Advocates for autistic slam Angle

Sen. Harry Reid's supporters and advocates for the autistic Wednesday called on GOP challenger Sharron Angle to apologize for her remarks opposing government-mandated health insurance coverage for the developmental disorder.

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network, a Washington, D.C.-based group that led a Las Vegas news conference to denounce Angle, also launched a petition to support the apology request.

"I don't really know how or why her comments were made," said Bradley Anderson, a local 25-year-old with autism who spoke for the network. "But I'm here to ask that Mrs. Angle apologize."

Some of the first people to sign the online petition included activists working to re-elect Reid, D-Nev., at least one member of Reid's vast campaign staff, Justin Barasky, as well as Nevada Democratic Party spokeswoman Phoebe Sweet.

Signers also included parents of autistic children such as Char Gumber, who said, "I was deeply offended and hurt" by Angle's remarks.

Gumber and Anderson were among 30 parents, children and health care workers who attended the event in the office of Dr. Florence Jameson, who is on the "Republicans for Reid" list. Members of National Nurses United-Nevada, a union group that backs the senator, also packed the waiting room.

The petition and news conference are the latest attempt by Reid to keep the focus on Angle's statements and distract voters from Nevada's dismal economy.

"The senator's trying to win an election and so he's trying to take a complicated issue, boil it down to a sound bite, and try to score points with voters," said Mark Peplowski, political science professor at the College of Southern Nevada.

Angle's autism remarks came last year at a Tea Party rally in Winnemucca. Democrats distributed the video. Like many Republicans, Angle believes government shouldn't require specific health insurance coverage, but instead let companies offer basic policies with add-ons to spur competition and cut costs.

"Take off the mandates for coverage in the state of Nevada and all over the United States," Angle says in the video. "... They just passed the latest one. Every­thing they want to throw at us is covered under autism, so that's a mandate that you have to pay for."

Angle was referring to a 2009 Nevada law that requires insurance companies operating here to cover autism, although the state exempted itself and the Medicaid program due to cost concerns. It would have cost Nevada $1.8 million a year to cover its employees and the Medicaid program $30 million over two years for coverage of autism. One Reno insurance company estimated it would increase premiums by 12 percent.

Trying to explain her remarks, Angle's campaign put out a statement that prompted more criticism by suggesting insurance costs could go up if doctors "falsely label other symptoms as autism."

Ari Ne'emen, president of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, said Angle's campaign seemed to question the legitimacy of autism. "What really concerns us is information is being spread about a developmental disability that's not correct," Ne'emen said. "It's like people saying you're faking autism."

The Angle campaign criticized Reid's use of surrogate attacks. "Harry Reid is unable to campaign on his failures, so instead he must send in his surrogates with these disinformation campaigns," Angle spokesman Jerry Stacy said .

Contact Laura Myers at lmyers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2919.