WGBH Radio; The Emily Rooney Show

From WGBH in Boston this is the show. It's Tuesday March 6 2012. Emily Rooney on today's show a look at the Yankee Republicans. What does the number of conservatives in New England mean and do they represent a special breed of Republican or the party in general. We'll check in with long time regional party luminaries and with up and coming members of the local GOP. We'll also be opening the phone lines. We want to hear what you have to say. And later in the hour inevitably tragedy strikes us all. We usually know what to do when bad things happen to people we know and love. But what about when calamity or disease strikes a coworker or a casual acquaintance. Our social etiquette expert Robin Abrams on what to do when bad things happen to good people that we hardly know. It's all coming up this hour on the Emily Rooney show. But first the news. From NPR News in Washington I'm Lakshmi saying. Some

Ohio voters get a jump start on the Super Tuesday primary contests underway in 10 states with more than 400 delegates on the line. The stakes are high for the Republican presidential candidates especially in the traditional bellwether state of Ohio. The leading GOP rivals Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum have campaigned heavily in Ohio. New Gingrich meanwhile is banking on a win in Georgia to stay in the race and Ron Paul looking to Alaska to score his first victory of the campaign. From member station KOSU in Oklahoma City Michael Cross reports from one of the most conservative states in the U.S. four years ago John McCain had already received enough votes to get the GOP nomination. But today Republicans in Oklahoma are getting a chance to have their voices heard. Bob Simon has cast his ballot for Newt Gingrich but says he will vote in November for any Republican who wins the race. I don't like the direction the country is going right now. It's too liberal it's too. Anti-American I think the current administration is hurting that the common working

class. And that worries more of our rights as American citizens. All of the candidates have visited the state with Rick Santorum coming twice in the last month. For NPR News I'm Michael Cross in Oklahoma City. As the Obama administration continues to promote a diplomatic solution to convincing Iran to halt its nuclear development Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says the U.S. is prepared to take military action if all else fails. The United States is determined to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Let me be clear. We do not have a policy of containment. We have a policy of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Panetta addressing the pro-Israel lobbying group atack in Washington a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told President Obama at the White House that he will not back off military action if Iran continues to pose a threat. Russian authorities have arrested more than 500 protesters angry over the results of the

country's presidential vote. NPR's Corey Flintoff says many of the demonstrators attempted to occupy sites in Moscow and St. Petersburg some 20000 people turned out for a rally in Moscow protesting the election that gave Prime Minister Vladimir Putin a six year term as president. The opposition cites widespread allegations of vote fraud including a report by observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. That report said the main problem with the election was that Putin had no real competition and government money was spent lavishly to promote his candidacy. Several key opposition leaders were among those arrested after Monday's rally in Moscow. But they have since been released. Corey Flintoff NPR News Moscow. Dow is down more than 170 points at twelve thousand seven hundred ninety three. This is NPR. And from the WGBH radio newsroom in Boston I'm Christina Quinn with the local stories we're following. State House Speaker Robert DiLeo has offered a preview of a health care bill that

lawmakers will debate later this year. He told Boston area business leaders today the goal is to reduce annual growth in health care costs to three point seven percent in line with the state's economic growth rate. The head teller at a credit union in the Berkshires has been charged with embezzling fifty eight thousand dollars from her employer. The Berkshire Eagle reports believes like has marriage of Adams pleaded not guilty yesterday. Police say she falsely claimed she received a threat to her teenage daughter from an extortionist. A carver cranberry growing family has settled a decade long dispute with federal environmental regulators over the filling in of wetlands. The Patriot Ledger reports the Johnson family agreed to restore 26 acres and pay a $75000 penalty to resolve claims they violated the Clean Water Act at two sites at their farm. The winner of the three hundred thirty six point four million dollar Powerball jackpot has finally come forward. Eighty one year old Louise Whyte of Newport is the jackpot winner. The Boston Globe reports that Whyte had hired a team of professionals to help her through the process. In a news conference today White's

attorney said she had bought the ticket but had claimed the ticket in a trust. The winning ticket for the February 11th drawing was sold at a Stop and Shop supermarket in Newport. In sports the Red Sox play the Orioles in Fort Myers this afternoon and the Celtics play the Houston Rockets tonight at the garden while the Bruins take on the Maple Leafs in Toronto. The weather forecast for this afternoon sunny and breezy with highs in the upper 30s tonight mostly cloudy and not as cool with lows around 30 and Wednesday sunny and windy. Much warmer with highs in the lower 50s Thursday mostly sunny and windy even warmer with highs in the lower 60s. Right now it's 32 degrees in Boston 37 in wester and 33 in Providence. Support for NPR comes from Cabot creamery cooperative makers of naturally age Vermont cheddar cheese and offering recipes stories and programs for schools at Cabot cheese dot co-op. I'm Christina Quinn you'll find more news at WGBH news dog org. 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. We are talking about New England Republicans in Congress and the Senate. Of the 12 New England senators four are Republican and two are independent. The Massachusetts congressional delegation is all democratic and so was the Senate until Scott Brown was elected to the seat vacated by Ted Kennedy. Now Maine's Olympia Snowe is giving up her Senate seat. And New England Republicans let's just face it are a different breed if not a dying one generally voting conservative on fiscal issues and moderate or even liberal on social ones which is a real divergence from the growing number of Republicans who are ultra conservative on social issues. We're going to taking your calls today voting Republican. What does it mean to you. Or if you knew for instance that voting for Scott Brown could mean the Senate goes Republican. Would you do that. I'm joined here in the studio by Meredith Morna Republican strategist who serves on the board of the Massachusetts

