WGBH Radio; The Emily Rooney Show

From WGBH in Boston this is the end of leaving the show. It's Friday December 3rd 2010. And Emily Rooney. On today's show. This week's top news stories. James Michael. Forgive them. They know not what they did. On the heels of his federal corruption conviction the city council votes Chuck Turner out of a job. Plus Governor Deval Patrick pushes for executive control of patronage Lydon probation department. And rules out a 2012 run for Senate against Scott Brown. Also this week the fallout from Wiki Leaks the latest reveal. Bank of America shares slide on speculation it might be the next target. And finally thumbs up thumbs down on people and places in the news this. We will have all of that and more today. I mean really really show. But first. The news. From NPR News in Washington I'm Lakshmi Singh. President Obama is

meeting personally with troops at the front lines of the intensifying war in Afghanistan. He's on a previously unannounced trip by a grim airbase outside Kabul where he'll address thousands of members of the 100 first Airborne Division and visit with wounded Americans. The president was scheduled to meet Afghan President Hamid Karzai but NPR's Ari Shapiro who's traveling with Mr. Obama says the Karzai meeting was scrapped at the last minute meeting with President Karzai was not the real purpose of this trip. The real purpose of this trip was to. With troops now of course this comes as the Obama administration expenditure in its annual Afghan policy review which is supposed to be done in a couple of weeks. And while President Obama will talk with his national security team about that review during this trip White House officials again say that's really not the thrust of this is a policy review has been under way for several months but that this trip is really a chance to check in with and thank the troops who are here. NPR's Ari Shapiro traveling with President Obama in the U.S. The unemployment rate is up to nine point eight percent that's according to the latest jobs report

from the Department of Labor. As NPR's Tamara Keith reports a number of jobs created came in well below expectations. Economists had been saying job creation was on the verge of taking off that the November jobs report would show well over 100000 jobs added. Apparently they were wrong. Instead the report shows a meager thirty nine thousand jobs created in November. The number of people now unemployed is fifteen point one million. The truth is this is not good news. Economist Hugh Johnson is with Johnson Illington Advisors were. Really not adding jobs at a very quick pace. The economy is recovering but it's recovering at a very very slow pace. The greatest areas of growth were health care and temporary jobs. The retail industry expected to show strength with holiday shopping in full force. Actually shed a seasonally adjusted twenty eight thousand jobs. Tamara Keith NPR News Washington. The whistle blowing website WikiLeaks has found a new home in Switzerland after being dropped by its American domain name provider. Lisa Sloan reports from Geneva Wiki Leaks was forced

to switch to a Swiss domain name. Wiki leaks has quickly found a new domain with the Swiss Pirate Party a group that seems to share its philosophy. The Swiss political group was formed two years ago to campaign for Freedom of Information and Technology Policy. The party's vice president says his group is keen to show support for Wiki leaks but the help it is offering is limited to the domain name for now it isn't providing the site with any servers or infrastructure. For NPR News I'm Lisa Shalon in Geneva. Here's the latest from Wall Street the Dow Jones Industrial Average down nearly 30 points at eleven thousand three hundred thirty four Nasdaq off slightly a twenty five seventy eight. This is NPR News. International helps arriving in Israel which is battling its worst fire on record. NPR's Lourdes Garcia-Navarro reports a fire that has killed at least 41 people has also prompted mass evacuations in northern Israel.

The flames have reached the outskirts of Israel's third largest city Haifa. To help fight the blaze firefighters and equipment have come from an impressive list of countries both large and small. The U.S. Bulgaria the U.K. Turkey Jordan Spain Azerbaijan Cyprus have all lent their assistance but the Israeli government has come under harsh criticism for being so unprepared for what is turning into one of the worst fires in Israel's history. Despite the fact that Israel is one of the disaster relief world leaders it didn't have the equipment on hand to fight fires on the scale at home. The country's resources up until now have focused on primarily its military. There are few firefighters here and they have old and faulty equipment. Israel is suffering one of the worst droughts on record. There hasn't been rain here for eight months and none is in the forecast. Lourdes Garcia-Navarro NPR News. The deep freeze gripping Poland is now blamed in at least 30 deaths. Twelve people died overnight. The unusually early and bitter cold temperatures have also claimed lives in England Germany and the Czech Republic. The weather system is generating heavy

rains and severe floods in Bosnia and Serbia where states of emergency are in effect. Weeks before winter officially begins upstate New York is forced to get a jump start on painstaking cleanup. The Buffalo area is digging out of a snowstorm that had stranded hundreds of motorists this week. Good news is the New York State Thruway is open again after it was shut down for more than a day. I'm Lakshmi Singh NPR News Washington. Support for NPR comes from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation supporting unconventional approaches to transform health and health care at our WJF dot org slash pioneer. It's live and it's local. Coming up next two hours of local talk the Emily Rooney show and the callee Crossley Show. Only on WGBH. Good afternoon you're listening to the Emily Rooney show today. Boston City Councilor Chuck Turner showed up for work one last day he was packing his office

getting ready to leave after the council voted him out of a job this week following his federal conviction last month. We'll have that story and we'll delve into Wiki leaks and some other things our thumbs up thumbs down on the Boston Pops caroling going for a caroling record we'll look at Tom Brady's predilection for uggs. Joining me here in the studio today are the Boston Globe's Kevin Cullen Terence Burke a denture line public affairs and Michael Reagan from Solomon McCown PR. First Judge Michael Kelly what's your go to place. Very low what really is a shame but this is the same guy who didn't have the courage to stand up. First third of. It sorry. That's also Sire John the persecutor. That. I would love a. Three. Letter word true. James Michael. Forgive them they know not what they do.

