Leggett and Silverman Mix it Up

The leading candidates for Montgomery County Executive are starting to kick up a bit of sand as their competition for the Democratic nomination. As reported in the Washington Post, Steve Silverman has sent out flyers attacking the record of Ike Leggett, his opponent:

This week, Silverman sent out two new mailers targeting Leggett.

"Ike Leggett would support using state funds to pay for private-school textbooks and busing private-school students," one reads.

Another notes that Leggett voted against the Purple Line, a proposed light-rail link between Bethesda and New Carrollton. "Now he claims to support it," it reads.

"That's a mischaracterization," said Leggett, who faulted Silverman's tactics and said he was running a positive campaign.

Said Silverman: "Rather than defend his positions or statements, he is personally attacking me and my integrity, and it's unfortunate that a man of his distinction should turn around and personalize this campaign."

Leggett told an audience of private-school parents in May that he would consider using public money for private-school textbooks if it were constitutional. In recent weeks, he has said he would never support that. As for the Purple Line, he voted against a version of it as a council member in 2001 and 2002.

Leggett in turn claims that Silverman has been using push polls (see also the discussion in Free State Politics):

The candidates also sparred over a Silverman campaign poll. Leggett called it a "push poll," referring to a technique in which interviewers spread negative information about a candidate under the guise of conducting a poll. Silverman said his pollsters had simply been gathering research about issues.

"We tested out a variety of factual statements about Leggett's votes and positions. And by every definition of a push poll by pollsters, it's not a push poll," Silverman said.

I suppose it isn't very pretty but at least they are debating issues and tactics relevant to their campaign and not joining the list of candidates who are campaigining on issues that seem only distantly related to their responsibilities.