Iowa 1st District candidate Murphy strikes back at Emily’s List

CEDAR RAPIDS - Even before he launched his campaign in Iowa's 1st District, Pat Murphy was under attack as not to be trusted 'to stand up for women and families across Iowa,” by an outside group that supports pro-choice Democratic women.

A day after announcing he will seek the Democratic nomination to face Republican Rep. Rod Blum, also of Dubuque, Murphy is fighting back against a 'campaign of misinformation funded by an avalanche of outside cash.”

Emily's List, which has endorsed Monica Vernon in the primary, went on the attack last week, accusing Murphy of 'trying to restrict women's access to health care and (putting) politics in the middle of decisions that should be left between women and their doctors.”

Those claims 'couldn't be farther from the truth,” Murphy said in an email counterattack and fundraising appeal.

In the Iowa House, Murphy said he wrote the law that guarantees access to health insurance for every child, led the fight to raise the minimum wage, expand family planning services and pass legislation requiring school to teach age-appropriate sex education.

'I led the successful fight to raise the minimum wage, passed the nation's first pay equity law for women and voted to protect abortion rights for women across the state, no matter where they live,” Murphy said. 'And as Speaker of the House, I stopped every attempt by right wing conservatives to affect women's health care choices.”

Murphy also cast himself as the underdog in the race.

'I don't have the ability to self-fund my campaign like Monica (or Rod Blum) or have deep pockets like her DC allies,” he said, 'but I have you. Please step up for me today and let them know that my record is exactly what need in Congress.”

The basis Emily's List questioning Murphy's support for abortion rights stems from his involvement with Democrats for Life 10 years ago. He earned a 100 percent rating from the Iowa Right to Life Committee for his positions in 2003-2004.

However, in the 2014 race against Blum, Murphy was endorsed by the Planned Parenthood Action Fund and NARAL Pro-Choice America Political Action Committee.

The 20-county 1st District includes Cedar Rapids, Cedar Falls-Waterloo, Dubuque and Marshalltown.