I found this fascinating was riveting really great rate right through the end. I mean you know conjuring up the memory of James Michael Curley kind of reaching back and Jeez all and yeah yeah it's the politics of of your you know this was the day of course that councilor Turner was voted off the council 11 to 1. The one holdout was. Charles Yancey did not go for that proposition but he's out. I would be surprised so if you are sure it is very slow right. That's where the Kent comparison is James Michael Curley is spot on. I mean compare it when he compared himself to Rosa Parks I personally found that a bit offensive but the comparison is James Michael Curley I don't think is so far off. Because if you look at where when Curly came to prominence the Irish were sort of sort of struggling to become a real political bloc a real ethnic bloc. And he rode that wave and probably stay with it too long but I mean James Michael Curley clearly did things that would we would call corrupt. I mean he was put in jail. But that said you

know James Michael Curley got reelected from jail. And I think Chuck Turner would get reelected from jail so be interesting if they you know my sense Doug. Look I don't know it's tough he's a prosecutor the judge is going to sentence him. And I know he's going to whack. Diane WILKINSON But the question of whether he puts Chuck turned away is a is a good one because he's also looking that as a former prosecutor I was on record. I thought there was a wasteful prosecution I think that the government went way over going after him. That said they could any competent defense probably should have been able to win that case in Chuck's favor. But no you know what. You've got to pay that. You're going to pay the piper. Yeah. I think actually between Chuck Turner and Charlie Rangle we've now coined a new phrase so instead of jumping the shark they got shocked. But you know I think it's great that he has the supporters that he does. But one would think they'd be a little outraged that he kind of disappointed him the way they did. So I think their support and their. It is a little

mis play I'll believe it. I don't believe he did it right. Well I think the people behind him in those rallies had the sort of 80s look. Growing up in New York you'd see that any time something happened you know Al Sharpton would come out and the guy standing behind him with the angry faces it looks almost out of place today like the beginning of Bonfire Of The Vanities thing missing just a Shakey's But but the other thing I was going to say though it was what was moving was to see cancer Presley you know Presley Yeah and counselor Oh you write something just stand up and say you know that if we get here is saying I have to do this and it's a shame it's happening and he I think maybe even Turner took it. You're right no they were saying you brought yourself to this where I have to bring myself to be someone who is heroic to me in some way that I take exception with you said Kevin I know there's a back when James Michael Curley was in office he was. Persecuted because he was Irish. Do you actually believe that that Chuck Turner is persecuted because he's well. I do believe that when the feds were making that calculus of weather we press with this case I think they would. One of the things they took into account is this guy

was on the fringe. He was like an old school 60s radical. He had very little support outside his own constituency so yeah I think that's part of their calculus. Personally I do. But I also think you have to look at the curly comparison over a historical continuum. I mean James Michael Curley what he did in the beginning of his political career was perfectly justifiable. And like the idea the first corrupt act he did was when he took civil service test for some Irish guys who wanted to be postman. That actually helped him in that community. But as the person as he held on to that persecution complex and blamed the Yankees in the Brahmans and everybody for everything that they you know the mopes the most oppressed people in the world with the Irish in Boston which by the 40s was ludicrous because the Irish were running a lot of things. I think when you hold on to that persecution complex you end up hurting your own the very community you say that you're sticking up for right and trying to justify what he did by you know using that as an excuse I think also demeans his community. So that's where I go back

to their support I think is is misplaced at this point. He disappointed them. They should understand that. They should be outraged at him. But if you're a voter in Roxbury too and you sit back and look at it from your realm you're seeing that you're in one of the most dispossessed disadvantaged places in this area and that when the Feds decide to go after political corruption after two three years hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars spent what do they have. They have two black politicians from Roxboro but we'll see what probation what happens out of the probation now that a grand jury a federal grand jury is there so that might balance that there. You know Carmen Ortiz may be coming in strong in a lot of these issues and we'll see. People of all different kinds of backgrounds coming in so this will wash out at some point. Now then what's interesting to to see Charlie Rangle stand in the well and be censored. He keeps bringing up what about the totality of the person and that's Charlie Rangle. But he had he has a war hero he had a long time record he did a lot of stuff in Congress and in his district I think.

To many Jack Turner just doesn't have that much of a comprehensive package to balance what. But if you talk about people I'm going to tell you and I think you know a lot of people there are a lot of people really like oh OK this is what you say that the question of whether he's an effective City Councilor because he'll call a hearing at the drop of the hat that's what that's another question for another day but if you're a constituent and you call him up He generally gives you the time of day. The irony is this place where the actual bribe the exchange took place was in his constituency office is the only city council that actually has a constituency office in the hood. So I mean like I said there are a lot of people who support Chuck it's just that I don't but everybody here this week it's not about what he did right. Right everybody totally you know and like I said I don't have it to me that the way that this played out and you were willing to go to trial and do all that stuff you get up. That's the way it goes. I personally don't think you should get jail time either. What's what's that. I have a feeling it's going to happen largely because he you know he took the stand in his own defense made a total fool of himself couldn't

explain a thing. The only camera thing and the only caveat I'll put in there Emily is like I said Doug would lock the judge was a federal prosecutor he did when I did corruption cases. If he in his heart thinks or he in his head thinks that this was slightly of an overreach of a prosecution then he will not get jail time and if he does get jail time then that answers our question that Doug Woodlock thought this was a perfectly justifiable prosecution. I wonder if you think so though if he's going to be sentencing is he sentencing Wilkerson what exactly. So if you feel like you need his time to one he's got to get it together. Well but I mean I think Diane's crime was in some ways much more egregious and I pled guilty to. Yeah and I think there's no question that she's going to serve some serious jail I mean it's a sad set on all counts. It's a sad way to end what you know was it was a really strong career in Beacon Hill. You know just as Charlie Rangel I mean it's not that his career is ending but it is it's Yeah but it's just you know it's you know power corrupts.

