It's that time of the year. T minus 10 days to primary day where attacks pick up their intensity. Last night's Debate at People's Community Baptist Church for the candidates for the Fourth District was the most charged of the three I attended. Fortunately for the incumbent most of the charges were focused on his principal rival.
The blogosphere has not been kind to Incumbent Al Wynn. So this may be the first words to highlight his positives. 
This was his night. His skills as a debater came through in spades. The former coach of the Howard University Debate team was on. He had position all night (being the first one to speak in opening and the last one to speak during closing) using both to great effect. The questions favored him. Others made charges against his principle rival, Donna Edwards, sparing him the trouble. No one except her called on him to explain some of his votes. It was the perfect storm of a debate for the incumbent. Edwards had to feel as if it was four against one, with the genial George McDermott refraining from the testosterone festival.
Wynn's Perfect Storm
In his opening statement Wynn took time to honor Marilyn Praisner's work getting all to stop what they were doing to give her a moment of silence. Classy move. He had held his own during the Q&A. None of the questions highlighted his vulnerabilities. He also got a major assist from Dr. Michael Babula, who laid into his principle challenger Donna Edwards early. Jason Jennings and George Mitchell (note link is broken) bunched Wynn and Edwards together on multiple occasions blurring the lines. Al Wynn completed the night by having the final word in closing statement. Harking back "to the old days where politicians promised a chicken in every pot" to voters, Wynn compared what he has done in office to the lack of accomplishments by his opponents.
"She disgusts me"
The first question was on campaign finance and special interest money. Babula, pictured to the lower left, speaking after Edwards and before Wynn went after the former with a vengeance. 
Sounding as if he was reading from the recently filed Wynn complaint against Edwards centered on soft money and 527s, Babula, a former Republican candidate in his native New Jersey, highlighted perceived connections between 527s and her campaign ending with the subhead quote above.
Other Observations
Mitchell, pictured to the right, sounding as if he was the Pastor of this powerful
Baptist church, charged you can't continue to elect the same people and expect different results. He called Wynn and Edwards "two peas in a pod". Babula piggybacked on Mitchell and called Edwards "a wolf in sheep's clothing" and Wynn "a wolf dressed up as a grandmother".
Why the Increase in Charges?
These increases in charges are common and expected. The further down you are in the race the greater the intensity. The closer to the election the greater intensity. This is a race where no one knows who is ahead. We have a crowded six person race. No public polls to digest. No leaked candidates polls. So this is moving time. You either move up or you move out. The uncertainty of the race has all but the main players fighting for their place in the sun.
This is the second debate inside a week where Edwards served as the pinata 
for her male opponents. There were numerous times a finger was pointed and charges directed at her as if she was the eight term incumbent. When people talked of change it was as if she was the one blocking change. Her attempts at connecting with the voters was lost in a sea of "they are both the same".
Debates, or forums as we like to call these things in the 21st century, are just a small part of an overall campaign. More people will read these words than were in attendance. So hopefully, my recollections match others. All sides will spin to highlight their candidate. It will be tough for Edwards to "win" another debate if the attacks continue. Wynn used his oratory skills to great effect. He defended his positions without being defensive. It was the best I had seen him in several debates over two election cycles.
What's Next
The candidates have another debate at PG Community College on Monday evening. I would expect more of the same. Also expect to see and hear more interviews on cable and radio in the coming week.
General Observations After Three Debates
Having sat through three debates and interviews with all candidates but Wynn (still waiting Congressman) here is a thumbnail sketch of the candidates, so far.
George McDermott (pictured to the left), the longest of long shots, continues to bark at a corrupt judicial system and wants you "to throw the bums out of office". He may not win but he is a decent and honest man who is determined to speak out against the faults of our judicial system as he sees it.
Jason Jennings (pictured to the right), who has not mastered the sound bite, has a theme of 'us, working folks vs. them, the rich'. He is the only candidate who was educated in local schools from kindergarten to graduate school. Jennings wants to be a different legislator than you have seen previously. He wants to not just change the representation in this district but he wants to change the way Congress operates completely.
George Mitchell wants you to know that he will speak out for the children. Not that others won't but he will be the first and the most vocal. His facts sometimes are off (e.g., when he mentions the district is 85% PG and almost 20% MoCo meaning the district equals 105% or he cites campaign contribution percentages for his opponents that don't match the public record) but Mitchell gives a good speech. You can tell he has not missed too many Sunday sermons. His cadence is good.
