSMAN, HE HAS A PROVEN

TRACK RECORD IN THE INS AND

OUTS OF BEACON HILL.

>> Reporter: JIM O'SULLIVAN

SAYS BAKER NEEDS A YEAR AND A

HALF UNTIL ELECTION DAY JUST

FOR HIS PARTYS SAKE.

>> HIS CHALLENGE IS TO REBUILD

THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.

THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS IN

DISARRAY, YOU SAW THAT TODAY.

EVEN PARTY LEADERS WERE UNSURE

WHAT WAS HAPPENING TODAY.

>> Reporter: BY NO MEANS IS

BAKER ALONE ON THE REPUBLICAN

SIDE OF THIS RACE.

CHRISTY MIHOS IS RUNNING, HE

COMES WITH EARLY GOOD POLL

NUMBERS AND NAME RECOGNITION.

>> BAKER IS CERTAINLY THE

PARTY FAVORITE AT THIS POINT.

BUT MY OS IS A GUY WHO HAS

SOME CREDIBILITY ON THE FISCAL

ISSUES.

SO HE COULD PLAY SPOILER.

>> Reporter: OF COURSE THERE'S

THE INCUMBENT, GOVERNOR

PATRICK, WHO HAS STRONG PARTY

TIES BUT GROWING NEGATIVES.

>> THE ECONOMY AS A WHOLE IN

THE WORLD IS DOWN AND PEOPLE

WE NEED TO, THE GOVERNOR HAS

TO GET THAT OUT TO HIS

CONSTITUENTS AND LET THEM KNOW

THAT IT'S NOT HIM PERSONALLY

THAT BROUGHT DOWN THE ECONOMY,

BUT IT'S WORLD ECONOMICS.

>> Reporter: THERE'S STILL

PLENTY OF TIME FOR ALL OF

THAT.

>> WITH ME NOW ARE "BOSTON

HERALD" EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR

RACHEL COHEN WHO PREDICTED

BAKER'S MOVE LAST WEEK.

BOSTON PHOENIX POLITICAL

REPORTER DAVID BERNSTEIN, AND

DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL

CONSULTANT DAN PAYNE, WELCOME.

ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THIS

DID SURPRISE ME, I SAW HIM AT

URBAN IMPROVE P AND THE URBAN

FAMILY WAS RESISTING ON THIS.

BUT HE HAS THE BEST JOB IN THE

WORLD, HE MAKES A MILLION

DOLLARS A YEAR, HE'S CREDITED

WITH TURNING AROUND A FLAILING

HEALTH CARE AGENCY, I MEAN

HE'S A BIG GUY IN THE

REPUBLICAN PARTY.

WHY DOES HE NEED THIS?

>> I THINK THERE IS A CERTAIN

FAMILY HISTORY OF PUBLIC

SERVICE.

HIS FATHER CHARLIE BAKER

SENIOR WAS A FORMER U.S.

SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN

SERVICES.

AND I THINK RATHER LIKE, I

THINK THOSE TO WHOM MUCH IS

GIVEN, MUCH IS EXPECTED.

I THINK CHARLIE COMES FROM

THAT KIND OF TRADITION.

AND HE'S ALWAYS LOVED PUBLIC

SERVICE.

SO TO GO IN AND OUT OF PUBLIC

SERVICE IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR A

NUMBER OF PEOPLE.

IN THAT FIRST TEAM THAT WELD

PUT TOGETHER.

I THINK IT'S FITTING AND IT'S

SOMETHING THAT I THINK BAKER

HAS LOOKED AT FOR A NUMBER OF

YEARS, INCLUDING FOUR YEARS

AGO.

>> MY GUESS IS THE REPUBLICAN

PARTY PUSHED HARD ON HIM,

DAVID, BUT LISTENING TO HIS

STATEMENT TODAY, AND I READ

THROUGH IT A COUPLE TIMES, IT

KIND OF READS LIKE EVERY OTHER

CANDIDATE WHO HAS EVER GOTTEN

INTO THE GOVERNOR'S RACE, PUSH

BACK ON BEACON HILL, WE NEED

REAL REFORM.

