DISTRICT 26 SHOWDOWN: Delegate Veronica Turner Leaving Maryland House to Challenge State Senator Anthony Muse

UPDATE:  In addition to Delegate Veronica Turner, Brian Woolfolk (an attorney and policy advocate) will be challenging State Senator Anthony Muse in the 2014 Democratic Primary.

A Maryland Juice source reported last week that Delegate Veronica Turner is challenging State Senator Anthony Muse in the June 2014 Democratic Primary. Turner and Muse are colleagues in Maryland's 26th legislative district in Prince George's County, and already former Maryland Democratic Party Executive Director David Sloan has announced a campaign for the forthcoming D26 open seat in the House of Delegates.

We contacted Delegate Turner about her future plans, and she confirmed that she will be challenging Anthony Muse for State Senate. She also provided us with the following flyer inviting supporters to "an exciting campaign announcement" this Monday:

GUEST ANALYSIS: Maryland Lawmakers Who Are Out of Step With Their Voters // PLUS: Baltimore Election Results Mapped

UPDATE: Delegate Galen Clagett sent us a response to the post below, where he explains that though he voted against final passage of the Dream Act, his objection was to any bills that required money that year. See his message below:

DELEGATE GALEN CLAGETT: Dear Juice, I wanted to respond to your posting on December 12 regarding Md lawmakers being perceived as "out of step" with their voters. I saw my name listed as voting against the Dream Act and wanted to clarify something not contained within a simple accounting of votes, that is, a fiscal note.

To be sure, I supported this important legislation when it came before the House previously (and had no fiscal note), I also voted for it as a citizen in November. However, as a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I was unwilling to vote for any legislation this year that contained a fiscal note given our current budget situation. As you probably know, sometimes it is not the issue itself but the collateral impact thereof (esp. when it concerns the state budget) that determines how we have to vote.

I am proud to be know as a moderate Democrat and I work very hard to make sure that I represent my constituency in 3A when in Annapolis. As anything, numbers have stories, and those stories provide a great deal more information and perspective than the numbers alone. I would hope that you and your readers keep that in mind when reviewing actions taken during Session.

Sincerely,

Delegate Galen R. Clagett, 3A

Two Maryland Juice sources forwarded us worthwhile items about our state's recent Presidential Election results. The first tidbit is about Maryland lawmakers who may be out of touch with their voters, while the second discussion item is a series of maps depicting how voters in various parts of Baltimore voted in the November elections. We highlight a few of the interesting results below.

JUICE #1: POLITICIANS WHO MAY BE MORE CONSERVATIVE THAN THE VOTERS IN THEIR DISTRICT - An anonymous Maryland Juice source forwarded us a list of lawmakers who may be out of touch with their constituents. In particular, they sent us a spreadsheet of election results highlighting politicians who voted against the Dream Act and/or marriage equality, but who represent districts where a majority of voters supported either Question 4 or Question 6. In other words, these politicians may represent districts where the voters are more liberal than the elected officials. For at least some of these officials, these misfires might serve as warning signs that a challenge in a party primary could be more fruitful than they realize. Do elections have consequences?

POLITICIANS WHO OPPOSED THE DREAM ACT BUT WERE OVERRULED BY THEIR BOSSES (AKA THE VOTERS) - The two lists below show politicians who may be out-of-step with their districts. In particular, these politicians voted against the Dream Act but represent districts where a majority of voters voted "for" Question 4 at election day precincts. In short, these politicians misfired on one of the hottest issues in state and national politics this cycle. The Democratic Dream Act opponents below live in districts where voters supported in-state tuition for all Maryland students:

• Sen. James Brochin - [ Democrat ]
• Sen. Anthony Muse - [ Democrat ] - ( also voted against marriage equality )
• Sen. Bobby Zirkin - [ Democrat ]
• Del. John Bohanon - [ Democrat ]
• Del. Jon Cardin - [ Democrat ]
• Del. Galen Clagett - [ Democrat ]
• Del. Pete Hammen - [ Democrat ]
• Del. Sally Jameson - [ Democrat ] - ( also voted against marriage equality ) 
• Del. Steve Lafferty - [ Democrat ]
• Del. Brian McHale - [ Democrat ]
• Del. Dan Morhaim - [ Democrat ]
• Del. Dana Stein - [ Democrat ]

These Republicans live in districts where voters supported the Dream Act:

• Del. Sue Aumann - ( also voted against marriage equality )
• Del. Gail Bates - ( also voted against marriage equality )
• Del. Bill Frank - ( also voted against marriage equality )
• Del. Ron George - ( also voted against marriage equality )
• Del. Patrick Hogan - ( also voted against marriage equality )
• Del. Herb McMillan - ( also voted against marriage equality )
• Del. Warren Miller - ( also voted against marriage equality )

