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From WGBH in Boston this is the Emily Rooney show. Friday January 20th 2012 I'm Emily Rooney on Today Show where to begin on a busy week. That was Jon Huntsman and Rick Perry face the music. Mitt Romney faces tax questions. Rick Santorum faces the fact he won Iowa. And Newt Gingrich faces his ex-wife. He was asking to have an open marriage and I refused to South Carolina voters care they go to the polls tomorrow it's anyone's to lose. Speaking of close races the faceoff between Senator Scott Brown and Elizabeth Warren ramps up this week as both attempt to take credit for a proposal to ban negative ads. And of course the GNS up thumbs down on dare I say it up patriots Giants Super Bowl rematch. 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. Fans are

remembering the soulful voice of Etta James the legendary singer has died at the age of 73. In Southern California raging says James passed away from complications of leukemia. NPR's Sami Yenigun has this tribute. Nobody sings a love song like Etta James. Those will be best remembered for this iconic ballad at last. She began as a gospel singer. Born James Etta Hawkins The California native son to Chicago's Chess Records and 960 where she recorded her first album. Over the course of a half century the Grammy winning contralto became one of the most celebrated voices in America though she was plagued by years of drug addiction and legal troubles. She influenced artists ranging from the Rolling Stones to beyond singles. Sami Yenigun NPR News.

The schedule April primaries in Texas are running into more complications the Supreme Court has thrown out electoral maps drawn by federal judges in Texas that favored minorities in order than a try again. Protesters in more than 100 cities across the country are planning to occupy the courts. They want to protest the Supreme Court's decision two years ago that remove most limits on corporate and labor spending in federal elections. NPR's Peter Overby reports a ruling up ended the campaign finance laws and spawn the heavily funded groups known as Super PACs. Protests are expected today at the Supreme Court and at least 100 other federal courthouses around the country. Marge Baker's executive vice president of People for the American way. One of the organizing groups she says they feel that a long term movement is taking root against those excesses of citizens united becoming more. Parent people really being afraid that they they are losing our democracy. A large coalition of groups good government liberal and environmental is behind the effort. Their

eventual goal is a constitutional amendment that would overturn Citizens United and limit corporate money in politics. Peter Overby NPR News Washington. The four remaining Republican presidential candidates are reaching out to South Carolinians on the eve of the primary in that state. Front runner Mitt Romney is struggling to hold on to his lead in a state where the winner has traditionally gone on to win the GOP nomination. Well show Newt Gingrich gaining momentum but in his quest to rally conservative and evangelical votes. Gingrich also faces new questions about fidelity after his ex-wife's claim the candidate wanted to have an open marriage. At last check on Wall Street Dow was up 52 points at twelve thousand six hundred seventy six Nasdaq down seven points to two thousand seven hundred eighty two. You're listening to NPR News. Six U.S. Marines are dead after their helicopter went down in southern Afghanistan yesterday. NPR's Tom Bowman has more details now on that crash.

A helicopter went down in an area of northern Helmand province called moosic Ala. And U.S. military officials are saying there's no indication of any Taliban activity in the area so they're not saying at this point that it was a shoot down of the helicopter. Tom you've had some experience on the kind of helicopter that crashed yesterday any concerns raised before about the integrity of these choppers. There's been concerns raised about these AC age 53 Sea Stallion helicopters they've been around the Marine Corps for many years the maintenance is quite high with these helicopters. NPR's Tom Bowman. Police in New Zealand have arrested the founder of one of the world's largest Internet file sharing websites. As Stuart Cohen reports from Sydney it's the latest move in a U.S. led crackdown on alleged Internet piracy. New Zealand police carried out an early morning raid at the multimillion dollar mansion of the founder of the file sharing website Megaupload dot com. They arrested Kim Schmitz and three other people involved in the website. Ground war mold is with New Zealand's Organized Crime Agency.

I've been arrested on warrants relating to breach of copyright offenses in the United States. Money laundering tearing you know all New Zealand police raided 10 properties around Auckland at the request of the FBI seizing around 100 million dollars in assets. New Zealand legal experts say this is the first case of its kind where local police made arrests for copyright infringement crimes in the United States. The four men won't be tried in New Zealand but face extradition to the U.S.. For NPR News I'm Stuart Cohen in Sydney. And I'm Lakshmi Singh NPR News in Washington. Support for NPR comes from Cabot creamery cooperative makers of naturally aged Vermont cheddar cheese and offering recipes stories and programs for schools at Cabot cheese dot co-op. It's live and it's local. Coming up next two hours of local talk the Emily Rooney show and the Cali Crossley Show only on WGBH. Good afternoon you listen to the Emily Rooney show it's our Friday week in review. This week's theme

hot hot hot hot in the collar hot to trot and hot potato issues as Newt Gingrich explodes over questions about his marital infidelity last night ABC has Nightline aired an exclusive interview with Newt's second ex-wife Marianne where she claims Newt once asked her for an open marriage. I said to him we've been married a long time. And. He said Yes but you want me all to yourself. Calista doesn't care what I do. What was he saying do you think. He well he was asking to have an open marriage and I refused. All right so but but before that interview could even air CNN's John King was hot to ask the question at last night's presidential debate here's what happened. As you know your ex-wife gave an interview to ABC News and another interview with The Washington Post and The story has now gone viral on the Internet. In it she says that you came to her in 1999 at a time when you were having an affair. She says you asked her sore to

enter into an open marriage. Would you like to take some time to respond to that. No but I will. After a rousing applause Newt Gingrich then answered the question I think the destructive. Vicious negative nature of much of the news media makes it harder to govern this country harder to attract decent people to run for public office. And I am appalled that you would begin a presidential debate. I want to talk to you later. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU OR. John King. As part of the elite media so was it a fair question. Was it a good answer. We'll dig into that more on our Friday news roundup I'm joined here by political analyst and talk show host Nelson former state treasurer Shannon O'Brien and Tom Kane former city counselor and frequent Boston Globe columnist. Welcome to all of you so leasure to be here. How first of all the timing of this ABC had intended to hold this Marianne Gingrich interview until after the South

