Healey backs Frank's Democratic warning
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Gov. Maura Healey is backing Barney Frank's dying message to the Democratic Party to focus primarily on the economy over social issues.
Why it matters: Frank, now in hospice care in Ogunquit, Maine, is using his final days to push a blunt argument: Democrats are losing voters because the party's left flank imposes "litmus tests" on issues most Americans don't support.
State of play: Healey called Frank a personal role model while speaking with the press at the State House Wednesday, citing him specifically as a trailblazer for gay elected officials like herself.
- Healey said she spoke with him by phone recently to express her admiration.
Catch up quick: Frank's book, "The Hard Path to Unity: Why We Must Reform the Left to Rescue Democracy," isn't out until mid-September.
- But Frank has been barnstorming national media outlets to preview his thesis: The party must prioritize pragmatic governance over the most polarizing positions of its activist wing.
Between the lines: Healey didn't engage with Frank's more pointed critiques on transgender sports participation, immigration or "defund the police," but said she agrees closely with Frank's central argument.
- The governor rattled off housing, grocery prices, energy bills and health care costs as the issues that define the work of government and should be party priorities.
What they're saying: "You don't govern by sound bite," Healey said. "You govern by working together, rolling up your sleeves and focusing on people."
What's next: Healey said she plans to visit Frank in person in Maine and looks forward to reading the book when it's released.