The luminaries who took to the stage on Class Day and Commencement are tough acts to follow. But Massachusetts Governor A. Paul Cellucci was up for the challenge Wednesday morning as he kicked off the Institute of Politics' Summer-in-Boston speaker series.

The event was billed as a discussion on public service, but while the soft-spoken governor did encourage the audience to explore government, most of his comments focused on his own policies--from his support of Governor George W. Bush's presidential campaign to his desire for greater bipartisan cooperation.

"I've always found by collaborating and focusing on results you can really accomplish a lot more," Cellucci said.

Cellucci cited his tenure as lieutenant governor under William F. Weld '66 as examples of bipartisanship at its best.

"When Bill Weld and I came into office in 1991, Massachusetts was in pretty rough shape," he said, pointing to high unemployment and a huge budget deficit. "I said then, 'It seems to me that we need to work with people already elected to office, Republican or Democrat.... I think it's one of the reasons we were able to turn things around to quickly."

By contrast, Cellucci said, Washington politics are "much more vicious."

"It's become much too partisan and strident at the national level," he said.

Cellucci began his speech--which followed an introduction by Kennedy School Lecturer Martin A. Linsky--with some simple advice, quoting famous local politician Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill.

"If you're going into politics or government, this is a good rule....never pass up a free lunch or a chance to go to the bathroom," he quipped.