BOSTON (
MyFoxBoston.com) -- Governor Deval Patrick is pushing back after Martha Coakley's controversial comments that if she were governor, she would do a better job overseeing state agencies.
Yesterday Coakley, the attorney general and Democratic candidate for governor, told the Lowell Sun's editorial board, "I don't think under a Governor Coakley you would have an Annie Dookhan," and "I don't think under a Governor Coakley you would have a New England Compounding."
She was referring to two major scandals that unfolded under Governor Patrick's watch. One involved a chemist at the state drug lab. The other, a meningitis outbreak at a state-regulated compounding pharmacy.
Today, FOX 25 political reporter Sharman Sacchetti asked the governor about her comments.
"When Martha Coakley is governor, I hope for her the good fortune of not having anyone commit a crime on her watch," Patrick said.
Watch the video above for his full comments to Sacchetti.So far, Coakley has not been critical of Governor Patrick, who remains popular in polls but has struggled with several management failures. Today Coakley offered praise for the governor, and appeared to couch her previous statements.
A spokesman for Republican candidate for governor Charlie Baker tells FOX 25 "while Governor Patrick hasn't set a high bar when it comes to being a manager, there's no evidence Martha Coakley clears it."
He pointed to what he called Coakley's inability to recognize systemic failures at DCF.
