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2005 Press Releases & Other Stories of Interest
December 28,
2005: Editorial:
Resolutions? Don't Change A Thing. Calvert Recorder
November 13,
2005: Day on the Bay for Veterans:
The Washington Post
November 4,
2005:
Beset, Kullen Trying to Make a Name in Calvert: The Gazette &
Calvert Recorder
November,
2005: Movers and Shakers:
Chesapeake Life Magazine
October 26,
2005: Guest Speaker at the
Calvert County Adult Education Graduation
September 23,
2005: Lesson Learned; The Gazette
and Calvert Recorder
August 5,
2005: Letter to the
Editor - Agricultural Stewardship Commission;
July 9, 2005:
Delegate Sue Kullen
Praises American Chestnut Land Trust;
May 11, 2005:
Letter to the Editor - 2005
Session Accomplishments;
April 28,
2005: At Dedication, Singing Praises of
Huntingtown High; Washington Post
March 25,
2005: In race to define her, Kullen
seeks last word; Gazette
GO TO:
2004
Press Releases & Other Stories of Interest
Calvert County Recorder: Editorial
Wednesday, December 28, 2005: Editorial Section
Editorial: Resolutions? Don't Change A
Thing.
…Del. Sue Kullen
(D-Calvert) was a political novice when she was selected by the county
Democratic Central Committee to replace former Del. George Owings III
when he was whisked to more lofty strata in the State Veterans Affairs
Office. She has embraced the system with an endearing and
effective brand of retail politics which relies heavily on regular
public meetings with constituents, door-to-door canvassing at any time
of the year or election cycle and an open door policy to citizens and
ideas. In short, Kullen actually listens to the people she is
accountable to….
washingtonpost.com
Letters To the Editor
Sunday, November 13, 2005; SM02
Day on the Bay for Veterans
A sincere thank you is in order for the
nonprofit Maryland Legislative Sportsmen's Foundation, specifically its
vice chairman, Bill Miles of Calvert County, and its chairman, David
Sutherland.
On Nov. 2, 14 disabled veterans of
foreign wars were treated to a day of fishing on the Chesapeake Bay. I
was there representing the Maryland Veterans Caucus and the Maryland
Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus, and Secretary George W. Owings III was
there representing the Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs. It was a
pleasure to wish these men a good day of rockfishing on the beautiful
Chesapeake Bay.
ROTC student leaders from Patuxent High
School -- James Marcum, an Eagle Scout and Naval Academy candidate, and
Christopher A. Marseglia -- helped the veterans, who use wheelchairs,
board the boat and assisted them throughout the day.
We also thank the charter boat captains,
Roy Leverone, Matt Marlowe and Drew Payne, for ensuring good catches and
an enjoyable, safe day. Two boats caught their limit, and the third
landed the trophy 44-inch rockfish, weighing in at 37.8 pounds. This was
the first time rockfishing on the bay for all of the men.
As we celebrated Veterans Day on Friday,
Calvert County residents could take pride that they hosted a very
special event honoring men who served their country.
Del. Sue Kullen
(D) Port Republic
© 2005 The Washington Post Company
Beset, Kullen
trying to make a name in Calvert
Friday, Nov. 4, 2005
by Alan Brody
Staff Writer
Delegate
Sue Kullen faces a big challenge in Maryland's smallest county.
The political greenhorn was a surprise
selection to succeed George W. Owings III — tapped as Veterans Affairs
secretary by Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) in 2004 — and is regarded as
one of the most vulnerable Democrats in the legislature.
But Kullen (D-Dist. 27B) of Port Republic
is embarking on an aggressive campaign to appeal to Calvert County
voters.
‘‘When I was first appointed, a lot of
people were saying, ‘Who the hell is Sue Kullen?’” she said during a
$25-a-plate fund-raiser Saturday in Hallowing Point.
Since her appointment, the 46-year-old
former disabilities advocate has been on the campaign trail, holding
coffee shop meetings, attending a different church each week, reaching
out to young voters and appearing at numerous local functions.
‘‘Because Calvert County is so evenly
split between Republicans and Democrats, I need to win folks from both
sides,” she said. ‘‘To do that, you have to represent the folks back
home.”
