THE SCHIZOPHRENIC APPROACH TO RUNNING FOR OFFICE

Julie Brewington, candidate for the GOP nomination to replace the late Page Elmore in Maryland District 38-A has a “unique” approach to running for office.  While her opponents (Crisfield attorney John Phoebus, Wicomico councilman John Cannon (R-AL), and Somerset County farmer Charles Otto) are out meeting voters and getting signs put up Brewington is taking a somewhat bizarre approach to electoral politics.

Hypocrisy At Pecan Square

According to Brewington’s own blog, she attended two events for other candidates yesterday evening.  The first event, a fundraiser for 37-A candidate Dustin Mills, was also attended by Cannon, District 2 councilwoman Stevie Prettyman, and SbyNEWS publisher Joe Albero.  She attacks Cannon for a variety of fictional offenses and then plays the victim card:

… John Cannon, was sitting with, and yucking it up with a certain blogger that has personally attacked me, my family, and my gender in the most vicious and vile of ways. It has been nothing short of true candidate intimidation. Not good form Mr. Cannon. It makes you look like you condone such behavior. The question is, do you?

This puts me in a somewhat awkward position.  I’ve previously noted that Cannon won’t be getting my vote for the 38-A House seat.  That said, my differences with Cannon are substantive; we disagree over certain policies and a core political philosophy.  John Cannon treats others well and with respect.  I have never heard Cannon speak an unkind word about Brewington or anyone else.  Why does Brewington think that she can get away with attacking Cannon and then wrapping herself up in some kind of pseudo-feminist victimhood?

I fully expect something of this nature from what I have experienced in the recent past, and the way John was yucking it up over the pictures on the bloggers [sic] camera. Is this the type of campaign you’re going to run Mr. Cannon? An endorcement [sic] of  vile attacks against a female for being a female? A regular citizen running for the house of the people?  If not, you need to say so now. Very loud and very strong.I am not seeing that thus far. Speak out Mr. Cannon against candidate intimidation. I can’t imagine I could be that much of a threat to you. This goes for you as well Mr. Phoebus, are you going to stand for this type of attacks?

Where is Camile Paglia when we need her?  The Eastern Shore is blessed with many strong women in government; among them Del. Addie Eckardt (R-37B), Del. Jeannie Haddaway (R-37B), Wicomico councilwoman Stevie Prettyman (R-2), and Wicomico councilwoman Gail Bartkovich (R-3).  I’ve never known either lady to attempt to deflect an issue by whining about anti-woman bias.  BTW – what was John Phoebus’s crime other than to emerge as the early front-runner for the seat Brewington covets?

Wait!  Is 38-A REALLY the seat Julie is running for?

Which District Are You Running in Julie?

Addie Eckardt already has a Democrat opponent for her 37-B seat.  Does she have a primary challenger as well?  Not according to the State Board of Elections, but in Julie Brewington’s mind…?

In Brewington’s own comments on her attendance of an event for Wicomico Council District 2 candidate Michael Calpino:

Next, I headed to Bivalve to the Westside Community Center for Michael Calpino’s Freedom Event. He is running as a challenger for District 2 on the Wicomico County Council. He invited all candidates who attended to speak and since it is my district, I felt obligated. (my emphasis)

Julie, I thought that you were running in 38-A.  I know that you live in 38-A.  Why do you think that Bivalve is in YOUR district?  If you go down to the Wicomico GOB and take the elevator up to the Planning Department (it’s on the 2nd floor), they will sell you a Wicomico County map that shows every precinct and what legislative and council district it is in.  According to both the county and state, Bivalve is in Legislative District 37-B.

Does Julie Want to “Divide America”?

I think Brewington needs to take a ride to Annapolis first thing Monday morning.  The State Board of Elections has her listed as running for the GOP nomination.  Yet, according to Brewington, political parties are disgusting, nasty things:

One thing I can say about the event was it was bi-partisan and freedom knows no party. These labels only aim to divide Americans.

