This is the eve of the "big visit" from HRC, but another woman is the subject of this post.
Unlike the very-much-in-the-spotlight Senator Clinton, Maria Leavey was a behind the scenes dynamo according to all who worked with her. She worked out of her home in Washington, D.C., on what friends describe as a "bulky old computer." She died, at the age of 52, on the last day of 2006. (Here’s the Washington Post obituary.) A memorial service was held at the Democratic National Committee’s offices in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday of this week. Leavey worked for Iowa Senator Tom Harkin for about a decade. This is the statement he released earlier this month:
“Last week, the progressive community and the Harkin family suffered a great loss. Maria Leavey was like no other. She was a dedicated activist and a passionate progressive in the best sense. She had a wonderful, positive spirit and she cared deeply about fairness and justice. I will truly miss her. My thoughts and prayers are with Maria’s family and many friends.”
I met Leavey by phone when she worked for Iowa Senator Tom Harkin. Sarah Leonard, a work colleague of Leavey’s when the two were working for Harkin and then when both worked for Howard Dean, calls Maria a "treasure." I emailed Leonard this past week to ask about Leavey. "She knew every news director in Iowa by name," Leonard replied, a reference to Leavey’s vast list of contacts in Iowa radio stations. "She spoke to them on a daily basis during her busy cycles."
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