More news out of Maryland today:
x YouTube VideoAs the high-profile contest for Maryland's open Senate seat erupted Wednesday into fight over an attack ad paid for by an outside group, Rep. Donna F. Edwards' campaign released a new spot criticizing her opponent on the same issue -- suggesting he helped to negotiate a carve out for the gun lobby.
The Edwards ad, which the campaign said would air in Baltimore and "briefly" in Washington, features the mother of McKenzie Elliott, a 3-year-old girl killed by a stray bullet in Waverly two years ago. It is the second ad from Edwards' campaign -- and both have dealt with the issue of gun reform.
"There are just too many guns on our streets in the wrong hands and nothing will change until we break the gun lobby's stranglehold on Washington," Edwards says to the camera. "So when my opponent and the NRA cut a backroom deal so they could keep buying off politicians, I called them on it, and we won."
House Democrats, eager to roll back the impact of the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United, were attempting to press a campaign disclosure bill through Congress in 2010 that was crafted by Rep. Chris Van Hollen. To bring more Democrats on board, House leaders included an exemption of the reporting requirements for National Rifle Association. Lawmakers later tweaked the bill to exempt a broader array of groups.
The bill passed 219-206. The vast majority of Democrats, 217, supported the measure. But 36, including Edwards, voted against. The measured later died in the Senate, failing to capture the 60 votes needed to suspend debate.
Edwards, of Prince George's County, has for months argued the deal represented a caving to the gun lobby. Van Hollen, of Montgomery County, has countered that there were bigger issues at stake, and has pointed out that many other liberal Democrats, including Baltimore Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, also supported the measure.
Unless the other Democratic candidate in the primary is absolutely awful (Blanche Lincoln, Rahm Emanuel, Joe Lieberman, Stephen Lynch, Debbie Wasserman Schultz), I normally don’t like to cheer on ads of Democrats bashing each other, even if it’s from the candidate that I back. But there are occasions where Democrats in primaries make weak or stupid arguments against each other. Van Hollen complains that Edwards isn’t bipartisan enough to get things done, trying to maker her out as the liberal equivalent version of the Tea Party. But this ad shows that Van Hollen as another career politician scoring backroom deals. In this case, it’s to exempt the NRA to weaken a real bill to deal with campaign finance reform.
The polls cary from Edwards and Van Hollen with slight leads but one thing for sure is it’s going to be a tight primary all the way until April 26th. It’s all about who comes out to the polls and Democracy for America is helping Edwards’ campaign get the boost it needs:
Rep. Donna Edwards (D. MD)If we win this primary election on April 26th, I will be on the road to be the second black woman elected to the U.S. Senate in history. I won't run away from that, and I say it again and again because it matters. It matters that a black woman's voice is at the table when we're talking about how to expand Social Security, Medicare, and healthcare coverage for all. Because it's just a fact that for women, particularly for most older black women, Social Security is their main source of income at the end of their lives. It matters that a black mother is at the table when we talk about fixing a broken criminal justice and policing system. One who's had "the talk" with her son about how to interact with police so he stays safe. And it matters that the granddaughter whose grandparents were denied access to the polls is at the table when we are fighting to restore voting rights. If you believe that the voices of black mothers need to be at the table in the United States Senate, join DFA members across the country and get on the record as an official supporter with a contribution right now. We are being outraised every day and only you can close the gap.
Making a difference isn't easy. And neither is making history. We never thought something that has only been done once before in our country's 240-year history would be. But despite being outraised and seeing the special interests line up against us, we're in a position to win. That's because of grassroots supporters like you. Will you make sure everyone knows we're ready to make history and win this fight? Get on the record as an official supporter and make sure the voices of all Americans are represented in the U.S. Senate. Thank you for being a part of this, - Donna Donna Edwards Congresswoman and candidate for U.S. Senate (Maryland)