Critics rip Gov. Deval Patrick’s PAC mentality
Deval Patrick’s new jet-hopping role in President Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign sets him up for renewed attacks on a wayfaring governor too busy racking up frequent flier miles on overseas junkets, his own book tour and now stumping for the White House to keep his pledge to fix the state economy.
Democrats yesterday attempted to spin Patrick’s new federal political action committee — created to raise dough to cover his travel expenses campaigning for Obama — saying Massachusetts remains the governor’s top priority.
“Last presidential election he traveled on occasion but he made it clear his job first and foremost is being governor of the commonwealth and a lot of that traveling will be on weekends and things,” said Lt. Gov. Tim Murray, who’ll be in charge when Patrick hits the road.
Patrick already has a busy travel schedule. He’s expected to deliver the keynote speech at the Colorado Democratic Party’s annual Jefferson-Jackson Day in Denver on March 5. Five days later, he is slated to lead a 10-day trade mission to Israel and Great Britain. The next month, he hits New York, Chicago and Los Angeles on a national tour for his memoir.
Republicans lined up yesterday to blast the wayfaring no-show governor.
“It looks like he is spending half his time promoting his book and the other half helping President Obama. Why did he even run for re-election to begin with?” asked former GOP U.S. Rep. Peter Torkildsen.
Added Republican strategist Todd Domke: “This shows that his personal ambition seems to be more impressive than his ambition for the state. Can’t he afford all this travel himself after that nearly $2 million book advance?”
News of Patrick’s PAC comes after the Herald reported yesterday that the governor will be a “lead surrogate” and a campaign co-chairman for his friend Obama.
Patrick insisted yesterday that his first commitment is to Massachusetts, even as he admitted he’ll be on the road much more than when he campaigned for Obama in the 2008 race.
“I’m going to promote the president, and the most efficient way to pay for that is to open a PAC,” Patrick said yesterday. When asked why he didn’t open a PAC in 2008, he said, “More travel.”
Former Gov. Mitt Romney formed a PAC while governor and used it to raise millions for GOP state candidates across the country to lay the groundwork for his 2008 presidential bid. Romney faced heavy criticism in his final year as governor for spending much of his time out of state campaigning.
Rob Gray, a GOP strategist who consulted for Patrick’s opponent Charlie Baker, called Patrick’s PAC “an unusual move” and said he suspects the governor “has something up his sleeve.”
“Clearly the governor has a wandering political eye beyond Massachusetts, just months after pledging that the Massachusetts economy would be his sole focus. It’s really too bad and I think the voters will be pretty disappointed,” Gray said. “I question his motives. I have to think he’s thinking about running for U.S. Senate or something else other than governor.”
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view.bg?articleid=1317847 ?
