Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick's (D) decision to name his former chief of staff, William "Mo" Cowan, as an interim replacement to outgoing Sen. John Kerry (D) came as a surprise to some — but it may have made the lives of both former Sen. Scott Brown (R) and Patrick himself a bit easier. By choosing a friend and longtime supporter — and a man with a relatively low political profile in Massacusetts — Patrick avoided the potential bombast and bomb-throwing that might have occurred had he appointed former Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), who had very publicly pursued the job. Read...
