Recently, both District 30 Candidate Judd Legum and County Executive Candidate Joanna Conti, both Democrats, sent out news releases touting their fundraising success. I have registered my objections about such campaign tactics and over-reliance on fundraising data, but they, as well as former Mayoral Candidate Trudy McFall replied the same when I raised concerns right here over a year ago. They all answer back that it takes money to get elected and they have to do it. A lamentable fact of politics it may be, do they really have to play the game???. I don't pin the blame on them personally, and yes, campaigning takes enormous time and energy and it costs money as well, but....isn't there more???
It all proves how we need massive campaign reform...but considering the recent 5-4 Supreme Court decision on corporate speech...well, we can all pray...
I scrutinized campaign donations to many candidates and even Mayor Cohen and expressed serious concerns about his deep-pocket donors and out-of-state and out-of-jurisdiction donors. Ever the politician, Cohen had smooth answers to all objections. He, like Legum, tried to prove how his donors were mainly small, local voters, or old friends, or friends of friends, but according to Griffiths, there may be more to Legum's fundrsiaing than simply small-time donors. However, I heartily disagree with Griffiths's leap to a conclusion and I really am unnerved by his strident personal attacks on Legum (especially in his follow-up piece).
Now, here's the rub.....
Legum recently reported that he raised a lot of money and took pains to emphasize that most of it was from individual donors of under $100. Look--all I care about is that you are getting local support. Do the reports show that or not? Part of the problem is that local voters don't seem to contribute all of what is needed, but at the same time, buying media, printing signs etc. costs a lot of money.
Although it pains me to refer to arch- conservative, extremist, super-partisan blogger Brian Griffiths, I recommend that voters read his take on the matter. I have not reviewed the official reports, but admittedly rely on Griffith's take here. He delves into it and makes a lot of good points. At first he apparently missed that a certain out-of-state donor is in his wife's family, and he should have checked with Legum first, as I did with Cohen, Pierre and McFall when I analyzed their reports. (Griffiths tries to explain his way out of it, but all he had to do was the simple and appropriate thing--ask Legum!)
So....let me repeat....it pains me to refer to Griffiths who has gleefully slandered and attacked me in the past, but hey--that's his modus operandi for anyone to the left of Atilla The Hun. While he never asked me for any input other than challenging me to some sort of online debate, which I ignored, and I do not read his blog regularly, I did come across this reference to Legum specifically but for your information, here is the link....http://redmaryland.blogspot.com/2010/01/truth-behind-judd-legums-fundraising.html
Now, please note this in case it has not registered yet. Readers know that I try to equally bash and praise Republicans and Democrats alike. If I see fundraising "flags" from members of either party, I try to get to the story. Unlike Griffiths and some other hyperconservatives who never met a Democrat or Liberal they liked, I try to be an equal opportunity exploiter. (If recently departed Senator Mathias were in office, Griffiths and his ilk would probably be calling him a commie, pinko, effeminate leftist). So again, it pains me to refer to Griffiths, but hat tip to him for looking into this. When the day comes that he does the same for a Republican or Conservative, say for example, Herb McMillan, I'll eat my hat. And then I'll take the tip.
A RESPONSE FROM JUDD LEGUM:
I read your recent post which I thought was quite fair.
I was writing to let you know that Stephen Thibodeau wrote a response to his piece on Maryland Politics Watch:
http://maryland-politics.
It might be beneficial to your readers to check out an alternative take.
My only other note is that I'm not taking any funds from PACs or Maryland lobbyists. I have over 120 contributions from within District 30. Have I also accepted money from friends, relatives and other supporters who don't live in Maryland? Yes.
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1 Comment:
That's a nice comparison of far-right and far-left.
Are you sure you're not plugging Mr. Griffiths? I think you printed his name so much it would be flattering even while demonizing him for being callously right. What I really like about the contrast is the meat of the material, through all the slant, is what mainstream media should be covering in a flat tone. Professional media has no business slanting who raised money from who. If the money was raised by non-voting entities the candidate should speak to it and state that he will recuse himself should that entity have a stake in a bill, at least if the donation is a significant amount, say, more than the average of all donations. That should include family, but out of state family is irrelevant in a state election because how would they have stake? Unless they have a private island in the Magothy... Then it would be good to put a lid on that as well.
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