Calvert County commissioners’ President
David F. Hale, a Republican, is widely expected to challenge Kullen, but
he will not make a decision until early next year.
‘‘I would like to see Maryland come closer
to a two-party state,” he said. ‘‘I would like to see more debate on the
issue rather than just flat rhetoric in Annapolis.”
Republicans have overtaken Democrats as
the majority party in the state’s fasting-growing county by less than
500 registered voters.
That momentum, coupled with Kullen’s
susceptibility as an untested candidate, is among the reasons
Republicans are taking aim at her seat. Another is Ehrlich’s strong 2002
performance in Calvert, where he won almost 62 percent of the vote.
‘‘It doesn’t take a genius to look at a
legislative district and see an incumbent legislator sitting in a
district where Bob Ehrlich got 62 ... percent of the vote,” said Kevin
Igoe, a Republican consultant who said Kullen would likely be at or near
the top of a ‘‘target list” of vulnerable Democratic lawmakers.
Kullen does net fret about being a target.
‘‘I saw it as a badge of honor because
folks from the other side were beginning to take me seriously,” she
said.
She hopes to raise $100,000 by seeking
$100 donations from 1,000 supporters, an effort dubbed 1,000 Friends for
Sue Kullen.
Owings (D) said the grassroots approach
suits Kullen better than a narrow, targeted campaign.
‘‘I think that’s just wise for any
politician, be they seasoned or be they new,” he said. ‘‘You lose touch
with the base or you lose touch with the grassroots, and they will find
themselves uprooted.”
Kullen has demonstrated ‘‘a real capacity
to relate with people,” said U.S. Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-Dist. 5) of
Mechanicsville, who spoke at Saturday’s fund-raiser.
‘‘When she was appointed, I said at the
time that she was starting off at the bottom and she didn’t have
anywhere to go but up,” said Robert L. ‘‘Bobby” Swann (D), former state
comptroller and former Calvert County commissioner. ‘‘I think Sue has
worked very hard. I think she has certainly made some inroads into the
community in places that she probably was not terribly well known.”
Those who have worked with Kullen in
Annapolis agree.
‘‘I really applaud her efforts. She knew
there would be a lot of people watching every move she made and she
didn’t let that sway her opinions or her activity on any particular
issue,” said Del. Sally Y. Jameson (D-Dist. 28) of Bryantown, admitting
that Kullen’s appointment caught her off guard. ‘‘She went about trying
to do things the best she could for her constituents. ... People will be
very surprised by the Sue that has evolved over the last year or so.”
But Republicans say Kullen’s Annapolis
tenure has not been smooth sailing.
‘‘I think it’s not infrequent that her
[party] leadership puts her in a very tough position,” said House
Minority Whip Anthony J. O’Donnell.
Both Igoe and O’Donnell (R-Dist. 29C) of
Lusby expect Kullen to be challenged in the primary.
Former agriculture secretary Hagner Mister
(D) has been pondering a run for elected office but has not made his
intentions known. Former two-term county commissioner Barbara Stinnett
(D) ruled herself out, but speculated that Kullen will be tested.
‘‘Regardless of whether you’re new or
whether you’ve been in the race for a long time, every position is
vulnerable and that’s on both sides of the fence,” she said. ‘‘There’s
no sure thing.”
Copyright © 2005 The
Gazette - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Movers & Shakers
Meet five local folks who are
stirring up their respective worlds, from the medical field
to the marsh.
Written by Kessler
Burnett & Joe Sugarman
Photography by Kirsten Beckerman |
|
Sue
Kullen, Delegate,
Calvert County
On her first day as a newly appointed delegate to the Maryland
General Assembly, Sue Kullen decided to wear her smart-looking gray
jacket. But what the youthful-looking Calvert County political
neophyte didn't realize was that house pages also wear gray jackets.
"All I heard all day long was, 'Can you get me a coffee?'"
