I was planning to vote for Tom Perez in the primaries on September 12th. His record, along with his promise to go after corporate greed and corruption in the state had impressed me big-time.
What changed my mind? The courts - that's what. They helped the corporate big-shots and their protectors knock a good man out of the running by declaring that he hadn't fulfilled the requirements of the job - to have been a practicing attorney in the state of Maryland for the past 10 years.
Since the court announced their decision, I've been wondering who to vote for on the 12th. There are two candidates left in the race for the nomination as far as I can tell, and I don't know much about either of them though I get a sense that Gansler's no progressive.
A colleague of mine just sent around a note from Perez in which he endorses one of the remaining candidates, and I thought I'd share it here for any other Marylanders who'd planned to vote for Perez, and are now trying to decide what to do. I hope it helps...
Dear Friend,
Last Friday was a dark day for democracy and the democratic process in Maryland. We saw the continuation of the troubling trend of elections being decided in the courtroom and not the ballot box. Relying apparently on the plain language of the Constitution, the Maryland Court of Appeals struck down an initiative to make the voting process more accessible to the people of Maryland. Then, apparently ignoring the plain language of the Maryland Constitution, the Court of Appeals disregarded the opinion of Attorney General Joe Curran, and a Circuit Court judge, and ruled that the voters will not get the opportunity to vote for the candidate of their choice in the Attorney General race. History will not look kindly on these actions.
In my reflections of the past few days, I have thought long and hard about the remaining days of the AG's race. I have received many emails and calls asking me about the AG's race, including emails from people saying that they intend to vote for me anyway, because they are so disgusted with the Court of Appeals. I am frustrated too, but now is not the time or place to cast protest votes. The office is simply too important, and the stakes are too high.
Now is the time and place to cast a vote for Stu Simms to be our next Attorney General.
I have known Stu for a number of years, and I know his partners in his firm very well. Stu is a man of vision, integrity and great experience. He is a true progressive. The son of steelworkers, he has confronted struggles in his own life. We are all a product of our life experiences, and Stu's life experiences prepare him for a job in which a principal function is looking out for the underdog, the most vulnerable. Stu is a former prosecutor, but he understands that the AG's office is about prosecuting bad guys, and so much more. He has the breadth and depth of experience that matches the breadth and depth of the job responsibilities. And he is a man of impeccable character and integrity, and the Attorney General sets the ethical tone in the state. He is a very worthy successor to Joe Curran, and I endorse him with great enthusiasm.
PLEASE, CLICK HERE TO VISIT STU SIMMS' WEBSITE. PLEASE, CONTRIBUTE WHAT YOU CAN AND SIGN UP FOR STU'S CAMPAIGN!http://www.stusimms2006.com/
I am deeply humbled by the outpouring of support from so many corners. I want to thank my staff and volunteers for their unflinching loyalty to me and to the cause of justice. When we first met, one of my staff members mentioned that he worked FOR Tom Perez. I corrected him immediately, and reminded him of something that I have carried with me throughout my career: prepositions matter. He worked WITH Tom Perez, not for Tom Perez, and we have been a wonderful team that had really hit stride. I am forever grateful for your willingness to drop everything and work for peanuts.
I want to thank all the unions, environmentalists, and other progressives who supported me throughout my campaign. I will cherish the many days and nights I spent with SEIU members across this state talking about the need for health care for all. I recall August 1st, when we spent the entire evening in Prince George's counties attending "First Night" events. We danced to the music of Al Green, who said "Let's Stay Together," in "Good and Bad, Happy and Sad." We had some good and happy times together, and we've endured some bad and sad times over the past few days, but make no mistake about one thing: I may no longer be a candidate for Attorney General, but working together, we will always be champion for working men and women, the underdog, and for the most vulnerable.
Finally, I want to thank my family for putting up with me over these past few months. My wife and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary on Sunday, and she has always been my rock, no more so than now. I was helping my 10 year old daughter with her math homework last night and I came across an assignment she completed in her first day of school yesterday in which she answered a number of questions, one of which called upon her to name one person she considered to be her hero. On her sheet, she listed three simple letters: DAD. It was a poignant, timely reminder to me on what is truly important. She asked me awhile ago: "what happens if you don't win?" I told her that it would be far worse not to try, than to try and not succeed. I believe that today as much as any day.
Thank you once again for all your support.
Sincerely,
Tom Perez
So that's it - make sure you get yer butt to the polls on the 12th and vote. I'm still up in the air on a few of the races but on the AG's race I'm cyrstal clear - Stu Simms is getting my vote.