Mike Babula, the newest of the newcomers, wants you to know that without a serious change in our fiscal & monetary policy we face an economic future that rivals Independence Day. He may be right; but it is not the type of message that inspires. He also has some of the more libertarian views on drug control, education, health care, gun control, and foreign policy, though he will reject the use of that label. Somewhere the far right meets the far left and that seems to be where he resides.
Donna Edwards wants you to know that she has been where many have been -- a single parent, without health insurance, trying to raise a son -- all while serving as a public interest advocate. Outside of the Congressman, she is only person who can point to several accomplishments for the public good.
Al Wynn wants you know that he is not about promises but about results. His results speak for themselves though others may disagree. He claims "transparency" on campaign finance. He wants both universal education and universal health care. He sounds as if he got the message in 2006 and is willing to become a more vocal advocate for the district.
All candidates claim to be the latest agent of change in the year of change.
We are in a for wild 10 days sprint to the election. It is All in The Family now.
Sunday, February 03, 2008
A Chicken In Every Pot
Friday, January 18, 2008
A Million Dollar $mile
"Is there someone named Kevin here?" bellows the well dressed man. The candidate, a political novice, then does a veteran political move and works the room as he walks over. George Mitchell's web site says he has a million dollar smile. He did not disappoint. It can light up any room; even the cramped White Oak Starbucks where we met. In a six person race where everyone else has run for office before he is working to gaining ground on the leaders in the 4th Congressional District -- Donna Edwards and the incumbent Al Wynn. Behind in money and endorsements, the man who "has never had a bad day in his life" sat down for a wide ranging interview on the issues facing this bi-county district.
"We are where we thought we would be. People want to hear our positive message," says the former captain of the Morgan State Wrestling team, class of 1976. I have learned to respect wrestlers. A good wrestler can be flat on their back ready to be pinned and still have two or three moves to pin you. So when he tells me that he is going to win this race I take notice. But as a long time activist and a pretty good vote counter I have my doubts.
Born in Florence, South Carolina. Raised by a single mother first in the projects in Baltimore and later in the northwest side of Charm City. He was a junior high class mate of current Mayor Shelia Dixon at Pimilco JHS and a graduate of Mergenthaler High School. Four years at Morgan State, where as a promoter of bands including "Grand Jury", he crossed paths with the DJs at the campus radio station, including one Kweisi Mfume. A four year tour in the Army and it was time for this Business graduate to make some money. "My mom wanted me to get involved in politics immediately after school but my first loves were restaurants and entertainment." Starting out with his own restaurants in Petersburg, VA called "Farmer's Market" and later "Mitchell's", where then Baltimorean TV personality Oprah Winfrey was a regular customer, to a stint with a large food service company to being a franchisee in Golden Corral and then back to opening his own restaurant in Waldorf called "Prime Buffett" in the late 1980 and early 1990s. He moved to Prince Georges County and turned to real estate working as an agent in Temple Hills since the mid 1990's.
Why take on Wynn?
"Al Wynn has not done anything in the last 15 1/2 years. We have a school system (in Prince Georges) that has a 44% drop out rate. In Fort Washington, we have a 70% foreclosure rate in the past three years. We have the highest teen theft in Prince Georges and a lack of minority black businesses in the county. We need after school activities for the kids. The kids are our future," Mitchell says.
That leads to the obvious question why not run for School Board or County Council? "That's what (Al) Wynn says that 'these are County Executive issues'," he dismisses.
So why run now?
"What would Wynn's legacy if he was gone? He gave us a crab feast and a jobs fair in which less than 10% got jobs. Wynn has done a very poor job of overseeing local issues. I can do a better job of bringing people together. I am in a place in my life (his youngest son is a student at Boston College) where I can give back," says the father of three, stepfather of two, and grandfather to six. His late mother, Earles Rose Mitchell, was a both a labor leader in AFSCME and was active in her Baltimore neighborhood. I get the impression that this race is as much to fulfill her vision for her only son as it is his. George Earl Mitchell embraces that mantle now. And it willing to forgo long odds to make this their dream.
But when I point out there are other ways to contribute rather than take on an incumbent Congressman, probably the safest office in the US, like a 'restler he has been ready for my move. "It starts at the top. I can bring people together." He tells me that he looked at this race in 2006 but decided to not run. At this point almost on que -- but it wasn't -- a patron, Kevin Johnson, comes up seeking out the candidate and asking for more information. The picture is to the right.
"That happens all the time," he observes. But as a long time activist I know getting 'the feel' for how the campaign is going by the candidate themselves is a poor indicator -- few say "no" to a candidate directly. But for an eternal optimist that's par for the course. I could never pin him by pointing out that the race is a hopeless cause for a newcomer without a political base, a cadre of activists, and loads of money. "We are the Seabiscuit in this race," he responds. (Didn't he know that Elizabeth Edwards, wife of Democratic Presidential candidate, used that line in Iowa a few weeks ago? She wasn't even the first. Maybe he does; maybe not. But he is willing to charge ahead as any good wrestler would.)