IT'S ALL THE SAME STUFF.

IT'S THE PLAY BOOK OF DEVAL

PATRICK OF THREE YEARS AGO.

>> YEAH, I AGREE.

AND CHARLIE BAKER, HIS

STRENGTH IS, AND ON PAPER HE'S

AN OUTSTANDING CANDIDATE, AND

IN THE RIGHT RACE AT THE RIGHT

TIME, AND FRANKLY I THINK IF

HE HAD RUN FOUR YEARS AGO

RATHER THAN GET PUSHED OUT BY

KERRY HEALY, I THINK HE MIGHT

HAVE WON THAT RACE.

THIS IS A DIFFERENT TIME AND A

DIFFERENT PLACE, AND I THINK

IT'S GOING TO BE VERY TOUGH

FOR HIM.

FRANKLY, I THINK HE'S GOING TO

HAVE TO REALLY ENGAGE CHRISTY

MIHOS TO WIN THE PRIMARY,

BECAUSE WHILE THE PARTY ELITES

LOVE CHARLIE BAKER, THE ACTUAL

PEOPLE, THE FEW PEOPLE WHO

SHOW UP TO VOTE IN REPUBLICAN

PRIMARIES IN THIS STATE,

THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY

LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO GETS

UP AND TALKS ABOUT HIS

EXPERTISE WITH BUDGETS.

THEY'RE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE

WHO WANTS TO GO AND BURN DOWN

BEACON HILL, AND THAT'S

CHRISTY MIHOS, THAT'S NOT

CHARLIE BAKER.

AND I THINK THAT CHARLIE WOULD

LIKE TO PROBABLY NOT REALLY

GET INTO IT, YOU KNOW, COAST

THROUGH THE PRIMARY.

I DON'T KNOW THAT CHRISTY IS

GOING TO LET HIM GET AWAY WITH

THAT.

>> CAN I TAKE YOU OUT ON THAT

ONE?

BECAUSE I THINK YOU'RE

FORGETTING THE 50% OF

REGISTERED VOTERS WHO LIST

THEMSELVES AS UNENROLLED.

>> BUT DO THEY VOTE IN THE

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY.

>> I THINK THEY VOTE IN

REPUBLICAN PRIMARIES THAT ARE

INTERESTING, I THINK THAT'S

EXACTLY, THAT'S RIGHT OUT OF

THE BILL WELD PLAY BOOK.

>> ONE OF THE POINTS YOU RAISE,

DAVID, IS FLAT OUT NAME

RECOGNITION.

WE KNOW WHO HE IS.

>> CHRISTY?

>> NO, CHARLIE BAKER,.

AND WE'RE ALL PLUGGED CONTINUE

THAT WORLD.

BUT HE'S GOT A WAYS TO GO.

>> I BET HIS RECOGNITION ISN'T

EVEN 25%.

INSIDE THE MEDIA CIRCLES AND

HEALTH CARE CIRCLES, AND

BUSINESS, CHARLIE BAKER IS A

KNOWN COMMODITY, PEOPLE HAVE

MET HIM, HEARD HIM SPEAK, IT

SET RA. BUT IT'S FAR DIFFERENT

THING GETTING UP AND TALKING

ABOUT YOURSELF AND WHY YOU

WOULD BE BETTER THAN ANYBODY

ELSE WHO'S GOT THE JOB, WHEN

THEY DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY WAY

OF JUDGING IF YOU CAN DO THAT,

OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT YOU

RAN A VERY SUCCESSFUL HMO.

AND I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD

TAKE THAT AWAY FROM BAKER,

THAT'S GOING TO BE THE CORNER

STONE OF HIS CANDIDACY, IS I

SAVED HARVARD PILGRIM HEALTH

CARE.