POLITICIANS WHO OPPOSED MARRIAGE EQUALITY BUT WERE OVERRULED BY THEIR BOSSES (AKA THE VOTERS) - The two lists below show politicians who may be out-of-step with their districts. In particular, these politicians voted against marriage equality but represent districts where a majority of voters voted "for" Question 6 at election day precincts. These politicians are not keeping up with their constituents on a major civil rights issue. The Democratic marriage equality opponents below live in districts where voters supported same-sex marriage rights:

• Sen. John Astle - [ Democrat ]
• Del. Sam Arora - [ Democrat ]
• Del. Talmadge Branch - [ Democrat ]
• Del. Steven Deboy - [ Democrat ] - ( also voted against Dream Act )
• Del. Cheryl Glenn - [ Democrat ]
• Del. Melvin Stukes - [ Democrat ]

These Republicans live in districts where voters supported marriage equality:

• Sen. Ed Reilly - ( also voted against Dream Act )
• Del. Gail Bates - ( also voted against Dream Act ) 
• Del. Ron George - ( also voted against Dream Act )
• Del. Michael Hough - ( also voted against Dream Act )
• Del. Tony McConkey - ( also voted against Dream Act ) 
• Del. Herb McMillan - ( also voted against Dream Act ) 
• Del. Warren Miller - ( also voted against Dream Act ) 
• Del. Kathy Vitale - ( also voted against Dream Act )

JUICE #2: SEN. BILL FERGUSON'S MAPS OF BALTIMORE ELECTION RESULTS  -  The second politico tidbit is that State Senator Bill Ferguson of Baltimore City has an interesting new series of maps on his website. Visitors can look at how different neighborhoods of voters in Baltimore weighed in on various ballot items, but we highlight a few interesting examples below:

Question 4 - Dream Act Results in Baltimore: (Green/Yellow = Support, Red/Orange = Oppose)

Question 6 - Marriage Equality Results in Baltimore: (Green/Yellow = Support, Red/Orange = Oppose)

You can check out more maps at Senator Ferguson's website.

SATURDAY: U.S. Senator Ben Cardin to Speak at Chestertown Tea Party Festival // I Know What You're Thinking....

Maryland Juice did a double-take when he received the following press release this morning (see below). U.S. Senator Ben Cardin announced an appearance at a Chestertown Tea Party event this Saturday. I was a little surprised, because earlier this year we scorched Mr. Cardin's Democratic Primary opponent State Sen. Anthony Muse for joining the Tea Party at a rally against marriage equality. 

Anti-Gay Group "NOM" Spent $10K on Anthony Muse's Senate Race, Pledges $1 Million to MD GOP Marriage Repeal Efforts

NOM DROPS $10,000 FOR ANTHONY MUSE: On Monday, Maryland Juice readers reported that the anti-gay extremist group NOM ("National Organization for Marriage") was robo-polling voters trying to turn out marriage equality opponents for State Senator Anthony Muse's failed U.S. Senate campaign. Yesterday the nonprofit Human Rights Campaign reported that NOM reported spending $10,000 on the effort:

HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN: Just filed FEC reports show that NOM spent $10,000 in last night's Maryland state primary hoping to push anti-equality Democrat C. Anthony Muse, a current state senator who voted against the marriage bill, above incumbent U.S. Senator Ben Cardin:

MD GOP CHAIR ALEX MOONEY ACCEPTS $1 MILLION FROM NOM: Notably, recent media reports indicate that the Maryland GOP is also planning on accepting this tainted money. Last Friday, The Gazette reported that MD GOP Chair Alex Mooney had admitted NOM pledged $1,000,000 to help the Republicans overturn marriage equality:

GAZETTE: Mooney expressed concern about the sustainability of petition efforts. The party got a $1 million commitment from the National Organization for Marriage and money from several other groups for the effort to overturn same-sex marriage.

Meanwhile, advocates around the nation see signs that NOM is becoming a political liability. The Chicago GoPride blog noted:

REPORT FROM THE FIELD: A Sign of Questionable Tactics from Anti-Marriage Equality Petition Gatherers

Rockville City Councilmember Tom Moore posted the following disturbing report on his Facebook page today. He mentions that a petition-gatherer at his polling location was gathering signatures to repeal marriage equality, but may have used questionable tactics to get LGBT-rights supporters to sign the haters' petition for repeal. The extreme right is spending massive resources trying to subject Maryland's newly passed marriage equality law to a repeal effort on November's ballot. See the irritating note below:

The report from Mr. Moore comes on the heels of yesterday's report that the anti-gay "National Organization for Marriage" (aka NOM) was robo-polling voters to try and identify marriage equality opponents to steer toward Anthony Muse's U.S. Senate campaign. NOM was also recently condemned by a Maryland NAACP leader for getting caught red-handed trying to stoke racial divisions by exploiting African American and Latino figures.