Women's Political Caucus and by Peter Blute former Massachusetts congressman and current deputy chairman of the Massachusetts Republican Party. Welcome to both of you. Well listening to what Olympia Snowe said last week about her reasons for being leaving the Senate she was basically focusing on the rancor within the ranks you know the she's saying that you can't really get things done. We sent really so different Peter than the way it was when you were there. I think it's worse. It's definitely worse there was a much broader middle of the road in Congress when I was there there were conservative Democrats for example from the south they kind of have been eliminated. And there were a lot more you know Gypsy Moss as they were once you know moderates from the north. Many of those have been eliminated also so I think it is much more divided in content or is but that me that's why it's so important to people like Scott Brown who are there who will reach across to forge a coalition are there. What do you think.

I agree I feel one of the problems with our party right now is that we're very divided and I think polarized and there is there is one group a very socially conservative members of the party. And then there's another group of more moderate Republicans and I think the trouble Mitt's had kind of polling has been that push and pull and that's the evidence of that right there. It really feels like in the party sometimes that it's an all or nothing thing now and that it's very lonely to be a moderate these days especially nationally. All right we're going to take your phone calls on this issue our talk our phone numbers 8 7 7 3 0 1 8 9 7 8 7 7 3 0 1 8 9 7 you can also e-mail us at Emily at WGBH dot org find us on Facebook or send us a tweet at Emily Richelle we're talking about the state of the Republican Party in Massachusetts. I was going back and looking at the voting records and patterns that were compiled by The National Journal. From the 90s and the 2000s and really it's pretty remarkable when you look at people like William Cohn from Maine or even James Jeffords Well he's pretty liberal but right down the line you've got this very moderate

voting pattern especially on social issues most of them were conservative for the most part on fiscal issues but they were moderate moderate right down the line. Yeah there's no doubt that the New England Republicans are different kind of breed I remember when I was there. Here I was the most conservative member of the delegation I remember that when I was in Boston. And then I would get into the Republican cloakroom and I was squishy. Hey you guys are squishy up there because we didn't necessarily go lock stock and barrel with the conservative say Texans I used to always say that. Call them high octane conservatives don't like me Michel. I think what you're talking about is one of the reasons to why the latest fight over contraception was so frustrating to me because I don't think that's how we are here in New England but I think that nationally that's how the party has become and that's sort of the headline about the Republican Party right now. I wish we would stop focusing on women and start focusing more on the economy.

Scott Brown took that to another level. I mean he signed on to their bill which was the whole moral clause that people didn't employ ers wouldn't have to offer or insurance companies wouldn't have to pay for anything that had like a moral concern right. Well I agree with Scott on most everything he does on that particular issue I did not agree well I do agree with him on that and I think as the globe indicated today in an article that quoted somebody saying it's helping Scott Brown not hurting him because this is a heavily Catholic state and Catholics believe that they're being abused by the Obama administration and taking away their religion 98 percent of Catholics use some kind of birth control. There's a difference between you know them disagreeing with their own church and somebody else going after their bishop their cardinal their church. Well I'd also like to see what kind of calls Scott was getting on that from his constituents if he was getting a majority of calls thing that people supported the Blunt amendment that he's right to support the Blunt amendment. And you know I agree with Peter on that I think it has helped him in some ways. I think all of us know that even though we are

supposedly liberal state I think some people hear a lot more conservative than their lot on especially on those types of issues. Give us a call weigh in on this our telephone number is 8 7 7 3 0 1 0 9 7 8 7 7 3 0 1 8 8 9 7. There's just no question that Scott Brown has a real likability quality. And I've said this before and it's kind of a loose thought but does he transcend his republicanism in a sense that people aren't too concerned about voting for him. Even it changes the balance of power in the Senate just because they flat out lie come even if they don't necessarily agree with some of his policies and politics including his support of the plan. Blunt to me. I absolutely agree with you on that I think Scott's strength is that he is a Massachusetts guy he gets Massachusetts. He he plays well with the blue collar guys he plays well with the white collar I mean he just he's a Massachusetts guy and I think he transcends politics and he's just a good politician and he's been very effective as a legislator I admire that as a former congressman.

He's done some things got some things done position the political process in such a way as he did with President Obama at the State of the Union right on the bill too and insider trading right as was his bill he took the leadership and then he actually did the nuts and bolts grinding internal stuff to actually get it done he's a very able legislator. And in addition the policies Scott Wheatley has been going around to all the different cities and towns he's on the cover of a lot of local newspapers touring local restaurants touring the airports he's acting very much like a state senator even though he's running his you know name in Republican circles is Senator shoe leather. And honestly on the ground you know maybe it's his triad fully shaped thing but this guy's got energy to burn. And that's something I think that's concerning about Elizabeth Warren because it seems as though she's basically been hiding we haven't seen her out on the trail too much we haven't seen her on that right since really since she announced in September we've noted that many times here that there was some strategy there that's ongoing or wraps but today it was almost like everybody at the same time started talking about it maybe because a couple of polls came out back to back but something's going to have to change and