With one full legislative session plus a special session under her
belt, Kullen is still learning the ins and outs of the Maryland
State House. But the forty-five-year-old military brat, who was born
in Verona, Italy, has already made her mark in Annapolis as the
first woman in Calvert County's 350-year history to serve in the
General Assembly. In June 2004, Kullen was selected by Calvert
County Democrats to represent District 27B after George W. Owings
III left to head the Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs. Her
appointment was a bit of a surprise for Kullen, who had spent most
of her career as an advocate for children with disabilities. As
director of The ARC of Southern Maryland, she helped develop the
association's program for developmentally impaired citizens in
Charles County, and as a private consultant, worked with
organizations, from private businesses to the state of Maryland, on
how to support people with disabilities. But the down-to-earth,
"tomboy in a skirt" views her political inexperience as a selling
point. "With all the partisanship in the State House these days,
people say, 'Wow, you picked a horrible time to get into politics.'
But I think, if you want to make a change, I picked the best time to
get into politics. I believe in the two-party system."
In conservative northern Calvert County, Kullen has tried to define
her herself as a moderate. She voted for Gov. Erhlich's slots bill
because she believed monies from gambling would benefit the county's
education programs, but she sided with state Democrats in overriding
the governor's veto on medical malpractice legislation. "Folks can't
pin me down," she says. "I do whatever's best for Calvert County."
She counts among her earliest accomplishments co-sponsoring and
working to pass the nation's first pilot project for early detection
and intervention of autism, which will help doctors detect autism in
children as young as age one. "Most testing is done on children at
age three, but it's been proven that kids can make significant
progress between ages one and three," she says. In the upcoming
session, Kullen hopes to pass bipartisan legislation banning mercury
in childhood inoculations, a possible cause of autism.
Kullen says she enjoys being a delegate more than she ever
expected, but admits the demands of public life has been
life-changing for her and her husband, Steve. "One night I came home
late on a Friday, and I found a can of Spam in the recycling bin.
There hasn't been a can of Spam in our house in twenty-two years!
[My husband] was sitting on the couch like a Cheshire cat and he was
like, 'You know, it wasn't that bad.' I saw it as a cry for help."
As the January legislative session approaches, Kullen continues
campaigning for the 2006 election, introducing herself to
constituents door-to-door. She's been targeted by state Republicans
who believe her seat could go to their party. But Kullen remains
optimistic and is already looking forward to another achievement:
the first woman from Calvert County elected to the General Assembly.
— Joe Sugarman
READ the entire article at
Chesapeake Life Magazine or
www.ChesapeakeLifeMag.com
Guest
Speaker at the
Calvert County Adult Education
Graduation
October 26, 2005
Huntingtown High
School
It is such
a pleasure to be with you this evening. As you may know I was
appointed by the Governor last August to replace George Owings in
the Maryland House of Delegates. I am so proud to be the first
woman ever to represent Calvert County in Annapolis. I am also
extremely proud to represent this community that I love.
Besides
spending 90 days in Annapolis passing laws and approving the State
budget, a big part of my job is to attend community events in an
effort to meet people and find out what I can do to support them and
help them. I must say that one of my most favorite events that
I attended last year was this graduation. The emotion was
touching, the celebration real, and the achievement so well
deserved. Those graduates, like you tonight were real people
working real hard to achieve real dreams. I admire people who
persevere and make things happen no matter what is thrown their way.
You each have your own story tonight and I wish we could hear them
all. I am sure that it would involve such obstacles as
adversity, children, money, love, flat tires, bounced checks, day
dreams, night mares, broken laws, and the proverbial blood, sweat,
and tears. Well hopefully the tears tonight are ones of joy!
You deserve tonight, you deserve to celebrate, and you deserve to be
fussed over. This is your night. Parents be proud of
your children, children be proud of your parents, Wives, husbands,
boyfriends, girlfriends, and partners be proud of your loved ones.
You all
know that we live in a world of extremes: extreme makeovers,
extreme remodeling, extreme weight loss, extreme weigh gain, extreme
survival. We as a culture seem to thrive on extremes.
Maybe this makes for good TV, or bad TV depending on your point of
view, but we have to make sure that we do not use this love of
extremes to measure our lives. I think that we must begin to
celebrate the ordinary.
Whether we like the term or not, we are ordinary.
We are solid, hardworking, educated citizens of this great
nation and this community. We need to look around us and
realize that we have excelled in our lives, homes, school, work,
family, church, and community. You have so many opportunities
to grab around you that will make you great.
