Roger Manno was warned about what would happen if he ran against Mike Lenett. In November, we wrote:
In 2006, Lenett helped drive long-time Senator Len Teitelbaum from his seat and knocked off two Delegates in the Senate race, producing a possible MoCo record for incumbent removal in one contest. He is smart, tough and well-financed. He also employs David Goodman, a notably aggressive campaign consultant who helped produce Nancy Navarro’s infamous negative mailers in the 2009 District 4 special election.And in December, we wrote:
…Lenett is a cunning, well-funded incumbent with an ultracompetitive nature. A Lenett-Manno faceoff would be a hell of a barn-burner between two legislators whose policy positions don’t differ all that much.All of the above can be summarized in this now-legendary image from a Lenett mailer last fall.
One more thing: any challenger to Lenett must beware of his campaign consultant, David Goodman. Goodman delights in leaping for the jugular of opponents, and Lenett will be sure to let go of his leash when the time is right.
But Lenett did not hit Manno with a bat. Instead, he dropped a nuke.
Senator Mike Lenett has constructed the best-researched, hardest-hitting negative website in the history of Montgomery County: The Truth About Roger Manno. It is an exquisitely evil shrine to political destruction. Its gleaming opposition research is matched only by its radiant aura of malice. Many things Manno did not want the public to know about – his former name (Rajah Manno), his college drop-outs, his failed run for office in New Hampshire, even his wife’s career on Wall Street – has now been thrown bloody and naked to the world like a roadside carcass.
But Lenett has extracted another pound of flesh – this one from his own hide. Manno’s ethics filings are fair game. But many will see the references to Manno’s former name, his prior career as a guitar-playing bartender and the criticism of his wife as pure character assassination. What do such things have to do with Manno’s readiness for office? By mounting such a vicious attack on his opponent in a district that does not care for such things (especially in Leisure World), Lenett is taking an awful gamble.
And so who will be destroyed in the hellfire of Lenett’s atomic bomb? Its hapless target? Or its malevolent creator? One will rise from the ashes of apocalypse in a week. The other will disintegrate into political oblivion.
5 comments:
Roger Manno? Blues guitar? Bartender?
Memo to Senator Lenett: all of this makes Roger MORE interesting, not less. I gotta get Roger to make me a drink and play some blues for me.
Also, claims about self-financing ring hollow when made by a lawyer who's put close to half a million of his own money into his campaigns. Pot, meet kettle.
Sounds to me like somebody's very, very nervous in District 19. And it ain't Roger Manno. Incumbents who are leading don't go negative the last week of the campaign.
Jonathan Shurberg
all previous disclosures still apply. Void where prohibited by law and in Guam
Well Mike Lenett just convinced me that I should vote for Roger Manno formally known as Rajah Pettinato Manno, not because Rogers’s former name was a colorful one but because he clearly is the right man for the job.
Mike you had your chance and what did you do? Answer nothing. I say that because under your leadership the Governor took funding away from the widening of Norbeck Road a major project in District 19 and what did you do about it? Nothing I am aware of. What about intersection improvement projects in District 19? I saw nothing, whereas Roger at least on several occasions has stated publically the need for Intersection and Road improvements along Norbeck I refer to the Wednesday January 20 2010 Gazette Newspaper. Also if Mike Lenett thinks going negative in a campaign will get him anywhere with people in Montgomery County I am here to tell you it won't and for the record Mike Lenett convinced my 82 year old mother to accept a yard sign based on his close ties with me, well that sign will come down and Roger will get every vote I can muster up for him. We cannot accept this kind of YELLOW campaigning in Montgomery County. MIKE TAKE THAT WEBSITE DOWN! (http://itsthecoverup.com/) and talk issues not negative hate rhetoric. You should be ashamed of yourself.
Continued from last comment:
When the bill Manno co-authored with NOW President Terry O'Neill to protect women from deceptive "crisis pregnancy centers" couldn't get traction in Annapolis, Manno worked with Montgomery County leaders and the Council to get it passed here.
The League of Conservation Voters, Environment Maryland and the Sierra Club asked Manno to sponsor HB 522, their priority legislation in 2010. When it stalled in the General Assembly, Manno worked with the O'Malley Administration on an executive order which directs the Public Service Commission to plan Maryland's clean energy needs. A huge triumph for those of us concerned about clean energy, global warming, and making Maryland a leader in the 21st century energy economy.
This is typical Manno--when he hits a roadblock on an important issue, he finds another way to make progress for Maryland. (continued)
Thanks to MPW for all the excellent analysis of the District 19 State Senate contest. I take exception to a few points I've heard from various sources:
# 1 Manno's run a "negative campaign."
This point should be moot, now that Lenett's gone nuclear, but I want to make a few points on this one. As MPW reported, that negativity began from team Lenett. See: "Lenett Unloads on Manno" on MPW. Then there's the push polling, the nuclear anti-Manno website, and the whisper campaign by Lenett operatives that implied--dishonestly--that Manno was behind the Ginger Ramsey/District 19 reporter emails and website. Come to think of it, maybe after this latest Lenett behavior we should rethink the Ramsey reporting?
# 2 "Lenett and Manno have almost identical policy positions...."
Manno's positions on issues are stronger than Lenett's across the board. While Lenett generally votes for liberal or progressive legislation on the floor, his record on committee voting and (co)sponsorship of legislation falls short Manno's. Even beyond Lenett's sponsorship of the anti-Bay, pro-Proctor & Gamble phosphate bill, Lenett is not a true progressive leader on the issues. Manno is.
Progressive Maryland gave Manno better "leadership scores" to express this important difference year after year, but even that fails to express the significant differences between these legislators on the issues. Again, while Lenett makes most of the right votes--especially to look as good as possible on score cards, Manno is like a running back who gets hit four times and keeps bouncing back and keeps driving ahead to make progress on nearly every issue. (continued)
Continued from last comment--please read the bottom comment first, this one last.
Manno is also more adept at getting important bills passed into law than Lenett. A few examples: In 2009 Manno's Green Jobs bill helped Maryland secure a $5.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration. Manno's 2009 "Apprenticeship Opportunities Act" (HB 644) created a partnership between businesses, community colleges, and existing programs for green jobs.
Manno's Maryland Organic Transition Investment Pilot Program passed after he worked with Capitol Hill to bring $millions in support to Maryland. Then he improved and extended MOTIPP.
It's one thing to vote the right way when people are watching (and scoring). It's better to be the difference-maker. Manno drove progress on key issues, and that makes him better. That's Manno leadership.
Speaking of "Leadership," as MPW readers know there are leaders and then there's the Senate President Mike “Big Daddy” Miller. Many if not most progressive reform legislation near and dear to activists' hearts ends up in the State Senate dust bin. Lenett has cast his lot with Miller.
Progressives support Manno because of his independence, courage, and knack for getting more done for progressives in Annapolis than Lenett.
Real policy differences between these candidates underscore these views. Also, while Lenett may have more cash on hand than Manno, he's "loaned" most of that to himself, and spent it at an incredible rate by printing enough walk pieces and massive mailers to clear cut a forest!
Full disclosure: I'm one of those progressives who strongly supports Roger Manno over Mike Lenett.
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