Washington attorney general—and Republican gubernatorial hopeful—Rob McKenna doesn’t know if he supports a woman’s right to comprehensive health care (or if he does, he’s not telling). For weeks, McKenna has refused to answer questions from both the media and constituents on whether he supports the Reproductive Parity Act, a bill introduced on January 9 by Representative Eileen Cody (D-34), chair of the house Health Care and Wellness Committee, which would require all health insurance policies sold in Washington that offer maternity coverage to also cover abortions.
“I look forward to reading the bill when it becomes available,” McKenna wrote on Facebook on January 10, neatly dodging a constituent’s question about the bill. He hasn’t responded to questions about the bill since.
Washington State insurers currently couple their maternity and abortion coverage. Cody’s bill would ensure that they continue to do so through 2014, when every Washington resident will be required to purchase health insurance coverage in accordance with the Affordable Care Act—which McKenna is also fighting on a national level.
“McKenna has purposefully evaded questions about whether he supports vital protections for women’s health,” says Reesa Kossoff, a spokeswoman for the Washington State Democrats.
His silence makes a certain sense, strategy-
wise. McKenna has pitched himself as a moderate Republican to Seattle’s liberal voting base, trying to draw votes from Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jay Inslee in King County. But at the same time, he needs to present himself as a friend of the Tea Party, Eastern Washington conservatives, and evangelical voters. Speaking out on women’s reproductive health and gay marriage—another issue McKenna’s been silent on—could threaten his popularity with the right wing. Hence, the silence.
It’s a silence that Inslee’s backers are loudly highlighting. “Rob McKenna can’t hide from his support of discrimination against same-sex couples—including his leadership in the fight to preserve DOMA in state law and equating marriage equality to polygamy and incest,” Kossoff says.
The public shaming may be paying off, with a KING 5 poll released on January 16 showing Inslee closing in on McKenna. Inslee, according to this poll, has shaved McKenna’s six-point lead from a few months ago down to just three points. And, KING 5 reports: “In the poll, 43 percent say Inslee better reflects their position on social issues, compared to 40 percent for McKenna.”
While McKenna’s evasion on women’s reproductive health and gay marriage have likely impacted his poll numbers, there’s been no apparent financial cost—yet. He’s currently beating Inslee in the money race, having taken in a total of $3.67 million to Inslee’s $3.1 million.
Naturally, McKenna’s campaign didn’t respond to requests for comment. 
You condemn a politician for not taking a stand on legislation that isn’t written yet.
Are you reporting this article as an in-kind donation for the Inslee campaign?
@1
Soooo, by your logic, we can only ask questions regarding actual, impending legislation? Nothing about general policy positions? Well, at least the debates and interviews would be short . . . .
Insurance should never cover abortion. EVER! Hey Liberals, thanks for killing 50 million fellow Americans in the womb!
Oh, I love how support for Traditional marriage is called by gay marriage proponents as hatred, bigotry and discrimination. Lovely! Love your tolerance of our views.
This article totally misses the point that Rob McKenna is a religious right wing fanatic who attended school at Seattle Pacific University. This is where he received his law degree from. Sound hauntingly familiar and close to a Bushy. This fucker wants to be our next governer. Cover that story.
@3: You must really hate your mother, too.
Thank you, Cienna & Eli, for giving further reasons why I support Jay Inslee.
While myself opposing McKenna, I think it would be hard to accuse him of dodging questions “For weeks” on his support of legislation introduced less than 2 weeks prior to the time of writing. Come on guys, make me believe!
Hey @4… SPU doesn’t have a law school and McKenna never even attended school there. He got his undergrad at the UW and his J.D. at University of Chicago Law School. Maybe you’re wrong about his fanatic tendencies, too perhaps?
@3 You expect tolerance of your views that gays are to be considered “less than”? It’s always amazing to me that people like yourself are unable to accept that you may be a bigot. Your side constantly asserts that your intolerance should be tolerated. How do you not give yourselves constant headaches with such convoluted thinking?
@1: Reading fail. The bill has been introduced, therefore, it has been written.
@1: Reading fail. The bill has been introduced, therefore it has been written.
@3 Wanting access to a legal protection is not the same as forcing religious views on others. Marriage equality is about LEGAL protection, not forcing churches to marry persons they don’t want to marry. One is a legal institution, the other is a religious sacrament. See the difference? And when you use religion to prevent LEGAL protection, when you’re using it to deny an entire group of people the same rights you have based on your RELIGIOUS belief, you’re denying them their First Amendment and Fourteenth Amendment rights (which, by the way, are what give you the right to spew your religious vitriol–Jesus was compassionate, loving, forgiving, and socialist and the religious right learnt nothing of that).
And abortion SHOULD be legal, safe, and provided. Criminalizing it would cause massive problems, such as endangering mothers carrying non-viable foetuses, or further traumatizing women who are victims of rape and incest.
@3
Great trolling, made me ashamed of being right-wing.
Whatever happened to not having big government involved in peoples personal lives and letting consenting adults make their own decisions? Judging by your rancor you would make a great liberal.
@12: Thank you!! I could not have said it any better.
Even before Jay Inslee went to Congress, Inslee had an impressive history of support for Women’s Health Issues. I know I served with him. Unlike Rob McKenna, he doesn’t need time to figure it out. How hard is it to want our state to have healthy women?
@15: You’re right. It sure doesn’t sound like rocket science to me.