Anti-Gay Group "NOM" is Robo-Polling Voters on Behalf of State Senator Anthony Muse // MD NAACP Leader Condemns NOM

WILL MUSE CONDEMN THE HATER-ADE? - Maryland Juice readers are reporting that the anti-gay "National Organization for Marriage" (aka NOM) is robo-polling voters on behalf of U.S. Senate candidate Anthony Muse. They are calling Free State voters in an attempt to identify marriage equality opponents who they can push to support Mr. Muse in the Democratic Primary. A reader alerts us to the news:

NOM is doing robocalling for Muse today.  They ask you two questions after announcing the call is from NOM: (1) are you a registered voter in MD, (2) do you believe marriage should be believe a man and a woman.  If you answer yes to both, you get anti-marriage equality appeal to vote for Muse.

AFRO News Endorsements: Ben Cardin for U.S. Senate and Representatives Sarbanes, Edwards & Cummings for Re-Election

Maryland Juice just caught the following worthwhile endorsements from The Afro-American. In Tuesday's Democratic Primary, they support Ben Cardin for U.S. Senate and Representatives John Sarbanes (CD3), Donna Edwards (CD4) and Elijah Cummings (CD7) for Re-Election:

Baltimore Jewish Council Questions Sen. Anthony Muse's Controversial Campaign Flyer // News Coverage Snowballing

FLYERGATE NEWS COVERAGE SNOWBALLS: A few days ago Maryland Juice posted a copy of controversial campaign literature from U.S. Senate candidate Anthony Muse. The State Senator from Prince George's was distributing a sample ballot that urged voters to support an Obama-Muse ticket. Notably, President Obama has endorsed Sen. Ben Cardin for re-election. But more importantly, Muse's literature is generating heated criticism for highlighting the number of Jewish members of the U.S. Senate. Apparently this is not the first time he has employed this tactic.

The Washington Post today picked up the story and noted a non-response from Senator Muse:

Obama may be backing Cardin but that has not stopped Muse from seeking to link himself to the president. His campaign has distributed a “sample ballot” — a copy of which was posted online by the blog Maryland Juice — that says “Obama Muse Making History Together,” with pictures of the two men side by side. The same sample ballot includes a chart showing the composition of the U.S. Senate, noting that the chamber it has no African Americans. The chart also shows that there are 12 Jewish members of the Senate, even though Jews make up roughly 2 percent of the U.S. population. Cardin is Jewish, though the ballot does not mention that fact.

The flier drew criticism this week from the liberal group People for the American Way, which suggested on its blog that the chart “seems to go out of its way to imply there are too many Jews in the Senate. What legitimate reason is there to include a count of Jews in this tally, when there is no count of any other religious group?” Asked about the chart Wednesday, Muse dismissed the criticism.said, “This is nothing more than an attempt to be negative.”

MUSE KEEPS RAISING JEWISH REPRESENTATION, JEWS OFFENDED - The Baltimore Sun's John Fritze today noted that the head of the Baltimore Jewish Council is now questioning Sen. Muse's campaign literature:

The head of the Baltimore Jewish Council raised questions Wednesday about a campaign flyer from Democratic Senate candidate C. Anthony Muse that notes that there are no African-Americans serving in the U.S. Senate but that there are 12 Jews.

Muse, a state senator from Prince George's County is black. He is running against incumbent Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin, who is Jewish. The primary takes place Tuesday.

"I'm not happy with it," said Arthur C. Abramson, the council's executive director. "I would ask the candidate why the only religion he identified is Jewish...."

It's a contrast the campaign has drawn previously. Earlier this year Muse used his Twitter account to highlight a link to an article that discussed the number of Jews in the Senate. The campaign later deleted the tweet after it was noted by reporters.

Asked about the flyer, Muse campaign spokeswoman Brandi Calhoun said in an e-mail that it is "misleading and inaccurate, therefore we will have a response to that at the appropriate time."

The campaign did not respond when asked to clarify whether the Muse campaign had actually distributed the flyer or whether a third party was involved.

NO CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS FROM MUSE? - The Baltimore Sun article also notes that Muse's campaign has not filed any campaign finance reports with the FEC:

Muse's campaign, meanwhile, has never filed a campaign finance report with the Federal Election Commission as other candidates did last week. Calhoun said that Muse was not required to do so because he established his candidacy in February, late in the cycle. 

It's not clear why Muse's February entrance would exempt him from filing the pre-primary report, which was due March 22. The campaign did not respond to a follow up question seeking clarification.

Maryland Juice would point out that according to Anthony Muse's own campaign website, he became a candidate for the U.S. Senate on January 5th, 2011 and was in exploratory mode prior to that:

OY VEY!

Liberal Group Condemns Sen. Anthony Muse's Divisive Campaign Flyer // Marriage Equality Foes Admit Division is Goal

UPDATE: The national progressive blog Daily Kos has picked up the story of State Senator Anthony Muse's divisive flyer.