Carolina primary because they were concerned that it could somehow rather influence the outcome of the vote. But Marianne Gingrich has given this interview before she gave it to Esquire in September of 2010 in a great length in great detail and also claimed in an interview that she knew were really still good friends and you know no hard feelings. Meanwhile in 1990 she had said with one spell interview she told some other reporter she could end Newt's career with one interview maybe this is her effort to end Newt's career. Fair question what is in it was an affair. I doubt whether they're still good friends. Yeah I'm thinking that. I think ABC was concerned about the timing of it and rightly so. I mean to air it just before the South Carolina primary. That said the you know we hear the applause. It was a standing ovation which is rare in debates. I thought it was a fair question. There was no way not to ask it. If John King it not asked it it would have he would have been accused of being complicit somehow

in Gingrich's campaign not to talk about the tough stuff. Absolutely it was the call it was the elephant in the room. That's a little and for Gingrich to say to begin the debate where do you want it in the middle. At the end I mean it was a legitimate question. And I can and he played to the crowd. Republicans are very skeptical about the media and understandably all of this I think is. Say Republicans are very good at playing to the crowd but anyway. But you know that that air the Republicans are very skeptical because all of a sudden this is going to air just before the South Carolina primary works to begin Rich's benefit. The other the other piece to do is you know you live by morality a diabolical reality that's what the you know Gingrich is selling his morality and and it seems to me it becomes very fair. I mean if this was if this was someone who doesn't run you know we want to govern your personal morality and tell you how to live your lives. I could understand it being a more unfair question.

And when you're out of the politics and when you get when you take that politics which is I am opposed to gay marriage because it undermines the institution of marriage itself and this is a guy who apparently could care less about the true institution of marriage when it comes to himself. I think that it's almost a hypocrisy issue and that's why I do think this is a very way diminish you. You're making the assumption that what she's saying is true and his denial is false. Yes. Well yeah I disagree. I said everything I want everybody. This is class no no no he's been there three times I had you not kidding. You know I'm saying he's had affairs during his marriage he's acknowledged having affairs during his marriage. Obviously the institution of marriage is not that important whether or not he actually used the words. Hope he didn't deny it. In other interviews last night he denied the veracity but in other interviews he did not deny the veracity of what she was saying. The fact is the guy his head is someone said last night he he lived an open marriage that was his marriage. And so whether or not he actually said those words the fact is and I think this is what Tom and I are saying that

when you opine about the institution of marriage as being so important and then you in your own personal life prove that it's really not that important institution because you don't abide by the the compact which is your marriage that's where he looks like I think in fairness to Gingrich he has said he made mistakes and he can try to convince us that the rest of us that he made a turn that there was a time where he confronted this and has changed since then. Just on a point if the timing of this after the debate last night Anderson Cooper asked John King who is the moderator about that here's what he said. He also scored points in the Monday night debate by attacking Juan Williams questions I had a conversation with the speaker after Look you've moderated these debates this is one of those damned if you do damned if you don't see it as a story that is making the rounds in the campaign. Is it an issue I'm happy came up in the last 48 hours a South Carolina primary. Of course not. Is it an issue that voters in the state are talking about today. Is it an issue that he several times before the debate spot talked about in a very

calm manner where he talked about it today earlier a much different matter but ok. So what what John King was actually said in a different part of that interview was that he thought about it it was his decision and he decided I have to start with it because it's as somebody said earlier it's the 800 pound elephant in the room everybody's talking about it. If he had thrown it into the middle of the debate it would seem like a cheap shot. Let's just do it out front get to him and I want him. Which benefited from being in the very beginning he was able to look I mean for the first 10 minutes of that of that debate it was all about Newt. He got a standing ovation. It was it with the benefit. Oh I'm playing but I'm going to get in his response I mean this was obvious I mean I almost wondered did they play him this I mean it was so well I felt it benefited him in terms of our own first of all obviously it was planned yeah. Newt Gingrich knew this would be the price quite right exactly the first question. His response was brilliant. Yes absolutely brilliant. Now I mean I have to tell you that this thing's not going to play well with the electorate as a whole. If somehow Newt Gingrich

ended up being the nominee the Democrats would be thrilled. This this issue would absolutely kill him like you know me almost wonder whether ABC was complicit in it. Now I know the rich get the nomination I want a little thing I want to say is that in the post-debate analysis which is where you drew that John King. Clip from I was surprised at how much time the alice band in effect defending themselves for having raised the issue you know I thought a simple sentence would have done it. And yet they all opined in when you know that's what it's for and then because only David Gergen said it was the single most explosive exchange he could remember in debate history. So he put it in these except for his own. Yeah exactly right and hyperbolic terms. So that's you know and also I think you know we're in a world where these kind of things it's easy for us to defend it you know or in journalistic world a lot of people would think it was a cheap shot. I mean so I think what I didn't understand why they spent so much time to can I think that smiles has made the audience reacted badly to it and they made me assume

