Rep. Eric Massa (D-N.Y.) has cultivated a reputation for saying what he thinks, even if it’s not necessarily what you want to hear. And his support for a single-payer health care system is Exhibit A.
But at the recent Netroots Nation event in Pittsburgh, that style might have handed his 2010 opponent a fantastic talking point.
While discussing single-payer with those in attendance, Massa noted that his upstate district is “one of the most right-wing, Republican districts in the country.” (That’s arguable. While the registration leans heavily toward the GOP, it has been a swing district in the last few races for president.)
He then registered a soundbite that almost seems destined for a campaign commercial.
He was asked whether he would vote for a single-payer option if most of his constituents were against it — which could very well be the case.
“I will vote adamantly against the interests of my district if I actually think what I’m doing is going to help,” Massa said.
When someone asked him to clarify his remarks, Massa elaborated: “I will vote against their opinion if I actually believe it will help them.”
While Massa’s stance might be commendable to the outside observer, people in his district might feel differently.
Republicans have signed up Corning Mayor Tom Reed to run against Massa.