This week, Maryland Juice posted campaign flyers from State Senator Anthony Muse, who is currently trying to replace U.S. Senator Ben Cardin in the April Democratic Primary. We noted that Mr. Muse's literature may mislead voters into thinking that President Barack Obama had endorsed Muse, when in fact he had endorsed Senator Cardin for re-election. We also noted that Mr. Muse voted against the Dream Act and was a leading opponent of marriage equality in Maryland.

A number of readers, however, have also pointed out that Mr. Muse's literature seems to pit voters against Maryland's Jewish community. They point to the following portion of his literature:

One Maryland Juice reader commented:

...the anti-Semitism of that palm card just leaps off the page. Let's not forget that Ben Cardin is (ahem) Jewish. 

I particularly like the "subtle as a sledgehammer" use of "Jewish" alongside white, black, Hispanic and Asian, and the doubly insulting insinuation that Jews are something other than white. You stay classy, Anthony Muse. 

The overall thrust of this palm card, again beyond the lie, is Muse's completely transparent attempt to empower the African-American community by appealing to blatant bias against Jews. "Hey, look, THOSE people are overrepresented. That should be OUR Senate seat." Disgusting.

PEOPLE FOR THE AMERICAN WAY CONDEMNS MUSE LIT: The liberal advocacy group People for the American Way (PFAW) picked up on the story and is condemning Sen. Anthony Muse's literature. Trivia: PFAW's former head was Ralph Neas - the 1998 Democratic nominee for the 8th Congressional District.

Disturbing Campaign Literature in Maryland

...Muse, an African American minister in the Washington suburbs, is challenging Sen. Ben Cardin in a Democratic primary election next week. Cardin is Jewish. Maryland Juice has posted a copy of a Muse sample ballot reportedly being distributed at some early voting centers that seems to indirectly make Cardin's religion an issue. The second page notes the underrepresentation of African Americans and other people of color, but also seems to go out of its way to imply there are too many Jews in the Senate.

What legitimate reason is there to include a count of Jews in this tally, when there is no count of any other religious group? Noting that Jews are 12% of the Senate but only 1.8% of the population seems designed to stoke unwarranted and dangerous resentment among voters who are justifiably frustrated that there are no African Americans in the U.S. Senate today.

MARRIAGE EQUALITY OPPONENTS ADMIT GOAL IS TO TURN COMMUNITIES AGAINST EACH OTHER: Notably, PFAW's piece recent post about Muse also notes that the anti-LGBT group, the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), has also admitted that its goal is to stoke divisions between African American and Latino voters and other Democratic constituencies. Does this sound familiar to you? (Ahem  *cough* - Archbishop O'Brien & Anthony Muse).

PFAW commented:

The anti-gay National Organization for Marriage is being widely condemned as Americans learn from previously secret organizational documents the lengths it is willing to go in order to turn one community of Americans against another. This week, campaign literature from one of NOM's allies in the fight against equality, Maryland state senator Anthony Muse, is raising questions as to whether he is using similar methods himself.

HRC EXPOSES DIVISIVE TACTICS: If you haven't been following the new revelations about the disgusting, divisive tactics that are being employed by anti-LGBT activists, check out this recent article from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). They obtained copies of strategy documents, where the anti-marriage organizers detail the very strategies we are watching unfold in Maryland:

NATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF MARRIAGE: “The strategic goal of this project is to drive a wedge between gays and blacks—two key Democratic constituencies. Find, equip, energize and connect African American spokespeople for marriage, develop a media campaign around their objections to gay marriage as a civil right; provoke the gay marriage base into responding by denouncing these spokesmen and women as bigots…” 

Another passage: 

"The Latino vote in America is a key swing vote, and will be so even more so in the future, both because of demographic growth and inherent uncertainty: Will the process of assimilation to the dominant Anglo culture lead Hispanics to abandon traditional family values? We must interrupt this process of assimilation by making support for marriage a key badge of Latino identity - a symbol of resistance to inappropriate assimilation." 

On PDF page 12, it talks about “sideswiping Obama,” painting him as a “social radical” and talking about “side issues” like pornography.

MARYLAND JUICE CONCLUSION: Wow. So Sen. Anthony Muse -- who has appeared at Tea Party rallies to fire up the anti-LGBT base -- is playing directly into rightwing divide-and-conquer activist tactics (see their playbook here). NICE!

This is what happens when one part of the Democratic base tries to capitalize on hatred towards another part of the Democratic base. That's why we all need to hang together, and its why Sen. Anthony Muse has no future as a statewide candidate in Maryland or in national Democratic politics.

Sorry, but its the truth!

JPG: State Senator Anthony Muse's Misleading Party Flyer // Is Obama Supporting Muse Over Ben Cardin for U.S. Senate?

