Why does the Boston Globe still feel it's necessary to suck up to Gov. Patrick?
Sweet P Farm is nestled at the top of a winding driveway, hidden from view by 77 acres of gentle woods and meadows, a retreat in the Berkshires where Governor Deval Patrick can swat a few tennis balls on his private court, work on a chapter of his memoir, or stroll through the wildflowers in his backyard.But during this year's high summer season, Patrick is opening his rural getaway to the Massachusetts political world, transforming it into something like the state's own version of Camp David.
The governor hosted a big ticket fund-raiser at the home last week that drew 150 wealthy Democratic donors from across the state. That gala will be followed on Aug. 3 by a picnic for the Massachusetts Legislature, an event designed to build good will for the governor among lawmakers who have sometimes viewed Patrick with distrust.
"A lot of successful politics, just like a lot of successful professional lives, are about relationships," Patrick said in an interview. "You open your home. That's what you do. It's a very human thing. We intend it to be a very warm thing, and let people put some of their formalities aside and get to know them."
Burnishing one's political fortunes by entertaining in the countryside has a long tradition in US politics.
George H.W. Bush escaped to Walker's Point in Kennebunkport, Maine, and President Bush has his ranch in Crawford, Texas. Bill Clinton vacationed in Martha's Vineyard, and the Kennedys have held legendary parties at the family compound in Hyannis Port.
But when it comes to recent governors of Massachusetts, Patrick's use of his 7,500-square-foot Berkshires home, which he built in 2006, is something new, and his weekend address is bringing rare political cachet to a region of Massachusetts that has long felt ignored by most governors.
UPDATE: More from the Globe and Herald.
SECOND UPDATE: More from the Globe.
