Monday, May 28, 2007

"Leopold Endorses Gilchrest"

I guess it was only a matter of time. The Examiner was the only newspaper on my stoop this morning, so I picked it up. The blurb was a sidebar to the main story about Gilchrest jumping on the anti-amnesty bandwagon that his primary and general election opponents had been riding for some time now.

The blurb didn't mention the occasion of Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold's endorsement but what do you want for a blurb? This link is to a PDF of the Examiner page on which the News brief is found.

The Examiner's Len Lazarick says:
I asked him [Leopold] about Gilchrest at a tour of Fort Meade on Friday [5-25]. I noted Republican senators and delegates who were endorsing Andy Harris over Gilchrest, and asked Leopold about his position. “I’m supporting Gilchrest” he began by saying, and then pretty much volunteered the rest.

It was an interesting endorsement, however. Leopold basically said it was payback for Gilchrest's endorsement of his own recent bit of political opportunism. When they are not scratching each others' backs:
"We share the same passion for the environment," said Leopold...

That John Leopold is in bed with Gilchrest should be the final nail in Gilchrest's political coffin. Leopold has consolidated his hold on Anne Arundel County GOP politics after engineering a sweeping coup of the County GOP central committee which, when it takes a break from defending Gilchrest, is busy attacking the conservatives who, unexpectedly I guess, ascended to the State Party leadership.

Take It Easy On Gilchrest

I write to beg the hard-hitting reporting and editing staff at the Annapolis Kapital to go easy on the embattled incumbent Congressman from District 1, Wayne Gilchrest. Liam Farrell's critical examination of the man and his wardrobe in Sunday's edition (5-27-07) made me, a hardcore Gilchrest opponent, wince with each menacing jab at the poor man such as this passage:

"Clad modestly in a baseball hat, short-sleeved button-down shirt and olive khakis, U.S. Rep. Wayne Gilchrest looked out on the crowd."

It was the schoolmarm in Gilchrest, I suspect, that kept Farrell's pen at bay, sparing his subject the embarrassment of mentioning that his shirt was blue, and his hat green. But later on in the rambling feature story, Farrell confronts Gilchrest, as Gilchrest no doubt confronted the ruthless VietCong with this brutal onslaught:

The congressman, dressed in a blue-button down shirt and a rumpled navy pinstripe suit, spoke in soft, even tones.

I can only pray that when Farrell turns his steely gaze upon state Senator Andy Harris, that it isn't over a scrumptious omelet lunch on fine white linen with silver and china service at Harry Browne's!

Mike Netherland
Severna Park, MD

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Run, Andy, Run!!

from the Eastern Shore's Michael Swartz:

I have it on very good authority that Andrew Harris has made a pretty quick decision and will seek the Congressional seat held by Wayne Gilchrest, with a formal announcement sometime tomorrow.

Obviously this is a developing story, but it appears that the show of support he received at the Maryland GOP gathering over the weekend let him know the effort was viable. Who knows, maybe the comments on my little old blog story assisted as well.

And knowing that the husband of Gilchrest’s communication director is the editor of the Daily Times, methinks I don’t see a lot of good coverage coming from there. But I’ll be happy to pick up the slack.


Check out his Monoblogue. Leave a comment.

Scott Hollenbeck is getting the same signals from someone close to the Senator as well.

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Welcome Home, Troops!

First attempt at posting a link to a video - homemade video of MD GOP contingent trying to make the troops feel like rock stars and greatly appreciated!



OK, so it's a slide show. And every shot has my daughter in it. Well, you'll forgive me. She is a cutie pie! There are links below to some video snippets that provided the sides.

Where're we going, Sara?

The Netherlands

Welcome home, soldier!

"Thank you, sir!"

Please feel free to grab a link. Or link back to this page. Refresh now and then to see updates.

Thanks to John Flynn, the chief zealot responsible for bringing us together and making sure the troops had a little welcome-home snack!

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Party Rift

Since sharing my, oh lets call it consternation with former MDGOP Chairman's John Kane's remarks to the press last week, I have heard from Chuck Gast (R-Mitt Romney). Mr. Gast has been invited to defend Kane's remarks or add his voice to those who have suddenly soured on the new leadership and professional staff of the state Party. And it also seems as though Mike Collins (R-?), our County Central Committee Chairman has called to reassure those of us who are rightly put off by Mr.Kane's smear tactics. I find it curious that Kane and his supporters are out conducting overt and covert operations against a GOP leadership that is unabashedly conservative. The smear also comes at the same time that Wayne Gilchrest (R-Baaa, baaa) is under enormous pressure, whether he realizes it or not, to begin brushing up on his Lincoln and Reagan or risk being shunned by the Party. So while the bring-home-the-bacon crowd are busy circling the wagons around Gilchrest and trying to discredit the conservative leadership of the party, the rest of us are wondering just what the heck is going on.

I hereby invite the current and former Chairmen of the County Central Committee to explain to the Square exactly why it was a good thing to attack the current state party chair and executive director. I will not publish their essays on my blog as I will this one. Their essays will be available to the members of the Square (so you have to join to read them!!). Maybe there's something we ought to know about Dr. Pelura and John Flynn. Some dark secret, ulterior motives, a hidden agenda? Tell us! O Keepers of the Incumbent, O Defenders of the Indefensible! Enlighten those of us out of backslapping range!

I can understand that the party might be taking up sides in advance of the National Primary (So Chuck, you can stop sending me the Romney material). But why attack the State Party leadership? The state and county Party must remain neutral during the Primary. But if they hold private opinions and allegiances, they need to get an outsider to advance their candidate(s). So far I have not been able to detect a similar move by the current State party leadership, you know, the conservatives. It seems as though they are remaining neutral. Imagine that.

Mike Netherland
Severna Park

Thursday, May 10, 2007

In Praise of the Zealots

Square,
I sent the message below to the Washington Times using their "Contact Us"page. Let's see yours!

Regarding Mr. Kane's comments in today's story by Tom LoBianco: (http://www.washingtontimes.com/metro/20070508-104523-5478r.htm) The Republicans I have talked to who have been withholding their donations are now eager to donate to the party under the highly competent leadership of James Pelura and John Flynn. Both are very well respected members of the party. As many people know, I haven't had a good word to say about the GOP, state and national since I can't remember when. Under Mr. Kane's "leadership" we witnessed a party apparatus that would have turned the GOP primary into a rubber stamp. And the leadership was AWOL in the face of well-organized attacks on the first Republican governor in decades. Finally, Kane and Co. made idiotic and insulting comments, repeatedly, in the press about loyal Republicans who had the temerity to offer good ideas. Privately, the professional staff were encouraged to squash dissent by well-meaning GOP activists.

I have every confidence that the new leadership will breath life into the party that Kane wasted. They have already made a difference in keeping the party informed, constantly banging the drum to ensure the Democrats get away with nothing. And if Mr. Kane thinks John Flynn is a zealot, then I have to say, to borrow a phrase, that zealotry in the pursuit of conservative Republicanism is no vice! Compared with four years of zero leadership, I am sure that principled and driven leaders like Dr. Pelura and Mr. Flynn represent a drastic and sorely needed change in Maryland.

Mike Netherland
Severna Park