I had the privilege of attending a recent reception in Manchester for Martha Minow, a Harvard Law School professor who taught Barack Obama and is now a devoted supporter of his presidential campaign.

Professor Minow is a beautifully modest person but an impassioned speaker. The following list of what I believe were her key points may interest your readers:

Obama was a marvelous student at Harvard and has a remarkable mind. He is capable of absorbing a great deal of difficult material with amazing speed.

Obama is a strong advocate that governmental policies must be based on the best available science. For example, his actions in the field of nuclear nonproliferation are based on a careful study of the relevant scientific facts.

Obama has a gift for going behind labels and looking at difficult problems in new ways. In Professor Minow's opinion, Obama is likely to be substantially more successful than Hillary Clinton in finding a middle ground among liberals and conservatives in developing federal legislation.

Obama has studied the U.S. Constitution, constitutional case law and constitutional history in great depth. He is a fervent advocate of the separation of powers and of constitutional protections such as habeas corpus.

Obama is not afraid to deliver unpleasant realities to the groups that he addresses, whether they be teachers, black people or the liberal elite, yet he knows how to connect on a personal level with all of these groups.

Obama's chief priorities would be to restore America's moral standing in the world, to improve education at every level, and to reform the health insurance system.

JOHN CUNNINGHAM

Concord