Maybe never great in the
Hollywood sense of great,
but who cares about that.
The strength of a nation should not be measured by who we send to
the moon but rather it should be measured by the solid achievements
of ordinary citizens 24/7.
So as your
representative in Annapolis, I say thank you for what you have
accomplished tonight. You have strengthened yourself, your
family, your community and your nation. We all benefit because
you are trying to be all that you can be. We are proud of you and
encourage you to continue to grow, learn, reach and achieve.
Learning is
lifelong. Take advantage of all
opportunities to learn. Be thankful to those who teach you
along the way, whether that be a teacher here in Calvert County, a
pastor in your church, your grandmother in the kitchen, your dad
under the hood of a car or your mother cheering you along the way.
We
celebrate ordinary lives of extraordinary people tonight. We
are proud of you and wish you God Speed in your life’s endeavors.
Delegate Sue Kullen
<
Printable .pdf Copy
>
The Gazette / The Calvert Recorder
On Wednesday, Del. Sue
Kullen drew quizzical stares from eighth-graders at Plum Point
Middle School in Huntingtown when they walked into their American
History class on Wednesday.
‘‘Are you our new substitute?” one
student asked.
‘‘No,
I’m not your new substitute,” Kullen answered with a smile. ‘‘But
you are having a guest speaker today and I heard she’s really good.”
The delegate toured Calvert County
schools this week to educate students about representative democracy
and her role in the General Assembly. The tour was part of a program
sponsored by the National Council of State Legislators.
‘‘A lot of our legislators don’t do
this, but I’m doing it as part of my extra credit,” Kullen joked.
Before students quizzed her on
legislation that would change nutrition standards for vending
machines and school lunches and new teen driving laws, Kullen showed
a video produced by NCSL that she admitted was ‘‘a little painful
because they were trying hard to be cool.”
The 15-minute video starred former
MTV ‘‘Real World” cast member Sean Duffy, who explained the
importance of representative government and how state legislatures
function. To grab students’ attention, the video included scenes
from MTV’s ‘‘Road Rules” and ‘‘Road Rules Challenge” and references
to the ‘‘Star Wars” movies.
So what did the students learn?
‘‘I learned that you have to
compromise and sometimes you can’t get your own way,” Christa Morton
said.
Letter to the Editor:
CALVERT COUNTY, MD (August 5, 2005) – I was recently appointed to serve on
the Agricultural Stewardship Commission as set up by the Leadership in
Annapolis. It is with honor that I serve on the Commission to
represent this rural part of our State. Calvert has a strong tradition
of farming and this tradition adds to the rural charm and beauty that we
all enjoy. I also serve with Senator Mac Middleton from Charles County
and Senator Roy Dyson from the Tri-county area.
The
task is to work with the agricultural community to find incentive driven
solutions to help farmers continue to implement sound agricultural
practices that will help to clean up Maryland’s rivers, streams, and the
Chesapeake Bay. Farmers were our first conservationists and, we
need to make sure that what benefits the environment mutually benefits
farmers so that it is more than a break even venture for them.
Therefore, we increase the practices that help the Bay. We will also be
looking at ways to help the business of farming.
The
Commission will be working with the Department of Agriculture as they
set up their listening sessions across the State. The session scheduled
for Southern Maryland will be held on Monday August 29th at
7:00 at the Calvert County Fairgrounds. All farmers, conservationists
and others interested in this topic are invited to attend.
Please contact me if you have any questions. 410-586-9575 or
Sue@KullenForCalvert.com
Sue
Kullen
Delegate 27B
Contact: Delegate Sue
Kullen, 410-586-9575
Peg Niland, ACLT, 410-586-1570
DELEGATE SUE KULLEN PRAISES AMERICAN CHESTNUT LAND TRUST FOR ENVIRONMENTAL
PRESERVATION SUCCESS
300 Acres of
Calvert
Land Recently
Named Part of Maryland Rural Legacy Program
Port Republic, Md. (July
8, 2005) —Today, Delegate Sue Kullen (D-Calvert) announced the
preservation of three properties totaling almost 300-acres of forest and
farmland through their inclusion in Maryland’s Rural Legacy Program.
