Rust Gets Defensive on Autism Issue

Following this powerful, even devastating ad by the Stevens Miller campaign regarding (right-wing extremist) Eugene Delgaudio's Best Friend Forever Tom Rust's "broken promise" on autism, it's clear that Rust is now aggressively playing defense on this issue. Here's an example, which manages to twist and contort the facts sufficiently to conclude that "Tom Rust has never voted against autism." I believe they mean "voted against insurance coverage for kids with autism," not "voted against autism" (how do you vote against a disease?). Anyway, it's a ridiculous conclusion to come to.

Meanwhile, Too Conservative has tried to refute this post by Dan Kalbacher on Blue Commonwealth, which concluded that "Rust shamefully showed who he really represents in the House of Delegates after his actions (or lack thereof) with this piece of legislation and autistic children." The core counterargument - if one can call it that - by Too Conservative is that "Rust didn’t fail to vote for the bill or fail to speak out on its behalf," that "he wasn’t a member of that subcommittee" so "even if he wanted to" speak out, he couldn't. As we explain below, that's utter nonsense.

In addition to blog posts by Rust's grassroots allies, his campaign's latest mail piece is highly defensive on the autism issue, suggesting that Stevens Miller is "stretching the truth." Of course, even using that phrase implies that there must be some "truth" to what the Miller campaign is saying. Ha. Whatever the case may be, it's clear that Rust is worried, possibly even pushing the panic button with just 3 weeks to go until election day, as his negatives spike and his job approval plummets (while Stevens Miller's support, particularly among women, grows). Obviously, the powerful TV ad by the Miller campaign blasting Rust for reneging on his commitment to help kids with autism (and their families) is hurting. As well it should!

As noted above, another piece of spin by Tom Rust and Company is that he (Rust) isn't even on the subcommittee that did nothing instead of acting on autism coverage. Well, yesssssss...it's true Rust isn't on that particular subcommittee. However, Rust is on the House Commerce and Labor Committee, which had the option of acting on the autism bill in spite of silence from the subcommittee. Even Majority Leader Morgan Griffith, who Rust follows like a loyal lap dog on everything else, says in this audio file that bills don't die in subcommittee. So much for that "argument" by Rust et al! In fact, as Griffith notes, Rust had every right to bring the bill up in committee. In addition, Griffith points out that there are mechanisms to bring bills up on the floor, as crazy "Sideshow Bob" Marshall somehow managed to do (but Rust couldn't seem to wrap his brain around) in this case. Instead, Rust was silent in committee and voted "no" on the floor. No wonder the guy's defensive!