To the editor:
The Thursday, March 11, Salem News article headlined, "Hudak news about Kerry Healey is exaggerated," did not get the facts right and was unfairly distorted.
While waiting in the lobby for a meeting, I received a Google alert on my BlackBerry from the Red Mass Group blog reporting two "very, very reliable sources" that were "as solid as it gets" were saying Kerry Healey was about to enter the race for the 6th District congressional seat I have been pursuing for over seven months. If true, this would obviously be important news.
During the ensuing meeting, I did state that during a phone conversation with Sen. Scott Brown two days earlier, he told me that he had heard Healey "was thinking of running" (as accurately reported). This was not the purpose of our conversation; the subject came up as just a passing comment, and I had heard this rumor before.
But I did believe Healey was going to run, because it had just moments before been reported that way on the Red Mass Group blog. The News failed to mention in the article that I even referred to the blog as the source of whether she would actually enter the race, and that it was left for him to investigate (which an editor said you would). Rather than report the rumor as simply incorrect after checking with the Healey camp, the News chose to then headline and distort this story against me in an unfair and slanted manner.
I have always expected a hard-fought campaign against John Tierney, an entrenched Democratic incumbent. That's why I've been working hard for over seven months now, and am still the person in the best position to unseat him.
I told the newspaper that if Ms. Healey had entered the race, while she would of course have been formidable, nothing would change in my work ethic, because I already knew I had a tough fight and the primary would simply come sooner. The News also failed to report my true sense was not relief (which is what I think reporter Matthew Roy wanted me to say), but that Ms. Healey's non-entry would allow me to continue to focus free of distractions on my real opponent, Mr. Tierney, on the unification of the party, and toward the balance that is missing from our government.
I expected the purpose of my hourlong visit was to meet with The Salem News' editorial board and staff to get to know you all, and appreciated the chance to do so. Next time, however, I would hope the story would focus on the subject of the meeting, rather than unfairly twisting a few minutes of discussion that was clearly based on secondhand information provided for further investigation.
Bill Hudak
Republican candidate for Congress
6th Congressional District
Boxford
