POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: 2017 retrospective — DeLEO not going — MERMELL eyeing SMIZIK seat
12/22/2017 07:15 AM EDT By Lauren Dezenski ( ldezenski@politico.com ; @LaurenDezenski) with Rebecca Morin ( rmorin@politico.com ; @RebeccaMorin_) TGIF, MASSACHUSETTS. PROGRAMMING NOTE: Welcome to the FINAL Massachusetts Playbook of the year. I know, I can hardly believe it either. It's been an honor to arrive in your inbox every morning in 2017 and I'm looking forward to continuing the tradition in 2018 - starting when I return on Jan. 2. LESSONS OF 2017 - To mark what will be remembered as a watershed year in both state and national politics, some of Massachusetts' biggest names reflected on their most significant takeaways of 2017. Common themes: resilience; perseverance; lots of miles traveled; and a whole lotta town halls. Acting State Senate President Harriette Chandler : "The theme of this year was definitely resiliency. Both Washington and Beacon Hill weren't free from turbulence. There were a lot of tough days, but the sun always came up in t...