One of the interesting sidelights to the 2002 Massachusetts gubernatorial race has been the apparent acrimony between the campaigns of former Democratic National Committee chair Steve Grossman and former secretary of labor Robert Reich (see "Talking Politics," News and Features, January 10). For example, when the Boston Herald quoted Reich as saying that former president Bill Clinton might support Reich over Grossman in the governor’s race, Grossman convinced Clinton to come to Somerville to speak on his behalf — something of an unprecedented development so early in a governor’s race.

In a further revelation of their history, it now comes to light that Grossman met with Reich not once, but twice in the two years leading up to January 2002, when the Brandeis professor entered the race. Grossman, who was then the outgoing chair of Brandeis’s board, wanted to know whether Reich was planning to enter the Massachusetts governor’s race. Reich declined to answer — indicating he was leaning against running. Whether an affirmative answer would have convinced Grossman not to run at that point is unclear. He already had an aggressive fundraising and delegate-organizing operation up and running. Still, their personal interaction could shed light on why the candidates and their operatives sometimes seem engaged in their own one-on-one mini-campaign.

When asked about the meetings, Grossman campaign manager Colleen McGee confirmed them, but downplayed any resulting ill will between the two men. "They were perfectly amicable meetings between two people who are friends," says McGee. "And at the end of the day, Reich did what he had to do."

We’ll keep that answer in mind the next time one of the two campaigns starts sniping about the other.