that a wider audience had the same reaction to it. I think the wider audience probably was more appalled than it was Jerry. All right I think also this is the reaction that Republicans have I'll speak as or public in an active Republican. The initial reaction is support but after you think about it for a while then the emotion cools down and you're left with the facts of the matter and I don't think they play well they are the new game I think not. Have a good reaction to Marianne Gingrich can I just get that out here. I mean I thought to use your favorite term honey scorned. Oh my gosh. Did she ever come off as a honey scorned bitter in the baggy eyes and that you know it's like it was almost like she put on a mask you know forget the makeup forget the lipstick you know paint the big bags under your eyes and just get out there and spit fire. Sorry. Where she had been now you know it's with multiple sclerosis so well I want your chance I got to do it well you know and let me handle that if you get away from multiply and Romney has no i all I'm saying is different people react differently and it may have changed her personality

over. I'm putting it out there for I would surprise you to hear her. Well I'm not I think she came off that I was just trying to understand why she would and she was not just ABC I mean I don't blame ABC for going after the interview and the timing that fine but but she's the one who said yeah you got to wonder about the time you don't do something like that. Drop that kind of bombshell two days before. What is emerging as one of the perhaps the most important primaries in the campaign but it but again pay attention to how these campaigns on for all because no one no one pays attention to HUNTSMAN No one no one pays attention to anybody until they start getting momentum. No one goes after the negative stuff no one does the vetting the the dirt digging because most people don't you know you can't keep your attention on too much. And Newt's meteoric rise you know maybe what about three four weeks ago lasted a heartbeat. And then Romney killed him or his superPAC killed him with negative ads. So he wasn't a threat anymore. But the moment these guys become gaining momentum the press I think does feel

the need to to do that vetting process I remembered as a as a candidate running for office statewide the first time. And remember for the first time saying oh we have to vet you. What the heck is that. And. Throughout this year would hardly be called the press doing vetting on Newt Gingrich he they didn't do some research on his background. No this is public doesn't. But this is about playing an interview. That is a bombshell interview going on right on the eve of it but I don't know how do you even think the interview happened I mean this is someone a caller or someone was pushing that. Why did she do it now. Why did she do it like I said you know I don't blame and they called her up. You know they went back over and looked at that to Riddick piece from Esquire magazine in September of 2010 and said Hey I wonder if she'll say the same things to us as a lot of those voters care read but the truth is you really want to go into it they obviously were trying to get at Romney because they knew this would benefit Gingrich and then Gingrich gives up then Romney goes down I mean you can play these machinations games and and the psychoanalysis of the distance game all the way through right in the next best

moment of last night's debate was when John King was asking Mitt Romney about the timing of his tax releases and whether he would leap release more than one year like his father had done when he was running for president back in 1967 your father set a groundbreaking what was then a groundbreaking standard in American politics he released his tax returns. He released them for not one year but for 12 years. And when he did that he said this one year could be a fluke perhaps done for show when you really shores where you follow your father's example. Maybe. I think you know I don't know how many years all relates. I'll take a look at what the what Iraq documents are. I'll release multiple years I don't know how many years and but I'll be happy to do that. You know the damning thing here I thought was kind of a funny answer myself but he did admit that he only pays about 15 percent because most of his income is capital gains but he also holds assets in the Cayman Islands and I

think this one is some concern about that whether he pays any taxes if there may be concern about it but I do not understand the delay. This is exactly what Shannon was talking about. You get this stuff out early. You vet it make it so that the story and its a story but make it so it's an old story. Don't wait till April. I mean a lot of people have been concerned about all of the attacks against Mitt. You know actually harming Obama's chances in the future because people will. He'll in essence be inoculated against exhaust that's an old story. Again this new story may be an old story but it's not an old story for this election cycle if this isn't my time. You know it's been around for a long time but it's not necessarily vetted for the cynical. It's true however though that we're talking about you know January as opposed to a race that's going to end in November. So it will be old by then. But the problem I see with with Romney is. He doesn't have a straight declarative answer first of all don't get cutesy with it and you found it amusing I found it strange he should just come out and say after the April 15th

that when I file my taxes in April I'll release several years of tax returns. I don't know how many that decision will be made. End of story. Instead he has this hemming and hawing that he is trying to be light and funny in truth I want to hear what he doesn't want to do it and I think he's got it if I get out of pushing him Chris Chris Mormon church time you know the holiday for him to release his taxes and I can tell you if he goes back 12 years. Yours truly will get some sort of satisfaction because one of the issues that we raised in the 2002 campaign was the whole issue of residency and whether or not he actually filed an amendment when we believe he actually was a Utah resident and not a Massachusetts resident the Democratic Party actually filed it didn't follow suit. They raised a complaint they never brought it to the grammar that it will be very interesting sucker he won't call the bassinette card I think well I mean there still is a release to three years whatever it is as the other candidates will and that'll finally put the story to bed but you know you're right because of it. He's he should know Newt Newt released his yest last night during the debate.

What do you want one yeah. And I I mean part of me really resists the notion that we now demand the right of tax return rights because although I knew I was talking about this with the allegations about his relationship with his ex-wife. But it is somehow something that drives decent people away and to know that you kind of have to be stripped naked financially. Good point and by the way we clothe ourselves as being interested in character because there is a factor there is the issue a sort of quasi prurient we just want to know what everybody else makes absolutely. You know I should be I'm like you know the way I like to I'll add into that I think that Romney has been very lackluster on the answer to the Bain question. Now that first came up in the Kennedy debate that's nearly 18 years ago by this time he ought to have the the answer down pat. But as I watch him I'm not satisfied with the answer. He ought to be able to make definitive statements as to where the hundred thousand jobs he claims will be headed. What companies did it talk about.