I think this is proof that that's the case and you know all these she had a series of yeah it was a real I read it I you know it's still hot stuff and come back for the smoke. Yeah it was chalk one predicate one act one act there and and that's going to that's going to go into the calculus that Doug would like us to. Yeah I mean. She used you know the equivalent of the Twinkie defense and she say their tax bill fell behind her dress or something I think is these were you know she was just blatantly record help Chuck in the comparison between him and her right. Like I said is is that she was a she was a major league thief. Right onto the probation department globe has really done a spectacular job with this I mean nothing nothing is. I mean has Jack O'Brien been tossed yet why not. No I think well that's all. Why is Ross and that likely why does it have to be due process. Well because right well like I said I mean he's suspended and have eventually he will be but I think it also comes down to where they are. Nobody wants to prejudge or pre affect the criminal prosecutions. I was

surprised that Chris Bulger who was a counselor actually spoke to where the investigators but I found out subsequently that he because he was still under the employ of the probation department he could not take the Fifth. He had to talk to them. So where's Finneran and purred a lot and just said screw you we're not talking to you guys because not there was no incentive for them to talk. Whereas anybody who remained an employee of the probation department could not then claim really because he was a he still he was still a a Petrel and I still am. A legislator but he didn't have to but that like I said it it's if you looked at the term of reference that they've followed this investigation it's a completely different thing if you were an employee of the probation department recently there's some kind of a grand jury that's going. Yeah well I mean the Globe reported that the other day that Carmen Ortiz convened a grand jury and that's the feds a much better equipped to do this in a lot of respects than Martha Coakley is doing. The A.G. is doing an investigation. But the the the bottom line is that federal laws on corruption a much stronger easier to apply than as we saw on the

chart. Then the state once but you know what you also have to wonder what their What's in the water up there because I mean really for well you know at first you know come on defending defending it and then you know recommending his son in law right God's house his god son for a job and somehow there's nothing wrong with that and that's just. You know what is it about being up there that you know you're in this closed environment where everybody who goes to those people looking for a recommendation they also don't think there's anything wrong with that too and like I mean I remember you know when I was like 16 years old I got a job as a park instructor at a mall and recreation department and we had to call the City Council or to call the rec department. That's just the way things are done. So I think kind of what bought I bought the LEO I'm not defending it I'm just saying this is the system the end. A lot of the people who have expressed surprise about this in the recent weeks it reminds me of Claude Rains in Casablanca because I think this it is so obvious that this is the system whether it's the

right system you know the reality is if an elected official makes a phone call on behalf of a person that jumps them ahead of the queue in any kind of state agency job hunt. And that's that's not right I don't think. It's not a lot of people that don't have that publicly you don't have to then come back and fund it. I mean you can say you know the governor at least said this is outrageous we have to do something about it I mean the LEO could say the same thing and show some leadership. I think he backtracked a bit you had to backtrack a bit. He said the same things that President Murray also said well that's how things get done here. Member when he was running for governor said Isn't this how things get done here. I mean this is what's going on it's a road in a way people's people are becoming more cynical about public service and public servants and what happens is that when you see it in the globe in the Herald and then I went home to Melrose and there on the Melrose paper it said Senator McGee top three of people getting favors from the probation department that means it's chipping away at you at your

own place and is this thing unwinds people's own legislators will be wound down other layers and it's going to really corrode away. Plus all these other stories that we're coming into now. People's sense of public service and it's just going to it's bad for the for the system and it's bad for public servants is bad for people who want to run for office and it's it's just corrosive. But like I said I think we have to be honest and not Pollyannish about this that this is a cultural thing. This is the way the system has worked. Literally for over 100 years Michael repressing nobody saying that that's what we're doing I think is that that's not right to put out the part to stop it stop to staunch the feeling of cynicism by coming out and saying this will stop. I mean the Globe and The Herald have on the same day had the governor saying two different things in the Herald story. It says this that isn't how business gets done in this administration says that the governor the globe in the same day had I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with people making recommendations just because they work in this building. Who said that they were going to talk about it in two different papers the same day think

of it to paper town. Yeah. And so that was a confusing that was complete so I don't know and I'll tell you talking to Terrence Burke from interlined public relations Michael Reagan from Solomon in the county and Kevin Cullen from the Boston Globe that the bigger issue now is what's going to happen this week at his confirmation hearings Justice Roderick Ireland actually address the issue of what should happen to the probation department. I don't think it should be probation should be transferred into the executive branch. My view is that the courts and probation worked. Yeah there well and the judiciary is in the best position to supervise and manage probation. So Governor Deval Patrick's idea is to move the probation department back into the executive branch. It is technically a part of the judicial branch right now which is something I don't totally understand so if it's if it's already in the judicial Why is it the legislature is controlling it. Well that's the problem they control the purse strings to it which creates an inherent conflict of interest in why we've seen this case that somebody that was willing to corrupt the place and make it that it's

a pay for play operation who could do that. Now what does it matter where technically why wouldn't it be the same character who said look you could do it you know you go and you pay off a judge frankly if the judges are in charge of it. But I think there's an assumption that the judges would be less corruptible or less susceptible to the pressure that a that a politician would be in seeking contributions you know campaign contributions things like that. I mean that's the other reason I mean one of the things that I think has been so. Flabbergasting it is the speed with which I've been at the Globe for 25 years and never has a Spotlight Report produced such instant results. But I think one of the reasons or one of the main reasons is the back draft is is there is this entire governmental struggle over who has the reins of this organization and it's an incredibly important organization. It really is the difference between chaos out there in the streets and a lot of cases. And that's why this is you know really I wonder about that. There is a struggle over this between the executive branch and the judiciary and that's going to continue long after all