After hearing support from Delegate Sue Kullen (D-27B) and the American
Chestnut Land Trust, the Maryland Board of Public Works voted in June to
approve more than $1.5 million in funds for forest and farmland
preservation in Calvert County.
The addition of
properties to Maryland’s Rural Legacy Program will preserve
approximately 300 acres of land along the Chesapeake Bay and Patuxent
River. One privately owned farm of 116 acres, protected by a Rural
Legacy easement, is on St. Leonard Creek, a tributary of the Patuxent.
The other two properties, 185 forested acres, are in the Parkers Creek
watershed.
“With more than 60% of
its watershed permanently protected, Parkers Creek is one of the most
pristine watersheds on the west side of the Chesapeake Bay,” praised
Kullen.
These properties will
protect the wilderness character of the Parkers Creek Nature Preserve, a
Chesapeake Gateways site, and become a part of the 15-mile trail system
within 3,000 continuous acres of land managed by the American Chestnut
Land Trust.
Delegate Kullen said,
“Improving the health of the Chesapeake Bay by protecting Calvert’s key
forest and farmland habitats are important priorities for me. I am
proud to work with the American Chestnut Land Trust to protect our
environment for future generations.”
ACLT Executive Director
Peg Niland said, “The inclusion of these properties in the Rural Legacy
Program is significant because it will add to the growing greenbelt
across the County and protect the waters of the Parker Creek watershed,
and the treasured Chesapeake Bay.”
The American Chestnut
Land Trust (ACLT), which has permanently protected approximately 1,000
acres of land, and currently manages nearly 2,000 acres for the State of
Maryland’s Department of
Natural Resources, will
manage the land. With the assistance of the American Chestnut Land
Trust, Calvert County was the first county in Maryland to reach its
original Rural Legacy goal, and has been successfully building on that
accomplishment ever since.
The ACLT was established
in 1986 to protect 433 acres of land in Calvert County. It has
since purchased an additional 381 acres in the area, and other
landowners, including the State of Maryland and The Nature Conservancy,
have independently protected an additional 2120 acres in the Parkers
Creek watershed and the nearby Governor's Run watershed. ACLT manages
the land protected by The Nature Conservancy and the Maryland Department
of Nature Resources for passive recreation and habitat protection.
For more information on
the American Chestnut Land Trust, visit
www.acltweb.org.
###
ABOUT THE RURAL LEGACY PROGRAM:
The Rural Legacy Program was enacted by the 1997 Maryland General
Assembly. It encourages local governments and private land trusts
to identify Rural Legacy Areas and to competitively apply for funds to
complement existing land preservation efforts or to develop new ones.
Easements or fee estate purchases are sought from willing landowners in
order to protect areas vulnerable to sprawl development that can weaken
an area’s natural resources, thereby jeopardizing the economic value of
farming, forestry, recreation and tourism. Maryland's Rural
Legacy Program was created to protect those special places that
represent the state’s most valuable agricultural, forestry, natural, and
cultural resources. With the goal of accelerating voluntary land
conservation efforts, the Rural Legacy Program will save thousands of
acres of land surrounding Maryland’s cities, towns and villages.
Conservation of natural areas through directed growth reduces the cost
of public infrastructure necessary to support sprawl development.
Furthermore, conservation efforts significantly impact the state’s
economy by supporting Maryland’s resource-based economies of
agriculture, forestry, outdoor recreation and tourism. With an increased
capacity to accelerate the purchase of public land and voluntary
conservation easements, Maryland will, for the first time, be able to
protect land at the same pace as development.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN CHESTNUT LAND TRUST:
The American Chestnut Land Trust was founded in 1986 in Calvert County,
Maryland. It is concerned with the preservation of farmland, woodlands,
and wetlands in a county undergoing rapid development. Its primary
interest has been the watersheds of Parkers Creek and Governors Run,
however ACLT has assisted others in Calvert County to preserve land for
future generations through partnerships, land management agreements, and
environmental easements. American Chestnut Land Trust, Inc. was granted
tax exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
on June 16,1987.
