Super Bowl QB Tom Brady's No Patriot

JANUARY 26--State of the Union guest and Super Bowl quarterback Tom Brady has declined to discuss his political persuasion since scoring that plum invite from President George W. Bush last week. But California election records show that the New England Patriots quarterback has pledged allegiance to neither major party, registering as "undecided" when he joined the voter rolls in July 2000 (shortly before reporting for his first NFL training camp). However, Brady has never bothered to actually vote, according to San Mateo County election records. The 26-year-old athlete punted on the November 2000 general election, missing the Gore-Bush showdown and the reelection bids of Senator Dianne Feinstein and Representative Tom Lantos. He later missed the 2002 gubernatorial race, last year's contentious recall campaign, and other assorted local races and propositions. Now here's the fun part: Brady is also currently registered to vote in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he played for the University of Michigan. He registered there in September 1996, with the sophomore giving his address as a dormitory where football players resided (Michigan voters do not register in a particular party). Brady, whose Ann Arbor registration remains "active," never made it to the polls during his college years, missing the Clinton-Dole presidential race and assorted local, state, and federal contests, according to a records review conducted by city election officials. Thankfully, the athlete is not registered from a third address, his waterfront Massachusetts compound, according to an election official with the Quincy Town Clerk. In a recent ESPN Magazine interview, Brady reported that his "craziest ambition" was to become a U.S. Senator. Presumably, the QB would scramble to the polls for that election. (2 pages)