the investigations of them. So I think the governor wants to subsume these certain entities to reform them to create legacy issues there whether where they'll take you know like they did with transportation they wanted they want to sort of bring these things and reform them and say You see that's another congressman and it would to them it is you are going to say Arlen didn't really address it but it is a legitimate issue from my from my street experience I consider a probation office is almost like cops. They really are in the law enforcement. Capacity. So you know but you could argue that means they should be in the public safety in the executive branch where you can argue that you know so I mean it's to me it's a real legitimate debate. We haven't had that debate yet and I think what Arlen just addressed now you see the conflict right there. The governor is appointing somebody to head the SJC who actually disagrees Oh yeah all right are you sure the bull's eye. I mean I think it's not surprising that he would come out and say what he said I mean from the judiciary's perspective of course they want to maintain the control of that agency so I don't think that that was so surprising. I think it will be interesting to see what the

dynamic now is between Patrick and Ireland and who wins. All right we're going to take a short break. When we continue more Week in Review You're listening to the Emily Rooney show Stay with us. Support for WGBH comes from you. And from Boston Private Bank and Trust Company. Committed to helping successful individuals and businesses accumulate. Preserve and grow their wealth. You can learn more at Boston. Private Bank. Dot com. And from the cottages at new bridge on the Charles homes for independent seniors in Hebrew senior life's newest community. A maintenance free lifestyle in a setting that encourages growth and exploration. The cottages at Newbridge dot work. And from the Massachusetts Freemasons. Who believe that a man's greatness can be measured. And it's not by his wealth or fame. You can learn more at the Massachusetts Freemasons website.

Ask a Freemason dot org. Dave Brubeck celebrates his 90th birthday Monday on the next FRESH AIR we feature our 1999 interview with him. He studied piano with his mother but he rebelled. I wanted to be like my father who was a cattle man and rode Dale Rover Brubeck's father managed a forty five thousand acre cattle ranch. How did Dave Brubeck end up at the piano. We find out on the next FRESH AIR. This afternoon at two on eighty nine point seven. Hi this is Cathy Fuller from ninety nine point five Boston's all classical station. And I hope you'll join me next spring for our Spanish melodies getaway with the WGBH learning tours will take in opera art and visit the island of Majorca Chopin's famous winter escape. Learn more at WGBH dot org slash learning tours. I'm Kelly Crossley. Coming up on the Calabasas show we hit the rewind button on the

stories that went under the radar. That's today at 1:00 after the show. One eighty nine point seven. You're listening to the Emily Rooney show we're talking about things that happen in the news this week I'm joined in the studio by Kevin Cullen from the Boston Globe Terrence Burke from DU interlined public affairs and Michael Reagan burg from Solomon and McCown PR Middlesex County Sheriff James DePaul. He was buried this week. He killed himself five days after the Boston Globe reported that he had been considering taking both a salary and a pension. He told reporter Sean Murphy that he had a sleepless night reconsidered called SEAN MURPHY On a Saturday to say he wasn't going to do that he was going to resign his job as sheriff the next day. Front page Globe article Sean Murphy explains everything how originally he was going to take both of both the pension and the salary told

explain why he decided against it and then James the call himself went on kind of a media tour and wanted to better explain himself. The same day or I guess it was the next day Fox 25 had a second report of a completely different nature but he claimed that James had taken a. Had misused some of his campaign money he was pocketing money or not reporting it and that he had taking rides home from people on his staff when he had had too much to drink. I asked him specifically about that he came on the Greater Boston show a week ago Monday I asked him about the Fox 25 report. This is what he said. The part of this business that I will not miss. You know the rumor the innuendo the anonymous phone calls those kinds of things that I've certainly had elected officials have to put up with. You know I won't mess. You know I see this is certainly an opportunity to you know transition my life. Absolutely young man 57 years old to look at some other options and do

some other things and still contribute. It certainly doesn't sound like a man getting ready to kill himself you fifty seven years old and as I said on TV the other night after the interview he was the lead of Greater Boston that night and we could go Monday. He stood up and he pulled out his wallet and showed me a picture of his mother or grandmother. I say I wish I could remember more specifically what he was doing but he was talking about his brothers and sisters. He was getting ready for Thanksgiving and he was telling me a story about his parents and you know his mother being honored on her deathbed. And he stood there for a while which is kind of unusual because usually the guests just get up and get out. And also we had other people coming in on the show so I was kind of like I gotta get down here a bit. He wanted to talk a little bit more and was just kind of personal stuff. SEAN MURPHY told me that the same thing happened to him this Saturday morning when they met at the Dunkin Donuts. He was talking about his parents. So yeah. So there you know and that's just one other part of the puzzle. And

you can say a lot of things about Jimmy but I thought he was one of the least cynical guys I met in that kind of business. It's funny because there are some sheriffs in the state that tried to get a lot of publicity by making inmates pay for their food or pay for the sundries and stuff like that. And Jimmy was trying to get them jobs. You know I thought it was a. A terrific public servants that and there are two things a surprise that I was surprised at how cynical the ploy he was going to do to gain the system that didn't strike me as the guy I knew for a long time and then obviously the reaction of who he was the last guy you would think would commit suicide with it and the idea we spent all weeks I've wracked my brain I've talked to a lot of people who work for him who have known him and like I said I've known him since I was a teenager growing up in Malden and nobody can put it together and I don't think anybody ever will. It's one of those things one of those mysteries of life and the idea we don't know it. You know the statistical evidence is overwhelming most people kill themselves have a serious form of depression. You know there is a