A Look At The Issues
Blogger's Note: At this point my notes are not as clear -- so much for being a journalist. But here are some of the key points without direct quotes. It makes his positions look thin but he said more than this but this is what I have.
On Mitchell's website he cites four issues: Education, More Quality Jobs, Better Healthcare and Affordable Housing. His outline is very general. Who would disagree with any of those. So without specifics one is left wondering how does he accomplish those goals. It was something I failed to ask during our conversation.
I asked some questions that are not on his website. How do you balance the budget? He answer was to getting out of Iraq and making the tax system more fair. When I pressed him on the latter he came back with a flat tax. Since he is a real estate agent I asked about the home mortgage deduction, the largest single tax break on the books. He was willing to consider including that provision in a flat tax but he was willing to work on a consensus with others in Congress to make up the details.
On abortion he is pro-life with the exception of death, incest and rape.
Equal Rights for Gay Marriage he is not in favor but "the world is changing," he mentions. Mitchell would be willing to have a referendum on the issue to let the people decide.
How Are You Going to Get the Votes to Win?
"Three hundred and fifty thousand people did not vote (in the last primary who could)", he says. Mitchell sees himself getting 56,000 votes as part of a larger anti-Wynn vote. (Blogger note: He did have this up on his web site how he calculated the 56,000 votes and gave figures for Wynn and Edwards but now that information is down.)
Again it is back to his key point: Wynn "is the highest ranking black politician in the (Congressional) District. And only one other district has a worst record than Prince Georges is Baltimore," he charges.
So why not support Edwards?
"Who died and made her Queen?," he states. When I pointed out that is exactly what Rosalind Rose wrote on the Maryland Moment blog posted earlier this year (look at the second comment) I had to ask was that his wife, Rosalind Mitchell, masquerading as a neutral supporter? (Rose is his mother's maiden name.) He claims no.
Again the wrestler in him makes his move (in this case pitch). "She (Edwards) is a lot like Wynn... her base is not as big (as she thinks it is)," he claims.
Where is your money coming from?
I reviewed his two 2007 FEC filings. He has just over $55,000 cash on hand. Most of his money are from family members. His family names are Rose, English and Mitchell. His wife's maiden name was St. Amont. So I have him with 78% of his money coming from family (see graph below). Not exactly a groundswell of grassroots support for man proclaiming to be the "People's Congressman". He tells me that he has now raised over $100,000 an increase of 33% from his last filing. And earlier this week he was reported to say he has people pledged to raise $200,000 for his race.
So what is George Mitchell like?
He would not be a detailed legislator such as Ben Cardin or Paul Sarbanes. He does not have the depth of working in a legislature as they have done. I like candidates for legislatures who know their way around a legislature. Seems basic.
While Mitchell would not be the guy going over a bill line-by-line, there is still a place for someone like him. It would be in the networking and working with others who do the detail work. He is a hard guy not to like. He really does like to bring people together.
He believes he is the true alternative to Wynn, not Edwards. I hear it in his voice. A Doubting Thomas does not make a long shot race against a well funded challenger AND an incumbent Congressman. George Mitchell believes he will win and I have learned to respect wrestlers.
Blogger note: Next up Jason Jennings.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
That Other Congressional District
Most MoCo residents live in Congressional District 8 (I do) and therefore are represented by Chris Van Hollen. But almost a third of the county residents are located in Congressional District 4 (CD4) and therefore are represented by Al Wynn (official site). Ok and those people of Damascus are in yet a third district. But with 29 days to the primary I thought it would educational to meet and interview all of the six candidates running in the Democratic primary in CD4, where we will the potential to have the closest primary contest in the state.
Last election cycle, a mere 17 months ago, there were two challengers to Rep. Wynn (campaign site): Donna Edwards and George McDermott, between the two challengers they had a plurality of the votes. Not a good sign for an incumbent. The closeness of that race has spawned three additional candidates: George Mitchell, Jason Jennings and Michael Babula making for a crowded six person race. To help sort through things I thought it would be helpful to set down with each of them and get their opinions on the key issues.
So beginning this week I will be interviewing the candidates and posting here. Let me know if there are any questions that I should pose to the candidates. No below the belt comments, please there are other blogs for that.
First up will be the only newcomer in the race: Upper Marlboro Businessman George Mitchell.