ACLT Press
Release: .pdf version
Letter to the Editor:
CALVERT COUNTY, MD (May 11, 2005) – I was
honored to be able to represent Calvert County in Annapolis this past
legislative session. I worked very hard to fight for Calvert’s
fair share. We fully funded education for Calvert County this year
and accelerated school construction projects for the future.
Through the passing of bond bills the Calvert Delegation was able to
fund capital projects such as the hospital expansion and the new hospice
house. I was pleased to personally sponsor preserving the Old Wallville
School, a revitalization project for North Beach, and updating the water
treatment facility for Chesapeake Beach. A bill was passed that
will allow Calvert County to update its animal control ordinances.
I want to thank the concerned citizens and students who worked in
support of this bill.
I worked closely with people from the county
to introduce bills to benefit family law, insurance, and transfer taxes.
It was a pleasure to introduce bills on your behalf.
My proudest personal achievement was
co-sponsoring and working to pass a pilot project for the early
detection and intervention of autism. I worked with B.J. Surhoff
and his Pathfinders For Autism group to create this ground-breaking
first in the nation legislation. It will improve the quality of
life for children with autism and their families.
My goal for my first session was to forge
positive working relationships with all colleagues in Annapolis and the
people back home who are most affected by what we do in Annapolis.
I kept in close communication with the school administrators, teachers,
environmental groups, the courts, community groups, the hospital, our
commissioners, veterans, and our business leaders.
I worked hard to
create relationships and respect on both sides of the aisle. I
have earned a reputation as a practical, level-headed, studious, hard
working legislator.
I am a practical
problem solver so now that my first session is under my belt, I want to
work even harder over the summer to meet with groups in the county to
identify obstacles and opportunities that we can address through
legislation next session. Please contact me to set up a time to
meet with you or your group.
All of my contact
information can be found at
www.KullenForCalvert.com or call 410-586-9575. I love Calvert County
and will always work hard on your behalf.
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Washington Post
Thursday, April 28, 2005
Calvert County officials formally
dedicated Huntingtown High School during a ceremony Saturday, seven
months after the school opened its doors for the first time last
fall.
"In the nearly eight months since the doors opened here at Huntingtown
to a student body of over 1,400, we have already seen great
successes and we have seen a marvelous blending of the old and the
new of Calvert County," Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) said in the
dedicatory address. "Huntingtown High School is the best of the old
and the best of the new in Calvert County, holding onto the richness
of the county's heritage, yet open to the opportunities of the
future."
Other speakers included Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike
Miller Jr. (D-Calvert), county Commissioners President David F. Hale
(R-Owings) and Robert F. Dredger, principal of the new school.
State Del. Sue Kullen (D-Calvert) presented the school with a flag
that had flown over the Statehouse in Annapolis, and Hoyer gave one
from the U.S. Capitol.
The program opened with a performance of a scene from "Footloose," the
spring musical at the school. The school's chamber choir performed
the "Star Spangled Banner."
During the dedication, a ceremonial key to the building was passed
from a representative of general contractor Scheibel Construction to
Hale, Board of Education President William J. Phelan, Superintendent
J. Kenneth Horsmon, Dredger, Parent Teacher Student Association
president Jim Vehrs and Student Government Association president
Jennifer Griffin.
To mark the occasion, the post office in Huntingtown has issued a
special postmark honoring the school; it will be used through May
23. |
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In race to define her, Kullen seeks last
word
by Thomas Dennison
Staff Writer: Gazett
Mar. 25, 2005
Darwin Weigel/The Gazette
Del. Sue Kullen (D-Calvert) sits next to Montgomery County
Executive Doug Duncan at the party's Goldstein Dinner at the
Rod 'n' Reel in Chesapeake Beach on March 8. Duncan is vying
for the party's gubernatorial nomination; Kullen, an
appointee, faces voters for the first time next year.
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ANNAPOLIS -- Del. P. Sue Kullen (D-Dist. 27B) of Port Republic has
heard all the Republican sound bites:
She is out of touch with her conservative-leaning northern Calvert
County district. She has no experience in elected office. She is too
liberal. She won't be able to raise money. She is too subservient to
Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. and his machine.
Maryland GOP Chairman John M. Kane is so cocky about defeating
Kullen next year that he said she is not even worthy of his infamous
"target list."
