Politics

Grossman to meet and greet

by Seth Gitell

GROSSMAN: doing his homework.

Delegates to the state Democratic convention in Lowell this weekend are buzzing about the all-but-certain meet-and-greet campaign of presumptive 2002 gubernatorial candidate Steve Grossman.

Grossman, who is the president of MassEnvelopePlus, a Somerville-based printing company, sent out to delegates in advance of the convention nearly 4600 brown-paper shopping bags bearing his name. Along with the bags, Grossman -- also the former head of the state and national Democratic Parties -- sent a letter to delegates.

"I'm looking forward to being with you in Lowell for the first Massachusetts Democratic Convention of the new millennium," Grossman wrote. "We have some important challenges as Democrats this year: putting Al Gore in the Oval Office (and keeping George W. Bush out); working as hard as we can for Senator Kennedy's re-election; . . . and soundly defeating the risky tax scheme that Paul Cellucci has put on the November ballot." To these challenges, Grossman adds a pitch: to bring a new or used children's book to be donated to the Reach Out and Read charity, which distributes books to needy children via health clinics.

The book plan represents a charitable spin on a long-standing convention tradition: circulating tokens with the names of potential candidates on them. (For example, the Bradley campaign last year gave out small basketballs emblazoned with his name.) One Democrat, who declined to give his name, was agape at the extent of Grossman's early effort. "This is two years before the [gubernatorial] election," he said.

But Grossman is eagerly anticipating the convention, where he hopes to meet more of his fellow Democrats. "I always like to shake a lot of hands. My goal is to meet an army of activists," he says. "I can't think of a more significant army of activists than the people who will come to this state convention. That group of men and women is going to be an essential ingredient in any successful statewide gubernatorial campaign over the next two years."

Grossman won't be the only potential candidate for governor on hand in Lowell. State Representative Martin Meehan will be welcoming delegates into his home district. Senate president Tom Birmingham is scheduled to speak out against the income-tax-rollback initiative. Joe Kennedy or one of his clan is expected, given the (surprise!) nomination of Edward Kennedy for US Senate. Other hopefuls -- Secretary of State William Galvin and former state senator Warren Tolman -- will also attend.