Posted on 12/31/2001 7:16:55 AM PST by Lance Romance
Reich edges closer to governor's race
by Laurel J. Sweet
Monday, December 31, 2001
Motivated by what he bemoans as a ``crisis of leadership'' in the state, former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich hinted yesterday he will be a candidate for governor.
Reich, a Cambridge Democrat who has never run for elected office, told CNN's ``Late Edition With Wolf Blitzer'' that he would ``very likely'' challenge acting Gov. Jane Swift.
``I'm giving it a lot of very serious consideration and I'll make a decision in the next couple of weeks,'' said Reich, a professor at the Heller Graduate School at Brandeis University in Waltham.
``We have a kind of a crisis of leadership up here in Massachusetts and in this recession a lot of people are hurting.''
Reich, who was labor secretary under former President Bill Clinton, made his comments on CNN during an appearance with magazine publisher and former presidential candidate Steve Forbes.
Reich circulated an e-mail fund-raiser earlier this month asking for support and contributions.
In the e-mail, he said that he would make up his mind in early January and would return any donations if he backed out.
He went public with his interest in the State House's Corner Office last month, when he criticized Democratic lawmakers' budget proposals as ``inhumane'' and called the Republican Swift a ``little bit of an embarrassment in terms of her incompetence.''
Swift's spokesman, James Borghesani, thumbed his nose yesterday at Reich's chest-thumping.
``That sounds funny coming from a guy who, when no one in the Clinton administration would listen to him anymore, just quit,'' Borghesani said.
``I don't think he knows anything about leadership, frankly. Gov. Swift has fought to restore social services spending, much of which was fully reimbursable by the federal government.''
Borghesani added that Reich's statements prove that he is a political neophyte.
``If Robert Reich knew anything about the budget process, he would know that he should be directing his criticism toward his Democratic colleagues in the House and Senate,'' he said.
Borghesani suggested having Reich's name in the gubernatorial ring won't cost Swift any sleep at night.
``We're prepared to run against anybody who wins the Democratic primary,'' he said.
``I don't think Robert Reich will even make it that far.''
Other Democrats expected to run are Senate President Thomas Birmingham, Secretary of State William Galvin, former national party chairman Steve Grossman, Treasurer Shannon O'Brien and former state Sen. Warren Tolman.
Reich, who left Clinton's Cabinet in 1997, teaches social and economic policy at Brandeis.
While labor secretary during the Clinton years, he crusaded to abolish child labor and help pass and implement the Family and Medical Leave Act.
He was formerly on the faculty at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Herald wire services contributed to this
What a laugh. Reno, Erskine and now Reich. The Clinton Gang wants to drink from the Golden Trough again. I guess they found out regular Americans don't like them, so they need to race back to Washington.
Happy New Year to everyone. Show your liver whose boss.
We have a kind of a crisis of leadership up here in Massachusetts…
I have no doubt that they’ll vote for Reich and continue the trend.
NeverGore :^) Happy New Year Freepers!
For more on that, CLICK HERE.
Reich would actually be a middle-of-the-road candidate in MA.
These people had eight wonderful years sucking on the national teat while at the same time living out thier lifelong fantasies of undermining and weakening this country.
Not only is it a huge downfall for them to have to find real jobs in the real world, but irrevelancy kind of stinks too. Not to mention being forced to sit on the sidelines watching a real American president and his real American administration reverse many of the socialist policies they managed to force on this country over the last (almost) decade.
Look for more of the backwoods Clinton Ma and Pa Barker crew try to slink back into public office. The Cracker Mafia may end up scattered, but they can still be just as dangerous.
He needs a new job since Santa's presents have been delivered.
~Groan of agony!~
Anyone want to do opposition research on these clowns?
-http://www.google.com/advanced_search--
So do I. I have relatives there and I don't know what to think. I will make one prediction - If Reich gets elected, the only economic stimulus in the stae he will ever produce will be in the moving van industry as businesses and citizens flee the onslaught of new taxes.
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