AND YOU KNOW, HE HAS A GOOD

CASE TO MAKE THERE, AND IT'S

ONE THAT HE CAN APPLY TO STATE

GOVERNMENT.

THERE IS ONE, IF I WERE HE,

I'D BE VERY CAREFUL.

HE HAS A MILLION MEMBERS.

OUT OF THAT NUMBER, SOME HALF

A DOZEN OR SO PEOPLE GOT

SHAFTED SOMEHOW BY THEIR

HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE.

AND MAYBE A LOT MORE.

AND THEY ALL THINK THEY'RE

PAYING WAY TOO MUCH AND NOT

GETTING ENOUGH HEALTH CARE.

SO IT'S A MIXED BLESSING TO

RUN AS THE HEAD OF AN HMO.

>> ALL RIGHT.

WHO WILL HIS PEOPLE BE?

BECAUSE I CAN'T IMAGINE

HIMSELF, FRANKLY, ALIGNING

HIMSELF WITH SOME OF THE

PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN SWIRLING

AROUND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY

FOR YEARS AND YEARS.

IS THERE A FRESH BATCH OF

PEOPLE OUT THERE?

>> I THINK THERE ARE A FEW

WONDERKINS WHO HAVE BEEN

WAITING FOR AN OPPORTUNITY,

BECAUSE THERE ISN'T A LOT OF

MOVEMENT IN THE DEMOCRATIC

PARTY.

THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN

YOU'RE THIS HUGE SUPER

MAJORITY IN THE LEGISLATURE.

YOU GET A LITTLE STAGNATION.

SO I THINK THERE IS AN UNDER

CURRENT OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHO

HAVEN'T IDENTIFIED WITH EITHER

PARTY JUST YET, WHO ARE READY

AND WILLING TO PICK UP THAT --

>> I THINK A LOT OF THEM WILL

COME OUT OF ACADEMIA.

THERE ARE PLENTY OF COLLEGES

AND UNIVERSITIES WHERE BRIGHT

YOUNG PEOPLE FEEL THEY CAN DO

A BETTER JOB RUNNING THE

GOVERNMENT.

AND THERE'S THE BEACON HILL

INSTITUTE, THESE THINK TANKS,

AND PEOPLE THERE WHO FEEL

STRONGLY ABOUT HOW TO MAKE

GOVERNMENT MORE EFFECTIVE.

I DON'T THINK HE'LL HAVE A

PROBLEM STAFFING A CAMPAIGN

AND A GOVERNMENT.

WHAT I WONDER THOUGH IS IF HE

HAS THE PEOPLE AROUND HIM WHO

KNOW HOW TO WIN.

>> BECAUSE WE KNOW DEVAL

PATRICK HAS THAT.

WHAT DO YOU THINK, IS THERE

SOMEBODY?

AND I WOULD STAGE THAT WHOLE

THING DIFFERENTLY.

HE WAS AT A WHITE WALL WITH A

PODIUM.

>> THIS WAS NOT THE WAY TO

ROLL OUT --

>> THAT WAS NOT A ROLLOUT.

IT WASN'T WELL THOUGHT OUT.

>> NO, IT WASN'T, AND IT ALSO

CAME ACROSS AS A RESPONSE TO

TIM CAHILL, YOU KNOW.

>> I THINK HE ADMITS IT WAS.

>> AND IT, HE DOES NEED SOME

REAL SOPHISTICATED POLITICAL

PEOPLE.

I THINK THERE IS GOING TO BE A

PROBLEM GETTING SOME OF THOSE

PEOPLE, BECAUSE FIRST OF ALL

THERE'S NOT A LOT OF THEM IN

THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.

AND THERE'S ALSO GOING TO BE

AN UNWILLINGNESS OF A LOT OF

PEOPLE TO LINE UP AGAINST

DEVAL PATRICK.

