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ROMNEY'S HOSPITAL TURF WAR. First, Mitt Romney's chooses to give his critique of Hillary Clinton's healthcare proposal today in front of a hospital that is tight with his chief rival for the G.O.P. nod, reports Michael Luo:
Mitt Romney chose the sidewalk in front of St. Vincent’s Hospital in Manhattan, home of the Rudolph W. Giuliani Trauma Center, for a news conference this morning blasting Senator Hillary Clinton’s health care plan.Mr. Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, who happened to be on Mrs. Clinton’s and Mr. Giuliani’s home turf for fund-raising events today, took the opportunity to critique her proposal before the full details were even out....Mr. Romney said there was no special significance in the location of this morning’s appearance, saying he was unaware that Mr. Giuliani, his rival for the Republican nomination, had been honored with the naming of the hospital’s trauma center several years ago. Mr. Giuliani’s wife, Judith, took a central role in raising money for the center. But St. Vincent’s Catholic Medical Centers, the network to which the Manhattan hospital belongs, came under fire from abortion opponents for naming the center after Mr. Giuliani, who supports abortion rights.“I chose a place where there was a public sidewalk in front of a hospital,” Mr. Romney said.Then the hospital tries to distance itself from Romney:
Today Mitt Romney, a candidate for President, held a press conference outside of St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan without the knowledge or consent of the hospital to make a statement regarding the healthcare debate in the Presidential campaign. As a non-profit organization, St. Vincent's Hospital does not become involved in political campaigns. We find it unfortunate that Mr. Romney misappropriated the image and good will of St. Vincent's Hospital to further a political agenda. While St. Vincent's believes that there needs to be real discussion about healthcare reform and finding ways to provide coverage to the now 47 million Americans without health insurance, it is inappropriate for the hospital to be used for political gain.That's some sloppy advance work by the Romney staff there. I used to work for the hospital, which was one of the major AIDS-treating institutions in New York, and later a designated hospital for Sept. 11 victims. Frankly, I can think of few hospitals in New York whose surrounding populations would be less hospitable to the Romney message than St. Vincent's. It may be a Catholic institution, but it is also the major hospital serving decidedly liberal (and heavily gay and lesbian) Greenwich Village. Points for going to the center of his opponents' turf, though.
--Garance Franke-Ruta