Let's put it like that are by their very nature secretive and closed. I mean that's part of the problem with you know some of the some of the legislation that's going forth right now to you know open up some of these funds. See you know actually how they work. They're very very secretive. You know I can remember being state state treasurer and this was actually one of the problems that you would have running a large pension fund because again by a public pension funds nature they're open they're public. Some of these funds wouldn't even do business with public funds because the level of disclosure was just something they never wanted to get involved with because again everything by the things that are going back to their tax releasing it to where you demanded to do that back when you ran for Senate. No no. Did you do I did it. No hard evidence. I didn't want to hear about city council Yeah I did yeah but my husband I was filed taxes separately and he did not file his and so they actually interesting thing is I you know I challenged Romney to to to file his taxes because he had actually remember this. He called upon Ted Kennedy to to release his taxes and said he would release his taxes if Ted Kennedy did. I called upon him to do

it which he refused and said he will release his taxes when your dirty you know lobbyist has been released his taxes now again as a lobbyist Emmet had to you know file all of his you know all of the income that he earned from from lobbying. But that's what he then criticized me for it. I was going to dismiss the Cayman Island thing if he's cheap to go I was Armenian saying Oh well how can he oversee tax although it's just an article that was Johnson himself. There was just no he's not now not in the Cayman securing thing is it really I think that's our ception issue and I think it's a red herring. Yeah yeah there's not much into I know there was an article in The Globe about that by the way I was in the Ron Paul category and it would end there a return ticket to him Bay was a good line too he said he was too embarrassed to release his tax returns compared to the other people on the stage. Yeah I mean getting back to obvious point though the thing that's puzzling me about Romney of late is the lack of crisp clear answers. He knows he knew he was going to be asked about the tax relief which words they didn't rehearse this.

Didn't someone point out some that when you say maybe cutesy like that that it's kind of a you know don't tell me what's troubling also is he stumbles even the second and third time he's asked you know the same thing with pain you figure OK the first time maybe he was caught off guard forgot what they were hers and then he comes up again and he still seems uncertain. And Bain should be a great story for right. It really should be a great story. I would argue that what bank gives him is the ability to understand better than any of the other people up there really how economies function. Why he doesn't push then it's that he does the whole jobs thing which is actually kind of weak argument except in this economy I mean you know it's in this economy people are so mad at wealthy bankers you know you know generally Americans they look at wealthy people and and they laud that because they like to emulate it and the American dream. This year people see they see you know on Main Street people losing their jobs people getting basically screwed but this is in the now we're going to

pull out now that isn't true and in the debate last night nobody plays well because the American public is mad right now. Mitt Romney's one of his best applause lines was when he said I'm not going to apologize for being the lesser right and the whole audience applauded. And that's I think is taught and Americans believe in that and all that's right yes. Annoyance is that is the answer consistently. Yeah and by the way you shouldn't always turn this to something about capitalism which it goes off into vague discussion. Understand the point but we need some substantive definitive edition because there's individual behavior within that capitalistic system that has hurt a lot of people in this country whether it's you know the the more the why is because I don't I don't. Say that is the question I doesn't have a good response I have to tell I don't have a right I'm not you know I mean all sounds I think the enemy is and why he's having a hard time Davia Nelson Shannon O'Brien and Tom Kane. So Rick Santorum won the Iowa caucuses no one seems to care I'll know what eight precincts are missing. That's what a Podunk State that is what it tells me it's moronically you know why do

we pay and exactly what it says so in the modeling system and the whole thing you know you can look even before this and buy that which I was embarrassing you know whole process I was watching it that's right. It's discriminatory you can't vote by absentee ballot you have to stay there for two hours I mean there are all sorts of reasons why one hundred thirty one thousand people voted and then they lost any precinct they didn't lose them. They didn't lose it it's conveniently tucked them oh no the precincts didn't file a particular form. So the votes aren't being counted it would be nice to know where those votes are to see who really won Iowa and it doesn't matter it was a tie but you're going to like that I only have people who vote to get a little write to city council just one state Senator Specter. This is what I was taught you go to war this is nothing stuff. It's incredibly our system you know we sort of we didn't choose this we didn't decide this is the way to organize a presidential campaign. But to start with Iowa caucuses unfold quite frankly New Hampshire primary at least it's a primary and really why do we do with that way and why should somebody out is going to change at all you

know in 20 seconds I'm going to big difference to New Hampshire and Iowa New Hampshire is the last bastion of true retail politicking and I I don't know what I like that there's something about that that I But look Rick Santorum did get a little lift out of this room last night at the debate he was really taken on Newt Gingrich he's got definitely some His little bit of that exchange Grandiosity has never been a problem with Newt Gingrich he came great he handles it very very. This is true not one thing to add. At times you just go to you know sort of that you know worrisome moment that something's going to pop. And we can't afford that a nominee we need someone I'm not the most flamboyant and I don't get the biggest applause lines here but I'm steady I'm solid. I'm not going to go out and do things that you're going to worry about I'm going to be out there going to make Barack Obama the issue in this campaign. Right. Newt Gingrich came back and you know he had a good punchline here too. You're right. I think grandiose thoughts this is a grandiose country of big people doing big things and we need leadership prepared to take on big projects.

But the trouble is that let's remember now something which is all but slipped into the background for the time being is Newt Gingrich and Nancy Pelosi sitting on the couch together and criticizing global warming which will not play well with the Republican electorate. The point is that Gingrich comes up with great ideas he also comes up with bad ideas. And one of the criticisms of of him when he was the speaker of the House is that it was an idea a minute most of which could not be implemented and probably a whole bunch of which shouldn't be implemented. The question is do you want an idea guy to be the president of the United States or just an advisor to him. Yes it's more what you what. That's right. Yeah he should be the think tank advising a Republican president but not that there's a stability question but that's that was Santorum's point about the pop right. Just don't know what's going to go down how and I think ultimately that's why he probably can't be the nominee because eventually people come to their senses and say you know we like you and it's cool what you do and you do think big thoughts but you're not presidential material.

