Why I'm In Public Life

My parents immigrated to this country in the '30s in search of safety and freedom. Out of the hurt and dislocation they experienced in Germany, they came to know and believe in the American dream. We were a close family and, as a child, I felt the energy born of the mix of determination, hard work, community, and faith that is at the heart of the American spirit. I came of age in the '60s believing -- and seeing all around me - that we each have to do our part to make and sustain a community. I came to regard public service as a high calling and to expect a great deal of our leaders. Where they fall short, I feel disappointed and angry but I also see challenge and opportunity. I don't subscribe to the cynicism, selfishness and distrust of government so popular in some circles today.

But business-as-usual just isn't good enough. In our communities, in our Commonwealth, and in our country, there is much work to be done. It is work that demands experience, integrity, energy, vision and skill, and, above all, a willingness to change. It requires new approaches, new leadership and new alliances. It requires not just winning elections, but affirming a mandate. And it demands a commitment to bringing diverse people and constituencies together, not just to find common ground but to break new ground.

That is what good government is—or should be—all about.