Michael V. Ciresi: What makes a candidate qualified? Well ...

I read with interest Lawrence R. Jacobs' opinion regarding my candidacy ("Whatever happened to starting small?" March 16) within his broader point about requisite qualifications for a U.S. Senate seat. He mentions community organizing or serving in state or local office as a better training ground than my 35 years in the private sector. He then makes gratuitous comments about my talents in "working the room" and an unfounded assertion that I held my "day job until last year."

Curiously, in travels throughout the state over the past year, I never saw Jacobs. As for qualifications, I will mention but a few:

•Building an internationally recognized organization that is known for leveling the playing field for those who do not have a voice against powerful interests.

•Meeting a payroll and budget of $100 million and making sure that all within our organization have health insurance and that their workers compensation is paid.

•Advising the world's largest democracy, the government of India, regarding the Bhopal disaster and establishing new international law regarding multinational corporations' liability.

•Representing individuals, unions and corporations and guiding them to resolution of personal injury, business and intellectual-property issues.

•Negotiating hundreds of settlements in which, in most instances, it was necessary to persuade and motivate the other side to compromise.

•Providing members of Congress with the information they needed to frame laws and conduct hearings that benefited the common good.

•Establishing and chairing a foundation that has invested millions of dollars addressing issues of immigration, tolerance for diversity, education, housing and other timely issues facing our state and nation.

•Cochairing the Hennepin County Commission on Homelessness.

•Serving on the Minnesota Early Learning Foundation Board and many other charitable organizations.

•Taking internationally recognized action to remove defective products from the marketplace.

•Defeating the tobacco industry and bringing, to date, almost $3 billion to Minnesota, with continuing payments of up to $200 million per year for as long as the industry exists. This money has bailed us out of a budget deficit and has paid for roads, education, health care, social services and other obligations of government.

I believe these qualifications and others made me ready to serve our state and country in the Senate. I am comfortable comparing them against those of any other candidate in recent memory. Jacobs' commentary article reminded me of Theodore Roosevelt's "Man in the Arena" quote. To paraphrase: It is not the critic who counts. The credit belongs to the man who has actually been in the arena and who spends himself for a worthy cause. His place will never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.

Contrary to Jacobs, I believe that our country would be better served and would not be in the condition it is in if we elected individuals from a variety of backgrounds, not just those who have held political office. The richness of diversity of our people and the complexity of our economy and the world we live in require it.

Michael V. Ciresi is an attorney and former candidate for the DFL nomination for U.S. Senate.