Will Mass. schools mask mandate lead to political fallout?

ED: THE SUNDAY ROUNDTABLEAS GATHERED ON THIS FINAL SUNDAY IN JOINING US THIS MORNING, AUGUST. DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL ANASTLY MARY ANNE MARSH, AND RUBEPLICAN POLITICAL ANALYST ROB GRAY. ANDREISA IN A RACE FOR THAT SECOND SLOT. IT IS REALLY ANDREA AND ANNIS SA. SHE STARTED TO MAKE THE CONTRAST BETWEEN HERSELF AND KIM JANEY AND THAT SHE HAS TO DO THE SAME THING BECAUSE SHE WANTS THAT SECOND SPOT. ROB: YOU HAVE A VERY LOW INTEREST ELECTN IOHERE AND WE HA AD POLL THIS WEEK, AND ANY OF THE FOUR CANDIDATES THAT WERE MENTIONED COULD WIN. IT SHEET NEEDS TO DIFFERENTIATE HERSELF SPECIFICALLY FROM THE ACTIVE MAYOR. I THINK SHE DID A GOOD JOB TALKING ABOUT VACCINE PASSPORTS AND REALLY ON THE PANDEMIC. I TNKHI SHE IS DIFFERENT AND IT PROBABLY HELPS. :ED SHE HAS BEEN AGGRESSIVE ON THAT FRONT. ROB: SHE HAS. THE MAYOR MADE A B GAFFE JANET: MASSACHUSETTS NOW HAS A STATEWIDE MASK MANDATE FOR ALL STUDENTS. FOR WEEKS, GOVERNOR BAKER GAVE PLENTY OF REASONS WHY IT WASN’T NECESSARY, BUT THEN LAST FRIDAY AFTERNOON HE QUIETLY CHANGED HIS MIND WHY, AND IS THIS A POLITICAL KERFUFFLE THAT WILL BE QUICKLY FORGOTN?TE ROB: I THINK THERE IS A HIDDEN ST RATEGY GOING ON WITH THE GOVERNOR WHICH IS TO GET THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WHARO E VACCINATED UP, THEY THROUGHOUT OCTOR BE1 AND SAID YOU HAD WEAR MASKS UNTIL OCTOBER 1 UNLESS YOU TASKS UNTIL OCTOBER 1 UNLESS YOU YOUR VACCINATION PERCENTAGE OVER 80% IYOURN SCHOOL. I THINK THAT IS WHAT IS BEHIND IT, LEVERAGE. CHARLIE BERAK IS WILLING TO RISK A LITTLE BIT OF POLITICAL CAPITAL TO GET THAT DONE. JANET: DO THINK THIS WAS DELIBERATE STRATEGY? MARY AE:NN I THINK IT IS DELIBERATEUT F BOR ALL OF THE WRONG REASONS. COVID WILL BE FRONT AND CENTER WHEN HE RUNS FOR THE TRD TERM. THIS IS FAIR GAME. HE USED TO LEADHE T WAY ON ALL THGSIN COVID. NOW HE IS COMING OFFHE BENCH FROM THE GAME HAS BEEN DECIDED. TH HE COMES IN ON FRIDAY AND MAKES ISTH DECISION JUST BASED ON POLITICS, NOT BASED ON SCIENCE. ED THE TIMING OF SETH MOULTON’S AFGHANISTAN TRIP WAS STARTLING JUST 2 DAYS BEFORE ISIS ATTACKED KABUL’S AIRPORT. IT DREW IMMEDIATE APPLAUSEND A ANGER FROM DEMOCRATS. WAS HIS 24-HOUR FACT-FINDING MISSION NEEDED OR WAS THIS GRANDSTANDING IN THE NATNAIOL SPOTLIGHT? MA AE:RY I WOULD SAY IT WAS GRANDSTANDING, THE WSTOR MAGNET FOOD. HE HAS A HISTORY OF MAKING BAD JUDGMENTS ANHED OPPOSED NANCY PELOSI AND SHE IS THE ONLY PERSON WHO STOOD UP TO DONALD TRUMP. NOW HE TAKESHI T GRANDSTANDING STUNT AND DOES NOT TELL ANYBODY AND RISKS THE SAFETY OF EVERYBODY AND NOW IT LOOKS EVEN WORSE WHEN WE HAVE LOST 13 AMERICAN SOLDISER AND 100 AFGHANS. HE LIED TO J MCGOVERN, SAYING HE WAS IN MASSACHUSET,TS AND HE IS THE RULES CHAIRMAN AND THE ONLY FRID THEN HAD. HE IS TRYING TO SPIN THIS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY THIS WEEK, TRYING TO MA IKET LOOK BETTER. HE JUST PUTS HIMSELF FIRST ALWAYS AND EVERYBODY ELSE LAST EVEN IF SECURITY IS IN QUESTION. B:RO GETTING ON CABLE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY IS THE ANSWERO YOUR QUESTION, THAT IS WHAT HE HAS DONE THIS WEEK. WE USETOD CALL JOHN KERRY LIVE SHOT FOR CHEAP STUNTS GTO ON CAMERA, AND I THINK WE CAN NOW CALL SETH LITTLE LIVE SHOT. I’M SURE HE HAS CONVINCED HIMSF ELTHIS HAS TO DO WITH HIS HONORABLE SERVICE AND TRYING TO BE HELPFUL, BUI THINK BOTH FOR HIM AND THE REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN, IT WAS ABOUT GETTING ONV. T MARY ANNE: HE PUT NATIONAL SECURITY AT WEST. JAT:NE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE DELEGAONTI WAS MAKING SIMILAR CALLS FROM MASSACHUSETTS TO HELP THOSE GET OUT AND HE WAS SUCCESSFUL AT LEA ISTN ONE EXAMPLE. NANCY PELOSI IS HEADED TO BOSTON TO HEADLINE A FUNDRAISER F JAKE AUCHINCLOSS. BAD NEWS FOR DEMOCRAT ESS MERMELL WHO’S CONSIDERING A SERIOUS REMATCH NEXT YEAR? RO THIS IS A LIFE LESSON PAID EVEN IFOU Y ARE A PROGRESSIVE WOMAN, YOU CANNOT COUNT ON A PROGRESSIVE WOMAN SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE BACKING YOU IS BECAUSE SHE CARES ABTOU IS AN INCUMBENCY. NANCY NEEDS HISOT VE AND SHE NEEDS HIS SEAT. REPUBLICANS CAN TAKE OVER THE HOE USWITH ONLY EIGHT CHANGE OF SIX SEATS AFTER THE MIDTMSER AND NANCY PELOSI DOES NOT WANT THAT TO HAPPEN. MARY ANNE: HE IS RIGHT ABOUT MOST OF THAT. THIS IS AN ATTPTEM TO WORCESTER HIS LEFT FLANK IN THE NORTHERN PART OF ETH DISTRTIC PERIOD HE IS VERY WEAK AND BEAR. ROB IS RIGHT ON ALL OF THE REASONS NANCY PELOSI AND WANTS TO KEEP THAT INCOME BUT. THAT SAI

OTR: Will mask mandate for Massachusetts public schools lead to political fallout?

Updated: 11:54 AM EDT Aug 29, 2021

One political analysts believes there is a hidden strategy behind Gov. Charlie Baker’s change of heart about the issue.

BOSTON —

One political analysts believes there is a hidden strategy behind Gov. Charlie Baker’s change of heart about the issue.