Edwards Kicks Off Her House Campaign

By Rosalind S. Helderman and Nelson Hernandez
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, July 5, 2007

Congressional candidate Donna F. Edwards showed some sole at the official kickoff of her second campaign against Rep. Albert R. Wynn (D-Md.) Saturday.

Edwards, a lawyer and activist who surprised many when she came within three percentage points of knocking off the eight-term incumbent in September's Democratic primary, had a special prop for her campaign event at Watkins Regional Park: flip-flops.

They were meant to highlight what Edwards contends is a recent Wynn conversion to progressive causes that came about only after his election scare. The small, colorful plastic shoes came with messages attached suggesting Wynn has changed positions many times, including on the Iraq war, health care and tax breaks for oil companies.

The attached cards asked: "Who is the real Al Wynn?"

Edwards threw several pairs into her crowd of several dozen supporters and pledged a campaign that will highlight environmental issues, economic justice and ending the war.

She challenged Wynn to meet her in at least five debates before the Feb. 12 primary.

"We want to talk about the issues -- anytime, anywhere," she said.

Wynn has said Edwards is mischaracterizing his positions, particularly on the war. He said he first called his 2002 vote to authorize the use of force in Iraq a mistake in 2004, and he now belongs to the House of Representative's Out of Iraq caucus.

Among those in the crowd at Edwards's Saturday event were Montgomery County Council member Valerie Ervin (D-Silver Spring), who has known Edwards since the two attended an Albuquerque high school together while their fathers were stationed at the same Air Force base. Ervin said Edwards was president of their student body.

Ervin said she knew that Wynn has been spending a lot of time in Montgomery since Edwards beat him in that portion of their district in September. "I think the congressman has done a good job of convincing people that he's paying attention and that she's made him a better congressman," Ervin said.

George E. Mitchell, a real estate agent from Upper Marlboro, is also running.

Also in attendance were Prince George's County Council member Ingrid M. Turner (D-Bowie), former delegate Obie Patterson, former council candidate Phil Lee and Democratic Central Committee Chairman Terry L. Speigner.

"I can't pick sides," said Speigner, who noted that he represents all county Democrats. Along with about 1,000 others, Speigner also attended Wynn's kickoff event June 8.

Glenarden Special Election

The city of Glenarden probably will have another special election this month to choose a council member and settle a feud that's been brewing between the mayor and City Council since the first votes were cast May 7.

That's when two-term council incumbent Margaret Dade lost her seat after she was barred from the ballot by the city's Board of Elections, which ruled she was ineligible to run because was late in submitting a $20 fee.

Shortly after the election, the City Council overruled the elections board, ordering a special election for the seat, with Dade eligible to take part. The council wanted the election June 6, the same day Mayor John W. Anderson was facing a runoff election against challenger Gail Carter in his quest to retain his position.

That's when things got ugly. The elections board refused to schedule the election without instructions from a court, a move supported by the mayor. Anderson suspended the city manager as part of the dispute, then changed the locks at City Hall to keep the manager from his office. The council quickly reinstated him. At last, the matter landed in court.

On Thursday, a Circuit Court judge sided with the City Council, ordering that Dade's name appear on the ballot during the special election that will be July 23, according to one of the attorneys involved. Dennis Whitley, the attorney, said the two women who had won election on May 7 from Dade's ward were considering an appeal.

Potomac Public Charter School

The future of the Potomac Public Charter School remained unsettled last week after a Prince George's County Circuit Court judge extended an injunction keeping the school open -- but only until Wednesday.

The Prince George's County Board of Education voted to revoke the school's charter last month following an audit that revealed accounting problems. The school's board of directors said it hoped to work out a compromise with the Board of Education that would allow the school to remain open and address the problems identified in an internal audit.

But when an attorney for the charter school, Tiffany Alston, and an attorney for the school system, Roger Thomas, met in court, it was clear that a diplomatic solution was not in the offing. After a brief legal debate, the discussion fell to the broader issue of whether the school should continue to exist.

The school in Fort Washington, which opened during the 2006-07 school year and has about 130 students from kindergarten through fifth grade, has had problems with its finances. The school's backers blame that on inadequate funding and say the school's students have performed well academically. A look at Maryland School Assessment scores shows that while the school's students generally scored better than the county's average in reading, they lagged in math.

Judge Thomas P. Smith called his courtroom "an inappropriate forum to resolve this dispute" and punted the issue to the State Board of Education, where the school's backers have a right to appeal the county school board's decision. Smith seemed to indicate that the state board could extend the injunction on its own, which would prevent the school system from reclaiming property at the school and reassigning students and staff.

Thomas did not seem entirely pleased with the decision, noting that it cost $73,000 a month to keep the school open and that a sudden reassignment of people at the school, if it closes, would be a disservice to the public.

Afterward, Alston criticized the school board's unwillingness to negotiate a solution and said an appeal to the state board was likely soon.

"We have not heard one thing from that [county] board that remotely resembles the opportunity to negotiate," she said. "They haven't even called the people who elected them back."

"I think those opportunities have existed," R. Owen Johnson Jr., the school board's chairman, said that night, adding that board members had made their decision because of the results of the audit.