WAYS WILL COME BACK, IF EVER.
BUT, LIKE MANY, A VISITOR FROM
NEW JERSEY WAS STILL ABLE TO
ENJOY THE DAY.
I REALLY FEEL SAFE HERE.
I FEEL LIKE PEOPLE ARE REALLY
WEARING A MASK WHENEVER THEY
HALF TO BE OUT OF THERE SAFE
SPACE.
IN GENERAL, I FEEL REALLY GOOD
AND SAFE HERE.
Reporter: THE SAFETY
WARNINGS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH
MONDAY.
LIVE AT REVERE BEACH, TASHANEA
WHITLOW , WBZ THIS MORNING.
IT IS TIME FOR JON KELLER
WITH KELLER @ LARGE.
Reporter: GOOD MORNING,
EVERYONE.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
IN THE RACE FOR THE U.S. SENATE
IN MASSACHUSETTS, THE PRIMARIES
ARE IN THE BOOKS AND IT IS ON
FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION WHERE
INCUMBENT ED MARKEY WILL FACE
POLITICAL NEWCOMER, KEVIN
O'CONNOR, WHO WON TUESDAY'S
REPUBLICAN PRIMARY.
HE JOINS US THIS MORNING.
WELCOME AND CONGRATULATIONS.
THANK YOU.
GOOD MORNING, JON.
I THINK THE QUESTIONS ON A
LOT OF VIEWERS' MINDS, BECAUSE
OF THE RELATIVELY LOW PROFILE
OF YOUR PRIMARY, WHO ARE YOU
AND WHY ARE YOU RUNNING FOR
SENATE?
I AM A HUSBAND, A DAD, I AM
NOT A CAREER POLITICIAN.
I AM A TRIAL LAWYER, I AM A
LITIGATOR.
I HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR MY
CLIENT FOR 30 YEARS.
I AM RUNNING BECAUSE I DON'T
WANT OUR KIDS GROWING UP IN
THIS KIND OF DYSTOPIAN WORLD
THAT SOME PEOPLE WANT TO TAKE
US TO.
I BELIEVE IN STRAIGHTFORWARD
AMERICAN VALUES AND I WANT TO
MAKE SURE WE HAVE SAFE STREETS,
SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS, GOOD JOBS,
A GOOD ENVIRONMENT, GOOD
HEALTHCARE AND A STRONG AMERICA.
Reporter: GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE
OF WHAT YOU MEAN BY THIS
DYSTOPIAN WORLD YOU ARE
REFERRING TO.
IF YOU WATCHED THE
DEMOCRATIC DEBATES BETWEEN
SENATOR MARKEY AND CONGRESSMAN
KENNEDY, THEY COULD NEVER FIND
IT WITHIN THEMSELVES DURING THE
WHOLE POLICING DEBATE, THEY
COULD NOT MUSTER UP THE COURAGE
TO SAY THAT COPS ARE GOOD
PEOPLE.
THEY HAVE REALLY TOUGH JOBS.
FOR ALL THEIR CHALLENGES, THEY
MAY NOT BE PERFECT, BUT WE OWE
THEM A D DEEP DEBT OF
GRATITUDE.
THEY COULD NEVER DO THAT.
THAT IS BECAUSE THEY WERE
PANDERING TO A BASE. ALL
PRIMARIES IN OUR POLITICAL
SYSTEM PROMOTE POLARIZATION.
CAREER POLITICIANS GRAVITATE
TOWARD THAT POLARIZATION EVERY
TIME.
I REPRESENT A COMPLETELY CHANGE
IN APPROACH. I WILL BE ABLE TO
ACKNOWLEDGE STRENGTHS,
WEAKNESSES AND WORK WITH PEOPLE
ACROSS THE AISLE AND ACROSS
EVERY INCH OF THE STATE AND
ACROSS EVERY RACE, ETHNICITY,
RELIGION, EVERYTHING.
WITH REGARD TO POLICING,
SINCE YOU RAISED THE ISSUE, AS
YOU KNOW, THERE IS A BILL UP
FOR DEBATE.
PERHAPS, THERE COULD BE A VOTE
ON BEACON HILL, THAT WOULD
REFORM THE POLICE
ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM, MOST
NOTABLY, ALTERING THE QUALIFIED
IMMUNITY THAT POLICE ACCUSED OF
CRIMES ENJOY.
