Photo: Charlie Baker Campaign
Not On Public Schedule, Baker Endorses Self-Described “Right-Wing Nut-Job” Too Extreme For Bill Weld
BOSTON, Mass.—In an event omitted from his public weekend schedule, Republican Charlie Baker traveled to Milford yesterday evening to endorse right-wing State Rep. Ryan Fattman, a legislator best known for his votes against the buffer zone law and his 2011 quote that female rape and assault victims “should be afraid to come forward” if they are undocumented.
While Republicans at the top of the ticket pitch themselves as newly minted moderates with crossover appeal, Fattman has consistently taken anti-choice, anti-worker and anti-immigrant positions. This past session, Fattman voted against the buffer zone [1], against the minimum wage hike [2], against comprehensive gun legislation [3], and co-sponsored legislation requiring citizens to show identification in order to vote [4]. Massachusetts Citizens for Life called Fattman one of their “35 Heroes” for voting against the new Buffer Zone law. [5] [pullquote]Fattman has consistently taken anti-choice, anti-worker and anti-immigrant positions.[/pullquote]
Fattman is taking on Democratic State Sen. Richard Moore, who was recently endorsed by former Republican Gov. William Weld, a major Baker supporter.
“Ryan Fattman is too extreme for Bill Weld, but apparently not Charlie Baker,” Coakley campaign manager Tim Foley said. “It says something about Charlie Baker’s values that he would stand with an anti-choice, anti-worker, anti-immigrant candidate like Ryan Fattman. He should stand up today and explain to women voters how he can align himself with a person with such extreme views against women’s rights and women’s access to health care.”
In a Telegram & Gazette article in 2011 discussing the Secure Communities program, Fattman was asked if he would be concerned that a woman without legal immigration status was raped and beaten might be afraid to report the crime to police, Mr. Fattman said he was not worried about those implications. [pullquote]“Ryan Fattman is too extreme for Bill Weld, but apparently not Charlie Baker.”[/pullquote]
“My thought is that if someone is here illegally, they should be afraid to come forward,” Mr. Fattman said. “If you do it the right way, you don’t have to be concerned about these things,” he said referring to obtaining legal immigration status. [6]
In a 2001 interview with the Tufts Daily, while he was a graduate student, Fattman described himself as a “right-wing nut job”: “Tufts is a pretty liberal school. I considered myself moderate, and I got to Tufts and I thought to myself, ‘Wow, I’m a right-wing nut-job.’” [7]
[From a News Release]
