Former Governor Michael Dukakis was the featured speaker at the home of Norma & Ed Fenochietti monday night and gave a lesson to all would be Governors on what it takes to not only become Governor, be a great Governor but also what politics is really all about. His message was simple, but powerful – its all about hardwork and average, everyday people – just like you and me.
Pointing out that well over 70,000 people showed up on a cold day in February to nominate him for his first term as Governor (more by a mulitple of those that show up nowadays) he emphasized that his campaign actively solicted not only Democrats but Independants and Republicans as well. He ran with all the people in mind and he clearly governed that way too. No wonder he was elected 3 times as Governor.
Still visiting many towns in Massachusetts he criticized and bemoaned the pitful condition of our roads, highways and bridges. He even recently visted Adams and called the local represetative to complain about the poor and dangerous condition of a local bridge – asking what Romney has to say about that bridge he was informed Romney has never been to Adams!
This former Governor still knows much about the nitty gritty of many towns in the Commonwealth – he’s still out there trying to do something about what he sees. He obviously cares deeply about the Commonwealth, its citizens and the condition of their every day lives. An example I hope that is not lost on all current statewide and local political candidates.
The former Governor’s talk expanded a bit to include the current state of national affairs – correctly pointing out that Iraq was never a Nation in the first place – it was pieced together by the British at the end of the Great War. Anyone and almost everyone who knows anything about that area of the world would have known that invading Iraq would lead to a severe religiously motivated Civil War -voila! He called it probably the worst foreign policy disaster in our history and unfortunately that is no exaggeration.
At any rate – showing genuine sorrow and regret, Dukakis movingly apologized for not beating Bush the Elder – not so much because he lost to a Republican but because if he had won then we would not have had to suffer with Little Bush in the White House. Amen!
