WGBH Radio; The Callie Crossley Show

I'm Cally Crossley This is the Cali Crossley Show. It's all things politics today from Beacon Hill to Capitol Hill. Local elections are around the corner and city council candidates are hitting the pavement. Glad handing photo and door knocking on their way to the finish line stateside both Senator Scott Brown and the current crop of Democratic contenders could all face a serious challenger if Elizabeth Warren jumps into the Senate race on the national stage after last night's GOP debate. Rick Perry's top dog status teeters with Tea Partiers and despite President Obama's well-received jobs speech liberals continue the hand-wringing wondering if he'll have a job in 2012 or wind up a one term president. From the political arena we stepped outside with artist Mal Yellin to discuss her plans to revive a historic park in Rhode Island. Up next from public office to public spaces. First the news. From NPR News in Washington I'm Jim hawk. President Obama is heading to

Ohio this afternoon to continue pitching his jobs plan Bill Cohen of Ohio Public Radio reports the president will use a school as the backdrop for his speech. The president will speak at Fort Hayes an alternative high school in the Columbus City school system. He's expected to highlight the part of his proposal that would steer 25 billion federal dollars to school repair and construction projects. Ohio has been a national leader in school construction for the past 14 years with its own money. The state has spent nine point four billion dollars to match local tax money and that has rebuilt or renovated eight hundred fifty buildings so far. That means Ohio has been spending four million dollars a day on the projects. For NPR News I'm Bill Cohen in Columbus. The number of Americans living in poverty has jumped to a 17 year high. The Census Bureau says the poverty rate jumped to just over 15 percent in 2010. That's nearly one in six people in the U.S.. The Census Bureau also says the number of people lacking health insurance increase to forty nine point nine million.

Attackers firing AK 47 rifles and rocket powered grenades at the upscale embassy section of Kabul Afghanistan demonstrating the can they can penetrate areas the government tries hard to protect. The Taliban take responsibility for the attacks in which at least four people are believed dead. Iran appears to be getting ready to release two American men who were arrested more than two years ago on espionage charges. Their attorney says an Iranian court has set bail of $500000 each for Shane Bauer and Josh for Tom. It's similar to the bail arrangement for a woman who was arrested with them and was released last year. In Argentina authorities say seven people have been killed in a rush hour crash involving two trains and a bus in Buenos Aires. David Sommerstein reports the crash also injured more than 160 people. But they already say the driver of the packed bus weaved around a railroad crossing bar in the FLOTUS neighborhood in an effort to beat a passenger train across the tracks. The train crashed into the bus and the train flew off the tracks and slammed into another train.

Arjen time television showed images of twisted metal and Police and Firefighters frantically trying to free victims from the wreckage. Arjen time transportation secretary Juan Pablo she said the seven dead include one infant and the driver of the bus. He said About 20 people were seriously injured. A spokesman for the window side his train company called the bus driver's actions quote frightful and imprudent. For NPR News I'm David Sommerstein in Buenos IDs. Tropical storm Maria is bringing heavy rainfall to Puerto Rico and it's expected to pass west of Bermuda by Thursday. The season's 14th named storm is centered about 320 miles east of the Bahamas and is crawling toward the north northwest at 5 miles an hour. Tropical storm watch up for Bermuda. This is NPR. Country music pioneer Wade Mainer has died in Flint Michigan at age 104. NPR's Paul Brown says the North Carolina born artist is often called the grandfather of bluegrass music.

Wade Mainers music forms a bridge between old mountain music and more modern bluegrass. He brought the banjo to the forefront has a melody instrument in many of his songs. With. Bands such as Bill Monroe's bluegrass boys would do the same. Much later musician David Holt says today most people don't know Mainers name or understand his significance partly because he lived so long. He was a generation before Bill Monroe and he was one of the people that inspired Bill Monroe Doc Watson and Ralph Stanley. Also like many Southern Rural performers Wade Mainer found it hard to make a living in music. He went to work in an auto factory for two decades. He had a second musical career during the folk revival starting in the 1960s. Paul Brown NPR News. Where did you leave the federal government is expanding its testing for E.coli bacteria and meat in the hope of improving food

safety. Beginning next spring the Agriculture Department will require testing for six additional strains of the E. coli bacteria. Right now meat is tested for just one strain of E. coli which causes an estimated 73000 illnesses each year. The six additional strains caused an estimated 110000 illnesses a year. Food safety advocates welcome the extra testing. But the American Meat Institute says other preventive measures are a better way to ensure food safety. I'm Jim Hawke NPR News in Washington. Support for NPR comes from CenturyLink providing broadband entertainment and voice products to Americans coast to coast. More and more at CenturyLink dot com. Good afternoon I'm Kelly Crossley. You know traditionally Labor Day has been the kickoff to a serious political campaign season and were a little bit just shy of two weeks since Labor Day and you can see more evidence of people really trying to get it get out there in front particularly the GOP presidential candidates

