States' 2d fiddles swap policy notes in humble Buffalo

Lieutenant Governor Timothy P. Murray of Massachusetts said Buffalo's Main Street, outside the lieutenant governors conference, had a familiar look and feel. He compared the western New York metropolis to Worcester, Fall River, and New Bedford in his home state, calling it "a blue-collar city with nice architecture." (don huepel for the boston globe)

BUFFALO - Rain from a violent storm leaked through a glass atrium at the Hyatt Regency Hotel yesterday as a couple of dozen supremely unheralded politicians - lieutenant governors from across America - gathered in a windowless ballroom.

Lieutenant Governor Brian K. Krolicki of Nevada looked across a table filled with cold cuts and potato chips and asked Lieutenant Governor Barbara Lawton of Wisconsin, the incoming chairwoman of the group, "Do you get to wear a crown?"

Lawton laughed, until she noticed one of the very few reporters covering the conference of the National Lieutenant Governors Association standing nearby.

"It was either Buffalo with the lieutenant governors or Berlin with Obama, and you chose us?" she asked. "I'm honored."

Pity a poor lieutenant governor, the very embodiment of second fiddle. The job gets no respect. And so perhaps it is fitting that for their annual confab they have come not to a fair-weather destination, not even to a particularly celebrated metropolis, but to this gritty city on Lake Erie, a place that represents the underdog spirit of the group.

The three-day conference offers no lessons about how to properly use scissors during a ribbon cutting, no tutorials on how to decipher the governor's personal medical records, no panels on how to discreetly hold the boss's coat.

Rather, there were informal policy discussions, considerable empathy, and rapt attention for the keynote speech given by lieutenant governor-turned-real Governor David A. Paterson of New York, the rock star of the group. He ascended to the job when Eliot Spitzer was forced to resign the governor's seat in March.

Nobody understands a lieutenant governor like another lieutenant governor. That contributed to an unusual camaraderie within the group, making Buffalo a treat for these humble public servants.

"The conference has given us a wonderful opportunity to see and experience Buffalo," said Lieutenant Governor Jari Askins of Oklahoma. Not to be outdone, Lieutenant Governor Bill Halter of Arkansas proclaimed he was having a "spectacular time."

Lieutenant Governor Timothy P. Murray of Massachusetts was among a contingent of lieutenant governors who went to Niagara Falls on Wednesday night for a tour and dinner. Returning to Buffalo, Murray said, he and a few LGs, as they call themselves, stopped on Chippewa Street, a stretch of town filled with bars and clubs, for a beer and a bite to eat. The former Worcester mayor said he felt right at home.

"It's a nice city," he said yesterday, surveying the 19th-century brick buildings outside the Hyatt. "It's not unlike Worcester, New Bedford, Fall River. It's a blue-collar city with nice architecture."

Lieutenant governors are an unassuming and self-deprecating bunch used to being slighted, misunderstood, and greeted with blank stares. Their chief responsibility is to succeed the governor. Some are part-time. Some do little beyond ceremonial appearances.

"There's always humor associated with being number two, but people understand that's the nature of the job," Lieutenant Governor John D. Cherry of Michigan said.

In Nebraska, the job entails overseeing homeland security policy. In Georgia, the duties include organizing a bicycle race, said Julia Hurst, executive director of the association. In Massachusetts, Murray chairs the Governor's Council, which approves judicial nominations, and panels related to domestic violence, the seaports, homelessness, and other issues.

"I'm very lucky," Murray said. "I have a seat at the table, which I know is not the case with all my colleagues."

The lieutenant governors convention is a decidedly informal affair, reflecting the humility of its attendees. Security personnel, accustomed to standing at attention when guarding governors, instead sat and chatted at a table while the lieutenant governors attended policy-related sessions. During breaks, the lieutenant governors talked about interesting governor's races and savored the ease of being with others who know just what it's like to wait in the wings.

"We enjoy one another's company," said Lieutenant Governor Gregory R. Francis of the US Virgin Islands. "We come from . . . all over the country. This group is more bipartisan and nonpartisan than any I've been a part of."

Some lieutenant governors brought their spouses and children for outings that included a Lake Erie cruise aboard the Miss Buffalo and a tour of Lockport Cave at the Erie Canal. Murray said his wife and two daughters were content to stay in Dartmouth, Mass., where they are vacationing this month. He spent most of his time in discussion sessions on healthcare, the economy, and domestic violence.

The only thing remaining on yesterday's convention agenda? "Free night! Enjoy Buffalo!" according to the official schedule.