A Maryland Juice reader forwards us the following event poster for a party promoting State Senator Anthony Muse's campaign for U.S. Senate. We noted yesterday that Mr. Muse was handing out "Obama-Muse" sample ballots, even though President Obama has endorsed incumbent Sen. Ben Cardin in the race. Today, it appears as if Mr. Muse is doubling down on this misleading strategy. Is it just me or does the flyer below create confusion about Obama's role in the event ?

The poster comes with the following text:

It's Time to Rock the City! Rock the Party! Rock the Vote! Tues 3/27 6-9p at the Palladium The Biggest FREE Party hosted by ur fav promoter & DJ

Rock the City

Please Join Baltimore's Business Leaders, Community Activists, and Entertainment Producers for This Biggest Pre- Election Event in Maryland. Tuesday, March 27, 2012 The Marriott Inner Harbor, Baltimore, Md D 21201 6p-9p Featuring Baltimore Top DJs Cash Bar Admission: Free Attire: Festive

Rock the City Rock the Party Rock the Vote

Come Party for a Purpose and Protect Our House!!!

It's time to Vote! Early Primary Voting Saturday, March 24-Thursday, March 29 Vote April 3, 2012 C. Anthony Muse & President Barack Obama

Important links for Voter information.

http://www.muse-for-maryland.com/Background for Senator C. Anthony Muse Baltimore Native from Park Heights who is state senator for PG County http://www.barackobama.com http://registertovote.org/forms/register/registration/maryland.html http://www.elections.state.md.us/

Debate for US Senate race Thursday, 3/22, 8-10a on WOLB 1010 AM or www.WOLB.com featuring MD Senator Muse and US MD Senator Cardin

JPG: State Sen. Anthony Muse's Misleading Sample Ballot for U.S. Senate Democratic Primary // An Obama-Muse Ticket?

AN OBAMA-MUSE TICKET? - A Maryland Juice reader forwarded photos of a sample ballot that State Senator Anthony Muse's campaign volunteers are handing out at early voting polls. In his quest for the Democratic nomination to the U.S. Senate, Anthony Muse's lit piece encourages voters to vote an Obama-Muse ticket, noting that there are zero African Americans in the United States Senate. Notably, Barack Obama has endorsed U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (Muse's opponent) for re-election. See Anthony Muse's sample ballot below.

ANTHONY MUSE OPPOSES THE DREAM ACT: Maryland Juice would also point out that Muse's lit piece is misleading, not just because Obama endorsed Ben Cardin, but also because the two men do not have the same values. President Obama campaigns as a big-tent Democrat, while State Senator Anthony Muse has been a leading opponent of marriage equality and voted against the Dream Act. In fact, this weekend, students from the #JSA movement reported that Anthony Muse confirmed his speaking role at their town hall meeting on Saturday, but then stood them up without explanation. Seeing as how one of their priorities is defending the Maryland Dream Act, I suspect this may be why Mr. Muse got cold feet.

BARACK OBAMA SUPPORTS THE DREAM ACT: Perhaps Anthony Muse is realizing that he is out of the Democratic Party mainstream in his opposition to the Dream Act and other issues. Read President Barack Obama's statement about the federal Dream Act, written when U.S. Senate Republicans killed the bill in 2010:

BARACK OBAMA: In an incredibly disappointing vote today, a minority of Senators prevented the Senate from doing what most Americans understand is best for the country. As I said last week, when the House passed the DREAM Act, it is not only the right thing to do for talented young people who seek to serve a country they know as their own, it is the right thing for the United States of America. Our nation is enriched by their talents and would benefit from the success of their efforts. The DREAM Act is important to our economic competitiveness, military readiness, and law enforcement efforts. And as the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office reported, the DREAM Act would cut the deficit by $2.2 billion over the next 10 years. There was simply no reason not to pass this important legislation.

KWEISI MFUME ENDORSES BEN CARDIN: These critical policy differences between Anthony Muse and Barack Obama create a stark contrast in how the two men view Democratic coalition-building. In fact, not even former U.S. Senate candidate Kweisi Mfume would endorse Anthony Muse's issue-set and has announced support for his former opponent Ben Cardin. In 2006, while running for the U.S. Senate, Mr. Mfume appeared at an Equality Maryland rally to condemn efforts to ban same-sex marriage in Maryland:

KWEISI MFUME: "I know that gay bashing and immigrant bashing and union bashing at the end of the day rob us of our moral authority," Mfume told the crowd.

ANTHONY MUSE'S ELECTION DAY SAMPLE BALLOT: None of this has stopped State Senator Anthony Muse from putting out the following misleading palm card:

VIDEO TRIBUTE: One Month of #JSA Student Organizing // Plus, Anthony Muse No-Show at Town Hall with Sen. Ben Cardin

BACKGROUND: Maryland Juice has produced a special video chronicling what one short month of organizing by the #JSA activists looks like. What started as a campaign to stop the deportation of Jorge Steven Acuna, an area student, has morphed into a vigorous youth-driven campaign to defend the Dream Act and draw attention to the problem of Secure Communities deportations. But more importantly, we are witnessing the political coming-of-age of the children of immigrants around the region. Many thanks to the Tea Party and the Maryland GOP for the assist -- they get a large chunk of the credit here!