And if somehow I can't see this happening to somehow he were the nominee. It's why the Democrats would just obliterate him. So we're down to four. And Rick Perry is in Rick Perry and Jon Huntsman dropped out this week nobody cares right now. Well you know they were they were on the stage and they endorsed endorsements you know per se nobody's going to say well if Jon Huntsman said Mitt Romney I'm going to vote for Mitt Romney or Perry with Gingrich. But it's one of the multitude of impulses that you get about a candidate which ultimately contribute to you forming a judgment about the candidate. So I don't think that they were substantial candidates they fought for a while. Their exit is newsworthy when they mention it and their endorsement is noteworthy. Yeah that's right by that. You know I think both of them have had diminished so much in the characters minds I just don't. I mean quite frankly I think those endorsements are noteworthy to media types but I really don't see them this way the only the only thing that I think might be helpful is if you know Rick

Perry does work with the Gingrich campaign to help him with fundraising because obviously Gingrich has not been able to raise the funds at least not not directly obviously the super PAC is a whole different idea. But if he can actually translate that into some of the fundraising support because Rick Perry did raise a lot of money at least when he was a serious point he might be gunning for vice president. Yes. Curiously Perry did much better in the more recent days because you know you're paying attention. He was he was finally learning how to do it. And I'm tired I mean Elsin Shannon O'Brien and Tom Kean This is our Week in Review. And when we come back we've got some local issues to delve into your listening to the Emily Rooney show and we'll be right back. This program is made possible thanks to you and Greenberg Traurig an international law firm with offices in Boston and more than 30 other cities worldwide addressing the complex legal needs of businesses from startups to public companies global reach local resources

law dot com. And Huntington Theatre Company presenting God of Carnage the Tony award winning comedy by Yasmina razor. The New York Times calls it 90 minutes of laughter that comes from the gut. Now through February 5th Huntington Theatre dot org. Rhythm and Blues performer songwriter and producer Johnny Otis has died at the age of 90. On the next FRESH AIR we listen back to our 1999 interview with Otis. He was a white performer who loved black culture and considered himself black by persuasion. Join us. Eighty nine point seven. If you have a vehicle that no longer works for you. How about putting it to work for public radio.

Donate your unwanted car truck to WGBH and in addition to earning a 2012 tax deduction you'll also be supporting the programs that you depend on right here on. Eighty nine point seven vehicle donation program handles all of the paperwork and will even send someone out to take away the unwanted vehicle. For more information call 8 6 6 400 9 4 2 4. I'm callin Crossley on the next Kelly Crossley Show. We hit the rewind button on the week's news. Today at 1:00 on WGBH Boston Public Radio. Welcome back you're listening to the Emily Rooney show it's time to take a dip into our e-mail and tweet as we do every Friday at this time. On Tuesday during our regular political periscope segment comedian Stephen Colbert came up. I mentioned that I don't really find him all that funny. Well Steven clearly has some big fans among our listeners. Michael weighed in with a comment on our website. Hi Emily. I love your

show and your tell it like it is attitude but I am surprised by your comments on Stephen Colbert. You said he made you cringe when he pushed the edge with his comments. Well funny as a matter of taste but when a satirist can make you cringe he's done his job to make you question what you think you know. All right. And from Nancy often I enjoy your program with great respect. I disagree with you wholeheartedly about Stephen Colbert there his courage risk hell and to help benighted Americans understand how enslaved we are to corporate overlords merit our things. I was really making the comment by the way that George Stephanopoulos interviewing him for Rio and Steven Kull bear was in character was just cringe worthy. All right. And yesterday we previewed this weekend's AFC championship game between the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens being the balanced source of news. We are we invited a sports radio host from Baltimore to join with our own Bob LaBelle that prompted Sharon to email. There's a reason I listen to Emily Rooney and the rest of WGBH and that is because I don't want to listen to sports radio. All

right Sharon I guess you won't be watching the game this weekend while Whatever your game is. E-mail us at Emily Rooney show at WGBH dot org You can also comment or listen to these or any past interviews at our website WGBH dot org slash. Emily Rooney right back to our Week in Review I'm joined here in the studio by Tom Shannon O'Brien and Avi Nelson we're going to move now on to some of the local issues although you think Shannon should get a shout out for Joe Biden who managed to go to San Francisco and you know the forty niners are playing the Giants. Those giants and managed to stay the same before San Francisco crowd that the Giants are on the way to the Super Bowl. Where should channel comment on that. Oh it's CNN Janet Sharon in English Oh yes Sharon. Yeah well so one thing Sharon cares I'm going to be watching the game either. I just think I figured throw a little bit of reason a bouquet for her with the device right. So this week the presumptive nominee Elizabeth Warren and for the United States Senate race here in Massachusetts and Senator Scott Brown came to this

agreement that they wouldn't accept negative advertising or they would allow negative advertising by third party you know groups these PACs and five a one season all that kind of stuff. So. That we actually were talking to Charlie Baker about this earlier in the week and he was saying what. Well what I have been thinking along this almost going to be impossible to enforce this even though they claim that each each race will like each campaign will accept you know a hefty fine in the form of a donation if they allow it to happen but here's what Charlie Baker said about that. Let's suppose it's I don't know. October 1st. Right. And it's forty seven forty seven with five percent or something. Are people going to be able to resist the outside forces going to be able to resist the urge to try and lay it out on the other guy and I don't know. I mean the question becomes whether or not the candidates have the ability to sort of shout him down. I don't see how they can shut them down. And I want to you can do this whatever they want they don't need the permission of the

