September 20, 2006

Every so often a candidate comes along who is both a gifted politician and a true statesman. We are blessed with one in this year’s race for Governor: Deval Patrick. I urge you to join me on November 7, when I will, with pride and enthusiasm, be casting my vote for Deval.

Deval grew up in poverty on the rough south side of Chicago, but, with a loving family, supportive community, and extraordinary educational opportunities (at Milton Academy, Harvard College, and then Harvard Law School), he built an improbable career, bringing to us an impressive record of accomplishments and the promise of so much more. He practiced law, served the poor and dispossessed, and then rose through the ranks of one of Boston’s top law firms. President Clinton named him Assistant Attorney General to head the Justice Department’s civil rights division. He subsequently served as a board member and chief counsel to some of the nation’s biggest corporations, adding senior private sector experience to his work in law and in government.

But what strikes me most about Deval is not his resume, but the mix of intelligence, passion, compassion, common sense, and communication skills that he brings to the table. He is a better listener than anyone I’ve met in public life, at once taking in the details of a policy matter and grasping the broadest implications of possible responses (or failures to respond). He is as angry as I am about the failures of leadership in Massachusetts and in Washington, and is honest enough to acknowledge that we cannot lay every mistake at the feet of the Republican Party. We Democrats must share the blame for the missed opportunities and the all-too-numerous mistaken policies and all-too-common mistaken politics. Deval conveys a "can do" and "must do" sense, empowered by a spirit of hope and optimism born of his own success against all odds.

Deval has no equal in this race and, indeed, few equals in state houses across the nation and across the last decades. We would be so very fortunate to have him as our Governor. The challenges we face demand no less. I urge you to go to his website www.devalpatrick.com and would be happy to offer any information or encouragement you might need to cast your vote for him on November 7.