somebody said the last thing Massachusetts needs is two senators jetting off to Davos Switzerland to participate in some of those high falutin things. We knew the senator on the ground right people like to see this honor they want to shake their hand they want to. I heard recently that Scott Brown went to a local basketball game and he did the opening tip off and then stayed for an hour afterwards posing with kids and that's that's great stuff and people does the detail better than almost any politician I've ever seen does. Peter does it concern you at all. I mean you're talking about New England Republicans here which definitely seem to be a breed apart. I mean I'm not sure why that is when you move into New Hampshire. Maybe you're getting to be more like although I don't think Kelly is that servant of. But that that the Republican Party has been so recently identified with these really hard line social issues. It is true that that is problematic on the national scene. But look at what's possibly going to happen today after all this criticism from the left from MSNBC. You know the constant drumbeat the Republican Party of America

is on the verge of nominating a moderate Republican governor from the northeast who's known as a moderate so you know I think the reality is that that's going to be a tough opponent for President Obama to to make look like he's out of the mainstream that he's been trying to position himself other than what you just said he was. Well he is that is a primary. After all you have to call it zealot you know member the Woody Allen movie where ever he was the guy would change into who he was with in politics that happens Mitt has had to kind of appear to be part of that group if you will but now I think if he can emerge today as the front runner and the prohibitive favorite then you are going to see a whole different Mitt Romney and we're going to see a very good candidate against President Obama. We're talking the state of the Republican Party in New England not just Massachusetts I'm joined here in the studio by Peter Blute is a former congressman and Marathe Warren a Republican strategist. I'm joined now we're taking your calls they want to hear from you the state of the Republican Party in New England 8 7 7 3 0 1 8 9 7 8 7 7 3

0 1 89 70. And I'm joined now in the on the telephone by State Representative Dan Winslow welcome Dan. Thank you Emily great to be with you. So where do you where do you put yourself in this discussion about you know the conservative part of the party that seems to have taken on a much louder voice. At any rate not necessarily Massachusetts not necessarily in New England. Do you identify with that. Well I identify with it in the sense that I think that anybody who cares this is a friend of mine. It really doesn't matter the issue. Anybody that gets up off the couch I think makes a positive contribution whether they're at their Occupy people or Tea Party people. The key though is the way to disagree and the measures of victory. I think that if you want I for example disagree about an issue when we state our views and we mix it up and perhaps we're able to reach some synergies tems synthesis of the two good ideas then that's a victory.

But if I measure my victory simply by being able to stonewall you or hurt you or to do something that makes you look bad and really doesn't accomplish anything else which seems to be the measure of politics today than than than than we all lose. That's exactly what Olympia Snowe said. Her white one of the reasons why she left the Senate she said she loved public service the essence of it which is problem solving which is regretted regrettably not happening in the Senate. What happened. Well you know and the thing is is it just so infused now in the mentality of the Senate I saw our senator I was actually very disappointed in our senator which I want you know John Kerry who was echoing the you know the sentiments expressed by Senator Snowe when he said those damn Republicans I think no not the point the point was we're all Americans first and partisans second or maybe even a distant third. We need solutions I mean Senator Kerry and not just an example our Congress is so dysfunctional that they can't even agree on a debt ceiling. And all they could agree to was to create a super committee of 12 which was

tasked with finding a 2 trillion dollar solution to a 14 trillion dollar problem and still they couldn't do it. My gosh are we elevating partisan interest above above national interest at this point because it sure seems that way every single person goes to Congress or to the Senate or even to the White House say that they are going to reach across the aisle and make this work. What why can't it. This is why I have to tell you that this is exhibit A for why we need to get Scott Brown back into the U.S. Senate. He has reached across the aisle. Now look what it cost him it's cost him the wrath of folks on the right. It's caused him is it has cost him the B and the D of people on the left here in Massachusetts be this is the guy with the. Highest percentage of bipartisan outreach of anybody in our federal delegation anybody. And still he gets whacked from the left. I mean this is just wrong. We've got to be able to say look at good ideas are not the unique problems of Democrats to Republicans. Every

major piece of federal legislation in our lifetimes was passed with majority or at least significant bipartisan support. And that's the way it's going to be. I would say that when I was there with Peter Tork else and we were able to do that same thing and the Republicans were willing to work with President Clinton we passed welfare reform. We passed a balanced budget we did a lot of good things that dynamic worked very very well. But we had a president willing to meet us halfway right now. It doesn't seem to me that President Obama wants to reach out and meet them halfway. Well as you know you make you make a good point Peter but I have to say there's blame enough to go around though and so you know we need to move beyond blame and finger pointing. We have you know. Nuclear Iran on the cusp of the ultimate suicide machine I mean we've got such big problems and yet we're talking about contraception. Come on really. Where are our priorities as a country. This is just it's mind boggling doesn't that happen. Every presidential cycle we get completely derailed.