campaign. Absolutely they don't need the permission of the campaign. And this is a race of national implications for both parties. I mean this is for potentially control of the Senate. There's probably more interest outside of the state than there is even within the state in terms of the outcome. I can't see how they're going to keep the outside interest out. And I suspect that no matter how much they protest it's going to happen. You know I don't think that they're going to be able to enforce something like this but what it may do is at least in terms of perception it may sort of hold some of these negative ads at bay. At least for some time so needed I think I think it was just the opposite. The candidate wins on both counts. First you have the negative ad that's run by the super PAC then the candidate stands up disavows that and says I think they should stop it. He cared of course because she can't pick up the phone and call because that would violate the law. So you win on both counts on the one hand you get the negative effect right. And then the candidate but it's what you do with your family with your friends and if they have to have an I.D. can you only

not pick up the phone and call the summit and understand I am not having much experience with this myself. I remember clearly that you could not speak to them to direct how these things happened but I don't understand why you can't pick up the phone. Yeah especially one of your best friends and say Stop don't I. I don't think that's illegal and I'm not sure about that I don't understand it and I know there isn't any way that you know interesting it would get you so close to the line that the last thing you want in the final stages of a campaign is the accusation that you're colluding with a super PAC that you shouldn't but you understand that I'm making a distinction between affirmatively directing what they're doing vs. picking him up but I think calling your dear friend I guess is running understandable I think obvious right. I mean if you make that call you say don't do it in the out the other guy says So what do you want me to do. Well the gun you don't like Stephen Culpeper you have to see this. I went to the website to look at the the conversation between Stephen Calder and Jon

Stewart on the phone with their quote attorney the attorney for the exploratory committee for the cold air for president's travels and yeah and I mean it's one lawyer I mean they did in this one little shtick between the two of them show you how stupid this whole rule is about lack of cold cold collaboration because I believe it happens. Why is that of course it does. Well maybe but it's illegal if it dies and these are the rules of the game for this election cycle. So you know as soon as a candidate violates those rules his opponent is going to say I want an investigation. No illegality. And so you know he's just not going to pick me while he can make a public pronouncement. But it's like you know one of the things I love about this is both campaigns are taking total and complete credit for coming up with this idea here's Elizabeth Warren. I can't tell you how pleased I am that Senator Brown changed his mind and he agrees that an enforceable third party agreement

is at least possible. You know I've always believed we can go beyond rhetoric and setting historic examples for the whole country. Here in Massachusetts that was Elizabeth Warren talking to our Bob C this morning I couldn't resist couldn't resist getting a political saying what in any event you didn't say sounds to me almost as a perfect topic for an outside campaign didn't Scott Brown come up with. Wasn't he the one to actually do think it was broke right. Brown said it first but more day sure Welch's knew. That's why people don't like politics or politicians. It's the same thing with Brown yesterday in his announcement you know saying that you should take the high road and then you get into this whole discussion about class warfare and he's already you know said she would you know lead I think by well you should see the lower and what isn't. I mean you know that. But this clearly this campaign is going to shape up in some fashion like that I mean Scott Brown and this is an echo of the last campaign is going to be pitching himself as the every man and is doing as much as he can to pitch Lizabeth Warren as someone who is an

establishment favorite one of the elites is a little of Scott Brown from his announcement yesterday in Worcester. She's got the other side she's got the other side pretty excited. She talks about how she was a quote rock thrower. And rather than compromise she prefers to leave blood on the floor. Well you know what. That short isn't Symes on like the kind of compromise and progress this country needs right now. The ocean I'm a bridge builder not a writer let me just follow him. I just. Want another life she said it OK because it sounds like a weird thing to say I'm a rock thrower but the sort of interesting thing about about the past 48 hours. You know when you look in the paper Scott Brown got almost zero play for his announcement. And the Warren campaign raised a million dollars in 24 hours from small donations so it's it's sort of an interesting dynamic right now and I think that you 90 percent probably from out of state no no no I'm not no I mean I think that it was a small

donation I don't think it's out of state. But again I don't know I don't know what that is. But you know it's going to be an interesting dynamic because I think they're both going to have within their campaigns never mind the you know the super PACs within their campaigns they're both going to have between 15 and 20 million dollars apiece to get when Scott Brown is clearly the underdog here this is a Massachusetts thanks. Yeah and it was just going to take is what happened last time when Colin made some serious errors like saying what do you want me to stand near Fenway Park in the cold. You know if she if Elizabeth Warren plays into that a leader's characterization a couple of times especially near the end of the campaign then what then Brown has a chance otherwise I think the numbers yet have to feature is that it's a presidential year in Massachusetts anyway people are going to come out in droves likely I think I could be wrong for Obama. And it's just you're not wrong. Yeah and I think I really have said this before I said this last time around the people don't really understand that you can split a ticket in a final election.

It's right out. If I were Scott Brown that I would make that one of the benchmarks of my campaign you know splitting the tickets with a ticket because people don't really understand it. They just go right down the line. Yeah well it's going to be a great race and I do think a lot it's going to give a lot of independents and maybe even some some more conservative Democrats some heartburn because one of the case that Brown can make for himself is that he's more effective for Massachusetts as the guys in the middle who can play both sides then someone who's predictable like Elizabeth Warren. That's got to be the argument that that and I think that the counter-argument she's going to make is that he did this when he thought he needed you right now when he is running for you know an election the first time or re-election. The fact is that when you have a six year term that the sort of bipartisan focus of Scott Brown you know tenure will disappear and so I think that that's a very strong argument you've got. It's not going to happen. It's just like she said last night

