"It doesn't help. It doesn't hurt. It doesn'tmatter," DiNatale said. "The guy's not exactly ahands-on manager anyway. For all intents andpurposes, Bill Weld ceased being concerned about[being] governor of Massachusetts the day he wasre-elected."
DiNatale said Weld will likely spend much ofhis time in Washington gaining the favor of thepotential Republican nominee.
"He's always been trying to maximize hispersonal political opportunities in the nextRepublican administration," DiNatale said.
But Henick said Weld has been active asgovernor.
"Weld doesn't strike me as a caretaker in anysense," he said.
One likely beneficiary of Weld's decision notto run is Harvard Law School, where his wife,Susan Roosevelt Weld, will remain as a researchfellow in the East Asian Legal Studies division.
"She is a wonderful and very active member ofour scholarly community here," says StinsonProfessor of Law William P. Alford, director ofthe East Asian Legal Studies program. "She's anunbelievably talented and organized person."