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Letter to the editor

GOP stance offensive to mom

Her ad lobbying for children's insurance draws criticism.

By ABHI RAGHUNATHAN, Times Staff Writer
Published October 20, 2007

She stood before microphones in front of All Children's Hospital Friday afternoon, along with her husband, Bo, and denounced House Republican Leader John Boehner because he criticized an ad that features the family advocating for the national children's health program.

The Wilkersons spent much of the week in Washington, lobbying Congress to overturn President Bush's veto of a children's health insurance program for lower-middle income families. They say their 2-year-old daughter Bethany is alive because the program paid for her surgery when she was diagnosed with a heart defect as an infant.

"We are simply telling our story," Dara Wilkerson, 37, said. She added that she was "offended" by Boehner's statement.

In a press release, Boehner criticized Moveon.org for distributing a "despicable ad that exploits a two-year-old girl with a serious heart ailment." It said the ad was misleading, but did not directly criticize the Wilkersons.

Will Matthews, a spokesman for USAction in Washington, defended his group's decision to characterize Boehner's comments as an attack on the family.

"We see it as here's a little girl who relies on SCHIP ... and the Republicans can't get past the political imagery to see the real story," Matthews said.

The Wilkersons said they were offended, and never expected such criticism when they decided to enter the public stage.

"We are good parents," said Bo Wilkerson, 44. "And there are people attacking us for all kinds of things."

Bush's veto of the State Children's Health Insurance Program was upheld by the U.S. House Thursday. The bill would have expanded the program by some 4-million children, bringing the total to about 10-million. Brian Kennedy, a spokesman for Boehner, R-Ohio, said Republicans were pushing for a less sweeping expansion.

"Mr. Boehner and Republicans in the House of Representatives are fighting for a bill that puts kids like Bethany Wilkerson first, before higher-income adults who already have private health insurance," he said in a statement.

Times reporter Wes Allison and researcher Angie Drobnic Holan contributed to this report. Abhi Raghunathan can be reached at araghunathan@sptimes.com or 727 893-8472.

[Last modified October 19, 2007, 23:46:15]