Should we infer from Julie’s comments that persons who run under a party label want to divide America?  I guess we have to because political parties are simply organized associations of individuals.  I guess that would have to include Brewington, her husband Mike (a Democrat candidate for Wicomico Council) and her pal Calpino (the Libertarian Party IS a party, albeit smaller than the Dems or GOP).

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

While I’m sure that Mrs. Brewington would disagree, I honestly don’t bear her any ill will.  I would just like to see candidates, particularly candidates running on my party’s line, who can put together a coherent sentence or two, know how to turn on spell checker, and aren’t paranoid that anyone who doesn’t explicitly support them is somehow out to personally destroy them.

In 2010 we are blessed to see a record number of candidates seeking office up and down the ballot in Maryland.  On November 3rd we will wake up and there will be only one winner for each office.  Between now and then, I can disagree with people like John Cannon or Frank Kratovil yet still be civil.  Contrary to the belief of some, neither I nor Joe Albero go home at night and stick pins in little dolls.  Some candidates need to either understand this or accept the fact that they simply aren’t emotionally secure enough to run for elected office.

The final reports are in as to who is running for office in the “Once Free State”.

Statewide, Congressional, and Legislative Candidates

Local Candidates

Will Republicans make big gains in this deep blue state?  Too early to tell.  However, the number and depth of good GOP candidates could well be the beginning of a better future for Maryland.

CASA de Maryland, the organization funded by Maryland taxpayer dollars to help ILLEGAL immigrants, is venturing out into politics.  Wait a second; I thought they were already “political”.  They are, but now they will OVERTLY engage in partisan political activity.

Dubbed CASA in Action, the group sent out surveys to politicians in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties and will endorse primary candidates who promote Hispanic causes.

Among the questions: Whether candidates support giving driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants, whether English should be the official state language, and whether office seekers would push for more funding for Hispanic nonprofits.

"It allows immigrants and low-income people in Maryland to come together and express their political priorities," said spokeswoman Eliza Leighton.

Should this preclude CASA from receiving taxpayer dollars?  NO!  They shouldn’t have been receiving tax dollars before; but this twist really changes the playing field.  While not illegal, Marylanders should ask if CASA is a responsible use of taxpayer funds.

Organizers for CASA in Action expect to make serious political headway in local and state races, citing the "enormous unrealized potential of the Latino vote."

Given that election judges cannot demand ID, or that county electoral boards cannot demand proof of citizenship beyond an individuals say-so, groups like “CASA in Action” have to make Marylanders seriously question the validity of elections.

Outgoing Wicomico County councilman John Cannon (R-AL) is seeking the Republican nomination for the District 38-A Maryland House seat.  Cannon is a pretty sharp guy, as the video above will show.  Regardless, Cannon won’t get my vote in the primary; and probably not the votes of my fellow conservatives.

Life, Liberty, and Property

We all grew up hearing those famous words from the Declaration of Independence – “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”.  How many know that the original draft of the Declaration read, “Life, Liberty, and Property”?  (The term was changed to appease northern delegates who were afraid that such a term might imply their endorsement of slavery.)

Regardless, property rights are at the core of conservative values.  While some of us may be willing to overlook Cannon’s lack of conservatism, it is in this area that he abjectly failed as a member of the Wicomico County Council.  Cannon’s support of a “compromise” to steal the property rights of Wicomico County farmers was (at least) one step too far.

Flip-Flop to the Max

Cannon’s support of the great (and fortunately unsuccessful) land grab would be bad enough.  What saddens me the most is his hedging (some would say fibbing) when asked about this issue by Joe Albero.  Starting at around 4:50 in the video, Cannon ducks and dodges.  He claims that landowners need to be compensated.  Why, then, did Cannon support down zoning of county ag lands without ANY (forget about FAIR) compensation to the property owners?