BEN CARDIN & ANTHONY MUSE TOWN HALL: The video below takes you through a 2-minute summary of #JSA's recent efforts, including rallies, civic association meetings, candlelight vigils, marches, town hall meetings, voter registration drives, and more. The piece also includes shots from #JSA's town hall meet & greet with U.S. Senator Ben Cardin this weekend. #JSA organizers tell Maryland Juice that State Senator Anthony Muse had confirmed attendance at the event but stood them up without explanation. I guess he didn't want to explain to them why he voted against the Dream Act:

#JSA Gets Political: Letter from Jorge Steven Acuna Re: Today's Meeting With U.S. Senator Ben Cardin & MD Sen. Anthony Muse

UPDATE: Apparently, State Senator Anthony Muse stood up the #JSA students and was a no-show at their meet-and-greet today. Organizers indicate that Muse had confirmed attendance at the event. One student commented: "Didn't even have the courtesy to let anyone know he wasn't coming. I feel like it might be a good representation of what will happen if he is elected to the US Senate: he'll promise things and never show up to the immigrant community." OUCH!

BACKGROUND:Maryland Juice has been covering the inspiring story of the student activists involved in the #JSA movement. As apolitical MoCo youths, they "got political" after Homeland Security tried to deport one of their friends, Jorge Steven Acuna (aka JSA). JSA and his family were jailed and being readied for deportation after their application for asylum from Colombia was denied. The student activists called on Rep. Chris Van Hollen to intervene -- and in just a few days -- they amassed a 12,500 member Twitter following and several thousand petition signatures. Their efforts got the attention of Rep. Chris Van Hollen, and the Acuna family was promptly released and granted a one-year-stay on their deportation.

NEXT STEPS FOR #JSA: Yesterday we reported that today the #JSA students were hosting town hall style meet and greets between their members and U.S. Senator Ben Cardin and State Senator Anthony Muse. Both men are vying for the Democratic nomination to the U.S. Senate. When I asked for more information on their plans, organizers stated that students around the nation wanted to join their effort. #JSA now announces that high school and college chapters are in progress around the nation -- in places ranging from Virginia to Florida (ie: key swing states). They are now rebranding their efforts as Justice for Students in America and are an explicitly multiracial progressive movement.

After their foray into the U.S. Senate race, organizers tell Maryland Juice they are launching a voter registration drive and will move into the 6th Congressional District race next. They call CD6 the epicenter of their membership, due to the Jorge Steven Acuna case. In fact, the Acuna family appears to be among those households moved from CD8 to CD6. On a side note, we also hear the #JSA students have been in touch with MoCo's anti-curfew organizers to build synergy. Rock on!

Below we print a letter from the newly freed Jorge Steven Acuna. He discusses his detention and highlights how the #JSA activists are getting political:

"Some say tragedies are hard to get over, but sometimes that tragedy means it's over."

To a certain extent that is how it feels. You see, it all happened growing up, through my teenage years, I felt it coming, i felt the fear that one day the tragedy would arrive. The morning my father woke me up telling me it was over, i realized that my fear had finally come to an end. It's rather ironic to think that you grow up with a certain fear for years and years, and then one day, your biggest fear happens. So what happens? What did i truly feel? Nothing. Everyone that visited me came out of the jail inspired by my optimism, when those who visited saw me most would go into tears, and what would i try to manage? A smile. It's a sick thing what happened to me, i had to see some of the closest people in my life cry in front of my eyes, even harder thing was that i had to make sure I was strong. It turned out to be a huge injustice, and I say this not as someone who is an immigrant but rather as a human being.

But then, it happened, perhaps our lives are limited to few or none miracles, for me this was it. My miracle, and when it happened i was free. My story is not to target any feelings in your heart but rather to let everyone now that I do not plan on letting this miracle only be mine. It's crazy how my life has changed in the past two weeks, mostly because now i feel like i have a voice, and i don't feel that fear i grew for all those years.

Today JSA gives you the opportunity to meet our Maryland Senator, and a State Senator running against him. I urge you to come out and see it for yourself, because together we all have a voice, and together we can make a difference.


U.S. Senator Ben Cardin & State Senator Anthony Muse
Saturday March 24, 2012 at 12:30 p. m. on the
Montgomery College Rockville Campusm TC room 136
Let's make our voice be heard so that no one ever lives through what i lived through. Furthermore, let's do this for those who suffer countless of other injustices, because we are all human, and we all have the right to be treated as some.

