Fattah honored by magazine

State Senator and Congressman-elect Chaka Fattah has been named to Time magazine's list of "America's most promising leaders age 40 and under." Fattah, an alumnus of the University's Fels School of Government, will be sworn in as Pennsylvania's Second District U.S. Representative in January. He was among 50 up-and-coming leaders named in the cover story of Time's December 5 issue. Those featured range from Bill Gates, co-founder of the Microsoft Corporation whose estimated net worth is $9.35 billion, to Regina Benjamin, a 38-year old rural health-care provider from Bayou La Batre, Ala. According to Robert Pondiscio, a Time spokesperson, those honored were selected on the basis of their "civic and social impact." The list has shown a penchant for accuracy in its predictions over the years. The 1974 list featured such present-day luminaries as Dan Rather, co-anchor of the CBS Evening News, and former Senator Gary Hart (D-Col.), also a candidate for the 1984 and 1988 Democratic presidential nominations. In 1979, Bill Clinton, then the 32-year old governor of Arkansas, and Ross Perot, the founder of Electronic Data Systems, were selected. The magazine cited Fattah's role in the Pennsylvania legislature as an "education crusader" and his leadership position on urban issues as his major accomplishments. It also pointed to his election to the Pennsylvania General Assembly at the age of 25, the youngest person in the history of the state to win that office. "If you look at Chaka's history, not only in public office but also at the grass roots level, he has shown a knack for getting involved and solving problems," said Ray Jones, Fattah's spokesperson. "His background in urban activism and his abilities in forming coalitions are examples of past leadership." When asked about the article's assertion that Pennsylvania Democrats think Fattah will someday lead the Congressional Black Caucus, Jones took a cautious stance. "Those are very high expectations," he said. "Right now, he is in Washington attending conferences, symposiums and meetings. He is looking forward to getting started."