3 women's groups endorse Patrick
With a poll showing the race for governor tightening, the campaign of Republican Kerry Healey sought yesterday to deflect attention from the endorsement of her Democratic opponent by three women's advocacy groups.
``Kerry Healey and Deval Patrick disagree on many key issues, including taxes, crime, and education," campaign manager Tim O'Brien said in a written statement. ``However, they share common ground when it comes to protecting and defending a woman's right to choose."
Healey, attempting to become the first woman to be elected governor in Massachusetts, also acknowledged that Governor Mitt Romney's well-publicized opposition to abortion has hurt her politically. Four years ago, she came to Romney's defense, arguing that there ``isn't a dime of difference between Mitt Romney's position on choice" and that of Democratic nominee Shannon O'Brien. He has since changed his position.
``It's very important that people do know that there are some fairly dramatic differences between where Governor Romney stood on abortion and on stem cell research and emergency contraception and where I stand," Healey said in Framingham, according to the Associated Press. ``And perhaps, we do have to get a better way of getting that information out."
Patrick picked up support yesterday from the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund, the Massachusetts chapter of the National Organization for Women, and NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts.
``Kerry Healey misled us four years ago on the current administration's commitment to a woman's right to choose," Melissa Kogut, executive director of NARAL of Massachusetts, said in a written statement.
O'Brien, Healey's campaign manager, said NARAL usually backs Democrats. ``NARAL's endorsement of Deval Patrick is all about partisan politics," he said.
O'Brien also pointed out that Healey is supported by the Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus, a group that supports abortion rights.
NARAL disputed the contention that it is partisan in its support, pointing to endorsements of William Weld in the 1990 race for governor and the endorsement of state Senator Richard R. Tisei, Republican of Wakefield.
Meantime, a WHDH-TV-Suffolk University poll suggested that the race for governor is tightening.
Patrick led Healey 46 percent to 33 percent, with 7 percent of those questioned backing Christy Mihos and 1 percent backing Green-Rainbow Party candidate Grace Ross. In the survey, 50 percent of women interviewed backed Patrick and just 30 percent backed Healey. 