"I don't think she has to be on our target list because she is
going to have such a hard time getting elected on her own," Kane
said. "She is going to run up against some pretty tough candidates
from our side."
Then comes the magic word: "She's a liberal," Kane said.
The rhetoric amuses Kullen, who is in the midst of her first
legislative session having been appointed in June to replace George
W. Owings III, now secretary of Veterans Affairs.
In a recent interview in her Annapolis office, Kullen talks about
2006 with confidence and sheds any perception that she is cowering
in the face of a fight.
She has a message to the naysayers: "Bring it on."
"The Republicans are trying to paint me like that," Kullen, 44,
said of the near constant refrain that she is an out-of-touch
liberal. "What they are learning though is that I'm a hard person to
pin down. People are figuring out very quickly that I'm not a
political lightweight."
Questions about Kullen's electability have whetted the appetites of
such potential challengers as Republican Calvert County
Commissioners' President David Hale and Democrat Hagner Mister,
agriculture secretary under former Gov. Parris N. Glendening (D).
"She's going to face a tough primary next year, you can count on
that," said Mister, who was passed over the Calvert County
Democratic Central Committee in favor of Kullen last year. "I think
there are a lot of unknowns about her, and that is what she is
working against. Democrats and Republicans have both approached me
about running."
Hale, a close ally of Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R), is also
talking about running.
"A big part of me would like to run for delegate, however, there
are lifestyle decisions that I have to get through," said Hale,
father of two young children whose job as a FBI consultant may not
allow him to be away for a 90-day General Assembly session.
Hale agreed with Mister that Kullen is unproven.
"Is she liberal or is she conservative?" Hale asked. "She has two
sessions to prove that."
Kullen may be in her first legislative session, but this has been
no ordinary session. It began with a contentious Christmastime
special session on medical malpractice that was marked by fierce
lobbying by two of the most powerful special interests in Annapolis
-- doctors and trial lawyers -- and ended with the legislature
overriding the governor's veto.
Kullen voted to pass the bill and override the veto because it
provided up-front relief for doctors and significant legal and
insurance reform.
That was the most high-profile vote where Kullen and Owings would
have differed. Owings lobbied against the bill on Ehrlich's behalf,
but that may be the only legislative difference between the two.
Owings said Kullen is quelling her skeptics.
"She hit the ground running with an intensity that I found somewhat
surprising," he said. "I knew she was energized, but not to the
degree that I've seen. She is surprising a lot of people up here and
back home."
Then there was the closely watched House vote on slot machines.
Kullen, who personally does not like the idea of expanding gambling,
wrestled with the issue, but said she decided to vote for the slots
bill because it includes millions for education that would be
benefit Calvert County.
"It's not me voting for me," she said. "It's me voting for what's
best for Calvert County."
Former Calvert County Commissioner Barbara A. Stinnett, a Democrat,
noted that Kullen is gearing her legislative agenda and votes toward
her constituency. Stinnett, a candidate for the delegate seat along
with Kullen, said she was wary of Kullen because she supported
Democratic presidential candidate Howard B. Dean last year.
But now Kullen has moved back to the center -- and to the views of
Calvert County, said Stinnett, an aide to Sen. Roy P. Dyson (D-Dist.
29) of Great Mills.
"She has mellowed out from the Howard Dean days," Stinnett said. "I
hear people ask what is she doing, but I don't hear the criticisms I
heard early on."
And any notion that Kullen is in Miller's pocket on key issues is
not true, the Senate president said.
"I wish that was true," Miller laughed. "She is very independent."
A former disabilities consultant, Kullen is making her mark as an
advocate for children and health care.
"On some very complicated health care issues, she has really hit
the ground running," said House Health and Government Operations
Committee Chairman John A. Hurson (D-Dist. 18) of Chevy Chase.
She may not be the bill's lead sponsor, but Kullen is credited for
her work on passing a bill that would establish a pilot program for
autism awareness in children.
"She has been invaluable," said W. Minor Carter, a lobbyist for
Pathfinders for Autism, a coalition of groups that support more
autism awareness and testing. "She has been diplomatic, hardworking
and energetic on our behalf. She deserves a lot of credit." |
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