IF A POLICE OFFICER
DEMONSTRABLY SHOULD HAVE KNOWN
WHAT THEY ARE DOING IS ILLEGAL,
THEY WOULD BE SUBJECT TO LEGAL
EXPOSURE ON THAT.
WHERE DO YOU STAND ON THAT ONE?
JON, I THINK THAT IS ALREADY
EXISTING LAW . THE PEOPLE WHO
WANT TO CHANGE QUALIFIED
IMMUNITY WANT TO DO, THEY WANT
POLICE OFFICERS TO HAVE TO
SPECULATE ABOUT WHAT WOULD OR
WOULD NOT BE LEGAL IN
CIRCUMSTANCES THAT ARE NOT
CLEARLY ESTABLISHED ALREADY BY
CASE LAW OR STATUTE.
THAT IS AN ABSOLUTELY WRONG
MESSAGE.
OUR MEN AND WOMEN IN BLUE NEED
TO KNOW THAT WHAT IS CLEARLY
ESTABLISHED IS CLEARLY
ESTABLISHED.
THEY ARE IN THE LINE OF FIRE.
THEY ARE FACING LIFE-AND-DEATH
SITUATIONS, WITH BOTH THEIR OWN
LIVES ON THE LINE AND THE LIVES
OF THE CITIZENS THEY PROTECT ON
THE LINE.
WE CAN'T MONDAY MORNING
QUARTERBACK THAT.
THE CLEAREST EVIDENCE OF THE
HYPOCRISY WE ARE SEEING FROM
CAREER POLITICIANS IS THAT THEY
HAVE LEGISLATIVE IMMUNITY.
SENATOR MARKEY RIGHT NOW WANTS
TO PRESERVE FOR HIMSELF IMMUNITY
FROM SAYING ANYTHING ABOUT
ANYONE, IF HE CRITICIZES SOMEONE
AND IT IS COMPLETELY WRONG,
HE'S GOT LEGISLATIVE IMMUNITY.
HE DOESN'T WANT A COP IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT IN THE
MIDDLE OF GUNFIRE TO HAVE THE
BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT, THE SAME
BENEFIT OF A DOUBT.
THAT IS TOTALLY WRONG.
THE OTHER THING I WOULD PUT
OUT, I WAS AT THE POLICE
STATION IN WALDEN TODAY.
I THINK WALTON POLICE ARE WITH
ME.
THEY KNOW SENATOR MARKEY WELL.
THEY ARE WITH ME, KEVIN
O'CONNOR.
THEY FEEL LIKE HE IS COMPLETELY
DISCONNECTED FROM THEIR
WELCOME BACK TOUR
CONVERSATION WITH REPUBLICAN
NOMINEE FOR U.S. SENATE THAT
WILL BE FACING OFF WITH ED
MARKEY.
ATTORNEY KEVIN O'CONNOR IS WITH
US.
ED MARKEY SAID THE OTHER DAY HE
DOESN'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT YOU
QUOTE, OTHER THAN THE FACT HE
SAYS HE IS AN ARDENT DONALD
TRUMP SUPPORTIVE.
IS THAT RIGHT?
I AM VOTING FOR THE
PRESIDENT, ABSOLUTELY.
YES.
Reporter: WELL, AS YOU KNOW,
THE PRESIDENT IS NOT ESPECIALLY
POPULAR IN MASSACHUSETTS.
THE LAST POLL I SAW HAD
DISAPPROVAL RATINGS OVER 70%,
75%.
HOW DO YOU PROPOSE TO WIN WHEN
YOU WILL BE SHARING THE BALLOT
WITH
IN A STATE LIKE THIS?
I THINK SENATOR MARKEY'S
FOCUS ON THAT ISSUE, THAT
EFFORT TO POLARIZE, IS EXACTLY
WHY HE IS SO INEFFECTIVE.
HE HAS BEEN IN CONGRESS MORE
THAN 40 YEARS.
HE HAS ESSENTIALLY NOTHING
ACCOMPLISHED.
HE IS BIG ON TAGGING PEOPLE
WITH LABELS.
HE IS NOT FOCUSED ON HELPING
THE PEOPLE OF MASSACHUSETTS
IMPROVE THEIR LIVES.
HE CAN TAKE THAT BAIT.
I DON'T CARE.
I HAVE BEEN CANDID WITH
EVERYONE ABOUT HOW I WILL VOTE.