decreased level of serotonin in their brains which makes them go into that dark place. And we just will never know. You know I mean I didn't know him. It's just incredibly sad that you know what sound and I mean that sound bite sounded like he was looking forward to the future. And. I mean it was tragic I was you know out of town and I opened up the you know the paper when I came back and it was just it's just a total shock. It's interesting when you see other people like Matt Amorello for instance is really you know down in the dumps right now obviously and the whole thing played out so publicly but he's not that way and this even you know more but you know well I mean I'm only saying that it was so immediate and he had a nature of some kind and then you know his life and you see people that have gone through more you wonder if it's already on steel rails in their mind to to do this just to drive up to Maine to have the whole thing plotted out in your mind shows that as Kevin was saying it there's a he's on two different tracks in his life and. But but it was the way he was talking

to people as I was cleaning up everything that he wanted to go on the media tour said his things straight and then move on that way. You know it's amazing actually when we look at OK now we've spent the first half hour talking about politicians you know either behaving badly or having bad things. It's just unusual that I think all it's kind of stars aligned or stars misaligned that all this seems to be happening within a short period of time at least when you think that it's just a very it's very few people. Which raises the issue you know do we do we focus too much on this do we. Is the media complicit or are they responsible instead and there's this oftentimes kind of a gleeful approach to two people in public life who go down we don't have to name names we know certain media people take a lot of pleasure in the downfall of that Matt Amorello Jimmy to Paul before he killed himself you know they say oh yeah that hack you know double dipping and that kind of stuff. That's where you wonder if he was heading. He knew he was heading towards a thing called you're going to be just just pilloried you're going to be in the stocks you're me made fun of it maybe even his weight and that will play

into it. Then the globe did those stories on bullies what it means later on in life maybe he was made fun of a lot. Maybe he felt he got into a place where a soft armchair psychological you know I thought like I was just going to part of his I thought Jimmy came out of that news cycle about as well as anybody. Yeah I mean he didn't come up smelling like a rose but he didn't come up with what was in the bucket either. I was really I was really impressed with the way and I thought I thought the Globe story. And if you know Sean Murphy he's dogged and as tough as a variant of water there is in this town he's also a very decent human being and you know it was hard for a guy like that because he doesn't blame himself for that I certainly don't. I don't think you can blame SEAN MURPHY For any house. No but you know. I think the whole process and even the way he presented himself on your show Emily I think at the end of the week I think most fear thinking people said you know what. They got you.

Yeah and so it's and that's why I think the suicide was shocking it was for the campaign finance the couple that belong but that's not a big deal at all that the Herald did a story after he died where they said all that's fine people who are mourning over him but they went to all the restaurants that his campaign spent a lot of money at so it was a part of a story was he's a hearty eater. First of all is all we miss him and how do you explain a guy with a big heart going like this it was one person but they go through all the places his campaign spent a lot of money so it was a hit job on him after the fact. Talk about all the restaurants and restaurant owners saying we missed him and then it talked about how much money his campaign spent in there and how we love these meals and stuff like that. So to me that was all went into the fact that they were going they were doing all CPF classic rip and read story and that was also about food. That's where I'm talking about whining and maybe you thought this was the beginning of something you're going to and it was never going to I talked to a sheriff down to Louisiana because Jimmy had done kind of a road and save the day after but how do you know that that was Hurricane Katrina I was there when I had. He just showed up late at night. But anyway when I thought he had a very interesting take on this because like Jimmy was the kind of guy that had to take care of everybody else. And part of his personality

is that he would he he was not the guy that would go look and lean on your shoulder and like a lot of people I know who worked for the sheriff's department or friendly with them from Malden or anything else around here and like this. I mean he was a big cheese and Louisiana they love love them down there and they they were frustrated that he didn't call on them or talk to them but you know that just wasn't his personality he was a guy that kind of big Papa Bear who fixed everybody else and never thought of turning to somebody else. What was really sad is that you thought that if you talked about him playing with his grandchildren and stuff that he wouldn't think that they would love him regardless he parlays and his daughters of course and his wife and his family. Why couldn't he just go to the bosom of his family and wait it out wait out the storm and that's why it's something that we don't understand if you're not predisposed to doing this why can't you just run your family be with the little kids who don't care what grandpa has done in the in the newspaper news cycle and it wasn't over. Right and you see a lot of people really wouldn't have to worry about you know money again I mean you know if

he was going to have an income it wasn't well he's going to get. Hundred thousand on the pension and I could have had another job. You know there were clearly other factors going at once a security consultant somewhere and I'll just drift off into the you know and people with a lot of them saying I'm on the street Jimmy how you doing. And then he would have made a good living being with the kids and that's that. We don't know I mean a suicide note is being kept private not being released by the medical examiner's office in Maine. And clearly the family doesn't want to release it but from what I gleaned from the Boston Globe it it sounds like it was a largely personal and maybe never even addressed you know his reasons. But like I said and even that I mean suicide notes you have to consider the source and at the time it was written so I don't know if whatever I learned that I said it I thought of the people I've known in my life who have committed suicide. There were very few that I could sit here and sort of say definitively I know why they did it. I think that's one of the great mysteries and sadness surrounding suicide. There's just so much uncertainty

and questions left for those left behind. Yeah it's really a sad story aren't going to take a short break here and when we continue pick up with one of my favorite stories of the week which is. Support for WGBH comes from you and from Skinner auctioneers and appraisers of antiques and fine art. You might consider auction when downsizing a home or disposing of an estate. Sixty auctions annually 20 collecting categories Boston and marble online at Skinner Inc. Dot com and from Boston Private Bank and Trust Company. Boston private bank provides private and commercial banking and investment management and trust services to individuals and businesses. You can learn more by visiting Boston private bank dot com. And from the Joan in James Vernon Cancer Center at Newton Wellesley hospital. Striving to

provide patients with expert Cancer Care innovative services and treatment options. Information at NWA dot org slash cancer. Next time on the world Jerusalem's mother Mariah is known by Jews as the Temple Mount. Historically it is molded reasonable to believe that it is the holiest place. Muslims use a different name. It's not about them but MT as court docs almost quote 49 that a hill in Jerusalem as an obstacle to peace. That's next time on the world. Coming up at 3 o'clock here at eighty nine point seven WGBH. This score some great deals on holiday gifts and support public broadcasting. With businesses from across New England are taking part in our event and experience. Everything from golden rings to workshops the complete one of a kind items.