they were in their fourth debate last night. We can talk about how well they did. But we also have local candidates that are facing an even harder deadline. They really just have just about two weeks until September 27 when the voters go to the polls. So I thought we'd start our political conversation with the greatest folks to talk about it with local with an eye on local So joining me to talk through politics from Beantown to the Beltway are Kelly Bates Robert Fortes and Marvin Benet. Kelly Bates is the executive director of the access strategies fund. Robert Ford is a political strategist and Marvin Benet is the executive director of the Massachusetts black and Latino Democratic Legislative Caucus. Welcome back everybody. It's good to be here. Good to be back. All right. So District 3 Maureen Feeney been in that see city council seat for 18 years representing Dorchester and gay people trying to figure out where District 3 is. And there are a lot of folks running for that seat. I'd love to get any

predictions you may have of what you think might come out on top but let's start this way. Kelly and just say how are you assessing interest in the community about the race. I think this is a difficult race as well as other ones on the district council level. This does just not a lot of talk about this election because frankly there is no mayoral candidates on the ballot and there is no city councilor at large candidates on the ballot so it's going to be very difficult. I mean the candidates are trying to get voters out to actually vote and I think the campaign that has the best get out the vote operation you know has their vans ready to go and getting their people directly to the polls and reminding them yes there is an election we have an election are going to be those that will be ahead of the game. But it's a very crowded field. And the front runners are people that you know have some history and experience in the field and in the district. My concern to those front runners are kind of more of the same if you will and

many of the candidates that are kind of new on the scene some of the women for example I'm not sure if they're getting as much attention out there and I think that's important because Maureen Feeney and Ayana Pressley are the only two women city councillors on the Boston City Council and with Feeney leaving if a woman does not come back and win that seat then we will have an even smaller number of women representation on the city council I'm not saying a man shouldn't win I'm just saying it's something to be aware of. Say it loud I'm pro OK. Well to Kelly's point the top three that are some people have described as a top three are John O'Toole Craig Alvan and let's see Baker. So do you agree. Do you think the name is that. Is that are those the top three is far easier when you look at that race. When I look at their race and I see what is being reported you know we talk about some of the endorsements and so forth of those names to come to play. I think Kelly brought up a

great point there are other candidates out there who are excellent. I personally have supported Stephanie Everett in District 3 and truly believe that she is the right candidate. The challenge is is that in this is what Kelly's excuse me alluded to earlier is that you have to have the machine behind you. And a number of these candidates have had machines and they're prepared to jump out and take this race on. And then there are candidates who are. Great for the job and have a solid foundation but the support it is necessary is needed to really drive them home. I think these three are good candidates but do I believe that they're best for the district. I don't. I think what Kelly alluded to earlier as well is that you need a counselor who actually appeals to the overall body of the district and not just one particular sector. And I think what we're doing right now is repeating the cycle with the candidates that we've already mentioned as the three leads.

What do you think Robert. You've always been one to talk about how tough it is to get those voters to the polls and at least mention that you know I have to say I have to. It's not my district but I don't hear people talking about it. Yeah it is tough to get voters to the polls. The three candidates are Hugh called the front runners definitely. The most organized out there right now. I actually think this is a unique opportunity for presently. If I was running her organization I was not in District 3 she's not interested in career but if I was running her organization I would step into this this political area race and do some get my organization some ground work here especially in the parts of the district Ward 15 and parts of Ward 17 that are heavily communities of color in operate in there which would benefit not only the two candidates that Kelly and Marvin talked about what will benefit the organization in November because she's as we've discussed in a precarious could be in a precarious situation as an at large

candidate. With Michael Flaherty coming back into the race some suggest somebody's going to be squeezed out and she may be most vulnerable to other say no. And I think the point about the lack of women representation is a huge one for a lot of people. It was huge when it was being voted in. It was certainly something that I think people point to that since Maureen Feeney and District 3 has kept that seat for 18 years somebody took note of that's right. That's right. And one thing I also want to mention too about the front runners of this race and in any race one thing I've learned about the Democratic Party is there are two machines that you need or are kind of crucial for when one is the party. And let me tell you not every Democratic candidate gets support from a party. The party doesn't endorse people before the general election. Now they may not formally endorse you but they can give a wink and a nod. The other is unions and the front runners a couple of them in this case. Have a lot of support from unions from elected

officials sort of mainstream party people and that does help. And so I think the already organized their already organized well you know me to that point you know the door knocking as it is extremely important. Voters need to know the face of the individual they're looking to vote for and websites are not going to always do the job. And you know even some leaflets standing on corners won't but the door knocking is really going to give you an advantage point. When it comes to gaining votes I like to just pay attention to the money that's been raised by individuals that doesn't necessarily tell you who will win but it certainly to all of your points and if this is a Get Out the Vote race then you got to have some ground troops you've got to pay some people to have around that up right. So far according to a blog by David Bernstein at the Phoenix John Connelly is out in front still with at the end of August. Two hundred thirty six thousand dollars. And Felix Oreo I guess comes closest maybe after him of the hundred seven thousand.

