Governor Deval Patrick joined Jim Braude and Margery Eagan on Boston Public Radio for "Ask the Governor," where he took questions from listeners on everything from how the state of Massachusetts is responding to ebola to the fate of his super-PAC, "Together PAC," once he leaves office.
Highlights include:
On how the state of Massachusetts is preparing for ebola:
Patrick addressed concerns about the spread of ebola to Massachusetts. "By all accounts, from every source, the likelihood of the disease spreading here is very low. Nonetheless, we are well-prepared," he said.
Patrick nodded to a variety of public health efforts underway in the Commonwealth, including coordination between a network of health care providers with universities and public safety officials, and reinforcement of normal public health protocols already in place. He also noted that the CDC has approved public health labs within Massachusetts to conduct diagnostic testing for the disease.
While maintaining that people should remain cautious, avoid contact with blood or the bodily fluid of others, and identify and isolate symptomatic people, he reiterated that he believed the risk in Massachusetts was low. "It's hard to catch, and people should understand that," he said.
On the gubernatorial race:
Patrick emphatically endorsed Democratic Martha Coakley for the seat he will be vacating at the end of the year. "Democrats have chosen wisely to nominate her and I hope the people of the Commonwealth choose wisely in electing her Governor," he said. "This isn't 2010. This isn't about yesterday, looking in and looking back. It's about looking out and looking forward."
When asked about Coakley's challenger, Republican Charlie Baker, Patrick responded: "I think this is more about why Martha is right than Charlie is wrong," though he took aim at Baker's tenure as budget chief in the Weld and Cellucci Administrations.
Patrick said Baker "came up with the Big Dig financing scheme and then hid it, purposefully, leaving it for me and others to try and clean up."
He continued: "For me, the icing on the cake is he now campaigns to undo the gas tax, which is part of the fix for the starving of our roads and bridges and basic upkeep that that Big Dig scheme created."
On the fate of his super-PAC:
Patrick noted that when he leaves office, his super-PAC, Together PAC, will be shut down, even though he says he founded it not to advance his own political campaigns but to raise money for like-minded Democratic candidates around the country.
"One of the things I most hate to do is raise money, to raise political money, and ask people for it. That's necessary to keep the PAC going. That's not how I want to spend my time," he said, though he added he would not be entirely out-of-commission when it comes to advancing politicians he supports.
"I'll make myself available, but I'm going to be a has-been in a few months," he said.
On whether he's a candidate to replace Eric Holder as Attorney General:
Almost as soon as Attorney General Eric Holder announced his resignation, Patrick's name was floated as a top contender to take over the position -- rumors which the Governor was careful to dispel.
"No, I'm not going," Patrick said, saying he would not leave the governorship before the end of his term. "I'm not done, and I'm going to finish. The promise I made to my wife and my family was that I would serve two terms if the people would have me, and after those two terms I would go back to the private sector."
Had the President reached out to him about the position? "The President and his staff and I have talked about this thing over the years," he continued. "I'm very supportive of the President and the Administration, as you know, and as I've said before I think I can help just as well - maybe better, in some respects - from the position I have."
On his next career move:
When asked if he knew his next career move, Patrick responded, "not yet!" He added that, though he was keeping prospective future employers at an "appropriate arm's length," he had begun to "think about it more."
"I want to be an architect," he joked.
To hear the full interview with Governor Deval Patrick, tune in to audio above.
