Keller: In State of the City, Wu frames fight as Boston vs. Trumpism
The opinions expressed below are Jon Keller's, not those of WBZ, CBS News or Paramount Global.
Boosted by rave reviews for her recent faceoff with Trumper Republicans in Congress over immigration issues, Mayor Michelle Wu used her State of the City address to try to do something rarely seen in Boston politics - nationalize the mayoral race.
"No one tells Boston how to take care of our own," Wu declared during her address. "Not kings, and not presidents who think they are kings. Boston was born facing down bullies."
State of the City, State of the State and State of the Union addresses are usually little more than self-serving spin, and this was no exception.
There was the traditional litany of accomplishments and visions for the future. A typical line: "Together with our first responders, frontline public health workers, faith leaders, and partners in every neighborhood, we have made Boston the safest major city in the nation."
Cue the cheers from the invited guests at the MGM Music Hall. And the mayor indulged in self-congratulation in two areas without acknowledging they're also sore spots.
White Stadium, downtown offices
The controversial conversion of Franklin Park's White Stadium for partial use by a pro soccer team: "We are renovating White Stadium into a world-class athletics hub," Wu said.
The potentially budget-busting collapse of the downtown office market: "The city will launch a business recruitment office to fill commercial vacancies, retain and attract talent, and continue revitalizing downtown," she announced, begging the question of why this is just happening now.
Wu never mentioned her most serious challenger to date, philanthropist Josh Kraft, whose family ties to President Trump have been underscored by her allies, despite his vehement denunciation of Trump and a lack of evidence that he ever voted for or donated to him.
But by framing the fight as Boston vs. Trumpism, Wu has her campaign theme ready to go.
"Boston is the target in this fight for our future because we are the cradle of democracy, pioneers of the public good, the stewards and keepers of the American dream. We were built on the values this federal administration seeks to tear down," she said.
Josh Kraft's response
What did the challenger make of it?
"If she talked to people in the city, she would understand how angry they are about the cost of housing, how they have no confidence in the schools, how they don't feel safe in the 'safest city in America' and they're frustrated by high taxes when her own administration can't even cut a cent from their budget," Kraft told WBZ News.
