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Saturday, January 4, 2014

Autism and a North Carolina Senate Race

Talking Points Memo reports:
There's something puzzling about the first campaign ad by House Speaker Thom Tillis' (R-NC), who is challenging Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC).
The ad features Tillis bashing Obamacare while simultaneously wearing a pin of an autism advocacy group that highlighted the benefits of the new law, like prohibiting coverage denial for a pre-existing condition, which autism has sometimes been classified as.
"Obamacare is a disaster but the president won't admit it," Tillis said in the ad, which he released Thursday, while wearing a puzzle piece-shaped pin that is a symbol for Autism Speaks, which supports autism research and awareness.
"The debt's out of control and neither party has stopped it," Tillis continued. "Kay Hagan enabled President Obama's worst ideas. She refused to clean up his mess. So you and I have to clean up hers."

The thing is, Autism Speaks has highlighted aspects of Obamacare that apply to people with autism.
In September, the Arc of North Carolina named Tillis its Legislator of the Year.  The group said:
During this legislative session, Speaker Thom Tillis secured compensation funding for victims of eugenics, bridge funding for group home residents, minimized the negative effects of voter ID requirements on voters with disabilities, championed Autism Insurance, supported scholarships for children with disabilities, and protected school funding for children with special needs.