And then it's you know distributed on from there but so we can see who's who can be prepared for a longer battle to. I think what's most notable about those numbers is Michael Flaherty's fund raising dollars. Michael Flaherty ran for mayor. You know he supposedly should still have a base he should still have some money in his campaign account. Usually Ordinarily by this time and he has very little dollars Now granted he says he started later in the race. But you need more resources than that I think to compete. So that to me was surprising to see that number. And so you know actually that's interesting to say that you know you started late in the race but as you said as you already said you know you just came off of a mayoral race so there's an expectation that if you can raise the drumbeats to get that money to run for a much larger race this should not be a challenge for you at all. And what we're seeing here is that you know there are very there's very minimal press coming out about Michael Flaherty Now Michael Flaherty's team is not really

even distributing material at the level that you would anticipate that they would. So I think that a lot of people are holding out and they're going to wait until we get closer probably next month. They're going to start really throwing it out there but the fund raising aspect I think it just speaks to the reality of what we're dealing with and that a lot of relationships were probably. I would say compromise with that mayoral race that cannot be regained in this in this go for an at large seat from Michael Flaherty. Well the district three people don't have that luxury because they never did anything happen for them and for people who are interested in take another look at the candidates there is a debate or conversation on Tuesday September the 20th which is organized by the harbor health services and Michael Carey. Boston president of the end of lazy people moderate So there you have that so let's move on speaking to people who have lots of money in the race and are running hard. Let's turn our

attention to the GOP debate last night. I don't I be curious you know I haven't seen the ratings how many people actually watched the one last week got a quite a bit of attention because that was of the one where Rick Perry first made appearances the second time he's made an appearance there been four big GOP debates. Robert Ford's coming right at you everybody was jumping on Rick Perry was it effective. I think some of it some of the attacks on Rick Perry were effective. But I believe he he went into the debate the front runner who's probably left to debate the front runner whether or not that gap was closed. We'll have to see when that one some initial polling comes out. The New York Times has a piece today that says there's a split in the Republican Party wants you to address that that the elite are leaning toward the Mitt Romneys and now Tim plenty has endorsed Mitt Romney. Where is the Tea Partiers and then as you say right now Rick Perry and Rick Perry being the number one position are leaning toward

him. Is that real or is that do you think this is a media man your man your church. So I think it's a little bit of mania mania manufactured I think you know there are folks there are different camps right now in the party and folks are lining up well you know accordingly. You know Paul went to came out and indorse Romney but you know Bobby Jindal came right out and endorsed Rick Perry and I think you'll see more and more of that. I'm always very loath to say any major candidate coming out of Texas is going to be an anti-establishment candidate. That's a tough call. But I just want to add about the Bobby Jindal endorsement. I think Bob indorsement was and he's the governor Governor of Louisiana just he's in a race himself right now. So if he endorses Perry right now he actually exposes himself to fund raising you know availability out there so he can actually get some money to win his own race. So this is strategic I don't believe that this was just haphazardly and this is early

for him to have made this endorsement. But you look at his poll numbers right now in Louisiana and he's trying to make sure he can retain his seat. Well Kelly the word on the street is that Rick Perry has 55 million dollars in PAC money already. The man is just really into the ring I mean this is a candidate from Texas and now what about the Bush's and the other candidates come out of Texas you're going to get big oil money. Big corporate money and yeah he's a prolific fundraiser as is Mitt Romney but he's certainly in the lead. Bachmann lost in the dust a while ago and it's really about Romney and Perry at this point. And I think Mitt Romney is his strategy is to still look like he should be the candidate and go after Perry but also he's going to try to position himself as Listen you don't want Perry he's kind of a loose cannon he's a little out there. You want somebody who can go up against President Obama and look reasonable I'm reasonable on Social Security for example where as Rick Perry says it's a Ponzi scheme. So I think that's the approach he's going to try to take he's looking at that independent swing vote whereas I think

Perry is looking more toward his base. On the other hand I actually think a Perry Obama may soften Actually if I were in Obama's camp right now I'd be scared of that because I think Perry is. Good on his feet I think he's a strong candidate I think he does have some outlying outlier kind of ideas but I think there's a lot of people in his party and some independents who are looking to that. On the other hand again I think Romney does come off as more of that what people are used to kind of candidate. And you know Massachusetts versus Texas it will be interesting to see you know what people think about I think you're welcome let me let me let me just follow up on that with just a second because Rick Perry is visiting Massachusetts and he's already on record saying hey not his favorite place. Today he's right in Massachusetts so will this tell us anything or is it just one you know one trip to just sort of look at you know out of pattern. Well this was this was here this was already scheduled. You were no no but I'm just saying but now it's here.