Coming up. You're listening to the Emily Rooney show I'm joined here in the studio by Michael Reagan Burke from Solomon McCown PR Terrence Burke dent to align public affairs and Kevin Cullen from the Boston Globe. Wiki leaks. Yes. All right this is the renegade Web site that has already published some 250000 classified documents this week it was the U.S. diplomatic cables about five media organizations including The New York Times got these documents directly from Wiki leaks and now they're posted on their website. Some of the stuff that came out this week has been something of a diplomatic nightmare for the United States. Several Arab leaders were urged to attend you know urged to attack Iran over

nuclear activities Hillary Clinton her office requested spying on key U.N. officials China is prepared to accept a united Korea Yemen secretly approved U.S. strikes on militants. That is all kinds of personal embarrassing comments about world leaders who loved all that stuff. But this is exactly this. People talk to climb the ladder but the problem was they wrote it down and I say that course are going to talk around each other with confirmation that most diplomacy is gossip. Yeah right exactly I mean in the end what I mean really that's what the whole big deal so Jon Stewart was great. The Daily Show. Yeah you know he had a photo of Hillary and Bill or Hillary was asked Are you embarrassed. And then they said Do you remember where she was in the 90s and they had a picture of Bill Clinton embarrassed you know. She's built up a tolerance to embarrass. Yes but what's interesting is that everybody is outraged that a song or a song really in a song and you know founder of Wiki thinks well I mean what did he do what about the guy who really did and I mean and his name is I rarely

mention. Well I have a question about this. Did he did Bradley Manning who's in custody right now was in military custody did he get all of the documents at once so they've had all of these all along because he's been in jail since last for a year already doing it in installments I guess. So they have others what else do they seem to have banks. If that's Guy can't wait for that post dated him so they have other sources. Yes and most of the. But the other thing I think we have to keep hearing people calling it the whistle blowing website. You know some of the initial dump you might have said like when they talked about killing unarmed Yankees that they thought might be whistle blowing. This latest thing there was nothing whistle blowing in this whatsoever. I mean you know that raises the whole questions about whether there's a public good that comes out of this I mean I guess there is but I found like you I thought most of the diplomatic cables to be rather amusing at POWs and what went on and they have really any security harmed you know in the New York Times called it sizzle it said it wasn't really new even that writer Torie a lot of us said it was sizzle and that's about what it is.

There were a couple of things I thought I thought it was great actually to confirm what obviously a lot of people have known all along which is that the Arabs are just as afraid of Iran as Israel. OK. Good that's out in the open so. Surprise surprise but so I think that there were you know that there were some good confirmations of things that people have suspects anybody here think that Wiki Leaks and by extension the New York Times and other news organizations should not have printed this material. And I think they took that step in which they ran it through the State Department or the other govern United States government and they said anything that's super sensitive and they did I think that they were right that does it and they didn't knock that much out of it. So even they were like you got us immediately that there is an issue here too and I talked to somebody who works with with rape victims in Bosnia. There were the names of human rights activists in some very totalitarian countries named in the original. What wiki leaks put out there on the web. Now we're still most of the

world is getting it through the traditional gatekeepers of whether it's Spiegel or the Guardian or The New York Times. But in this case there is information out there that could compromise people's lives and liberty. And I think that's the problem. There is absolutely no control on Wiki leaks. Now we take we assume that the Times and The Guardian are going to show some responsibility and they have. But the reality is if you're if your job is to crack down on human rights activists in your country you could go on WikiLeaks and see if your country is referred to. And you could find names of people and know that they have talked to us that it's also important keep in mind that Julian Assange is a political activist. He's not I don't know the guy so we get all confused about all the York Times printing this stuff but he's only you know providing information that he wants all of it's a right question. But I also think that there's an issue that the real issue is how did Manning get this stop. And you know whatever security has to be reinforced or whatever

process needs to be reinforced so that doesn't happen you know because that seems like it was pretty easy for a private to get hold of this question but the question is is the medium driving what we consider news or not because the fact that this fire hose of information can come out on this public site and then they also give it to journals and the journalists say well we got it now you have to do something with it because this website's going to have it in 20 days or whatever their deal is. So we now have to shape it into news like substance. I think you're right there where we found out that more civilians were killed in the first I think the first dump was really let's let's find out what's what news is in the in here. This second one is sort of like how how much can we do and make the press run after that and say oh we have to then wow there all this ourselves. And is it is their point of the sort in the news here it circles back to the Spotlight Team Spotlight team gathered information and put it out in a systematic way. News stories that then had an effect. I don't think we have seen much of an effect other than people running around

apologizing from the wiki leaks. On the other hand though once there is this transparency due to the Internet should we be reveling in that. Well there could be some if they really do have the goods on Bank of America. There could be some serious fallout from that could have people or Wiki says Here you go. I can't wait for that. Also what does everybody make of the sexual assault charges against Julian Assange you wonder how real. Well yeah I don't know. Who knows if all of us and it's very coincidental that this Interpol is after him. Then there's a patriotic hacker that shut down the Wiki Leaks for for a few hours you wonder you wonder if there are people after him that way. But you also I mean there was a terrific piece that John Burns did in the New York Times about just the profile of this guy as he's an odd duck. I mean he's not your average clearly Joe so you know he has a harder broader people do odd things so who knows. I mean it's just you know it almost the way you came out you say oh there's a conspiracy there but I don't know the idea that this would come out of Sweden. Let's go to the last place I would think about the conspiracy theory happening.