was so funny. Mitt Romney saying how difficult it was for him being a quote pro-life governor. The fact is he knew he wasn't going to run for re-election. So no it wasn't difficult for him. He was purely looking to run for I'm not sure that people get into the weeds that much I think it's more an association with a candidate if Scott Brown does. You know he's the pick up truck. He put together last time the Reagan coalition you know Reagan ran for president twice carried Massachusetts both times because he carried the blue collar Democrats. If you look at the issue profile of these guys is pretty conservative probably closer to Scott Brown than to Elizabeth Warren. And if Brown can maintain or reestablish the connection he had in the first race with those guys he's got a chance. I don't think that people do the political calculations the way we do I think he's got more now it's one of the comments that Newt Gingrich made last night. You know think is going to make it more difficult for Scott Brown. Because I think he will be wrapped up with the Republican election

when when Newt Gingrich referred to union members as thugs. You know in taking on in and going to these right to work states what happened in Reagan what happened you know perhaps in my own case and in a lot of other statewide campaigns where Republicans have won either for governor or for or in a presidential race. You have blue collar white men who will vote for a Republican candidate and a lot of those guys are union guys a lot of those guys are are are driving pickup trucks and I think that if you do see a very pitched battle and making those kinds of attacks against basically those very you know Molly truck driving guy so I thought oh I heard you say Labor Stooges. Maybe it was just but I'm just saying whatever it was you know that's that's right stooge. That's a better way to do it when he was talking about the NLRB if they had put some labor Stooges on the NLRB to keep in mind he was playing to South Carolina was no NLRB that prevented Boeing moving there. I have to confess I'm not sure I understand Rich's comment last night is going to affect the race in

Massachusetts I just think it has a connection with the out of order on the right. But Scott Brown has a connection with blue collar voters and you know it's quite clear that last time they voted for him I talked to my me all the firefighters vote for Scott right there. Leaders told him not to. The firefighters voted and I didn't want to touch on the 4th Congressional District race where we move on. Sean P. A man who ran against Barney Frank the last time around got a lot of attention a lot of positive publicized. He didn't do that well against Barney Frank but he's back in it again. He's really running against Joe Kennedy the third. We asked him about that the other night in Greater Boston. If this is a race that's really about the two candidates and their sets of ideas that's a great thing. If it's largely about the Kennedy name I think that there's a lot of downside to that as well as upside he'll be able to raise a lot of money. People know his name but there is this legacy to live up to. So that would be like he's a very likable guy a likable guy and an attractive candidate you say didn't do that

well against point Frank he did better than anybody else did first time through you know the shuttle mantle favorite for Barney Frank. He's right and I think unfortunately this probably will be a race on the candidate. Yes and yes I know the presumption by the way that all of us do believe that Kennedy will get the nomination and I think that's probably true even though there's a lot of candidates potentially out there who are extremely qualified who nobody else is really civil. They're all holding back but there's certainly tons of experienced senators and state senators and state reps who potentially could jump into that race Nepal the ruin he. Already has but yeah I see too many of the people getting in and I mean can't exactly exactly I mean Mike Ross is like Ross has said we ask the question is the Kennedy mystique still alive and well in Massachusetts. Oh I think so and I don't think you need to question I mean that sincerely. You know is this really time well I'm. Somewhat sarcastically I actually think it plays both ways I think that there is a significant number and I don't think it's a majority but I think there's a significant

number for whom Kennedy is a negative trait and will actually vote against and support him to go along for the 30 percent 30 percent find it negative the rest of them. But I said I do think that there is a lot out there who just want to have a level and I think I know I know I've been I've been hearing I've been hearing that he's been moving around going to different meetings. I mean very. But Joe kind of like the third I hear that he the words are coming back. Likable respectful smart This is a guy who went to Harvard. You know he went to law school he's been in the trenches working as an assistant district attorney. I think that the issue that you've seen you know Caroline Kennedy stumbled. He decided to run but she just wasn't prepared and she made so many really stated it. MAX KENNEDY The same same nice people but they they they they literally were just running along and were not prepared. I think that this young guy is pretty but we had in everybody's name was Smith and we were talking about well I was said the first race remember they said to Ted Kennedy if you're there were Edward Moore is dead or dead Mogador Kennedy you wouldn't nobody would ever know not

on below it was you know two years ago either like you know I mean Nelson Shannon O'Brien and Tom Kean when we return thumbs up thumbs down on open marriages and other people places and issues in the news this week you're listening to the Emily Rooney show from any 9.7 WGBH Boston Public Radio. And this is blues singer Etta James who died aged 73 just want and. Been. In my. Car. This program is on WGBH thanks to you. 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. And new Repertory Theatre presenting art from the Tony

Award winning playwright of God of Carnage directed by Antonio Ocampo Guzman featuring Doug Lockwood Robert Pemberton and Robert Walsh through February 5th info at new rep dot org. Tourist traveled thousands of miles to reach this African nature preserve to see the buffalo elephants and hippos. With all the comforts swimming pool they come to share it with fish on us. Then something went wrong. You know everybody made mistakes. What went wrong at no longer owe a visit to the African nation of gabble. Next time on the world. Coming up at 3:00 here on eighty nine point seven WGBH. Hello I'm John Abbott president of WGBH as you begin to settle into 2012. I hope you're setting aside some time for the crawlies family of the center Downton Abbey

the British drama that's now in its second season here in the states courtesy of WGBH his own Masterpiece Classic. WGBH supporters. Keep an eye out for my letter about the next great series for masterpiece. And thanks for playing the most important part here at WGBH radio and television. The informal friendliness of Celtic music. Joining me Brian O'Donovan every Saturday at three for a Celtic sojourn here on eighty nine point seven. WGBH Welcome back you listen to the Emily Rooney show it is time for ever popular thumbs up thumbs down segment as we do every Friday at this time I'm joined here in the studio by political analyst and talk show host avi Nelson former state treasurer Shannon O'Brien and former city counselor and frequent Boston Globe columnist Tom Kean All right. We started the show by talking about Newt Gingrich and his ex-wife Marianne and the charges of an open marriage that he wanted an open marriage and she refused.

