Yesterday’s spectacle marked a sad day for the country, but I’m not going to dwell on that: I was also reminded yesterday that we have it in our hands to create a better politics and a better civic culture just by voting for candidates who are smart, conscientious, public-spirited, and of good character. Well. We have it in our hands if people who are smart, conscientious, public-spirited, and of good character decided to run for office! That is why in the shadow of the Roman circus going on in Washington, I was very happy to learn yesterday that my friend and colleague in the Boston bar, Ben Sigel, is running for Congress in Massachusetts’s Fourth Congressional District (Newton, Brookline, much of Bristol County, and other towns in eastern Massachusetts). I’ve known Ben for a long time and know how much of his time and talents he devotes to the good of the community, and I’m really glad to see that he has thrown his hat in the ring to succeed Rep. Joe Kennedy, who is running in the Democratic senatorial primary against Sen. Ed Markey.

Because we decided to become urban pioneers twenty years ago and live in Boston, I don’t live in the Fourth District and can’t vote for Ben. But if you live in the district, consider supporting and voting for Ben. You can donate to his campaign, sign up to volunteer, or just learn more at his campaign website.