Clambake - Harris - Wrap Up

I want to say "wow." The series of clips of the Harris interview, as amateurish as they are, has gotten a lot of attention. Even my mother got into the act, though I am sure she was being reserved in her comments for public consumption. She has taken me to task in the past for calling people "spineless" and "gutless" without offering any clinical proof. These are respected people in the community, she would say. Remember, your son is named after you...be nice for his sake, is another one usually followed by the standard motherly if-you-can't-say-something-nice-about-someone...

C'mon, mom! Give me your best shot! Lemme have it with both barrels...like this guy:

In my post I didn’t say that I disagreed with Harris on his stance, but I did find it suprising that a candidate who is portrayed to be on the opposite end of the conservative spectrum from incumbent Gilchrest would support more government involvement in health insurance.

First I have to thank the blogger for noticing the interview. And I was, indeed, refering to his (or her) post.

The blogger takes exception to being called a left-wing blogger. All I can say is that anyone who doubts Andy Harris' conservative bonafides must be, in my book, a leftwinger, a liberal, not a conservative. "...opposite end of the conservative spectrum from incumbent Gilchrest..."? Gilchrest isn't even ON the spectrum. He doesn't know where the spectrum is. He's lost it, up in a closet somewhere. you know, behind all the winter accessory odds and ends that come tumbling down on you everytime you are looking for something up there.

Anyway, for my mother's sake, I'll let Mr. Harris speak for himself on the health care issue. From my standpoint, his position rings true. I can't wait for the first Harris-Gilchrest debate!

In other matters, I do want to let it be known that I have a short video interview of Michael Swartz, author of BlogNetNews' Number One Maryland blog. If anyone wants to see it, please contact Mr. Swartz or visit his blog The Monoblogue, and leave a comment!

Harris -- Nuclear Power?

Hell Yes. More along the Energy Independence line of questioning. It's like he is reading my mind. I'm sure if he wasn't so busy being a Physician, being a Naval medical officer, state senator, father and now, candidate for Congress, he would be writing a blog called "Andy's Harris Land" or something....

Harris -- Energy

Sen. Harris expounds on how and why he differs from the incumbent on U.S. energy policy. Sen Harris obviously wants to lead the nation in the direction of energy independence that doesn't require dotting the landscape with millions of giant windmills, forcing Americans to beat their laundry clean on rocks down by the river, read only during the daylight hours, or all the other cockamamie ideas and practices forced on us by tree-huggers and those spineless, gutless and braindead politicians like Wayne Gilchrest.

Harris on HealthCare

About a week before the Clambake, one of the left-wing bloggers tried to take some steam out of the Harris campaign by asserting that he may not be the conservative he claims to be. As proof, they cite his support for the relatively new health insurance scheme signed into law by then Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. So I figured I'd give him a chance to refute this claim or explain why he supported it.

Essentially (I know the audio is bad so I will paraphrase here) Sen. Harris explains that he supported the plan as it was initially drafted by Gov. Romney. Of course, once submitted to the socialists in the Massachusetts legislature many of the desirable elements were cut out and plan became more socialized. He doesn't support the system that Romney, as a Republican governor in a state that just loves Ted Kennedy and John Kerry, was pretty much forced to sign.

What Sen. Harris supports is something more aligned with what we'd expect a conservative statesman to support.

Harris -- Fear The Sheep!

More of the interview with State Sen. Andrew Harris. This is the money shot for me; the whole reason for burning $150 worth in regular gasoline, to get the good senator to go on record as being a proud member of the GOP sheep herd that Congressman Gilchrest denigrates on a regular basis. Why do District 1 voters not see this? Why do they continue to tolerate being disenfranchised by a man who takes their Republican campaign funds, endorsements and votes and then votes with the Democrats?

Harris in Crisfield

If I was slightly skeptical before, I am fully convinced now that state Sen. Andrew Harris is the man who will be our next Republican Congressman. Three generations of Netherlands traveled first to Delaware, where we topped off the gas tank, then to Crisfield, MD, site of the annual J. Millard Tawes Crab and Clam Bake. The whole reason for the journey was to interview Sen. Harris, on the video record. Thanks to campaign political director Christopher Meekins who followed through on his promise to allow me to record the interview for the blog.

Thanks to Dad for spotting the water tower! And to my cameraman, Mike Netherland Jr for expert handling of this introductory scene.



I also want to thank Sen. Harris for being such a good sport about finding just the right spot for the interview. There was a lot of funny musical chairs played in order to get the right angle on the water tower. Also for the shouting required to be heard over the incredible noise of the crowd. Now I promise to find either a quieter venue for the next videoblog or some video equipment with an extension microphone capability.

Our first time to the clambake, we had no idea what to expect. Someone said to grab your mug and mallet from the table full of them courtesy of the Crisfield Chamber of Commerce. Wearing our yellow Harris t-shirts, who do we run into first? Susan McConkey and husband Del. Tony McConkey....Gilchrest supporters! Of course he couldn't help calling over his pals, including blogger Brian Griffiths of Pasedena to say 'hey look who showed up wearing a Harris shirt!' But thanks Tony and Susan for getting us started in the Right direction!

The End of Civilization

I witnessed the beginning of the end of Western Civilization the other night on the way home from work. It was on a late and crowded MARC train to Odenton. I had just given up my seat to a "lady" who apparently was not satisfied with one she had taken next to me. She wanted mine as well. Fine. I left for better, more civilized accommodations in the next car.