And then if you go back and start looking at what the discussion was up to the run up election it's embarrassing almost This has been this and that almost every election over pointed out you're right and this is and that's because the gatekeepers to the national political process are in the street at the extreme edge of this political Do wabbly of the Democratic the Republican national interest I got my from a Massachusetts guy I have no interest in the federal government. Believe me we have challenges enough here in the Commonwealth. But I got my first front row taste of the level of toxic partisanship when I was the general counsel for Scott Brown's campaign with Martha Coakley. And in the last weeks of that campaign. The Democratic national interest and the Republican national interest basically all of whom have been content to ignore the race up to that point. Flooded in and they're going to basically tell us what the message was and the message was one of just toxic spew. And my job in part was to say look at you happy to take your money and your volunteers and your resources but the message that Scott Brown's message we got that from

here. Yeah and one of the reasons he does it so well was the mill you of where he came from he's grown up in a Massachusetts legislature as a House member and as a senator having to deal with a supermajority of Democrats. Right. And the natural thing to do in that situation is to seek compromise that way you move the the the ship towards where you want to but you're not going to go all the way and you know that right. And so you are compelled to have to compromise and that's why he's so good at it. Well. I agree totally with what Dan saying and that's exactly what Olympia Snowe was saying in her op ed. What makes me sad is that Olympia Snowe is saying that she needs to take herself out of it and fight it from the outside. And I worry that those moderates are just going to disappear up there and that it's really going to be left with the extreme. Well the party interestingly today's report that the Democrats thought they had a real sure win there. But today it's reported that independent former independent governor Angus King Oh I saw that has jumped into that Senate race which makes that a real wild card now with a three way race a Republican a liberal Democrat and

Independent Angus King. How that shakes out is not as clear as it was earlier. And be interesting to see how voters respond to an independent candidate because typically at least here in Massachusetts it's difficult to win as an independent not there even though the voters call themselves for the most part. I mean I suppose the land is independent so it'll be interesting to see what happens definitely talking. I'm talking about the state of the Republican Party in New England not just Massachusetts because there isn't that much of a one here in Massachusetts joined here in the studio by a former Massachusetts Congressman Peter Blute. Now Meredith Warren a Republican strategist right now on the telephone is Dan Winslow a Republican from Norfolk and in the state house. So is Washington just flat out increasingly hostile to moderates. I mean moderate has become a de facto term or a euphemism for liberal. Well I think it's become defacto for milktoast to think I don't we don't inspire passion but believe me I mean I I had a student in my office here at the State House and I've had protests on the front steps of the state house calling me all sorts of names. So you know hey

moderates do our fair share of firing people up. But what we have to do is we have to at least recognize that civility has a place in politics. We can agree to disagree at the end of the day we're all Americans at the end of the day the nation has problems that need solving. And American voters. Search Of those who lives and I think this could be a good argument for Mitt Romney's candidacy in the general election. I will break through this and I know how to work with the other side because I have had an 85 percent Democratic legislature. We got things done right under that situation. I'll do the same in Washington. I mean to me moderate these days really comes down to social issues it seems that fiscal conservative doesn't matter so much anymore to them it's if you're if you're moderate on social issues then you're a moderate. You suspect you know right after Senator Dan winds up thanks for calling in. True thanks for having me back real soon. We're taking your phone calls today our number is 8 7 7 3 0 1 89 70 8 7 7 3 0 1 89 71. Talk about the state of the Republican Party in all of New England not just Massachusetts. Going to take a short break we're going to continue taking your phone

calls when we continue to listen to the Emily Rooney show on eighty nine point seven WGBH Boston Public Radio. And. WGBH programs exist because of you. And arts Emerson presenting the Anderson project by the Mets Ring Cycle director OBE Erle Pasion video and performance blend to create this immersive experience opens March 24th. You can visit arts Emerson dot org today. And the Harvard innovation lab a university wide center for innovation where entrepreneurs from Harvard the Austin Community Boston and beyond engage in teaching and learning about entrepreneurship. Information at II labs at Harvard dot edu.

The Federal Reserve made one of its most critical oversight decisions in the wake of the financial crisis. A decision favorable to the banks and why the FDIC objected. We'll talk with Article published jointly by Pro Publica. Joining us. This afternoon. I'm Brian O'Donovan inviting you to join us first St. Patrick's Day Celtic's a special concert of traditional and contemporary Irish music song and dance. At the theater in New Bedford on March 17th. At Sandhurst fever in Cambridge on March 24th. Twenty donnas members take your seats at a discount on line.

People that started this national campaign. For people making. Context beyond the headlines issues you want to know more about. Stories you'll want to share. News and death online at GBH news dot org. Hello again you're listening to the Emily Rooney show we are talking about the state of the Republican Party in all of New England not just here in Massachusetts. I'm joined here in the studio by Meredith Warren a Republican strategist and former Massachusetts Congressman Peter Blute. We have our phone lines open we're taking your calls at 8 7 7 3 0 1 89 70 3 0 1 8 7 7 3 0 1 89 70. And Dana from Boston joins me. Hi how are you. First I wanted to comment on something that I've noticed through things and there Dan was saying regarding Scott Brown and his positions on these social issues and I believe they're to do that they you

u that Scott Brown should support the opposition as well as his constituents do and I think something that has been overlooked time and time again is the fact that Scott Brown is not a state senator. He's a U.S. senator and his job is not true. Resent the interest of the Republicans in Massachusetts but the people of Massachusetts two of the Republicans in Massachusetts might be able lest less liberal on certain social issues the grand majority of the people of Massachusetts who he represents are actually very liberal. So you think he should never voted for the Blunt amendment. I think that he's not he's not doing his job representing the interest of his constituents. Massachusetts is. Thanks for the call that is leans Democratic but it's not overwhelmingly liberal the liberals are the largest subgroup but they're not a majority because the independents actually are usually 52 percent of Massachusetts voters were registered. I mean we've had of the highest ever I think biased in the country and growing every year