The bottom line is that John Cannon is a great guy.  He’d fit right in with the Annapolis crowd.  That’s the problem.

H/T – Joe Albero @ SbyNEWS

Last week we informed you that the Federal government would begin funding abortions in Pennsylvania.  Maryland will become the second state to begin funding abortions through ObamaCare.

Maryland will join Pennsylvania as the second state to use federal tax dollars to pay for abortions under the new health care law signed by President Barack Obama in March, according to information released by Maryland’s State Health Insurance Plan.

Maryland will receive $85 million in federal funds for its federally mandated high-risk insurance pool, which will cover abortions. As CNSNews.com reported on July 14, Pennsylvania will receive $160 million in federal funds for its high-risk insurance pool, which will also cover abortions.

During the debate over the health-care bill, President Obama delivered a speech to a joint session of Congress, saying: “Under our plan, no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions.”

I wonder what Bart Stupak would say now?

According to a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) fact sheet published by MHIP, its new Federal Plan will offer the same benefit package as its state-funded plans. “The MHIP Federal Plan offers the same benefit package as other MHIP plan options,” that document states. All five of MHIP’s plans cover abortion, including one plan that requires no co-pay if the abortion is performed at an out-patient abortion clinic, according information found on page 53 of the 2010 MHIP Certificate of Coverage.

Conservative Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) has called for Congress to pass legislation blocking the use of federal funds for abortion:

"This is one more example of a broken promise in ObamaCare,” said Pence. “It is morally wrong to end an unborn human life and it is reprehensible to take taxpayer dollars from millions of pro-life Americans and use them to pay for abortions.”

Pence urged Congress to enact new legislation to stop abortion funding through the health-care law.

"I call on Congress to act quickly on critical legislation by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA) to stop the administration from using ObamaCare to fund abortions."

H/T – Joe Albero @ SbyNEWS

Red Maryland contributor Mark Newgent is IMHO the finest political blogger in Maryland.  He’s also a frequent contributor on radio.  Catch Mark’s discussion of social media and politics:

Watch the full episode. See more State Circle.

If you have the stomach, catch the battle between MD DEM chair  Susan Turnbull and MD GOP chair Audrey Scott.  While I was rooting for Audrey, objectively she was creamed.  Audrey needs to practice her debating skills.

The battle for who will represent Maryland’s First Congressional District continues to grab national attention.  CNN recently profiled the race:

Kudos to the Anne Arundel County Council for stripping department heads and assistant department heads of one of those sacred perks – TAKE HOME CARS.  Of course, the civil servants are trying to argue that the county won’t really save any money.  My faith is in county auditor Teresa Sutherland (who also turned in her county car).  According to Sutherland, less than half of the county cars taken back to the county motor pool drove more miles on county business than on personal business.

When former Salisbury councilman Mike Dunn is a candidate’s biggest booster voters should be wary.  When a Democrat candidate claims to be fiscally conservative it’s a good bet that voters are being set up for higher taxes AND a big spending increase.  When both circumstances merge, voters should run to the nearest polling place and re-elect Maryland Sen. Richard Colburn (R-37).

Chris Jakubiak is a nice guy.  He wants to represent the people of District 37 in the Maryland Senate.  If you read is op-ed in Monday’s Daily Times you would think that this guy has some pretty good ideas.  If you live in District 37, do yourself a favor and dig a little deeper.  Here is Jakubiak’s plan:

“Cuts in discretionary spending, excluding veteran services and public safety, must be on the table”?  I hope so.  In fact, EVERY line item in the budget should be on the table.  There is a lot of money wasted in Maryland under the heading of “public safety”.  For starters, why do taxpayers pay state police to commute to their jobs?  Why do state police officers who do not use a car as part of their job get a take home car anyway?  The list goes on and on Chris; far beyond those neat sounding sound bites.

