This morning, while reading my daily listing of political news from Taegan Goddard on his Political Wire, I came across this sad news for his family. His father, Stephen, died yesterday. But it was the way Taegan presented his dad, so the rest of us could glimpse a view of how his life was lived, that caught my attention.
My dear father, Stephen Goddard, passed away yesterday afternoon.
So much of what you see on Political Wire was influenced by him. Although I was just a child, he took hours to explain the historical importance of the Watergate hearings and how our system of government worked. In 1976, we sat in front of the television with yellow legal pads counting up electoral votes as Walter Cronkite called each state in the presidential election.
When the Hartford Times shut down — a newspaper where he once worked a reporter — he taught me about the importance of journalism to the workings of government. We even spent time thinking about how to resurrect the Times in the digital media era.
He was an attorney, teacher, author of three books and a devoted Red Sox fan. But his greatest legacy was his love for his family. We will miss him terribly.
This nation would be much better off if we had more fathers raising children the way Stephen did in his home. What a wonderful tribute.
CAFFEINATED POLITICS 