Healey woos those tilting to Patrick
The campaign of Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey began airing a new television spot last night that suggests that casual backers of Democrat Deval L. Patrick should reconsider their support before casting a ballot for governor next week.
Neither Healey nor her specific positions on issues are mentioned in the 30-second spot, called "Jogger," which portrays an athletic male musing about Patrick as he takes a morning run on Election Dy. In a voice-over, the runner states: "A year ago, I'd never heard of Deval Patrick. He seemed different, you know? Worth a look.
"But he won't give a straight answer on anything . . . Globe said he didn't pay his own taxes, and now he wants me to pay more. . . .Wants all kinds of benefits for illegals, too . . . Terrible on crime.. . . Claimed he prosecuted criminals, then forced to admit he hadn't. . . . It seems he'll rubberstamp anything the Legislature wants. . . . It's a shame. . . . He seemed different."
The ad contains some distortions.
In introducing for the first time in the campaign Patrick's tax delinquency, the spot suggests that the Globe uncovered the 1996 lien, which was actually disclosed by Patrick's campaign and reported by the Globe and other major news media outlets in Boston. At the time Patrick said he missed one or two payments on a plan to repay $8,778 in back taxes from 1993, resulting in the attachment, which was lifted after seven months.
Healey campaign manager Tim O'Brien said the ad will run in tandem with one or more positive spots before the election.
Also yesterday, Healey came under fire from some members of the Governor's Commission on Sexual and Domestic Violence, a panel that Healey heads. About 18 members of the commission sent a letter to Healey accusing her of "a fundamental lack of understanding and sensitivity to the needs and vulnerabilities of crime victims" and calling on her to step down from the panel.
Healey campaign officials dismissed the letter, saying others on the commission, which has about 300 members and advisers, have supported her.
Healey got a boost when she won the endorsement of the Boston Herald in an editorial posted on the paper's website last night. 