Friday, February 10, 2006

Scot Lehigh says Kerry Healey avoided social issues in her campaign kickoff speech. But that's not the case. Healey hinted at the culture wars, all right--but she did so in a very crafty way. Here's what the LG and would-be governor had to say:

"I believe in family life--its defining obligations, and its timeless meaning. Fathers should be encouraged to support their children. Families who are caring at home for seniors or loved ones with special needs should be able to count on our support. Those are the best kind of policies because they respect family and its central place in all of our lives. Government goes astray when it presumes to meddle in the matters that are best left to the family."

The beauty of these sentences lies in their vagueness. What's the "timeless meaning" of family life? And when, exactly, does government "meddle in matters that are best left to the family"? More to the point, did the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court meddle when it legalized same-sex civil marriages? Or are the meddlers the ones who want to amend the state's constitution to ban these same marriages?

Healey's already on the record as supporting civil unions, but where that support would lead her as governor is anybody's guess. Her kickoff remarks kept the mystery intact--which, of course, allows both social liberals and social conservatives to tell themselves that Healey's beliefs are in line with their own. Crafty stuff. But remember, Healey's learned from a master.

2/10/2006 10:47:18 AM by Adam Reilly | Comments [1] |