Democratic County Executive Candidate Ken Ulman?s name is not on a Web site blasting his Republican opponent Christopher Merdon, but Ulman?s campaign site shares the same Internet host company.
“This is dirty politics at best,” Howard County Council Member Merdon, R-District 1, said in response to www.therealchris.com. “Ken Ulman is hiding behind the Democratic Party when he slings his mud.”
The site claims the authority of the Maryland Democratic Party and slams Merdon?s position on several issues.
The site and www.kenulman.com are hosted by Sonoma County Internet in California.
Campaign finance documents show that Ulman?s campaign has been paying for services with the company for more than a year.
“We have never tried to distance ourselves from it,” said Howard CountyCouncil Member Ulman, D-District 4.
Ulman declined to discuss his campaign strategy.
“Folks want to spread conspiracy theories,” he said. “If folks don?t like the fact that their records are being pointed out, it?s part of the campaign.”
This site is “not unusual,” said David Paulson, communications director for the Maryland Democratic Party, adding that the party not only pays for www.therealchris.com, but also www.therealsteele.com, which blasts Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, Republican U.S. Senate candidate.
“There is cooperation between the Ulman campaign and the Democratic Party,” said Paulson, who declined to discuss the level of Ulman?s involvement.
David Keelan, former Howard County Republican Club president and political blogger who drew the connection between the two sites, said by not putting his name on the site, Ulman was trying to avoid a backlash from negative campaigning.
“How do you minimize the backlash? You don?t put your name or your fingerprints on it,” he said.