Sincerely,

Jorge Steven Acuña

Maryland Juice will report back on the results of the U.S. Senate Primary candidate meetings, as well as on future plans for JSA soon!

SATURDAY: Students Behind #JSA Campaign Host Townhall Meetings w/ Senate Candidates Ben Cardin & Anthony Muse

UPDATE: The JSA organizers are clarifying that the event is a town hall style meet and greet with their members and two Democratic U.S. Senate candidates. However, Senator Cardin and State Senator Anthony Muse will not be sharing a stage to debate.  See the updated press release with scheduling details below. 

In short: Maryland Senator Anthony Muse will attend from 1:15-1:45pm and U.S. Senator Ben Cardin will attend from 1:45-2:15 pm. The event will be on Saturday, March 24 at 12:30 pm on the Montgomery College Rockville Campus, TC building, room 136.

Maryland Juice just received the press release below from the student activists behind the campaign to free Jorge Steven Acuna (aka #JSA). We recently wrote about their efforts to aid their friend and classmate after he and his family were arrested by Homeland Security and ready to be deported when their application for asylum was denied.

The students petitioned Rep. Chris Van Hollen to help the Acuna family, given that they are currently 8th Congressional District residents. They succeeded in getting the family released, with a one-year stay on their deportation. But their efforts have not stopped there. They are now pressing forward with efforts to make sure their issues are not ignored in the future. Amazingly, they are now hosting a town hall meeting with two U.S. Senate Democratic candidates, Ben Cardin and Anthony Muse. Their press release is below:

PRESS RELEASE

JSA Movement to Host Town Hall Meetings with
U.S. Senator Ben Cardin and State Senator Anthony Muse

Saturday March 24, 2012 at 12:30 p. m. on the
Montgomery College Rockville Campus

Youth will have the opportunity to ask questions directly to the Senators

Rockville MD, March 23, 2012 – The Justice for Students in America (JSA) movement will host a town hall–style meeting with Maryland Senator Anthony Muse from 1:15-1:45pm and U.S. Senator Ben Cardin from 1:45-2:15 pm, on Saturday, March 24 at 12:30 pm on the Montgomery College Rockville Campus, TC building, room 136. Press conference will be held at 12:00 pm. JSA members and other youth will have the opportunity to ask questions directly to the Senators on issues that most affect them from the DREAM ACT, jobs, the economy, to comprehensive immigration reform and other topics.

All Montgomery College students and other youth and their families are welcome to attend. There will be an opportunity to register to vote for all of those who are eligible.

The JSA movement is a student- and youth-led, grassroots, empowering group with the mission to give all students and youth in America a voice. JSA promotes and encourages its youth members to become a positive force of civically-active members of society, and seek a high quality of live and equal opportunities for themselves, their families and all Americans through education.

Visit the JSA Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/300409916692389

Follow us on Twitter @TheJSAMovement

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Maryland Marriage Equality Fallout: MD Gov. O'Malley Better Than NY Gov. Cuomo // Plus, The Anthony Muse Question

WHITE HOUSE 2016: Last week, Maryland became the eighth state in the United States to approve marriage equality, and already some are hailing this as a major political milestone for Governor Martin O'Malley. The Free State's governor made this a legislative priority this year, and there is little doubt that his fierce advocacy for civil rights made passage this year possible.

Notably, Governor O'Malley is jockeying with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in the early field for the 2016 Democratic Presidential Primary. Gov. Cuomo surprised political observers by pushing marriage equality through the New York legislature last year, and it quickly put him on the national radar. But at least one LGBT rights advocate thinks that Gov. O'Malley is the more worthy candidate. The website eQualityGiving.org bills itself as "The Online Donor Community for LGBT Equality," and today, former District 18 Delegate candidate and LGBT rights advocate Dana Beyer writes:

Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley is a politician with a firm, steadfast belief in civil rights who has managed to successfully evolve to extend full civil rights to the LGBT community.

Taking the lead on marriage equality in the state for the 2012 legislative session, the Governor weathered assaults from the Republicans and his own conservative Democratic allies....

This culminated in an historic signing ceremony in the State Capitol on March 1, 2012.

And his support for the rights of the LGBT community does not rest with marriage. Unlike too many Democrats, including his fellow Governor and 2016 Democratic Presidential contender, New Yorker Andrew Cuomo, he is a strong supporter of full equality for the trans and gender non-conforming communities....

Shortly after the video recorded beating of Chrissy Polis in a Baltimore County McDonald's went viral, he publicly announced his support for comprehensive protections, deliberately including public accommodations protections which had been stripped out of the previous year's bill.

While he does not have the power necessary to make gender identity protections a reality in the statehouse this year, his example sent important signals to two populous Maryland counties, Howard and Baltimore, which joined Montgomery County this year in providing comprehensive protections. 

