GOV ACCENTUATES POSITIVE
Baker defends himself as Democrats criticize
Gov. Charlie Baker — smeared by Democrats with a Trump brush yesterday — defended himself as he poured beers at the L Street Tavern on what is becoming an increasingly heated campaign trail.
Baker was in the crosshairs earlier yesterday as top Democrats — U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, rising star Ayanna Pressley and gubernatorial challenger Jay Gonzalez — staged a rally in Cambridge.
“By supporting Geoff Diehl, Charlie Baker — let’s be clear about this — he is supporting Donald Trump in his efforts to take this country backwards,” said Gonzalez, who is challenging Baker for the Corner Office.
Warren joined in, saying Baker will “look the other way” and continue to support Republicans, including Diehl, who is running against Warren.
“Charlie Baker, who is befriending and standing right alongside those that are Trump-liked, does not have a bold inclusive vision for this commonwealth of today or the commonwealth of the future,” said Pressley, who just won the Democratic nomination for the U.S. representative seat in the 7th Congressional District. “We are a dark blue state. We should be bold, we should innovate and we should lead for the nation.”
Baker, who has loudly and repeatedly criticized Trump, defended himself later, though he avoided firing off any attacks of his own.
“I made clear from the very beginning that I didn’t support his candidacy for president,” Baker told the Herald. “I didn’t vote for him.”
Baker cited achievements in office, including protecting federal funding for Obamacare in Massachusetts, an additional 180,000 new jobs, putting more than $500 million into the K-12 system and a “leading approach” in addressing the opioid epidemic.
“I think the fact that we’ve got 22 mayors and city managers to endorse our campaign last week — many of whom are Democrats — speaks to the fact that people feel we are really partnering with our colleagues across the commonwealth to help them build strong communities,” Baker said.
Diehl, meanwhile, said the Democrats are trying to use the Trump name as a smear tactic in heavily blue Massachusetts, because it’s hard for them to combat the strengthening economy.
“All they’re going to do is try to attempt to spin the positive news about Massachusetts having a successful economy,” Diehl said. “This is Elizabeth Warren’s way of trying to divert attention away from the fact that she wants to run for the White House and has failed to deliver for Massachusetts in the six years she’s been in office.”