I HAVE ALSO BEEN CANDID I WILL
WORK MUCH HARDER THAN SENATOR
MARKEY.
I WILL BE OUT IN THE
COMMUNITIES, JUST THE WAY
CONGRESSMAN KENNEDY INDICATED
SENATOR MARKEY SHOULD BE
CONDUCTING HIMSELF AND THE WAY
HE HAS NOT CONDUCTED HIMSELF.
HE IS FAILED FOR THE LAST SIX
YEARS TO GET OUT IN THE
COMMUNITY THE I WILL DELIVER
EXACTL THAT.
Reporter: DO YOU HAVE ANY
IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES WITH
DONALD TRUMP?
I AM MY OWN PERSON.
I CAN FOCUS ON ANY GIVEN ISSUE.
I WILL GIVE YOU MY POSITION.
I AM NOT GOING TO DO DONALD
TRUMP'S BIDDING.
I AM NOT GOING TO DO ANYBODY'S
BIDDING.
I WILL BE THE SENATOR FIGHTING
FOR MASSACHUSETTS.
ED MARKEY ED MARKEY IS FOCUSING
ON RESISTING DONALD TRUMP THE I
WILL FOCUS ON RESULTS.
IF JOE BIDEN GETS ELECTED, I
WILL WORK WITH JOE BIDEN.
ED MARKEY HAS PROMISED HE WON'T
WORK WITH DONALD TRUMP.
Reporter: WELL, YOU SAY ON
YOUR WEBSITE YOU WILL QUOTE,
STAND UP TO THE DEFICIT
SPENDERS IN BOTH PARTIES.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN, EXACTLY?
DOES THAT MEAN, FOR INSTANCE,
YOU WOULD BE VOTING AGAINST
FURTHER FEDERAL STIMULUS
SPENDING DURING THE PANDEMIC
AND ECONOMIC DEPRESSION?
NOT NECESSARILY.
RIGHT NOW, WE ARE IN A VERY
DIFFICULT FINANCIAL SITUATION.
WE REALLY NEED TO TAKE IT STEP
BY STEP.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE OUR
ECONOMY DOES NOT SEIZE UP AND
THAT WE CONTINUE TO GROW.
THERE ARE BIG DIFFERENCES
BETWEEN THE PARTIES.
THE DEMOCRATS WANTED A $3
TRILLION SPENDING BILL.
I THINK, ULTIMATELY THE LAST
ROUND OF STIMULUS AND SUPPORT
THAT REPUBLICANS ULTIMATELY
PASSED WITH THE PRESIDENT'S
EXECUTIVE ORDER IS SOMETHING
MORE ALONG THE LINES OF $1
TRILLION.
I SUPPORT THAT.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE OUR
COMMUNITIES ARE SUPPORTED AND
BUSINESSES ARE SUPPORTED AND
THE ECONOMY IS SUSTAINED, BUT
WHAT SENATOR MARKEY WANTS IS TO
HAVE EXTRAVAGANT SPENDING.
JON, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW,
HE PROMISED EVERY AMERICAN,
EVERY PERSON IN AMERICA, NOT
CITIZENS, EVERY PERSON IN
AMERICA, $2000 A MONTH FOR
STIMULUS RELIEF DATING BACK TO
MARCH, ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT
THEY HAVE ALREADY BEEN PAID.
FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR, ED MARKEY
ONCE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO
PAY $96,000 A YEAR FOR DOING
NOTHING. THAT IS TOTALLY
UNSUSTAINABLE.
THAT IS A PATH TO BANKRUPTCY
AND FAILURE.
EVERY RESPONSIBLE ADULT KNOWS
THAT.
FOR SENATOR MARKEY TO BE
PROPOSING THAT IS, IN MY
OPINION, JUST OUTRAGEOUS.
I WILL TAKE THAT CASE TO
EVERYBODY IN MASSACHUSETTS.
I THINK MOST PEOPLE WILL
RECOGNIZE IT IS A FORMULA FOR
FAILURE.
Reporter: KEVIN, OUR TIME IS
UP.
IF VOTERS WOULD LIKE TO FIND
OUT MORE ABOUT YOU AND YOUR
CANDIDACY, HOW CAN THEY DO
THAT?
DO THEY CAN GO TO MY WEBSITE.
THAT IS THE BEST WAY.
WE ARE ALL ON ALL FORMS OF
SOCIAL MEDIA.
Reporter: WE WILL TALK TO
