When I was in college, I worked one summer for a political consulting firm in New York City. Back then I thought that I might want to pursue a career as a political consultant-type. I even read Campaigns & Elections as if it were a real magazine. Anyway, I got a job working for a Democratic firm in New York City. I rationalized working behind enemy lines by emphasizing the fact that our candidate for City Comptroller, Alan Hevesi, was running against Democratic primary candidate Liz Holtzman who was worth beating on the merits. Moreover, I wanted to learn the business and this was the only offer I had. It was a great experience. I met some nice people. I learned a lot. I spent most of my time doing scut work, researching, managing some interns a bit, writing a newsletter, and trying to organize fundraising “coffee klatches.”
At the end of the summer, I was getting ready to head back to school. I was called into the boss’s office (I normally had very little contact with the big cheese). “You should stay here,” Hank Morris told me. You’re smart and we can use you. Take time off from college.
I told him I had big plans for the college newspaper I was co-editing. He replied that lots of kids run college newspapers; few of them have real responsibilities in a campaign at my age. I said, yeah, but I’m not interested in Democratic politics and I might want to go to law school, and having a college degree usually helps in that regard. He said think about it. I did, but not too seriously. It wasn’t a long conversation, but it was very flattering and more than a little tempting.
Anyway, the whole experience doesn’t come to mind often these days. In 2004, I was often reminded of it because Howard Dean’s guru, Joe Trippi, had been one of my boss’s partners. The firm was called Morris, Bograd, and Trippi.
Anyway, I just opened the Wall Street Journal today to see a picture of Hank Morris in handcuffs being led to court.
Ah, what might have been.