Thumbs up thumbs down. By the way there was a talk show host on another station yesterday talking about this and dozens of people called in and said they had open marriages so comes up thumbs down open. I'm going to give thumbs up it's the French way. And I think I think there are French things that you really ought to bring into our culture you know this is one of them I really like there. There goes your campaign for the presidency. You know only let you I've heard you speak. I have to say thumbs down might my university is coming up pretty soon. You know this is really a choice of the couples involved but the correct answer is thumbs down to them there are some principals who are supposed to uphold it. Yeah I mean if you take certain vows if your marriage if your nuptials include that we will have an open marriage then but it's different I mean can I just say it doesn't work. I want regardless of what anybody says it doesn't want. Yeah. All right here we go for the Gingrich's You know I did not work for them. Thumbs up thumbs down on President Obama's rendition of Al Green's Let's Stay Together. Let's hear it first. To know the.

Ravenel Greene was here. LULU. Ah. All right. Thumbs up thumbs down on that rendition of belly up. That was great and if you saw the whole clip he was so wonderful with that crowd he really always sang everybody else wanted it's all I'm saying. And then he's talking all stations people saying you guys didn't think I'd really do that I know it was brilliant. I just love it because I've seen him dance. He cannot dance. That man can sing no he can't dance he can sing. He is so good I was so excited to watch that. He was smart to quit after a couple and you know she. Wanted you know Mario I know but anyway and he was right his advisers said not to you he said that from the podium crowd loved it. So he deserves a thumbs up for courage and actually being on key. Big thumbs up. All right moving on to in a musical theme here today the musical artist a la Del Rey who got a lot of social media buzz and everything was

scheduled on SNL last week after she played Brian Williams among others said it was the worst performance ever ever in the history of 1900 since 1975. Ever heard on SNL Here's a little rendition of that. It's better. Not. To listen. It's. Apparently a lot of it was about her body language she was talking yourself around the stuff but. This is hardly the worst musical rendition I've ever thought how much I need OK when I saw her pick up the pope. I saw that I love the dress the dress was incredible she was in all right but her body language was so horny if so bizarre on stage and it was one of the most boring it was like a zombie medley I mean she just looked like a zombie It was just really bad but I mean I don't know it was the worst I don't know why we're getting all worked up about it I've seen some bad performances. What about Ashlee Simpson's lips actually do something and I know in general Radcliffe was like Yeah right as opposed to you know the reason we're talking about is because Brian Williams kind of well you're But the one which one thing when the

president of the United States sings at the microphone does anybody care about this. No I hope not. I don't want to know why is there something else cares. All right here's something I do care about. So last Sunday George Stephanopoulos which is what the emails from people read today George Stephanopoulos interviewing Stephen Colbert there about being in the presidential primary in South Carolina which he isn't really but he was asking him serious questions and it started with a question over an ad that was running. Excusing it it's stupid it's a farce it's a satire but I want to play a little about first. Mitt Romney really believes moderations are people my friend. Then Mitt Romney. Is a serial killer. George Stephanopoulos asked him about the ad for real.

And here goes Mitt Romney a serial killer Mitt powerful stuff does not cross the line. I don't look I have nothing to do with that ad I have no control over that ad if anything in that ad. Is inaccurate. If he did not say corporations are people and if he did not make his money because I'm not some regular I'm not calling anybody a serial killer I can't tell. Americans for a Better Tomorrow Tomorrow what to do it's not my superPAC. George listen if that's not accurate I hope that they understand satire I get that my issue was with George Stephanopoulos was I'm giving a big thanks down booking him number one asking him serious questions. Knowing full well that Stephen Colbert was going to answer in character it didn't work at all it was absolutely thumbs down. This was just wrong for Stephanopoulos to do and you know you didn't get an honest answer back there I'm called there because he's a man who lives his life in character. Yeah and I was saying off air you know I was I love John I love Steven call there and but when he went in front of Congress that's when I really got offended when he went in front of Congress in character

at some point in time I do think that you know it does make sense for him to actually talk about this because what he's doing through his satire is very powerful very important and very meaningful I love it. That's Congress's fault for letting the LSA sort step in here and I agree thumbs down. Like you I do not find Steven called They're funny. All right one more quick thumbs up thumbs down thumbs up thumbs down did you missed Wikipedia when it and other sites went dark this week in protest over SOPA and. Yes actually about three times yes sometimes tried to do it with a PDA search and couldn't get in. This the information would flash in front of you for like a second and then go to the black screen. So I missed it. You know I'll say nope we're working on any Gyptian project right now and I'm teaching my daughter that you don't get all of your answers through a Kapiti it was all right quickly. I found another encyclopedia to go with the real one. Yeah and by the way you know this is an important issue. It's not quite so simple as to say no or yes if there's an issue of intellectual property and some modification Grisel All right talking to AVI

Nelson Shannon O'Brien of time King it's been our Week in Review. We're going to close out now with the real Al Green the reverend of love. That Monday at noon with some good news for those who dream of self-improvement turns out you can teach an old dog new tricks. Stay with us now for the callee Crossley Show coming up tonight. And tune into Meet the Press tonight at 7:00 and WGBH to more on the Newt Gingrich John King exchange and WHDH put putting its DirecTV putting its DirecTV customers in the dark. What happens if the Patriots win the Super Bowl they keep doing that. The Emily Rooney show is a production of WGBH radio on the web at WGBH dot org Boston Public Radio. I'm Emily Rooney have a great afternoon.