Yeah I think you know what I do find interesting is that some people have underestimated Rick Perry on the policy front and pioneer Institute is a very serious speaking very serious think tank and policy house and they would not have invited him unless he had some very serious policy credentials to come and address them. So I think that is going to start playing out more and more of the public are going to start hearing a little bit more about Rick Perry's policies in Texas and some of the things he's advocated for that have been some of which like the education policy which is why pioneer invited him to he has outperformed Massachusetts and so that's going to be very interesting for her. Others would disagree we're going to break right now. I'm Kelly Crossley We're talking politics this hour with political strategist Robert Forte's Kelly Bates of the access strategies and Marvin Benet of the Massachusetts black and Latino Democratic Legislative Caucus. We'll be back

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The latest local news headlines are as close as your smartphone with the new WGBH app with a single tap you can dig deeper into the news of the day from business to arts and culture. Just a free download away at the App Store or at WGBH dot org. Welcome back to the Calla Crossley Show. If you're just tuning in we're talking politics national and local with Kelly Bates Robert Fords and Marvin Benet. Kelly Bates is the executive director of the access strategies fund. Robert forte is a political strategist and Marvin Benet is the executive director of the Massachusetts black and Latino Democratic Legislative Caucus. We were talking about the GOP debate last night and Rick Perry's growing prominence and maybe a potential split in the Republican Party or so some say at the moment between the Romney supporters and the Rick Perry supporters. There's another interesting note that is sort of simmering underneath all of this presidential politics and that is what's going on in terms of elections in the Senate.

Oh interesting piece in The Boston dot com saying that there's just the Republicans are just a couple of seats away from taking over the Senate at this point. And that of course would bring a lot of other kinds of focus in the political landscape. Robert Ford What are you hearing. And does that sound right to you. I would say today yes. You know the political landscape can change very fast but right now today things are looking pretty good. If you take a look at what the polls are saying be interesting is find out what actually happens in the New York special election place Anthony Weiner which is a heavy heavy Democratic district which a Republican should have no chance in. They went into today's voting with a Republican and a seven point lead so if he actually ends up pulling out that victory. I think that will definitely send almost as big of shock waves across the Democratic Party as Scott Brown's election did here.

Yeah this is every senator counts. It's why Massachusetts is still really important in play because people especially the Democratic Party want to take that seat back from Scott Brown. It effects the extent to which any you know major policies can take place and get passed on the federal level if you have this number of votes. So I think it's it's Democrats have their work cut out for them not only in terms of re-electing President Obama but also you know making sure they've got you know a serious ground team and serious dollars going into these races all around the country. Well of course the one of the big races here is the race against Scott Brown and Elizabeth Warren's name is out there out there. She was supposed to say something after Labor Day. Here we are almost two weeks after Labor Day. I haven't heard anything after Labor Day. I had. OK. Thank you. Actually I have from a very good source. She is going to declare it's just a matter of time and she's hired some very strong people in the world of campaigning that's Doug Rubin and Kyle

Sullivan who've worked on you know Governor Patrick's campaigns. She is set herself up very well she was just the featured speaker at the Greater labor Boston council meeting I was there because I just I wanted to see the machine that I call the unions and in at work and I wanted to see how she would go over with this constituency because that's going to be really critical. And I mean they basically handed her their endorsement even though she hasn't declared and she's going to have many many many unions coming out for her even though there are some other very strong candidates in the race such as Setti Warren and Allen cazy and others. She is definitely being lined up as the candidate of choice for the party both the party and the union machine are going to get behind her. I think almost you know 90 to 100 percent. So I just think it's just a matter of time and she's testing out her platform around economic issues and the influence of the wealthy around that debate which resonates with voters. So I think this is going to be it's already been an interesting race but it's about to get more interesting.

So Marvin So you're the caucus guy. All right. So I hear from Massey one of the candidates already in the race opposing Scott Brown. He's a little annoyed that she's getting sort of all this media attention and all this other attention. And the woman hasn't even declared and he's a declared candidate. So does this lead to this union so that if she and when and Kelly has it on good faith that she's going to do that they will not support her in the way that she's going to have to be supported to be a strong candidate against Scott Brown who who are you saying that they are saying the rest of the candidates and Bob Massie expressing maybe on behalf of himself and others saying hey we've been here we've been running we have a campaign. This woman has not even announced she's being anointed. What happens here. I just wonder if that causes some strain so that she doesn't get the support that she has to have. It seems to me to win it only causes strain for a candidate that is not prepared. It only causes strain for candidates and secure if you're confident in your campaign and what you bring to the table. Then it doesn't matter

who enters the race. If you are a solid candidate but you want everybody else to back her if they think she's the strongest candidate So here's the thing though. Here's a process that still has to get down to the point where the party indoor says so once the party endorses at that point then yes you should be getting behind but at this point you are preparing just as she is to try your best to win that endorsement from the party. OK so Robert Ford You once worked with Scott Brown. You weren't surprised when he won the last time but there have been a couple of pieces written saying that some of his support has slipped. One because he doesn't seem to speak out about some things as they are in play so debt ceiling bills don't ask don't tell till after it's done. Because when people took him down there look they said hey this is Massachusetts and this guy doesn't line up. But what do you hear and what do you think. Well as far as his support slipping out of stand for Republicans in Massachusetts were on a statewide you know margin of somewhere between you know a

