Keller @ Large

Patrick Promoted Book Deal During Casino Vote

BOSTON (WBZ) ― What was Gov. Deval Patrick doing in New York City last Thursday while his casino bill was going down in flames on Beacon Hill?

WBZ's Jon Keller discovered Thursday that Patrick was making the rounds of New York publishing houses peddling a proposal for his autobiography.

According to a publishing executive who saw the proposal, it promises a highly personal account – "like Barack Obama's first book" - of Patrick's childhood growing up poor on Chicago's South Side, his journey to Milton Academy courtesy of a scholarship program that helps underprivileged kids obtain top-shelf secondary educations, and his matriculation at Harvard University.

No deal has been completed yet, but word is the bidding was well into seven figures.

In a statement released Thursday night, Joe Landolfi, the governor's communications director, said Patrick's absence did not affect the outcome of the vote.

"Governor Patrick visited New York last week to discuss with interested publishers the possibility of publishing a book. The Governor will release the details of any agreement when it is finalized. To suggest that the governor's absence from the State House in any way impacted the House vote on his casino legislation is baseless. The Governor worked tirelessly up to the day of the vote to persuade House members of the merits of the economic development potential of his casino initiative and to further encourage members to debate the legislation in full on the House floor."

Read more in Jon Keller's blog.

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