To the Air in 4th District

Rosalind Helderman

Prince George's Attorney Donna F. Edwards is the first on TV in the tough race for Maryland's 4th Congressional District seat.

Her ad, which began running last Wednesday, targets incumbent U.S. Rep. Albert R. Wynn (D) for taking money from corporate political action committees, including nuclear power companies.

It features grainy video of Wynn going into a fundraiser at the Capitol Hill offices of Entergy, the nation's second largest producer of nuclear energy, earlier this month, and notes she's been endorsed by the Sierra Club and the League of Conservation Voters. (See the ad here.)

"When I'm in Congress, you won't have to stake me out a lobbyist headquarters to find me," Edwards says in the ad.

According to a media strategist for Edwards, who is running a tough and well-funded challenge to the eight-term congressman, the ad buy is a "modest and targeted" effort to reach likely voters and women. He said it is running several times a day on cable stations like Lifetime, Bravo and CNN, as well as during some local programming of broadcast networks.

The relatively early buy--the election is still more than two weeks away--suggests prospective voters may be seeing a lot of Edwards during their favorite programming between now and Feb. 12.

For his part, in an interview shortly after the fundraiser Wynn said he saw nothing wrong with the Entergy event, which he noted was within all guidelines for congressional fundraiser.

He said he favored expanded nuclear power generation as part of overall package to reduce greenhouse gases, including increased use of solar and wind energy and mandatory caps on emissions.

"If we're serious about dealing with climate change and energy independence, we have to consider nuclear as part of the portfolio," he said. "It has zero admissions. It has a perfectly good safety record."

Meanwhile, a Wynn aide said voters should expect to see the congressman follow Edwards to the airwaves shortly.

By Rosalind Helderman |  January 28, 2008; 1:35 PM ET  | Category:  Rosalind Helderman
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Comments

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86% of Edward's contributions are from outside Maryland. Why should voters of another state pick a Maryland Member of Congress? Showing that
Wynn is in favor of nuclear energy helps, not hurts him. If you are opposed to global warming, you have to be for nuclear power.

Posted by: Robin Ficker Broker Robin Realty | January 28, 2008 10:36 PM

Robin is jealous of any candidates who get any contributions. After years of self-funded ego trips (a.k.a. campaigns), where he always seems to fare poorly against contenders who raise contributions, Robin has decided to work on behalf of other Republican-like candidates such as Al Wynn.

Posted by: Fickered Out | January 29, 2008 12:06 AM

Donna Edwards needs to answer why she is getting 86% of her campaign funds from outside Maryland, if that is true.

Posted by: Why Out of State Funds? | January 29, 2008 8:51 AM

Where Donna gets her money doesn't matter as long as she doesn't rob a bank. What she is going to do in Congress is what counts.

Posted by: She Got Game | January 29, 2008 11:31 AM

Just because the PACs and Lobbyists who contribute to Al Wynn all have "inside the Beltway addresses" doesn't make them local contributions.

The question here is what percentage of contributions come from individuals vs. corporate and PAC donations. That is the telling number.

Smoke screen nonsense like the post above are simply an electioneering ploy.

Posted by: Mark Anderson Jr. | January 29, 2008 11:51 AM

It's time for Al Wynn to pay for his support of the Iraq war and for cheating on his wife and driving her crazy.

Posted by: tony | January 29, 2008 3:39 PM

Good grief, could we have a Robin Ficker free zone (RFFZ) for at least one election. I have been to several events and I never see you, including some close to your home in Boyds. So where do you come off as being an expert in this race. You don't live there.

Oh, your facts about how much money Donna has raised out from out-of-state contributors is horribly wrong.

Is it too much to ask if for once you would remain silent. Hey here's an idea concentrate on getting your legal license back. Then you can post about it on your personal blog, NewMoCoProgressive.


Posted by: MidCoMaven | January 29, 2008 4:06 PM

The Center for Responsive Politics said and the Washington Post reported on January 24 that 86% of Donna Edward's contributions came from outside Maryland. She has been campaigning since Nov. 2006. Why should the people of some other state be so interested in owning a Maryland Congressional seat? We only have 8. We can't afford to forfeit one to another state. The 86% of contributions outside Maryland should disqualify Donna Edwards, Donna Smith or Don Smith from representing Maryland in Congress. Our state's congressional seats belong to the voters, not to any one individual. Maryland's congressional seats are not for sale on the national stock exchange. I've seen Donna's door-hangers and signs. They have not been paid for by Marylanders. She should find another line of work and I shall tell her that on February 4 at P.G.
Community College.

Posted by: Robin Ficker Broker Robin Realty | January 29, 2008 10:54 PM

Ignore Robin, he's skipping his meds again.

Posted by: Fickered Out | January 30, 2008 12:01 PM

Fickered Out, MidCoMaven, and especially Tony its people like you guys that miss the big picture. Wake-up! What has Al Wynn cheating on his wife got to do with him doing his job? All at the same time, Donna is doing the very same thing she accuse Al of. She accepted 86% of her campaign dollars from special interest groups. What really is sad, Donna and people like youselves believe her group or choices are better than Al's. My question is where does voters come in here? Or do they matter? Al Wynn has the ear of the people, not influenced by media, gifts, and fear tactics. He reaches out and touch the people with people that look like him around him. Al is not playing "Got-cha politics" with our lives in this day and time. Al's concerns and delivery has been that of the people. He has the experience and honor in leadership that is not questioned by Prince Georgians, maybe a little from Montgomery County, but mostly from those who has an interest in controlling his vote, our vote. Histroy continues to repeat itself, positioning us to fight us! We in Prince Georges are tire of it. We are tire of well financed media fights! We are sick to death of smoke screens. We want the real hands-on facts of who has done what and what do they plan to do next to benefit the whole? In my opinion, Donna represents slavery! She represents white money used time and time again to destroy Black communities and causes. The non-profit she heads, and the types of organizations she's associated with are her choices and in many cases are needed causes. However, when one is used to dictate or force their cause upon others for individual gain or belief, is just wrong. And this is Donna Edward in my view and view of many other "Marylanders!"

Posted by: Lisa | January 30, 2008 1:28 PM

I just don't get it. Donna Edwards and Albert Wynn. They both receive corporate and out of state money. We can't jump out of the frying pan and into the fire. I can't see the difference between the two. Albert has already sold his soul and donna is trying to sell hers.Why can't we just have a candidate who cares about the constiuents and forget about all that out of state and PAC's stuff. OH, we do have such a candidate---George E. Mitchell. He is the only one who can compete with Wynn and Edwards, not because he has just as much money but because he is a great guy. He has the right attitude and compassion for people in the 4th district. The district is mostly Black and none of the other candidates seem to realize that. We need more opportunities for who we are. Al hasn't done it and poor Donna. I really think she wants to be White. She has no idea what it is to be a black female. If she did she sure seems to me she has lost it. I'm not voting for Wynn because he has failed us but donna scares me. She doesn't seem to be honest or sincere.She is so bent on winning she may have a nervous break down if she doesn't. She really is unstable and scares me. I'm going with Mitchell.

Posted by: Joyce Wade | February 8, 2008 9:07 PM

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