half a percentage point to four percentage points that's a landslide for us so he's well right in there right now do you know how worried were you. Oh I think you know when we won last time around if it felt like a landslide but again it was about four percent. OK so this is not lined up to be a well but very interesting race across the board. You're listening to eighty nine point seven WGBH and online at WGBH dot org. I'm Kelly Crossley and we're talking local and national politics this hour with Kelly Bates executive director of the access strategies fun political strategist Robert Ford you just heard from him. And Marvin Benet executive director of the Massachusetts black and Latino Democratic Legislative Caucus. All right so here's the thing that many people have asked even if she's lining up all her ducks. Elizabeth Warren potential candidate says she's late getting into it there's name recognition is an issue I don't care how much support you may have how much money you got to get that name recognition out there.

I think she's built. I think she walked into this race with name recognition when she introduced among insiders Marvin Wilson. But among insiders there's now this now traveled now to the local for the local community she's also done a number of stops across the. Commonwealth city having you know kitchen table conversations with individuals she's starting to paint she's starting to build herself up. So I think what she's doing strategically is probably smart because she didn't just jump into the race. She built up some relationship so that once she decides she's going to enter the race she actually has a team behind her. Some candidates enter the race without getting having had already solidified the team. She is solidifying the team before she walks in the race. What Kelly would call doing your pipeline work exactly. Yeah I think yeah to marvins point it's true that the really strong candidates there are already you know planting the seeds as they go before they declare they've thought through the fund raising. Hopefully they have Dave they're thinking about their team they're having conversations with people and they're even talking to their potential funders saying you know I'm thinking

about this I'm about to do this would you be with me would you pledge your financial support if and when they've got their databases going of voters of donors and she is the one thing about her she has not run for office before. Right. And she it's really big and she was you know kind of fighting the good fight under Obama around you know sort of regulation of you know companies and organizations that you know are I believe taking for granted a lot of consumers around this whole economy. But I don't know how many people know her from that I think there are some insiders to your point Cally who know of her and what she did but I don't I don't know if the average voter knows who Elizabeth Warren is. I think she's got some work to do and the ground game is going to be really important now Doug Rubin who's worked for Governor Patrick's campaign understands that. So she's got someone who's going to be like you need to be out there shaking hands talking to voters because Scott Brown is going to do that he's very good at connecting with voters and he knows the street game any understands the importance of that one on one contact with

voters. I hope she has the stomach. You know otherwise it's going to be kind of a boring race. What would you do if the laborer breakfast from what I understand it your killer please correct me if I'm incorrect that she started to paint her picture. And starting to paint her picture she started to connect the dots of why she was relatable to the average citizen and why it is that she would understand who they are when making a vote. So she's already started to beat the drum and get the exercising out where you know some don't necessarily necessary have not necessarily taken that avenue they have directly went in and said This is why I'm the candidate with no message with no message. She's building a message. She's starting to test the waters as Kelly indicated earlier. She's talking about economic policy. Here's what I think. So at the end of the day you can just say if she decides she doesn't want to enter the race we all know that she will but if she decided she didn't want to race she could at least say I've

tested it now I know what I need to do if I want to do it again. All right I want to ask each of you and Kelly first up on this what would be the impact of her being a woman. I think it's going to be pretty huge because if you look at the elections of 2011 here in Massachusetts when you think about city council races and then you think about 2012 the presidential race and now this race. This is the big one that women are going to be watching. You know people are very concerned about what's happening in Boston City Council as I've stated. But they are going to see finally a woman candidate. I think that they can get behind Attorney General Martha Coakley was a decent potential candidate before. You know we actually saw what her campaign did. I think Elizabeth Warren excites a lot of women and women's organizations because of her platform which is very relevant to today because she's got so much money that's going to be coming in from the state outside of the state because of all her connections on the federal level. And because of the fact that she has all the support already and

she comes across as very accessible when I saw her speak at that union breakfast the first things you talked about was being a mom and going to get her law degree when her child was I can't remember but basically in diapers and trying to potty train him while she was doing all of that. And she talks about her story as a woman as a mother she's not afraid to tell that story in the way that Ayana Presley is never afraid to tell that story of what it really means to be a woman. I think it will be very interesting to see the women's community and whether they can really galvanize around her candidacy in many ways women's organizations in my humble opinion have not been doing enough around voter mobilization in the state they've been kind of quiet this could be a race to really increase their influence and their political clout around someone like Elizabeth Warren and if she's smart and her campaign smart they will pay very close attention to the women's vote. We vote a lot and we are paying attention and we definitely pay attention when we see a woman on the ballot. And you know you're not saying women's organizations have to support or you're just I need to be getting out there more in the getting out the vote.