A LOT OF THE REPUBLICANS IN

THIS TOWN, GLORIA LARSON IS

NOT GOING TO BE HELPING OUT

HIS CAMPAIGN, THE OLD

REPUBLICAN GUARD, A LOT OF

THEM DON'T WANT TO BE ON THE

WRONG SIDE OF DEVAL PATRICK.

>> BUT WHAT'S DRIVING BOTH

CAHILL AND BAKER IS A POLL,

AND I'M NOT SURE --

THERE'S A POLL THAT WAS DONE

BY MASS INSIGHT THAT SHOWED

DEVAL PATRICKS UNFAVORABLE JOB

RATING WAS AT 64%, AND ONLY

34% GAVE HIM A FAVORABLE.

YOU SEE THAT AND YOU HAVE

POLITICAL AMBITION AND YOU

THINK YOU CAN RAISE MONEY,

THAT LOOKS LIKE A BIG OPENING.

>> THE OTHER THING HE HAS TO

DO IS RAISE MONEY, WHICH IS A

DIFFERENT STORY.

AND I WENT BACK AND LOOKED

TODAY, KERRY HEALY, WHO WAS

ABOUT AS TAPPED IN TO MONEY AS

YOU COULD BE, CONTINUE THE

REPUBLICAN ESTABLISHMENT, SHE

WAS ONLY ABLE TO RAISE ABOUT

$3.8 MILLION, IF I'M

REMEMBERING THE NUMBER RIGHT,

AND THEN ADDED 9 POINT

SOMETHING OF HER OWN TO THE

RACE.

CHARLIE BAKER HAS A VERY

COMFORTABLE INCOME, AS YOU

MENTION, BUT HE DOES NOT HAVE

A RESERVE OF $10 MILLION TO

DUMP INTO A RACE.

>> THAT'S WHY THE ANNOUNCEMENT

NOW, BECAUSE HE NEEDS THE TWO

YEARS, HE NEED THE 0 1K39 THE

10 WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY.

AND YOU'RE ALSO ASSUMING THAT

THIS IS A STRICTLY REPUBLICAN

RACE.

I DON'T THINK THE DEVAL

PATRICK, THE PEOPLE WHO

ELECTED DEVAL PATRICK THE LAST

TIME AROUND, I DON'T THINK

THEY'RE GOING TO BE STICKING

WITH HIM THIS TIME AROUND.

I THINK THERE'S A LEVEL OF

EMBARRASSMENT AMONG SOME

DEMOCRATS, AND I THINK THEY

WILL BE WILLING AT THE END OF

THE DAY TO PONY UP.

>> IF I WERE DEVAL PATRICK I'D

BE FEELING PRETTY GOOD RIGHT

NOW.

I'VE GOT TWO PEOPLE WHO ARE

GOING TO BE FIGHTING TO BE THE

ANTI-ME.

AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE

DIVIDING UP THE ANTI-PATRICK

VOTE.

>> I AGREE.

>> FOR THE REST OF THIS YEAR

AND WELL INTO NEXT.

AND CHRISTY WILL PROBABLY BE

DIRECTING MOST OF HIS FIRE AT

CHARLIE, WHICH IS THE WAY HE

KIND OF RUNS, AND WE NEED LOOK

BACK NO FARTHER THAN ELLIOTT

RICHARDSON RUNNING SO MANY

YEARS AGO AS THE ANOINTED

CANDIDATE, THE MAN WHO WAS

GOING TO ADVANTAGE WISH ALL

FOES AND RAY SHAMIE OUT OF

NOWHERE, BUT NOBODY KNEW THAT

HE COULDN'T RUN A CAMPAIGN.

>> ONE OTHER THING IS, WILL

SOMEONE RUN TO THE LEFT OF

DEVAL AND TAKE 5% OF THE VOTE,

THAT COULD MAKE A BIG

DIFFERENCE.

>> MAKES IT FUN FOR US.

THANKS SO MUCH.