in order that if you were independent or not in a role you want to show your independence and they were going with Scott Brown. Right and I mean I definitely feel you feel hear you on that because I totally disagreed with how he voted on that but I do think there is a large portion of the population who happens to agree with the Blunt amendment Matthews that for whatever reasons religious there are you know that are made at that point as a lot of large Catholic constituents here are going to take a call from Barry from say South Dartmouth. Oh I oh yes I'm calling again about the Blunt amendment. As I understand it the Blunt Amendment allows employers to discriminate according to their moral compass. And it could be anybody it's not just a religious organization. As a gay person I'm certainly aware of a lot of people who find me repugnant and morally unacceptable. So as I understand it the Blunt amendment would allow employers

to discriminate against me having my health care your way buried that it didn't it didn't pass. So it's gone. No I did not vote for said I would like to know what your guests seem to have a tingly feeling going up there they have to say about it. Well I mean Thanks Mary. First of all I think when the blood came up more Democrats voted for it than Republicans voted against. I'm not mistaken if you look at that. But look I don't know voted against it. Well one but I'm a moderate others while the moderates went the other way. Well moderate. Well Susan Collins she's not a moderate. Oh well yeah. Well. I agree with you that the Blunt amendment went too far I think that Obama's concession was enough to basically say that religious institutions could opt out and I think that covered the religious freedom issue for them voted for that.

I know I understand that and many people don't like their church very thinking that told what to do by the federal government by the river very much is a religious freedom issue but I think on this issue in general I wish the Republicans had just stuck to the economic side of it and should businesses have to cover health insurance for their employees period why do we have to pick a women's issue. Oh by the way who brought it up first. I want to let Mary go. All right George Stephanopoulos and we are talking about the state of the Republican Party in all of New England and on that note I'm going to include James Pindell who's WMUR political director that's in New Hampshire for those of you who don't know welcome. James how are you are you don't you know somebody is calling in say asking why we're having this conversation I think one of the reasons is because we've seen New England not break away kind of retain its sort of moderate position in the Congress in the Senate where the balance of Republicans seem to have gone in another direction and at least vocally verbally going in another direction. And New Hampshire and New England has stayed more or less

moderate on social issues. That's why we're having a discussion. But you have an interesting conversation and obviously we're talking about one party right now which is the Republican Party given the recent resignation but of course this is something that's happening in both parties. Democrats are not so friendly on a national scale that they're moderates either those who rise to the leadership roles and to be more liberal and those who tend to be rising in the leadership roles Republican tend to be more conservative. It's a function of a lot of things which we don't have time to go through. But the fact of the matter is when we look at New England Republicans. Yes of course they're going to be more moderate and be more liberal on social issues. That's how they have elected. I mean one thing that's been interesting is that it's not so much that Republicans can't get elected. I mean the one point this is a few years ago we had a number of well have we still have a number of you know we have a Republican governor and in Maine obviously while you had a Republican governor in Massachusetts. You don't want to hear but I went I had one in

Vermont that just just walked out of office retired Connecticut any Republican can get elected in Clearly U.S. senators who are Republicans and get elected for New England or not they rise up the leadership ranks and become prominent Republicans is a whole other issue. No that's true they're probably unlikely to be able to be the leaders of their party simply because the conservatives tend to dominate those caucuses I've been in them and the conservative bloc is much larger. Just as the liberal bloc is much larger than the mater of luck I'm a Democrat. The issue seems to be that people in the center are increasingly vilified by either the far left or the far right. And and you know Piers at all that's because they're perceived as wimpy but is that it or they want they want such polarization that there's a clear black and white division. But I think it's interesting to watch. In my state up in New Hampshire you've got two Republicans who are really interesting case of course the state's never been called to live with us in New England we've had our share of very conservative folks particularly in the Senate. But now

you've got a freshman senator Kelly Ayotte who is rising up. But leadership ranks who probably would be on a national ticket if not this time would probably not be the pick. But she may be in 2016 and she is doing everything correctly to be more conservative to be a little bit. I don't mean in terms of all of the New England but she is very popular at home as you think and people voted for the Blunt amendment she votes. Time and time again for those types of issues where she stays in the graces of leadership. Compare that to New Hampshire Congressman Charlie Bass one of the last few moderates still out there. But every publican NE's former party he took a couple terms out of Congress and he called the Main Street Republican which was a by definition a moderate centrist organization for Republicans and now he's having a hard time to try to win re-election even though he's taking some of these moderate positions in a lot of it.

On the fundraising it's really hard to raise money when you're in the middle of American politics. When you're on the street whether you're going to a locally here in Massachusetts something I find interesting is the Republicans in in the legislature are almost doubled their numbers last time around and a lot of new people that came in I would say are more conservative and more socially conservative than some of the ones who had already been there and I found that just going out to some of the local Republican interest groups out in Massachusetts. They are very conservative out there and they are also very organized and very motivated so I wonder if there are sort of a little bit of an upsurge in sort of the the local state Rasch race says yeah that is more conservative and I also wonder if some of this started with the gay marriage debate that we had here in Massachusetts and that sort of showed again that there really is still that division there in the party and that there is still that social section of the party that still exists out there and they are very motivated I think nationally and one of the problems generally is that is redistricting.

