The Washington Post has a fascinating report on Josh Rales in today's edition. Rales, a Bethesda businessman, is probably not unknown around here as he is on our television sets more often than Big Bird these days. However, the liberalism projected in his seemingly nonstop commercials is newer to Rales than one might think:
Rales doesn't talk as much about his own history-- at least in this Democratic primary. You see, Rales was a Republican not too long ago. He toyed with the idea of challenging Democratic Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski as a Republican in 2004, and he and his wife, Debra, have been major donors to GOP candidates, campaign finance records show. They have given $10,250 to Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R), most recently in September 2004. They gave $4,000 to President Bush in 2003.Hard to imagine that many Democratic primary voters would knowingly cast a ballot for someone who gave money to Bush and Ehrlich. As usual, Senate President Mike Miller doesn't pull his punches in his assessment of Rales:
At the Accokeek festival, campaigning for his own reelection just a few yards away from Rales, state Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert) dismissed the candidate as a "spoiler."
"He's going to force Cardin to open up his bank account and spend money he needs in the general against [GOP candidate] Michael Steele."
Ben Cardin is not on television but I am now getting what seem like almost daily calls from his phone banks. I am tempted to either say I support Cardin or that I am voting for my AU colleague Allan Lichtman, who unlike Rales has a long history as a committed Democrat, to get them to stop calling. Still, Cardin supporters should be glad that his campaign is now systematically rallying support in a part of the state where he is not well-known. Perhaps if I say I am considering Kweisi Mfume, Cardin's campaign will start sending flowers?