Yeah activity yeah. Yeah. Are you going to when I used to run a women's organization back in the 90s and the 70s and 80s we sort of know about the feminist movement what was done around voter power and women's community but it was starting to fade even then and I could just see that we were not. Working our women space enough we want making sure that they were staying connected to the political process and I feel like now is the time when you have people like an iguana presently or you know someone like an Elizabeth Warren to get your base really motivated. I do want to point out that there is a woman in the race now in that race against Maria de France. I was just about to say Turney. Right. So just I don't want to there's no dissing of her. We're talking about the impact on Elizabeth Warren Robert force your take on her impact as a candidate or as a woman as a woman a candidate I'm interested. I think it'll be interesting because you know Massachusetts for you know as much as we call it a liberal state doesn't have a great track record with women being elected statewide right. Not a good track record. Well you have Shannon O'Brien who was elected to a straight Treasurer pretty much an open race when she tried to

move up she was defeated Martha Coakley again was elected in a pretty much open race to attorney general tries to move up she was defeated. So it'll be interesting to me also to see how well she would do as a as a female candidate. You know if she does go on to become the Democratic nominee I think you know you're pretty much going to look at a race between a Harvard professor vs. the guy who drives a pickup truck and I was interested in more than you know male female. So you know I will say that her the people that knew anything about her before she rose to power around these banking issues knew about her book which was about middle class people struggling on two incomes. I mean that's where she was known academically. So in that way that message is resonating at this moment. So what do you think. I think that the question for me is and I can disagree with my colleagues and from what they've said but I think the question for me is how much will this race be influenced by outsiders of Massachusetts financially. Good point. The question really you know really

resonates with me because if she's coming into this race that's potentially But I mean it's already solidified but she's coming into this race. She's coming into this race with money already planted for her ready to go that as soon as she signs and say she is getting she's going out to get signatures to get on that ballot. She already has an influx of cash it's coming in the door that hasn't even had a stamp of Massachusetts on it yet. And so my concern is is that when she goes to cast a vote who is she casting a vote for those donors are the people of Massachusetts. And let me just add a real let me just add a wrinkle this is a woman whose platform is standing against you know big corporate wealthy interests that don't care about middle class people and the little guy she going to take money from most folks. I mean it's a really interesting question you know I mean if I were Scott Brown and his campaign I would be looking at that real closely because you know it's all round and equal opportunity donor recipient

whoever you know wants to give me money so I think you're right. And I because so much is at play and people really want this seat in Congress there's going to be so much national money coming in. I think it's really for Scott Brown as well correct. Yes and he already has a huge war chest in and out right now. So he's ready to go in that way and so yeah there's going to be a lot of national money coming in from everywhere. It's going to be an interesting race to those other thing that was important to know police to if you could explain this to us or share with us as I understand it she was standing next to Tom Menino. As we all know he has endorsed Scott Brown and has explicitly said there is no one that will beat Scott. How did that look. Well you know I don't know if it's actually true. Robert if Mayor has endorsed Scott Brown but he but Marvins point he almost acts in many ways that he does like Scott Brown. You know the mayor is an interesting person. He hasn't had a whole lot of love for Governor

Patrick. He hasn't had a whole lot of love for certain Democratic candidates but in some cases he has. I think what the mayor resonates with is people that to him come across as sort of genuine folks and I think he finds very genuine even if you may disagree with him on some politics. And you know he's willing to say things that other people aren't willing to say in the establishment. But it was. A little awkward up there. I gotta tell you it was a little awkward up there. Well more to come. Can't wait to see this kickoff and for those folks in District 3 Remember 20 September 27 Your vote will be looking to see what you do. We've been talking politics both local and national with Kelly Bates executive director of the access strategies fund political strategist Robert Fortes and Marvin Benet executive director of the Massachusetts black and Latino Democratic Legislative Caucus. Thank you all. Thank you. You're welcome. Up next it's a conversation with artist Maya Lin about her plans to revive a historic part of Newport Rhode Island. We'll be back after this break stay with

us. This program is on WGBH thanks to you. And film District presenting Dr starring Ryan Gosling Carey Mulligan Brian Cranston Christina Hendricks Ron Perlman with Oscar Isaac and Albert Brooks Dr. opens in theaters nationwide September 16th rated-R. And Frontline on WGBH to an exclusive interview with Ali Soufan the FBI agent at the center of the 9/11 investigations uncovers an insider's view on the war on terror watch Frontline tonight at 9:00 on WGBH too.