You get this legislature like say the Texas legislature and the governor all Republican. They write a thing that eliminates the conservative I serve with good conservative Democrats like Charlie stand on and others they got they got pushed out and replaced by Republicans because of redistricting. The same is true in the states that Democrats dominate they tend to push out the moderates of the other party and then replace them with hardcore left is right and that so that's not happening here in Massachusetts. Well but you have a delegation I know votes with Palosi like a hundred percent I know but the way we've been we just a few we could actually get a Republican Carwell I do think they did the right thing in this last cycle and I think part of that is because the previous speaker was indicted. We have to make it fair. All right what do you really want to get to a couple of the people that are calling in James Pindell from WMUR. Thanks so much for joining us. All right I want to take a call from John in New Hampshire who is wondering why we're having this conversation. Go ahead John. I think it's an extra conversation and I've often wanted to call you shortly. Thank you for taking my call. But you know what. That's the test. The heart of the problem is

polarization is that we're getting so many people now. Olympia Snowe. I grew up in Maine. I agree Congresswoman the great senator is somebody who's been forced out of just walking away because she's disgusted disgusted by the polarization that's going on in Washington. But here's my theory. Call me crazy you can hang up on you soon as I say but I think there needs to be a move afoot that says Vote them ALL out because people that get in print in Washington stays there for a lifetime because they find out the benefits and they find out all the wonderful things they can do to self-report themselves they need to be voted out in the next election cycle or they want to act on that and replace the people who are going to be responsible to their cost to this country seriously and actually get something done and stop playing politics to canter and to do you know in Georgia conservative people like Rush Limbaugh. Well I really think that every every presidential cycle everybody says they think throw the

bums out. Not everybody is a pain and I know that Bill Costanza saying state nice things and start really putting our money where our mouth is being the dollars being grown up to saying you know what. What happens to everybody else in every other state says it's not my congressman I'm not my senator to somebody else but I'm going to re-elect Mike I can win. How good is our Lightning. I understand what you are being terrorized. You have to do stuff to say I'm going to throw my person out to do the same and you are what you make a good play one of the big problems in Congress is that half the seats are what you would call safe seats super safe. Right so the person who has no fear of being challenge the other half are competitive seats. Right the people who are in safe seats year in and year out are more likely to get involved in corruption because the other people are getting back home closer to the people the cons right that it does come down to the voters and voters keep saying that they're so mad at Congress and they don't like the way it's working but they're the ones who are sending these numbers to Congress so if they want to change things they need to vote for different people.

One of the issues that's come up the last couple days is looks like Elizabeth Dole lives with Warren's poll polling numbers are so far apart from Scott Brown is that if Scott Brown gets elected back to the Senate they're afraid that Mitch McConnell from Kentucky will get the Senate leadership. And we've gotten a couple calls on that today so I don't know if I were Elizabeth Warren I probably using that as one of my campaign issues what do you want to change the the makeup of the Senate and you want someone like Mitch McConnell as I said. I think a much more powerful issue than that is the idea that Massachusetts would shut itself out totally from having somebody in the other cloakroom right in a very competitive two party system dying. It's very important message who's interests be represented on both sides of the aisle. Absolutely much more important absolutely in the fear of Mitch McConnell becoming the sentiment you're right we don't need to go back to an all Democrat delegation talk about the state of the Republican Party in all of New England not just Massachusetts although we're hearing a lot from Massachusetts people who did have a call from John from

Wakefield. Yes hi I'm mine and I'm calling. We sponsor Mr. Blewitt statement about the least President Obama not going half way. I mean you are good for spending cuts. I mean for us for spending cuts for every dollar in tax revenue now. In the last 30 years 40 percent of our national growth has gone to the top 1 percent and most of it's above 1 percent of that 1 percent. And we can't tax these people because the job creators they got there all their tax cuts and years ago and they can't and they haven't done anything with it. We were in the woods recession we've been to since 1930. And they got the money now they've got the tax cuts. Why are they doing with the money.

These are jobs you have a question for Peter Blute or ride like Peterbilt to respond to what I want or what I say why you know President Obama extended the Bush tax cuts I mean like I'm right John is gone. All right. We're taking your phone calls today at 8 7 7 3 0 1 877 got one more time for one more call and join her in studio by Peter Blute is a former masters congressman and member of Warren a Republican strategist. We've been talking about the state of the Republican Party in all of New England. I'm joined here on the phone by Toni from Hopedale. Thanks for taking my call I'd say I'm really happy that you're on my lunch hour. And so I was just really echoing what that meant on the phone and was just talking about I think that and I think that Mr. Blute actually sort of proved what he was what that gentleman was saying because President Obama is one of the biggest criticisms that he's constantly capitulating to to

the right and to to the Republicans and you know that that is to shoot one of your one of your guests earlier on said that you know that he yes he extends the divisiveness in Washington and that just doesn't seem right. Because it's a two way street I mean you know when Olympia Snowe made her statement she didn't say that it was because the Republicans you know everybody interpreted that right. The reality is it goes both ways right. If you look at the Senate for example run by the Democrats they haven't passed a budget in three years. Totally Americans every year. Totally abdicating the responsibility fiscal managers only advocate it. Right now Obama during a state of the Union had no problem calling out Republicans for blocking a lot of his measures I mean the state of the Union is a place I think where you could really pull this let it go. Yeah grassroots of course happens every year with every Republican president and every Democratic president but over and over again President Obama has has

disappointed the far left by constantly capitulating to people on the right and I and always you know and that I mean that has been the main the main criticism and as Mr. Blewitt said you know he agreed to extend the Bush tax cuts. Why do you already think like once again you have capitulated to the right right. Tony thanks for the call. I sure do look for answers that we know we're talking about the state of the Republican Party in all of New England. My thanks to Peter Blute former congressman of Meredith Warren a Republican strategist thanks and we're going to have the whole hour here but we've got more. With our. Our etiquette expert Robin Abrams she's going to join us to talk about some advice about what to do when bad things happen to good people. But you hardly know. You're listening to the Emily Rooney show from eighty nine point seven WGBH Boston Public Radio. This program is made possible thanks to you and direct Tire and Auto Service