Finding none, I took up a standing spot and tried to do last week's crossword. At New Carrollton, the first stop, where the train was also late, the platform was crowded with tired commuters. One was a lady. A large lady. On a MARC commuter train, the volume of air one displaces is something of premium and everyone, even the brain dead, are somehow acutely aware of that displacement. It's different than on the subways and buses which are designed for standing commutes. The MARC train is designed for more civilized travel.

So this large lady was standing next to me as we pulled away from the station. I looked around in disgust at all the men sitting while this lady struggled to remain standing as the cattle-car lurched and swayed. I remembered writing years ago in my proto-blog about Etiquette on a MARC Train. Finally I heard a small voice. Another lady, noticing the poor woman's difficulty keeping her balance stood up from her seat next to a man. A Man! This is it, I thought, the Man will be shamed into giving up his seat instead. I watched as both rose, the man smiled at the gentle lady. I watched in horror as the man allowed one lady to give up her seat to another lady. I could not believe it as I watch the man retake his precious seat.

"I never thought I'd live to see the day when a lady is forced to give up her seat for another lady! Too bad there are no gentlemen in this car"! The whole car heard me. There were some protests. I shushed them with a wave of my hand. Perhaps I had embarrassed them. I hope I did. Perhaps they might act differently in the future.

The gentle lady took up the standing space formerly occupied by the large lady. She immediately made it sound as though she was grateful for the chance to stand. "I've been sitting all day..." She realized there was no excuse and no defense for these ...males. Of course I blamed her as a modern woman, a feminist. Oh no, no. She insists she appreciates being treated like a lady by a gentleman. Well I'm sorry, I told her bluntly. I'm taken.

I hope we can be gentlemen inspite of feminism. I hope that we'll feel uncomfortable sitting while ladies stand. So, are we men? Or are we little girls? Fat, old, bald-headed bearded little girls? I think you know where I stand.

Gilchrest Votes Again!

Proving yet again that "our" congressman Wayne Gilchrest represents a grand total of 12 Republicans in Maryland's 1rst Congressional Distrct, he voted, as I expected he would have, with the Democrats in the House. See Michelle Malkin's, column below:

By a vote of 223-201, the House of Representatives passed a surrender timetable that culminates in an April 1, 2008 withdrawal. How appropriate. It’ll be vetoed, but don’t think our enemies aren’t hearing the defeatist message from the House loud and clear. The Republicans who voted for the measure:Duncan, Emerson, Gilchrest,
Jones (NC)...

I remember thinking on the drive home last night as I listened to the news reports of the House vote "Hmmm I wonder how Wayne-O voted?" What are his options?

1. Aye - Where he continues to beg District 1 Republicans to terminate his Congressional career;
2. Nay - Where he turns into a sheep and follows (most) of the other sheep into the Republican sheep pen.

Neither option is very attractive. However, he is on record as wanting nothing to do with the rest of the Republican caucus. So the former option is the least unattractive. I wonder what his thoughts were?

1. Aye - Where I continue to be counted upon by Liberal Democrats in the House to seal the fate of the GOP in 2008, or;
2. Nay - Look like a fool who doesn't know where he stands. Hmmmmmmmmm.....

But Mike, what about the actual issue of continuing to fund the war in Iraq? Doesn't that count? Isn't it possible that he was actually voting with the best interests of the American people in mind?

If, indeed, Mr. Gilchrest voted with the Democrats because he thought they had in mind the best interests of the security of this country and the stability of the rest of the free world, then he is certifiably insane.

To his dwindling ranks of die-hard supporters, I have to say that I understand if you continue to delude yourselves thusly. But I think you should approach Mr. Gilchrest's political career as a cowboy to his lame horse; with your heart full of love and gratefulness....

Stop the Madness

To any adult men or women holding high public office,

We, the unenlightened, stupid, little people of this great State, beseech you, stop the madness prevailing now Montgomery County, indeed in the whole state. The madness wherein taxpayers' money will go to purchase cucumbers and condoms as part of an enhanced sex-ed curriculum; the madness that assumes little boys who have been putting on their own socks and pants for years before being given the cucumber cannot figure out which end of what goes where; the madness that tries to turn the very forces of nature and teach an unnatural form of human copulation.

We, the ignorant, humble, God-fearing folk do not pretend to know what strange and powerful magic is wielded high above in order to educate our children. That is why we turn our meager earnings over to you, trusting that whatever magic is used will be for the good not only of our children, but of the next generation of our society and the future of Western civilization itself. No pressure.

We do know some things, though. We know that certain forms of sexual activity are dangerous to your health the health of those around you. Why on Earth would you teach our kids to experiment with dangerous activity? After they finish each lesson on How to Contract the HIV Virus and Die from AIDS, what do you? Send them out to clear minefields? Drink and drive? Sniff glue? Is this a new way to reduce class size?

While your staff are working on a response to this plea, have them find out one thing for me, hmmm? Have them find out why cucumbers. Cucumbers are a favorite vegetable at our house. There's nothing like my mom's cucumber and tomato salad drenched in a homemade mint and garlic dressing. I would really like to pass that simple pleasure along to my children.

Are there research papers, cost-benefit analyses, focus group data that was used to pick the cucumber over, say, the carrot? Or the zucchini? Why a vegetable? I would think a fruit more appropriate in this task.

Thanks.

Mike Netherland
The homophobic, bigoted, right-wing gun (and Jesus) freak living right here, in your midst, in
Severna Park, MD