I'm Lisa Mullins sheepherders from Peru are hired legally to work in the mountains of Colorado. The pay is good by Peruvian standards. The conditions are not. We're expecting these workers to be treated much more poorly than any American would be treated and the only reason it's going on is because nobody's looking. Some say the U.S. should be able to do better. Our story next time on the world. Coming up at 3 o'clock here at eighty nine point seven WGBH. If you've recently volunteered a financial gift of support to WGBH Thanks Joy investment has gone straight to work powering the program for you depend on. And if you're looking for a way to become even more involved consider signing on as a WGBH volunteer help post in-studio events become a WGBH tour guide and join the

behind the scenes team at WGBH radio and television. Details online at WGBH dot org slash volunteer. The latest local news headlines are as close as your smartphone with the new WGBH app. A single tap keeps you up to date with headlines from business to arts and culture. Just a free download away at the App Store or learn more at the GBH dot org. Good afternoon I'm Cally Crossley artist Maya Lin became nationally and internationally known in 1981 after her design was chosen for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. D.C. Since then she has designed works for galleries parks private residences and public spaces worldwide. She's here today to talk about her designs for Queen and square which is in Newport Rhode Island. Mylan thank you for joining us. Thank you. I'm very interested in what you're proposing for this square which right now is not used really by people they just sort of walk

through it. So describe the space if you will and what you have in mind. I think the design of the installation or public space is called the meeting room and I'm extremely site specific so I'm not just looking at the physical site but the cultural side. So I start by trying to find out the history of a place. And yes you are indeed called out. Not many people can even sit in the park there's actually no place to sit. So it's a real transit point. And so one of the goals was also to create a very welcoming environment to invite the community to begin to see Queen and square as a real central heart where people could gather and in gathering you want to give people in places that are intimate and smaller so that small groups. Oras. I also sensed a need for something larger and in beginning to understand the history of Newport to realize that in the charter of Rhode Island is

freedom of expression from the get go so this idea that the whole piece would be called the meeting room and you begin to invite people in in a very non-denominational way where the largest space of all is not based on any one specific building of which some were Quaker. Some are different. Trinity Church for one is another. But something that basically talks about bringing a larger sense of community together. And then there are three other foundations stone foundation rooms and each one is taste taken from different periods in Newport History from seven hundred seventy seven eight hundred seventy six and one is also taken from one thousand No.7. You know when you think about Newport If you don't know much about it you just think about sort of those large mansions they're gorgeous but you know that's what comes to mind. It doesn't seem that that neighborhood would one would be inspired to create the kind of intimacy that I hear you're working and striving for

here. Well I think one of the things is. I was brought in by the Newport restoration foundation and I think downtown Newport has some of the most beautiful historically saved and rescued old houses spanning all errors in a way and I think a lot of those smaller houses again in the 17 hundreds you kept your house small for obvious environmental reasons it was a lot easier. Friday heat and to keep protected that way. So if you begin to look at the most the earlier House footprints there they're quite small in scale like 20 by 30 24 by 34. So you begin to understand that the fundamental hearth is there was always a chimney there. You set up a town near a spring. So you begin to understand in this park or what we've planned very different scales to to any New England town in

which we the older older foundations which will will be sort of outweighing these outdoor rooms you can sit on any one of these stone walls they're only a foot maybe two feet high so you could comfortably sit around a central area each room is based and inspired by this historic plan a historic foundation. That existed either on that exact site or just a few feet away. So like the 777 one is literally in the place it was so we studied old maps of Newport and in a way we overweighed for different historic maps and. And the oldest thing is Frank Street which bisects the site and still will. And so that's what we've been working on. Well the what you're working on in this space the meeting room this redesign is is is supposed to honor Doris Duke who founded the Newport restoration foundation of which you spoke just a few minutes ago and she gave a lot of

money to restoring Newport's big colonial structures. And most of the money has been raised. You are very well known. Artist certainly one that could do anything. So I often wonder when there is much available to you what would draw you specifically to this piece. What spoke to you about want to do this. Well I think when I was called in you know Newport downtown Newport is from an architectural point of view and I'm trained as an architect even though I sort of split my time equally between the two. Historically I think Doris when she started out those houses she restored some of them are quite small they're in domestic downtown Newport and what she did to revitalize the town I began to get very interested in a good friend of mine with us in downtown Newport. And you know it's a it's a beautiful town and there in the center. Is this park that one could say it's definitely seen better days. And

my heart goes out to that. That one I could begin to explore. What's the deeper history of this place as well as you look at an outdoor space and it is sort of in so much need of a little attention so to speak. And you can almost imagine how if you could create a gathering space how people could then come in and revitalize that entire area. Whereas right now there are areas where people you can you know it's actually they're a little funkier is there are some shrubs that people could be hiding in you know it's just doesn't feel right even though you've got this very beautiful historic town. Beyond the Vietnam Veterans Memorial which you know you're well known for you did the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery Alabama Alabama and several others. And I understand that a few years ago you said OK last memorial not doing that anymore but some refer to this project as a memorial I'm wondering