I don't know I don't know either but it just sounds awfully coincidental that you know they'd be hauling them in for a sexual assault charge when really what they want to do is get on for information. But but I mean if he doesn't do it somebody else is going to do it. All right. What else should we segue into our thumbs up thumbs down I think we all just gave a thumbs up. Yeah yeah yeah. For the most part yeah. Yeah I mean like I said I think it does but I thought up only if there is responsible gatekeepers with the information I wouldn't say that Wiki Leaks is the most responsible organization out there but the idea if it's a good idea is very nice. That's right. I mean that's you know that system's down for man and it's a thumbs up for you for Manning you know I should've done that. No. Why that he should have leaked he went on. I don't think Bradley Manning he's a guy yeah I should have done that. No absolutely not I mean that's interesting. It's OK to print happy just to get to break in and he's in the service of the Clearly Well if I mean it really means that I want to be prosecuted it's him not a sonnet I mean what did

he do. He took the information and put it out there. How is that different. I mean I don't know how if they were complicit on this to begin with how do they know well meaning after the question is again is that Wiki Leaks thumbs up on the transparency and the using the Internet as a tool as you say there are not great gatekeepers but the internet is full of that question is the press that is supposed to be our fire wall to a lot of things in that sense should they be chasing them every move with this material and be better gatekeepers. Can we talk about the tax cuts. Sure go ahead talk about the tax cuts the former Again some thumbs up thumbs down on the tax cuts. Well no I think it's going up. No I think it's great that the Democrats have come up with a new term which is tax cuts for millionaires so it's no longer tax cuts for the rich it's tax cuts for millionaires. We'll see if that sticks. And I think it draws a very distinct line between the Republicans where the Republicans come down and where the Democrats come down so you know the fact people making a million dollars or more. Right. And the fact

that the Democrat the House managed to pass you know a continuation of the tack tax cuts for the middle class good for them. Thank you Scott Brown for you know not being able to support unemployment benefits long term extending and you know I think let's remember that in 2000 12 and you know I think that the Republicans will still get what they want in the end. I mean I think in the end we'll have tax cuts for millionaires will have tax cuts for the middle class and we'll have an extension of unemployment benefits. All right. Let me ask you to weigh in on that. Well that's just it. Let's stop using the term tax cuts by the way. Because if I just continue with yeah you know it's like it wasn't like we got some big break or something you know. It's a continuation of the current tax code out right and so it's not like you're going to see less your more money come out of anyone's Gonzalo Exactly. Yeah it's not a cut. No it would've been it would have been it but that's part of the framing of it. Yeah you know it projected forward as tax cuts and therefore people are more or more

behind it. All right continuing on this theme here on thumbs up. I couldn't believe this Nevada Senator John Ensign goes scot free. I'm giving that a thumbs down. I mean I know it was it was beyond a sexual scandal he was. It was bribery it was bribery. How can he get away with that. Your question definitely comes down. Yeah he had a better lawyer than Chuck. Do you know her. Do you know exactly what is happening here with this woman and then he buys off his her husband by getting him some federal job or something you know some hundred he wrote a check for $90000. Tom DeLay is jealous. Yeah exactly I was on that limbs down you know. All right what else we got a lot of sports stuff here that's good. Well you know I thought I made up brush about men that those those games that we should say the World Cup Soccer World Cup with the United States loses out 20 22 to Qatar. But just like all the English fans are going to sneak booze into this Muslim country then they're going to drink it in their hotel rooms and they're all going to die in the heat.

This is going to matter. OK I love that. I've already put in my chair I said I don't have anybody here even care should we get that you know well I care a lot because I'm a big soccer mom didn't we have if you want to nobody. Yeah well no that's one of the points I mean one of the you know Bill Clinton was over there pitching and I mean when they gave it to the United States in 94 the idea was to increase the game's profile in the most populous you know the biggest country in the world in the most important marketing country in the world. It didn't quite happen because that's always the dilemma here is that more kids in America play soccer very rare than any other game it's just that they don't continue to play it and watch it as they become teenagers and young adults. But that's the same thinking that was going on fee for his idea of you know pushing the game more in the United States but there's also the flipside of that they've never had the World Cup in Eastern Europe Russia or is obviously a place where the game is growing. And then obviously in the Middle East that's another place where the game is

growing in some of the more open societies like. And they're actually bringing in European coaches to coach and some of these like the United Arab Emirates. So there's always stuff you know it's a lot about this you know really I mean I really look at them and I just think that it's very very tough response to soccer hooliganism both in Qatar and you know it's they have got they're actually much better to they behead you. Yeah right as men and women because you give it a thumbs up. This is great I want you there you got women and women I just again I just want to be staging I really have questions about whether to talk and can stagey. They're basically going to have to play an airconditioned there's no way they can play in the right there and will they hand out free burkas Oh shit. All right we got to move on to some other sports things here how about the Red Sox resigning Jason Varitek thumbs up. They had you know we don't even know if this other kid. So we don't have to start all these people like I just assumed when they didn't I wasn't here for that show when when Martinez was let go that to me was really that's a thumbs down and stupid because

