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March 15, 2007
Is Chancellor Meehan here to stay?
Has Marty Meehan had his fill of Congress?
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Don't get me wrong. Meehan's not taking the poor route out of Washington. He'll receive a bloated public salary and perks that will likely double his congressional pay of $162,500.
It will be interesting to see if he keeps his Belvidere home in Lowell. Here's a prediction: He won't.
But back to my main point. Will Meehan find happiness and longevity on Chancellor's Row?
Based on history, I don't think the Meehan train has left the political track for good.
They say timing in politics is everything. So is opportunity.
Meehan saw an opportunity at UMass Lowell and took it. The timing was right too.
Meehan's either been blocked or deterred from seeking higher political ambitions at least twice in the past four years. First, he decided against running for the Democratic gubernatorial
nomination in 2002, when Scott Harshbarger got the nod and went on to lose to Mitt Romney. Second, he never got the chance to run for an open U.S. Senate seat.
For at least two minutes on the day of the 2004 U.S. presidential election, it looked like Meehan might get his wish. TV exit polls were erroneously predicting that Sen. John F. Kerry would win Ohio and Florida, two key states considered essential to the Democrat's chances. Well, we know what happened. Kerry is still in the Senate and not the White House.
It's interesting that Meehan is negotiating a three-year contract with the UMass Board of Trustees. That'll take him up to 2010.
What if a U.S. Senate seat in Massachusetts opens up?
Does Meehan stay the course at UMass Lowell?
Meehan will be 53 years old when his chancellor's contract comes up for renewal. He'll probably still possess most of the $5.1 million now sitting in his campaign war chest.
Who's to say Meehan, after adding the title of chancellor to his impressive resume, won't run if Sens. Ted Kennedy or Kerry step down?
My prediction? He would if the opportunity and timing were right. And that's the only thing that bothers me about Chancellor Meehan's situation.
Meehan's got the blood of politics coursing through his veins, not the ink of academia.
Also, Meehan's got a track record that says he can -- and will -- change his mind.
Meehan was supposed to leave Congress nine years ago, in 1998, after pledging to serve only four terms as a federal lawmaker.
Back then, his change of heart went something like this: Ask not what your district could do for you, ask what you can do for your district.
Everyone, including the then-editorial board of this newspaper, basically gave the popular Democrat a pass after he broke his term-limits pledge.
Meehan went on to become a resourceful and productive member of Congress for this region, this state and the nation. He has the makings to be a successful chancellor.
But a nagging question remains: Will Chancellor Meehan abandon his post if the chance of a lifetime opens up to be U.S. senator?
Meehan can put all the questions to rest and without making a pledge, because we know how that can turn out.
If Meehan really wants us to believe that he is committed to faithfully serving UMass Lowell students and faculty, he should divest his entire $5.1 million campaign war chest.
Freed from all the special-interest influence, we can affectionately call the new chancellor "Marty of Assisi" -- poor in political cash but rich in respect.
TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK....
Posted by Admin at March 15, 2007 12:47 PM
Comments
I agree with you Jim. Marty of Assisi would be
a real hero to the poor and desparate people who
are living in poverty, if he donated his warchest
to serving humanity.
As a fellow JAYCEE, SERVICE TO HUMANITY IS THE
BEST WORK OF LIFE.
Posted by: Bill Deignan at March 19, 2007 4:26 PM
