Post: Abramoff school payola scandal likely to hurt Duncan

The Jack Abramoff campaign-money-for-school-property scandal is likely to hit County Executive Doug Duncan's gubernatorial prospects right on his home turf, the Washington Post reports.

"It'll affect Duncan's base in Montgomery County," Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert), tells the Post. "His base is one of the most educated in the history of elected officialdom."

Duncan's apparent political favor for Abramoff, an influence peddler-turned-convict, "has given new ammunition to critics who say the county executive is too cozy with special interests, including developers," according to the Post.

A local Democratic party activist says the Abramoff connection has reinforced "the pay-to-play mentality the county is becoming known for" and strengthens the impression that Duncan is interested in "developers, not citizens."

That sums up why we started this blog: Because Duncan and other county leaders care more for construction developers than they do for school kids. Why else would they push to shut down a thriving elementary school so it could be turned into a high-density residential complex?