Healey ad opens new front in primary
Lieutenant governor targets a Democrat
The battle for governor erupted across party lines yesterday, as Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey labeled Democrat Christopher Gabrieli a tycoon in a television ad that says he would enrich himself through his proposal to provide $1 billion in public funds for stem cell and other life science research.
Without waiting for the outcome of Tuesday's Democratic primary, Healey, the GOP's choice for governor, singled out Gabrieli, delighting Gabrieli's aides who saw her strategy as evidence that he is the strongest Democrat in the race. Healey's aides insisted that the ad was a response to television attack ads aimed at her this week by a Democrat-connected union group.
The GOP foray into the Democratic primary battle came out of the blue and triggered a new round of television ads in the closing days before Tuesday's primary. Gabrieli launched a response ad that described the claims as petty politics.
Deval L. Patrick announced an ad that touted his endorsements and showed him calling for a new way in politics that is ``less focused on the left and the right and more focused on right and wrong."
In another development, Patrick, under pressure from rival Thomas F. Reilly, yesterday afternoon said he does not support a controversial bill that would limit public access to certain criminal records, even though one group had listed him as a supporter of the bill. The group said it had erred in listing him as a supporter on its website.
Reilly, who had repeatedly questioned Patrick about the measure at a debate Wednesday night, held a press conference at Lynn City Hall yesterday afternoon, where he called the bill a ``radical piece of legislation" and accused Patrick of being ``soft on crime."
Polls earlier this week had Patrick in the lead, but they measured opinion before a televised debate Wednesday night in which Patrick appeared defensive and endured sharp questioning on the crime bill and charter schools. Gabrieli's aides insisted they had momentum going into the weekend.
Healey unveiled the ad yesterday morning. Her aides said they were responding to a radio ad aired this week by a union-backed organization attacking her, foreshadowing what they expect will be an onslaught of negative ads against her in the general election.
``We're not going to sit back and take it," said Rob Gray, Healey's chief strategist. ``Chris Gabrieli is targeted because he's most vulnerable. A lot of questions about his business record have not been asked."
Healey's 30-second attack ad states: ``Chris Gabrieli the politician wants taxpayers to borrow a billion dollars to invest in stem cells and high tech health. But Gabrieli the tycoon isn't telling us that he was a director and owns a stock fortune in a company which could profit from his stem cell plan."
The company Healey's ad was referring to,
The ad sparked speculation that Healey was trying to influence the Democratic primary. Some surveys indicate Gabrieli holds the widest lead among the Democrats over Healey in a general election match-up.
``Kerry Healey wants to face Deval Patrick, not Chris Gabrieli," said Jeffrey M. Berry, a professor of political science at Tufts University. ``Gabrieli has broader appeal among independent voters, which is something Kerry Healey desperately needs."
But Gray, Healey's strategist, denied that and suggested she may also target either Patrick or Reilly. ``Other candidates may be next. Stay tuned," he said.
``We only pulled the trigger on this ad when the Democratic special interest ads hit the airwaves a few days ago," Gray said. ``Chris Gabrieli shouldn't flatter himself."
At a press conference, Gabrieli scoffed at the charges and accused Healey of taking a page out of the national Republican political handbook.
``Kerry Healey is doing her best impersonation of Karl Rove because she's worried I might win this primary. Well, I'm going to beat her on Tuesday, and I'm going to beat her in November," Gabrieli said, referring to the Bush White House political operative who has a reputation for hard-ball politics.
Gabrieli also accused Healey of trying to ``play politics with people's health" by raising the issue of his potential conflict. ``It is one thing to disagree on the issues, but petty politics and finger pointing doesn't create jobs, improve our schools, and certainly won't cure disease," he said.
Gabrieli also has said that he would sell his biotechnology stocks if elected governor. He said that he estimated that they make up 5 to 10 percent of his portfolio. Gray said the Healey campaign's review of his holdings, as well as the funds he manages, show he has up to 75 percent of his money in biotech stocks.
His plan calls for a $1 billion state bond fund over 10 years to finance Bay State-based research and product development in life sciences and new technologies, up to half of the total in stem cell research. The funds would be allocated by an independent panel of specialists.
Massachusetts Democratic Party chairman Philip W. Johnston called Healey's ads ``a character assassination."
He said that it was ridiculous to suggest that Gabrieli, a venture capitalist who is spending millions of his own fortune to run for governor, would be trying to enhance his fortune with the powers of the governor's office.
``The lieutenant governor is running a smear campaign against a Democratic candidate for governor," Johnson said.
Johnston said he has had nothing to do with the Patriot Majority Fund ad, which is airing an anti-Healey ad by using a loophole in state law that allows independent issue advocacy groups to operate with little oversight.
Gray yesterday pointed to some local connections to the fund, including a donation from SEIU 1199, a New York-based union that has endorsed Reilly.
Patrick said that while he disagrees with how Gabrieli would invest state money for stem cell research, he has no doubt that his motives are ``to advance healing, not make money."
``Kerry Healey has sat quietly by for four years while Mitt Romney played politics with stem cell research. Now she is following his lead," Patrick said. ``She ought to stay out of the Democratic primary."
Russell Nichols of the Globe staff contributed to this report 