For Congress, here?s what?s measuring up.
In a rare move for candidates, Paula Hollinger actually mentions that, at 4 feet 10 inches, “she?s the shortest member of the Senate” in her first TV ad in the crowded race to replace Rep. Ben Cardin in Congress. “But wherever she goes, she leaves behind the biggest footprints,” says the ad which highlights her long legislative record as “Maryland?s Little Giant.”
In his first TV campaign ad, Michael Steele, 6 feet 4 inches, sitting on a stool on a stage bare except for his name, says, “I know what you?re thinking ? what you?re feeling. ? Instead of spin, I?ll talk straight about what?s wrong in both parties. ? to get a different kind of government, you?re gonna need a different kind of senator.”
Steele?s ad doesn?t mention that he?s lieutenant governor and a Republican, and it?s already drawn the scorn of Democrat Party Executive Director Derek Walker. “Independent? Hardly,” Walker said. “All the TV ads in the world can?t erase the fact that Michael Steele will be another vote for George Bush and Dick Cheney in the Senate.”
Steele press secretary Melissa Sellers said the television spot will run for two weeks in all four of Maryland?s media markets ? Baltimore, Washington, Hagerstown and Salisbury.
The most humorous of any of this year?s campaign commercials that will actually run on TV ? as opposed to funny Web ads only on the Internet ? is comptroller candidate Peter Franchot?s spot called “Pea.” It starts airing today in the Washington market.
In animation, it shows Franchot?s opponents for comptroller ? incumbent William Donald Schaefer and Anne Arundel County Executive Janet Owens ? as “peas in a pod with Gov. Bob Ehrlich. They?re both pro-slots and pro-sprawl.” Franchot, a Takoma Park Democrat, says he?s “the real Democrat” in the race, all charges he?s made many times before.
The grandmotherly Owens, in her second TV ad, again focuses on her record as executive, this time highlighting the conversion of a former black school in Annapolis into housing for the elderly, a youth club and a senior center.
Neither short nor tall, but titled “Big,” Cardin?s second campaign spot in his race for Senate talks about his legislative career standing up to drug, oil and insurance companies and to President Bush on the war in Iraq.
