How About A Contract On Jim Pelura?

August 15, 2009 by Cato  
Filed under Maryland, Maryland Politics, Republican Campaigns

Up until now, I’ve approached the “Dump Jim Pelura” campaign as something that simply doesn’t matter.  I didn’t really care who the MDGOP put in as chairman.  Until the party re-structures AND does more than pay lip service to its grassroots work, it simply wouldn’t matter.

I was wrong.  Jim Pelura needs to go.  He needs to go NOW.  Each day that Pelura remains as Maryland’s GOP chairman, the greater the damage.

Even with genuinely good ideas, Pelura manages to screw things up.  Case in point – “The Contract With Maryland”.  In theory it’s a great idea.  Just one problem.  The leaders of the House and Senate GOP caucuses aren’t buying in..

There were many reasons for the success of 1994’s Contract With America.  However, does Jim Pelura believe that it would have been successful if it had been developed by a group of hacks over at the RNC?  Hell no!  The original Contract was developed by those who would have to run with it.  It was successful because it allowed GOP congressional candidates to run a nationally cohesive campaign, similar to those run in countries with parliamentary systems.  It was also used to recruit candidates.

Admittedly I don’t know the House GOP leadership.  I don’t claim to know Senate GOP Leader Allan Kittleman very well.  However, my limited experience with Kittleman leads me to believe that he is moderate, but right of center; that he’s bright; and that he’s a reasonable man.  Given the time and opportunity, I doubt Kittleman would shy away from developing a set of policies that could help lead the GOP to pick up a few seats in next year’s elections.  I suspect the same of the House leadership.  However, they are absolutely correct in their refusal to allow a group of dilettantes like Pelura to dictate a platform for them to run on.

My Red Maryland colleague Brian Griffiths is right on this subject as well.  Pelura is straight out of The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight.

How can the MDGOP recruit candidates, and realistically hope to win, if our state chairman does little more than play Russian roulette with the relatively few GOP legislators we currently have?  The time has come for Jim Pelura to resign.  If he refuses, he needs to be forcibly removed.