Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler's campaign for governor launched a new web site Thursday with the sole purpose of criticizing Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown, the front-runner in the June 24 Democratic primary.
The new site, http://thebuckdoesntstophere.com/, focuses mostly on Brown's role in the botched implementation of Maryland's health insurance exchange web site.
The new Gansler campaign site is distinct from the campaign's main web site, http://douggansler.com/, which delivers a largely positive message about the attorney general's record.
The new site, with the headline "The Buck Doesn't Stop With Anthony Brown," concentrates on the theme that the lieutenant governor is trying to evade responsibility for the troubled rollout. It includes links to critical news coverage of Brown, as well as some unflattering video clips and an informational graphic showing how the money used to fix the exchange could have been spent on other purposes.
Gansler spokeswoman Katie Hill, in a news release announcing the web site, charged that Brown "not only dodges responsibility for a record of failed leadership but misleads voters, repeatedly bragging about the Maryland health exchange as a success."
The web site makes no mention of Gansler's other opponent, Del. Heather R. Mizeur of Montgomery County.
Justin Schall, campaign manager for Brown, dismissed the importance of the web site, saying it "preaches to the converted."
"I think the truth is effective and when you stretch or disregard the truth, you lose all credibility with voters, and I think the Gansler campaign is losing all credibility with the voters," Schall said.