I talked with former Delegate and current candidate for Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker (D) about how he feels about his chances in the race and commented on a picture in the Washington Post from 2008.
The campaign for Rushern Baker is reporting that they raised over $200,000 in a one year period through January 14 of this year. The campaign eliminated the majority of its debts, except obligations pending negotiations, and they add that they are prepared for an aggressive run for the office of Prince George’s County Executive in 2010.
Baker, a former state delegate said that the campaign “Welcome the show of confidence in our campaign from around the county. The willingness of people and businesses to support positive change where they live and work through their financial contributions keeps me humble.” Baker added that while the dollar count now, the ideas will make the difference in 2010.
What is the old saying…things come in three’s? Well lets examine this…
1. then-Rep. Ben Cardin has a civilized campaign against former NAACP President Kweisi Mfume.
2. Myself and Greg Kline have a civil discussion on Ronald Reagan.
3. former Del. Rushern Baker gives kudos to Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker.
In a letter to The Gazette this week, Baker said that Johnson deserves praise for his role in managing the county’s ability to pay debts, in addition to saving county taxpayers possibly millions of dollars with its improved AAA bond rating from Standard’s and Poor.
Baker notes that he and Johnson differ on many issues but says that both share the same goal of wanting the best for Prince George’s County. He also notes the crowd that I am in by saying “some might argue the expansion of the county’s tax-based and
diversified economic profiles started before Mr. Johnson, Mr. Johnson
at a minimum has allowed that growth to continue.”
He is absolutely right in this statement. Many new comers would change the plans of their predecessor and use their own ideas. However, it should also be noted that for a guy who was called a loser by the very man he is praising, it shows that the former County Executive candidate is not only a winner, but he is a very mature individual.
Mr. Baker, I know you weren’t doing this to prop your name up, but I have to give you your just due as well as my kudos for taking the high road.
Thanks to a tip from The Gazette this weekend, someone posted the six television ads that were used by the Friends of Rushern Baker on YouTube under the user name RusherBaker. Remember, these ads appeared in 2006 when Johnson BARELY beat Baker in the primary.
Not that I have any love loss for Prince George’s County Executive Jack Johnson (D)…ok, I can’t stand him. However, I am upset that most of my fellow Prince Georgians thought he was worth re-electing (I didn’t, which is why I wrote in Rushern Baker that year.) I have to ask why would anyone re-elect a man who creates his own words, let alone proclaim rape is NOT a crime (one of the videos featured uses an interview clip from WTOP (103.5FM) which aired on May 5, 2005).
In any event, click here to see for yourself. Baker has made plans to run for County Executive in 2010.
More details are coming to light in regards to the selection of Prince George’s County Councilman David Harrington (D-Dist. 4) to finish the term of the late State Sen. Gwendolyn Britt (D) from the 47th District….OK, the newspaper came to my house late yesterday, hence why I am typing about this right now, and a special thanks to The Certain Liberal Blogger for pointing this out for once.
The headline in The Washington Post said it best, “Johnson Was Force In Senate Selection.”
A new angle this Saturday Night, it turns out that Prince George’s County Executive Jack Johnson intervened in the proceedings of the county’s Democratic Central Committee, to help deny his rival former Delegate and candidate for County Executive Rushern Baker a chance to fill a seat that was originally created for him in 2002 when the new state legislative districts were drawn.
As I told you yesterday, the former Bladensburg Mayor won the seat by one vote. A narrow defeat for Baker, similar to the five percent loss he received in the 2006 race for the Democratic primary for County Executive. You would think with the small margin of victory, Johnson would know how to at the very least be humble…or what we Prince Georgean’s really want Johnson to do…shut up.
Johnson in the Post, “Rushern Baker doesn’t want to work for the people — he just wants to run for office. I don’t want to call him a loser, but that’s basically what he is.” This coming from a guy that ran – literally – from Baker when he was confronted about a future debate during Free Vote 2006.
Baker dismissed Johnson’s classless comments and expressed gratitude about Johnson’s concern about his activities. “I think he has some bigger problems we need to address in this county.” Sir, that is just putting it lightly.  Johnson is planning to make a run for county executive in 2010.
Harrington, who appreciated Johnson’s backing, said that him and Baker remain on good terms, although he can appreciate Johnson’s perspective based on 2006. Dem Central Committee Chairman Terry Speigner rejected the idea that Johnson’s rivalry with Baker had an effect on the outcome.
Governor Martin O’Malley is expected to formally appoint Harrington to the empty Senate seat real soon.
Also real soon, I can guarantee a special Chronicle coming up on the classless person running Prince George’s County, Jack Johnson. It’s a podcast you definately do not want to miss.
The list is short but it’s long enough in a way with former Delegate Rushern Baker, Prince George’s County Sheriff Michael Jackson and State’s Attorney Glenn Ivey. What do these three have in common? They have higher aspirations, County Executive.
Thank God current Executive Jack Johnson is term limited. The winner in this current three way horse race, gets to clean up the mess that Johnson would have done over a total eight year period. Now I know what you are probably thinking, Johnson brought National Harbor, The Boulevard and Bowie Town Center. I will tell you that Johnson benefited from his predecessor Wayne Curry. Then I will tell you that crime has gone up since Johnson has took office and he never really tackled the problem, short of treating landlords and clubowners like Elliot Ness.
Baker, in my opinion, got hosed. For the man who set the Board of Education along with the school system on the successful path that it is currently on under Superintendent John Deasy, Johnson owed him a debate. I am guessing that whoever ran Johnson’s campaign stated knew that Johnson didn’t have a leg to stand on and advised no debate. Congratulations Johnson, you pulled an O’Malley. No wonder when everyone was crying snub, you kept quiet.
So, now we get to the price tag. Baker tells The Gazette that you need $1.5 million to play in 2010. I will not be surprised if that figure goes up between now and then. You should also note that Jackson is taking classes at DeVry so he can obtain his Bachelor’s in Technical Management. He is two semester’s away from graduating and wants to obtain his Master’s by 2010. He’s probably aiming for one of those 18-month programs, which I don’t blame him. One other side note, Ivey endorsed Baker last year.
I like all three of these guys. I like Johnson because he is expanding the role of the Sheriff Department. I like Ivey because he exerted more leadership than Johnson and the County Council, combined. He took the bull by the horns in two recent cases involving officials being indicted and in the past, he has stepped aside in cases that he would feel a conflict of interest in. Baker, I like because he had enough common sense to see a failing school system being ran by a dysfunctional board who was more concerned about where a superintendent sits than making sure we didn’t stoop to the same level of Baltimore City (we are one step above, literally.)
But I would feel better if Ivey and Jackson would run for re-election as opposed to County Executive. I would like to see Ivey get support for putting criminals behind bars and I would like Jackson continue expanding the Sheriff department as much as he can. Baker has would not have been in elected office for eight years by the time 2010 rolls around. By then, I’m sure his name would be better known as compared with the other two anyway. Since he never technically stopped campaigning from the last time, he would have met every possible person moving into or living in Prince George’s County anyhow.
P. Kenneth Burns is the editor/writer of Maryland Politics Today. He can be reached at kennyburns@marylandpolitics.us.