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WGBH. In the words of John Updike what art offers is space a certain breathing room for the spirit to let your mind wonder with the 30th annual WGBH fine art auction. Browse the online catalog for one of a kind works of art from all over the world. Bidding closes March 24th and every bid supports the reach and resources of WGBH programs and stations sponsored by Landry in our Cari oriental rugs and carpeting and circle furniture for full listings visit auction dot WGBH dot org. Great question. That is a great question and that's a great question. It's a great question. Rick great question on FRESH AIR. You'll hear unexpected questions and unexpected answers this afternoon at your own eighty nine point seven. Welcome back to this into the Emily Rooney show according to that venerable New England fireside

poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow into each life must some rain must fall. Tragedies big and small affect us all. But when something happens that happens to a family member or a close friend we often kind of know how to deal with it. But the truth is that we spend a lot of time not with our closest friends and families but with more casual friends acquaintances coworkers. So what should you do when someone in your yoga class finds out they have cancer or a coworker loses a loved one unexpectedly. What do you say. Do you write an email and give me a hug. Pretend you don't know can be a tricky thing to negotiate here on the Emily Rooney show when we find ourselves asking questions like this we turn to our social etiquette expert Robin Abrams author of the misconduct blog for Boston dot com. She's here with me now. Welcome Robin. Emily you have a whole bunch of examples of things like this. Absolutely because there's so many different ways that this kind of thing can play out a major way that it plays out anymore is on Facebook that most people are friends on Facebook with

lots of people that they aren't necessarily close to. And you can wind up. You know finding things out that they might not necessarily have told you if you just ran into them on the street you have a couple examples. One is finding out something in kind of than a sudden or unconventional way of walking in on the conversation. You know all of a sudden you're in a conversation you're realizing it's something very personal and what do you do. You have an example of that. I do I have one in my column a couple of years ago that it always stuck with me I was looking for it for this Q&A before I came here because this woman stuck with me just is such a vivid moment when this woman had dropped her kid off at school and the other moms are standing around in the group talking and she trots over to go be cheery with the other moms and they're discussing one of them has just been diagnosed with cancer and she doesn't know any of them. And it was just oh you know so you just have to own it I mean you are there yeah I'm sorry I thought that our casual conversation I'm really sorry to hear that you're going through this.

And then back yourself. Yeah. But you have to say something I have to acknowledge you do. I mean it's really fascinating a lot of people really try to pretend when when they they're in an awkward situation that if they pretend it's not happening it will all go away. And unfortunately reality doesn't work like that. I had an odd situation many years ago I had a new boss which is always so scary you know you get a new job you know you're going to get a new boss but you know your boss gets a new job and it's like Who is this guy had a new boss. I walked past him in the hall and he was talking with somebody else and they were clearly talking about something to do with art you know the craftsmanship is really good and you know uses a brush with a single hair. And so I pause and I said Oh what are you guys talking about. And my new boss turned to me and said my glass eye. Wow that is awkward. That's the WOW was definitely what I saw. Oh and he sort of laughed because obviously I thought I was talking about a craft fair how did you handle that. Well I he understood how it sounded Yeah I sort of laughed and then I said well you know I

complimented him on the craftsmanship and then I thought oh my god I just told my new boss he is beautiful all right is this you know. All right here's a very common one yes people they get well-intentioned they'll say you'll find somebody sick or dying or you know I'm going to pray for you or pray for your loved one that that annoys people who may not believe in that. How do you handle that. I'm very much on the on the side of being being extremely conservative there's a great software slogan to be conservative in what you say and liberal in what you accept. It's about Internet security protocols but I love it. Generally I would generally say Don't tell someone that unless you know that they share your spiritual outlook. However if someone says this be gracious you know no matter what they're not saying they're going to baptize you you know in the dead of night or one morning one of our producers sent me an example of his wife was very very ill right after giving birth to their second child.

And the daycare worker said she was praying for his wife to recover while she did eventually cover recover and the daycare provider said God answered my prayers. It is such a big difference between praying for someone and then actually taking the credit for it. There every That's a huge chasm. I think most people would say I'm praying for you wouldn't wouldn't then you know sort of cough boff their chests and say That one's on me when you do get better that was pretty bold. Here's another one. Having gone through a couple of deaths in my name only people feel the need or the desire to come up and hug you. I personally don't and I doubt it not it's one thing if it's my close family and friends but not how I want to give you a hug. Yes well I don't want to get one how do I handle that if you are the one who is receiving a hug and you just it's just I don't want it. It is but it is very irritating I mean one of the things when you're trying to give support to people

is pay attention to the kind of support they might bloody well want. And you know a couple person who is grieving or sick or in any kind of distress is not your afterschool special. It's not about you getting to be a great person. In your case I would say in general my advice about any kind of hugging is be very proactive about getting the kind of greeting you want you know when you see somebody just starting to move in. Stick your hand out grab their ears do the big you know 2 hand clasp. Thank you so much make the eye contact give their hand I want to touch him at all. You know then you just have to go around saying you have a cold or I don't know I mean I just I think you know what I mean if you don't want anything a signal out here that people need to really read the situation they need to read to situate you don't just go randomly hugging people if you don't know them intimately know that's what I'm going to read people like me. You see I you know I look like I don't know.

