This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, March 6, 2009 - Independent St. Louis mayoral candidate Maida Coleman is blaming a smashed-up car window and alleged "verbal threats” from city Democratic Party chairman Brian Wahby for her admittedly volatile comment in the St. Louis American this week, where she states, "I am tired of the Democrats raping us for our votes.”
Coleman, the former Democratic leader in the state Senate, says her mayoral bid against Mayor Francis Slay has improperly subjected her to "a deplorable display of harassment that I will not tolerate."
She complained on her blog, and in an interview today, of "inflammatory verbal threats made directly to my son by Brian Wahby, stating that he had bullets and guns ready to 'take me down.' "
Coleman provided a copy an e-mail that she recently sent to members of the city Democratic Central Committee, in which she complained about Wahby's alleged comments.
Wahby replied, "Do you actually think I'm going to comment about the ravings of a clearly delusional person? It's really sad."
"Maida has been a leader in the party and the city and the state,” he said, referring to her Democratic posts in the Legislature. "And she has reduced herself to this pitiful sideshow."
Coleman also has questioned why her car was targeted for vandalism a few days ago. She says her car was parked outside her home. It has never been vandalized before, and none of her neighbors had their vehicles damaged, she said.
Coleman says she paid $215 to replace the car's smashed window.
Slay campaign manager Jeff Rainford declined comment, saying any reaction should come from Wahby or state Democratic Party leaders.
Coleman is among three challengers facing Slay in the April 7 general election. Slay handily won the Democratic primary last Tuesday over Irene Smith, a former city judge and alderman, and Denise Watson-Wesley Coleman, a lawyer.
Both of Slay's primary challengers were African-American, as is Maida Coleman. She said her comments in the St. Louis American, a local publication aimed at African-Americans, were directed at black voters who for decades have overwhelmingly backed Democratic candidates.
Depending on their turnout, African-Americans -- who make up about 12 percent of the state's population -- can provide up to a quarter of the state's Democratic votes.
"There's always outreach to African-Americans for their votes, but there is no reciprocity,'' Coleman said in an interview today. "But that's been said before. That's not news."
She used stronger words in the St. Louis American:
We have gone along with the program, thinking the Democrats are going to change the way the system operates in this state,” Coleman said. “We have been going along, expecting for the Democrats to change something. I am tired of the Democrats raping us for our votes.”
Still, Coleman emphasized today that she did not want her campaign for mayor to be seen as "a black-white issue."
The flap over her comments, she said, is an attempt by her opponents to distract voters from her message of "a better vision and direction and leadership for this city."
Although she is running as an independent candidate, and has resigned from her post as a city Democratic committeewoman, Coleman still have some strong Democratic ties.
Tonight, for example, she plans to be in Hannibal for a private fundraiser. After that event, she says she plans to stop by the hotel where Democrats from around the state are gathering for this weekend's Democrat Days.
At previous Democratic Days, Coleman used to be among the biggest applause-magnets. That's unlikely to be the case this year.
