Letter: Ruben is not Rove
There have been a lot of accusations of Karl Rove tactics in the race for District 20 State Senate. What would be a Karl Rove tactic? Would it be spin on your message, claiming that you are running so that you can “take back Maryland for the Democrats?” Would that be done by unseating a Republican? Or unseating the most senior and powerful progressive Democratic woman in the Senate?
Would a Karl Rove tactic be having a campaign operative sign onto a neighborhood email list (in a neighborhood nowhere near where he resides) solely to trash your opponent and anyone on the list who supports your opponent or questions your candidate’s tactics? That is exactly what happened in Takoma Park when a Raskin campaign operative signed on and trashed Ida Ruben and then me when I expressed concerns about the Raskin campaign.
Would a Karl rove tactic be to claim you take no campaign contributions from business entities when your official financial filing shows that you do? Would a Karl rove tactic be to attack your opponent incessantly and then accuse her of negative campaigning?
Ida Ruben didn’t know me at all when I called her office last February and asked if she would sponsor legislation to remove mercury switches from junk vehicles before they are melted and the mercury can get into the food chain. She didn’t hesitate. And I was amazed to learn that she was the second most powerful person in the State Senate and the most powerful woman. I was more amazed with the tenacity and drive with which she pursued our bill, how she got it to sail through the Senate, and how she fought to get it through the House right up until the end of the session.
I want someone in Annapolis who knows her job and who pursues it with dedication and integrity. I want someone to represent me who reflects my values of honesty, solid analysis, and policies that support the public good. I’ll be voting for Ida Ruben on September 12th and I hope you will, too.
— Catherine Tunis
Takoma Park, MD