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HenchPAC NewsTirade in Letter Over L.I. Irish Day March
A prominent Catholic group has sent a scathing letter to members across Long Island making it clear that Hillary Rodham Clinton is not welcome at its Irish Day Parade on Saturday in Long Beach.
Leaders of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Division 17, blasted Clinton as "someone who has demonstrated a complete disdain for Catholic values." Inviting her to march, they added in the letter, "would be contrary to the directive of our bishop."
The leaders mailed the "Dear Brothers" letter after the New York Post reported that Clinton would participate in the annual parade.
The belief that the First Lady would attend generated a flood of inquiries to the division, "somewhat along these lines: How can a Catholic organization invite someone like Hillary Clinton? She champions the wickedness of abortion! Her stance on issues is almost always contrary to moral and religious truths," the leaders wrote.
However, Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson said the First Lady was not scheduled to attend and, to his knowledge, had not been invited. He declined to comment on the letter.
The letter's authors, Division 17 President Michael Diamond and Parade Chairman Raymond McCann, did not return telephone calls seeking comment.
Clinton's opponent in the Senate race, Long Island Rep. Rick Lazio, was invited but is sending his wife, Patricia, to represent him.
The letter surfaced as Lazio faced new criticism for a TV ad that touts legislation he sponsored allowing cash-strapped disabled people to keep their Medicaid benefits when they begin to work.
Harvey Rosenthal, head of the Medicaid Buy-In Coalition, an umbrella organization of advocacy groups, charged that the advertisement makes it appear — falsely — that the new benefits are available in New York.
The program has not taken effect in the state because the Legislature and Gov. Pataki have not approved New York's share of matching funds.
"While we laud Mr. Lazio for the sponsorship of this landmark measure ... to see political capital being made by giving the misleading impression that the benefit is in place when it is not is rather disturbing to the disability community," Rosenthal said.
Lazio, meeting with reporters after addressing 11th- and 12th-graders at East Islip High School, dismissed such criticism, which was first made by the Clinton campaign Monday. He said the state eventually will appropriate the money.
"I just think the other side doesn't want New Yorkers to know that I have been an effective legislator," he said.
Meanwhile, campaigning outside Buffalo in the town of Hamburg, Clinton told a chamber of commerce that her proposed economic stimulus plan of targeted tax cuts, technology improvements and business assistance would create 200,000 jobs upstate over the next six years.
"It seems to me the right question to ask of my opponent here in Hamburg and around the state is: Where's the beef in his plan?" she said.
Lazio spokesman Michael Marr replied, "She may create 200,000 jobs for Washington bureaucrats, but she will tax and spend New York jobs out of existence."
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