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Democrats for CarolAs a friend and neighbor - and a lifelong Democrat - I ask you to think about leadership and what we want for our neighborhood and our city. Carol Schwartz deserves credit for stepping forward and offering a real choice in the November election. She brings passion and energy to the debate. Carol has earned the respect of many of us and has earned serious consideration for Mayor.In the recent primary campaign I did a lot of door-to-door in Ward 3. I heard surprisingly few strong words of support for Mayor Williams. I heard mostly groans followed quickly by: "we can't-let Willie Wilson and Marion Barry take over our city." Voters said Tony Williams was an "embarrassment." How could he fail to get his nomination petitions properly signed? "He doesn't pay attention." We should all ask: can we do better? The petition fiasco wasn't the first time Tony Williams had to apologize for his failures in office: remember the bizarre fundraising launched from his own office? After the primary he left for Greece while other elected officials struggled with a $325 million budget deficit! Many have since expressed outrage that this "numbers and management expert" did not sound the alarm and was not immediately engaged. Maybe he wasn't aware of the pain of budget cuts because he was island hopping? Going to Greece while the Congress was demanding a fast solution on the budget was one more example of a lack of judgment. We can only hope that he enjoyed the Souvlaki! The November election shouldn't focus solely on the shortcomings of the current mayor. Since Carol was drafted, we now have a real choice to make. Carol has a lifelong commitment to our city. Hers was a lonely voice for fiscal restraint in the 80s. She was first elected to the Board of Education; she cares about strengthening schools. She is as comfortable in Ward 8 as she is in Ward 3. She's a gifted leader; she is up to the job. I have worked for two Democratic U.S. Senators, for a Democratic president and on countless Democratic campaigns. I am a Ward 3 Democrat and an alternate in that organization For fellow Democratic travelers who hesitate to support a Republican: I feel your pain! Think of Carol as another Jim Jeffords: a person of conviction who votes according to conscience, not labels. Remember it was Democrat Tony Williams who hosted a Connie Morelia fundraiser. He stepped into the wrong side in one of the most heavily contested races in the country. It matters which party controls the House. But the mayor's office? It isn't a partisan job. Don't we just want someone to competently manage and run the city? Voting for Carol shouldn't be hard for Democrats; doing the right thing can be quite liberating! Please give her your undivided attention. Listen to her. The District can do better. With Mayor Carol Schwartz, we will. Paid for by Dale Leibach, 3740 Military Rd., NW, a Ward 3 Democrat. |
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