LOCAL IMPACT OF MD MARRIAGE EQUALITY: Meanwhile, Josh Kurtz at Center Maryland has an interesting column that highlights numerous interesting tidbits in the post-marriage equality political world. He urges readers to look beyond the consequences for Gov. O'Malley's national career and points out a few local angles:

There are so many things to contemplate, beyond the obvious question of how the vote may affect Gov. Martin O‘Malley‘s (D) national ambitions:

Don't Hate // History Will Judge Your Comments Today. They Are Forever Archived On the Net. Duh.

Governor Martin O'Malley's blog today makes a point that Maryland Juice often makes: 5, 10, or 20 years from now -- do marriage equality and Dream Act opponents think their statements today are more likely to be compared to those of Dr. King and Gandhi or George Wallace and Pete Wilson?

I suppose some politicians don't care or don't believe it. But I'll put money on this one. Listen to what the opposition is saying - they are comparing humans to rats (Pat McDonough) and blaming people for the downfall of Western Civilization (Mike Miller/Anthony Muse), etc.

The downfall of Western Civilization will be the hate itself. You see, Maryland Juice is a historian, and I look at civilizations, I study civilizations, I read history every night. And I see bigotry as an attack on modern society, I think it’s an attack on the potential inner goodness of humanity. That’s the way I see it.

NOT COOL: State Senator Anthony Muse to Speak at Tea Party Rally Against Equal Rights TONIGHT

The Baltimore Sun today reports that Maryland State Senator Anthony Muse is planning on speaking at the Tea Party rally against marriage equality tonight:

Pastors and elected officials are set to rally in Annapolis against same-sex marriage Monday evening, aiming to make a strong statement against the bill in advance of this week's senate hearing on the bill....

One opponent, Charles Lollar, said that if the bill passes it could "further demise morality and tear away at the fundamental framework" of the state and country," according to a statement. Lollar now chairs a political action group called the New Day Maryland which is supporting the rally. He campaigned against U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer in the Nov. 2010 election and lost.

Lawmakers scheduled to speak also include state Sen. C. Anthony Muse, a Prince George's County Democrat who is mounting a primary challenge to U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin. East Baltimore Del. Cheryl Glenn, usually a strong labor vote who'se said that this year she will break with them and oppose same-sex marriage. Also, Del. Jay Walker, of Prince George's County, will take the stage.

This is a disappointing development since Mr. Muse is currently running for the United States Senate in the Democratic Primary. How are you planning on bringing the party together when campaigning against people like this? It is not too late to do the right thing, Senator Muse. History will not be on your side on this one.

Kweisi Mfume Explains His Endorsement of Senator Ben Cardin: "At Some Point We Have To Be Serious"

UPDATE: In our comments section, Del. Jill Carter responds to Kweisi Mfume. Read more below.

Maryland Juice noted last week that former Congressman Kweisi Mfume decided to endorse his former competitor Senator Ben Cardin for re-election. Today, Hassan Giordano of the Baltimore Examiner printed an unusual interview with Mr. Mfume (see excerpt below), where the former NAACP head explains his endorsement decision. Giordano introduces the topic with the following statement (note: I added the speakers' names for clarity):

GIORDANO: Kweisi Mfume - the only African American statewide candidate to come close to defeating the white-male dominated Democratic structure, here in the state of Maryland – has shocked an entire community, as he recently endorsed the incumbent Democratic US Senator Ben Cardin; who Mfume challenged for that seat only six years prior.

In response, Giordano says Mr. Mfume provided the following explanation:

Dr. Eric Wargotz Weighs U.S. Senate Bid // Former GOP Candidate Factors In Anthony Muse's Challenge to Ben Cardin

On November 7th, U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski's 2010 opponent Eric Wargotz announced he was not going to make another attempt for office in 2012. Now that State Senator Anthony Muse is challengin U.S. Senator Ben Cardin in this year's Democratic Primary, Mr. Wargotz appears to be rethinking his decision. The Baltimore Sun today reported:

Wargotz, a Republican who ran an unsuccessful campaign against Democratic Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski in 2010, said Saturday he wants to take a "second look" at running for Senate this year now that State Sen. C. Anthony Muse is in the race....

Kweisi Mfume Endorses U.S. Senator Ben Cardin for Re-Election

The re-election campaign of U.S. Senator Ben Cardin today circulated the following press release trumpeting the endorsement of Mr. Cardin's 2006 Democratic Primary competitor, Kweisi Mfume. To provide a little context, The Washington Post in an article today remarked, "The support of Mfume, the former head of the NAACP, is significant in part because Muse, who is African-American, has made the fact that there are no black members of the Senate a part of his campaign pitch."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONGRESSMAN KWEISI MFUME ENDORSES SENATOR BEN CARDIN

Baltimore, MD – Former U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume, five-term Congressman for Maryland’s 7th district and former President/CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), has announced his support for the re-election of Ben Cardin to the U.S. Senate.