Tying spending mandates to revenue isn’t a bad idea, but only if you are willing to reform the underlying program.  Jakubiak is telling some groups that we need to spend more on education and hugging trees while telling us that he’s some kind of fiscal hawk.  If Chris is serious about cutting costs AND providing a world class education to our children he would be advocating an end to teacher tenure, cutting bureaucracy, providing merit pay and increasing the number of charter schools.  Don’t see any of that in his platform.

Like I said, Chris Jakubiak is a nice guy.  I just think that the folks who live in District 37 deserve a senator who can work to solve problems rather than spout platitudes.

As someone heavily involved in politics most of his life, it’s odd that almost all of my experience with Maryland Sen. J. Lowell Stoltzfus (R-38) would have nothing to do with politics.  My initial contact with Lowell was due to his long service on the board of Holly Grove Christian School (where he had also served as headmaster).  This was where my three sons attended school.  When we began attending Holly Grove Mennonite Church, Lowell was our senior elder.  While not a Mennonite myself, I grew up in the middle of a sizable Mennonite community in Virginia.  When I was a child, Mennonites in our area didn’t vote (too worldly), so I was intrigued that a genuinely devout man like Lowell not only voted, but served in the legislature.

While I had the privilege of discussing politics with Lowell a few times over the years, it never competed with hearing him sing in church.  While his service to Maryland has been substantial, those of us who have had even a small glimpse of his service to his local community, his congregation (and the Christian community), and Holly Grove school must wonder how he ever found the time.

When the 2010 legislative session ended, so did Lowell Stoltzfus’s career in the Maryland General Assembly.  I pray that he and Sharon enjoy a well deserved break from politics.  I can’t imagine that either will retire from their many other forms of service.

Yesterday the Daily Times printed a heart warming editorial by Susan Parker about Lowell’s retirement.  In case you missed it, I’m printing it in its entirely (and hope that Greg Bassett doesn’t mind too much):

Retirement leaves a void

Sen. Stoltzfus will be missed by colleagues, constituents

 

When the 2011 legislative session of Maryland’s General Assembly convenes in January, the Eastern Shore Delegation will be missing a longtime member –Sen. J. Lowell Stoltzfus. Stoltzfus retired at the close of the 2010 session, choosing not to run for re-election after more than 20 years in Annapolis. The Somerset County farmer served as a delegate for District 38 in 1991 and moved into the Senate in January 1992, where he served until last week.

District 38 includes parts of Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester counties, a heavily rural area that is strongly Republican.

Stoltzfus is a staunch conservative — a position that practically goes without saying for a Republican who has represented a rural Eastern Shore district for so many years. What made Stoltzfus so indispensable, however, was his experience and strong advocacy for farmers and watermen in a legislative body dominated by more urban interests. Stoltzfus truly understands both the plight and the economic importance of the agriculture and seafood industries to his constituents as well as to the rest of the state — and he wasn’t afraid to speak up about it.

Stoltzfus served for years as Senate minority leader; when Robert Ehrlich in 2003 became Maryland’s first Republican governor in more than 30 years, Stoltzfus was named to the governor-elect’s budget team. But while the Republican governor fought to pass a slots bill throughout his term in office, Stoltzfus, a Mennonite, remained solidly opposed to legalization of slot machines in Maryland.

Despite his solidly conservative, Republican ways and allegiances in Maryland’s Democratic-majority legislature, his final day was bittersweet. Colleagues praised his contributions and urged him to come back; Stoltzfus would have none of it. He is looking forward to spending more time with his wife, who is battling Parkinson’s disease.

He delivered Smith Island cakes to everyone in the Senate –a treat wrought with symbolism as well as gastronomic pleasure. Tiny Smith Island, home of Maryland’s official state dessert, has been represented by Stoltzfus all these years.

But in the end, "we work together for so long, we develop a good relationship," Stoltzfus said. "We become bonded in spite of our political differences."

It is that sense of mutual respect, despite deeply held ideological differences, that sets some politicians apart. Stoltzfus will be missed in Annapolis.

Thanks again, Lowell!