I received a Pagliuca campaign post card in the mail yesterday that completely misrepresent Mike Capuano’s stance on Healthcare Reform. On the front of the card, right next to a large picture of Barack Obama, there is written the following:
ROLL CALL:
How would the Senate
candidates vote on the
House Health Care Bill?
Flip the card over and there are pictures of Marhta Coakley, Mike Capuano, and Steve Pagliuca.
For Mike Capuano, he writes the answer as follows:
NO
Mike Capuano voted for the House bill but
says he would not support final passage
because it does not guarantee federal
funding for abortion coverage.
(The Boston Globe, 11/11/2009)
This is a complete LIE. Mike Capuano has never said he wants federal funding for abortions. He has said he will not accept restriction that go above and beyond what is already in place regarding federal funding for abortion coverage.
He states this on the following radio clip at around 3:35
While accidental misrepresentations sometimes occur in campaigns, this one is a blatant lie, in writing, dropped into mailboxes across the state. The Pagliuca campaign should now drop a new postcard into the same mailboxes to let people know that he misrepresented Mike Capuano’s stance on the abortion funding aspect of health care reform.
I think Pagliuca forgot who votes in a primary like this. Almost everyone will be pro-choice and many will be incredibly pro-choice. I don’t think Pags is making the best argument for this crowd.
but many, many are quietly pro-choice. Many of my family members are Catholics who are pro-choice but don’t talk about it much. The fact that federal funding is not available for abortions is OK with them, and many others, including conservative and moderate democrats, as well as independents.
Under the current law, states and private funds can still be used to pay for abortion. This oversized postcard from Pagliuca basicly says that Mike won’t vote yes on the Health Care bill unless the bill reverses the Hyde amendment. That is a huge misrepresentation, and pretty much says that Mike Capuano will vote no the Health care bill, period. Pagliuca should set the record straight immediately.