Ameriwhat?

Published Oct 17 2007, 08:22 PM by Adam Reilly

Squaring the Globe asks an interesting question: when Governor Deval Patrick weighs in on the foreclosure crisis, shouldn't the Globe note that he used to be an exceedingly well-compensated board member of the parent company of sketchy lender Ameriquest?

I'd say so--especially given that an ill-advised call on Ameriquest's behalf that figured prominently in Patrick's early-term stumbles. (For the record, the Globe broke that particular story.)

I'd also point out that the Globe isn't the only local media outlet to omit this rather significant detail. Yesterday, a WBUR story on a congressional hearing on foreclosures that was held in Roxbury earlier this week failed to mention Patrick's Ameriquest ties. But it did include this snippet:

REPORTER: Boston Mayor Tom Menino said he is angry at unscrupulous lenders who took advantage of unwitting borrowers:

MENINO: These folks who go out and sell these mortgages to these individuals. With blue notes, low down payment, no interest, five years later, they get whacked.

REPORTER: Now they're foreclosing, or on the verge of it. Governor Deval Patrick outlined some of his administration's efforts to help those. Still, the governor calls the situation complex, and he's got a new proposal, that he wants to detail later this week. [emph. added]

Right there, where Menino waxes indignant and Patrick says the situation is "complex"? That's where we need a little reminder.