So you have another night around as a pro you know you're you're you're a petite person. You know you just. Want to pack a pint warm and cuddly looking I will leave that aside our social etiquette expert Robin Abrams were talking about what should you do when someone you work with some You're not that close to you know because you're with them every day something tragic befalls them. The worst thing possible they lose a child or a sudden death in the family not something really horrible. What do you say that you acknowledge him do you write to them. I mean one of the things that people do so often is and it happens and said well intentioned they say it let me know if there's anything I can do that is just like if you have a greeting card I know I know it's such a horrible thing to do. And we've all heard those words coming out of our mouths and thought This sounds just so lame. But what else are you going to do a far better thing if you know someone if you know if you don't know the person well. If

we are talking acquaintances call me eggs just sort of keep an eye out for them be a little bit extra sensitive as you said they're the people who like the hugs and the people who don't. There are people who might want to share their thoughts and feelings those who don't. Some people get really Spacey when they're grieving or sick and might need other people to kind of pick up the slack around them so pay attention when it comes to somewhat closer friends and neighbors. Something I always try to do is think about what you could actually do and make them an offer you know say something like You know I go to Trader Joe's once a week do you want me to pick you up some stuff when I go or you know do you want me to walk your dog when I walk mine in the mornings. And even if then they say no. That will give them an idea of oh you know I don't need to go to Trader Joe's but my gosh if you could do this errand for me it would be a huge help. What about acknowledging situations I think that is that you know his thing you know that. The coworkers child was struck and killed

by an automobile that happened to me once a six year old kid ran one of the mother's own car. Awful. How did you handle that. I How was that handled in your workspace at the time. You know it depended on how well the various watch knew the person I mean. And I guess what I'm asking you is that sometimes people feel the necessity to acknowledge something because they want to. But it's you know suddenly you're in the middle of doing something else and somebody walks up to you and says I'm really sorry about your son. I mean when do you acknowledge is it better to do it you know. No is it you know. But I tend to be a big fan of you know the notes or the e-mail with the clear subject matter that this is personal with a handwritten note that the person can take home because that they know it's going to be personal. They can then put it aside and deal with it when they're there. It's very difficult and this is something that in workplace etiquette is just crucial. People have their roles in place. And it can be really disconcerting to

somebody to be knocked out of their role as salesman of the month and into their role as you know a guy who is caring for his mother with Alzheimer's. You know that you don't want to be thinking that right now you don't want to be in that exact space. It must have been very hard for you when your father died he was a public that is here and people were I was thinking about this in fact when he came on my show and I examined something right before we start taping. And so you're getting constantly sort of yanked out of your professional persona into this and I was ready for that but of course you would still if you don't set it off right last moment you're right and most people who don't you know you were prepared for this. A lot of people just are not. But you you really want to support people in the work they're doing. And I don't mean work in terms of the job I mean in terms of just what existential work they're doing at the time. What I wanted to be with there being what about if a coworker has kind of an ongoing situation their mother has cancer their father is also his or something this is ongoing.

How often should you inquire how is it going or should you just wait until they offer something I mean you want to show interest you want to show that you're concerned but you don't want to be intrusive. I would say in general treat them as you would treat anyone else you know ask them in general how are thing you know how is life going. It's I don't tend to enquire about ongoing negative situations or for that matter ongoing positive situations you don't if you don't ask people how that a student doing over there at Harvard anyway. Maybe they're not a student anymore or. Or you don't know how's that novel you're working on is that you don't ask those questions sat down with you just ask people how they are and you follow up on the cues they give you. Now you don't publicly ask whether your son or daughter is heard from colleges either yet. Exactly exactly so you know you used your quit smoking last month How's that working out that you know that's still keeping up with those New Year's resolutions. You know still I think there's a real human instinct to

wanting to respond just to show that you're human too and that you really care about even if you're not intimately involved with them but you want to acknowledge. And I don't know. You know sometimes I think people who have gone through tragedy are better at it because they sort of have the Minter idea about how to approach people or how to say it. And we also we don't we don't talk about it when my own father died. I realized you know there's no we have sex. Usually badly taught but there is no death. Nobody is taught what to expect nobody is taught what you say to someone who is in mourning. Nobody is taught really the advocates of these things or the psychology of them and I hate not everyone's going to have sex everyone's going to die that's going to be teaching one of the two in the school and it's not over the next day just because you said your piece doesn't mean writing the person. Right. All right we could have gone on but unfortunately we're out of time. Robin Abrams our social etiquette guru and author of the misconduct blog for Boston dot com.

Thank you so much. As always thank you. We will be back tomorrow at noon with super analysis of Super Tuesday Stay with us now for the Kelly Crossley Show coming up next. And tonight on my television show greater Boston we are joined by the family of that missing D.C. student Franco Garcia. It will be two weeks. He's been missing tomorrow. That's tonight at 7:00 on channel 2. The Emily Rooney show is a production of WGBH radio on the web at WGBH Boston Public Radio. And Emily Rooney have a great afternoon.