we're not going to get anybody as good as Martinez and we're going to spend more money than we would if we resign Martinez that was the biggest blunder since Johnny Damon go even bigger than what Johnny Damon right. I'll give it a thumbs up to him. We like him. Catherine had it and he's loyal. Yeah. All right how about this one Derek Jeter coming to the Red Sox not this up can't afford it now you know. Never going to happen has a Yankee ever come to the Red Sox. Was it ever happen that way. Yeah but it's not in recent memory but it's a play that could have an impact. Jeter skills declined dramatically last year I mean they got a Golden Globe like really didn't deserve it. He's a great guy. Thank you. The track I love them. The one thing I always noticed about him he was one of the few guys in Major League Baseball who absolutely gets how lucky he is to be doing this and making a military decent guy always turns to kids at Fenway Park and talks them and stuff. There are very few professional ball players particularly visiting players who do that. Jeter just seems like a guy who knows how lucky he

is and he seems like a class act. That said I don't really want my season tickets to go up so we can pay Derek Jeter the money he wants and his liabilities at shortstop dramatic I think I just don't think they can afford it. It's not like that happens now. All right let's move on to football. This one is just making my toes curl. Tom Brady selling. So I'll give it a thumbs up for the selling uggs. But a definite thumbs down for his haircut. What is up with that. Is he trying to you know have a contest with you on how long his hair can go. She is obviously obsessed about his hair and I don't know if these reports this week are true that he's you know going to some slight hair man or something man kind of thing. If it if there's a hair obsession going on here. Yeah and if he keeps growing it and growing it's like Samson and Delilah you know our own story here but maybe that's the thing with uggs too it's I just talked with early. Yes just that really and their uggs are their bedroom slippers that you wear in public as you said.

We're also kind of passe IDSA it's getting that way. So that's why that's my job so maybe I'll get the guys I can see the entire front line you know. Matt Light and these guys who all look like Grizzly Adams anywhere wearing these shoes. It's embarrassing. Thumbs down. What's your response down I mean like you doesn't have enough money already. You know that's exciting. It's shameful in a way I mean I you know you can't go around you know judging how much money people deserve to earn or need to have and all that mean. You know he's peaking you know right now. I mean this but honestly how much money do you need. Well if you're going there obviously you know because of it's almost I mean not that he doesn't have these contacts anyway but obviously this you know modeling thing and being a spokesperson I think having to sell around probably encourages that behavior from my from time. Well right now if you want to run for son Senate you need a lot of money. It's going to happen Emily. Is he talking about SALES OK. People in the NEWSROOM get mad when I say he's a D.C. Dems a dozer. He does oh I'm bro you know come on doesn't know the division well and good he

doesn't know my sons were pretty well-spoken over here money. He said what he suggested was just pretty good he went to university much like you know but he's also going to run for the Senate in start listing in California the only prerequisite because you're going to be good today. It's like what he's talking about at work and he doesn't and he never used it. I don't take it personal he doesn't he's a country. He talks and plays football. Speaking of football right the Jets and the Patriots are both 9 into the big game. Monday 30. I swished it was on a Monday night. I know it's going to be stationary. Well how should we even position this as a thumbs up thumbs down. You got it. Patriots they don't win I think they will actually I think they play the Jets of Minix stream we fortunate in the last month they pulled out like three games that they shouldn't have won. I think it catches up to you after all statistically a pitcher to play well. All right I give a thumbs up to. Sure. I actually have quite a bit I watch a lot of football. I'll go with you I'm sure. Yeah it's a big game. I know you

know that same Channel 5 has been promoting. You think I mean it was just you know the game of all games you know you go to The Sports Hub with these all these topics and you try to kind of I know ratings I know that's the sports that we did that on the press here that they I mean they're really taken off I know. Well what else. All right here's one. The Boston Pops this weekend is trying to get a record of Guinness Book of World Records for the most carolers going to be out in Copley Square Saturday I think you. Forget that. What about caroling in general comes up thumbs down on Carol and. I have to say as a Jew that's as a joke if you or I give it a thumbs up every year I go to a friend's house and we sing carols. I love it. Maybe that's good. I don't have to. I can hear some Carol. I'm down on Caroline. I don't even exist anymore I mean that's rolling carolers Well it would be nice I'm going to take my boys to that you are. Yeah because they look they're obsessed with the Guinness Book of World Records arsenal. Why don't you become part of it you know they have the kids version

with all these records and creepy things. Yeah make sure you sign in you know you got to get counted. All right you know it's well frankly I'd rather have a Guinness at the pub and then you'll Carol beautifully after that a fine Irish tenor. All right here's another sports one I guess really with these Balance bracelets. Well I mean these are these all that everybody in the gym center and did you lose your sound who are wearing these things that they claim that you can't be pushed over or if you can lose your balance when you have this many people are taking the serious sex I was going to Tom Brady would say people are taking this serious. It's like those things you see in the back of Victorian magazines or something from the you know magnetic dramas down on this you know it's not either or because not Hopper bracelets Yeah I wear that for arthritis and golfer but other people it's not. This stuff and they surface they see the celebrities they've got him on it looks cool it's the new IT. Thank just one Emily next time you see one go push him over. I'm just hours away or my mood.

All right I think that's about it I have lots of thumbs up thumbs down that we didn't get to but we can save them for another time. We will be back Monday at noon thank you for all Kevin Cullen Michael Reagan and Terrence Burke. Monday we've got NPR Susan Stamberg she's going to hear about the new NPR book the first 40 years of public radio plus our mentors who Robin Abrams will be here. In the meantime tune in to Beat the Press tonight the Emily Rooney show is a production of eighty nine point seven WGBH Boston NPR station for news and culture on the web at WGBH dot org slash Emily Rooney the Kelly Crossley Show is coming up next on Emily Rooney. Have a great afternoon. The Greek. The the. Weeks

the earth. The. Was the Earth.