I am appalled by US Representative John Tierney’s ads that portray Richard Tisei as a right-wing extremist, an accusation so absurd as to be laughable. Reasonable people can disagree about issues, but there is no excuse for misleading the voters. I applaud the Globe’s efforts to identify and correct misleading statements in many races, particularly the egregious untruths from Tierney (“Tierney ad attacking Tisei is misleading,” Metro, Oct. 5).
In particular, Tierney attempts to paint Tisei as anti-choice; Tisei is, and has always been, solidly prochoice. I know it; Tierney knows it.
Does Tierney assume that we women are too stupid to research the facts? Does his sense of entitlement about the Sixth Congressional District seat preclude him from simply admitting that there are areas of common ground upon which politicians can forge working relationships? Tierney’s attitude exemplifies what is wrong with Washington.
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I served, literally, alongside Tisei in the Massachusetts Senate. We occupied adjacent seats in the chamber. From this vantage point, I had the opportunity to see how effectively Tisei served his constituents.
When I was diagnosed with breast cancer halfway through my first term, I saw what kind of man he is. I had the daunting task of facing a mastectomy and months of chemotherapy while in the public eye. There was never a day when Tisei failed to provide assistance, encouragement, and support. Extreme kindness, integrity, and decency — that’s the type of extremist we need in Congress.
The writer was a Republican state senator from 1990 to 1992.