how you say no not at all. I don't see that as all I think one of the things is I am very site specific in my outdoor work some of the works have dealt much more strictly with looking at the land like a piece I did at Storm King it's based on water waves. There is another side of me which is and always has been very interested in delving into histories. It's almost like what I call the cultural context of the site. And in that stead. Newport I was kind of drawn when I was asked to look at this. To start digging into it again I brought in a colleague a landscape architect. We know one goal because in a way this will become a park in a park that people can really enjoy and use in different different ways so I'm not trained as a landscape architect. I don't pretend to be so. But at the same time whether I'm working on the museum of Chinese America in downtown Manhattan

or whether I'm working on a project throughout the Pacific Northwest blending the history of Lewis and Clark with the Native American history with an ecological history I am at times drawn to time in my work and I so there are many pieces that are about time and memory and what I would call historical context. And I think this falls into that category. Well you know practically everything you've done has been met with a great deal of public scrutiny. I think probably because you get so much with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial which you won that commission at 21 years old it seems to have followed you everywhere else. I note that there are a couple of criticisms already. Even though you're just getting started in Newport some people feel like it's the designers too few near real to meditative. But I have to say Milan that it reminds me of what was said about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. They said it was a black bitch and nobody would respond to it. What do you do how do

you how do you juggle what public comments are made with your own vision. Well I think for one thing it's a park. It is not a memorial. It though it harkens and celebrates a legacy for Doris Duke. It is much about celebrating the history of Newport. And if you even think back to its title the meeting room it's about bringing people to downtown Newport to revitalizing a center that at this point in time you can't even sit in it so unwelcoming. I think. By taking the old stone foundations what you're beginning to do is bring back almost the very literally the bedrock the foundations of what old New England towns were built on. And what do they all have. They have the stone foundation and then there's the hearth. There's the chimney it signifies sort of the home and the hearth. And then I will be designing a very special water table

that semi hidden again built within stone foundations again. All very well it's a table water tables about their gathering areas and they'll be a bubbling stream of water hidden a little bit inside you'll hear it and then you can come up and find the water flowing kind of through the stone a little bit a little magical. So I think you seem to have it like this. Yeah. As you say you seem to have the whatever you're designing to have that a bill particularly in the public spaces to have the elements that make people really want to engage. You know again referring to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial where people just have to touch it and looking at the Civil Rights Memorial and now your other public spaces that's quite a gift to get people to engage in the space. I wonder if you have a favorite public space that engages you and why and how you feel when you're there. Oh that's a great question. And I think walking around in the

gardens. In Paris I do there's something about just walking through Paris Paris is one of my favorite cities as far as outdoor public spaces. I'm always bad at pulling things out of a hat so give me a second and go on to another question and I'll think of something. I thought about you honestly as some of the news of two big memorials came under a great deal of public criticism of course some of that will pass and thinking of Michael Arad memorial for 9/11 before it got done people were like oh my god it's a big hole What is it what is that. And then of course the Chinese artist Lei. Yes seeing I can't pronounce his name correctly who's just created the stone of hope for the Martin Luther King Memorial. So many criticisms about what those pieces will do to engage folks. And yet I saw already at both places that people really responded from a very human level they want to as they do with your work touch

it to be engage with it to be engage with each other while touching it. Do you just have to just dismiss that. I mean do you do you. I know you must feel for these people as they go through this kind of public scrutiny in this way. Well I think I mean I get I think this is something very important to me I mean I I will be I will have completed five what I call the memorials in Vietnam as one civil rights. The women's table is another though it really commemorates women you know co-education specifically at Yale but much more we're talking about a larger issue the confluence project which is the Pacific Northwest and then my fifth and last is called What is missing. And it deals with environmental loss and extinctions throughout the world that we're presently witnessing. I think for me I have stepped aside and said there are those five morals. I close the chapter on the memorials after completing completed what is missing and for me the rest of my body work really deals with

you know installations some some with time in memory but not necessarily memorials per se. And then the architecture and. And I think that was what you were asked. So I know if you're affected by that. And did you sort of feel for both the Chinese artist and Michael Arad as they were meeting with you. I mean I'm a little bit personally connected to the A-Rod piece because I served on the jury so and again being a New Yorker you understand the amount of energy and pain that everybody went through. So I think I definitely could understand and relate and feel for I think I've paid. I haven't really been that connected to the Martin Luther King Memorial and don't really know as much about it though as seen images of it but definitely with the route I think as it's coming out now. People are really beginning to interact with it and I think one of the

things that is sort of important with maybe memorials and they're slightly different from works of art or architecture is memorials deal with an idea that there's something very symbolic conceptually about bringing out mourning and remembrance and what does that mean and how do you balance between. Those people immediately connected vs.. People a hundred years from now and that again is is a is a careful balance. Well we could talk to you forever I'm so delighted that personally that you're working on this project and I look forward to seeing it. Thank you so much for speaking with us. Oh you're welcome glad to be here. I've been speaking with artist Maya Lin about her design for clean and square which is in Newport Rhode Island. Today Show was engineered by Alan Mannus and produced by Chelsea Mercer will Rowe slip and Abbey Ruzicka I'm Kalee Crossley where production of WGBH radio Boston's NPR station for news and culture.