Don’t look for an LFS op-ed this week because the one I wrote didn’t clear. That’s okay because I know from experience readership lags on holidays anyway.
You can all catch up on Monday. Unless something absolutely earthshattering breaks where I need to comment, I just might see you at the Allen parade or more likely at the Shorebirds game tonight. But I won’t be here.
So enjoy the day and celebrate what’s great about America – while we still can.
A Western Maryland blogger and TEA Party activist raises some good questions about Bob Ehrlich (h/t Blue Ridge Forum).
While the TEA Party movement locally may be slowly fading away as a vehicle of protest (no July 4th TEA Party was scheduled in Salisbury this year and attendance at April’s event was disappointingly low) there’s still that simmering resentment at party politics in general and the GOP in particular.
It’s expressed in an undercurrent of backlash among certain conservative voters against Bob Ehrlich and Eric Wargotz, who are perceived by them as the “establishment” Republican candidates. Instead, they’re gravitating toward upstart Brian Murphy in the GOP primary for governor as Murphy doesn’t seem to be ashamed of having conservative views. The same goes for Jim Rutledge (and perhaps one or two others on a lesser scale) for the U.S. Senate nod.
The problem for Republicans is that they have a group who’s been proven willing to fight for goals they believe in, but may be put off by the more centrist candidates. Many TEA Partiers (including myself) draw their inspiration from Ronald Reagan, who was thought by the conventional wisdom and many in blueblood country club Republican circles to be unelectable. They had their way in 1976 and their choice (President Ford) lost the election.
But then 1980 came along and their candidate (George H.W. Bush) lost the nomination to Reagan, who as we know blew out President Carter in the election. When Bush was elected in 1988 on Reagan’s coattails, he caved to the centrists – “read my lips,” anyone? – and lost to Bill Clinton. That happened in part because H. Ross Perot, who was more appealing to conservatives, ran on the Reform Party ticket. (Hey, I voted for him in 1992 as well. But I talked my ex-spouse out of voting for Clinton into voting for him so it was a wash.)
I know many of you see this as ancient history, but there are a lot of people around my age who fondly remember the Reagan years and wonder what happened to that America. I know I do.
Right now, as far as our economy goes, we are in a situation not unlike the situation 28 years ago in which Reagan found himself – high unemployment and a stagnant economy. But with Reagan we were on the upswing from the dismal Carter years and beginning about 1983 we began a roaring era of prosperity. I wouldn’t bet on that given the current administration and their economic prescriptions.
So people are pretty upset – mad as hell and they’re not going to take it anymore. But the perception has been cleverly placed in people’s minds that the GOP was to blame for the current economic situation. Perhaps they’re right, but it wasn’t conservative economic policies which put us into this malaise – instead it was catering to centrists and liberals who thought only government could dig us out of the hole.
And TEA Party participants believe this as well, so a centrist Republican may say all the right things but not everyone will buy what they’re selling. Once the ballot is set, I’ll be the guy asking the questions.
In this year of the political newcomer it seems that most of these neophytes became interested in the process over the last few months as groups like Americans for Prosperity, Campaign for Liberty, and 9-12 Patriots evolved in great part from Tea Parties held in the spring and summer of 2009. Many of these political newcomers have shaped the 2010 Maryland electoral landscape, particularly in local races.
But District 38B hopeful A. Kaye Kenney states right up front, “let me assure you that I am not nor have I been a member of the Tea Party movement.” Instead, her political upbringing comes through a more traditional route.
(continued on my Examiner.com page…)
One question which occured to me as I wrote this piece: was she for or against privatizing the Wicomico County Liquor Commission? I don’t recall.
Update: Kenney responds, “I served on the study committee and our committee was unanimous that it should be privatized. I still believe it should be privatized. The situation was that in the last couple years, the dispensary’s contribution to the county has increased and we couldn’t find the funds to replace their contribution. The county believes at this time they can’t do without those funds.”
Thanks!
Since I missed last week due to personal reasons, it means I have a lot more video to choose from this time.
A little over five years ago, the Supreme Court revealed its Kelo v. New London decision. The Institute for Justice took a look at the impact since in this video.
Hey, it was nice of YouTube to add custom sizing for websites like mine. Saves me some HTML work!
The saving of the work doesn’t just extend to me. Beltway Democrats don’t want to work on a budget.
Maybe they just want to enjoy their summer. In this edition of the Freedom Minute, Renee Giachino talks about Obama’s ‘Recovery Summer.’
Someone who can’t take the summer off is Gen. David Petraeus. But it appears Obama’s advisors blew him off when they promised a July 2011 Afghan withdrawal.
But that’s all right, because Obama staffers are blowing off transparency laws, as Americans for Limited Government reveals.
This one has a wry sense of humor to it, and in good time for Independence Day.
Musically, I think it’s time to dust off Ava Aston once again. Just as a reminder who’s in charge on Independence Day.
Have a great Fourth of July, and Happy 234th Birthday to America!
While it wasn’t a formal apology the campaign of U.S. Senate candidate Eric Wargotz released a statement this afternoon, parts of which are published below:
As per the suggestion of the Tarrance Group, The Wargotz for U.S. Senate Campaign has provided additional details subsequent to the initial press release announcing Dr. Wargotz’s lead in Baltimore County CD1.
(continued on my Examiner.com page…)
As an aside, I wonder how Jim Rutledge would do?
Heeding the admonition of The Tarrance Group, a national polling firm, Eric Wargotz’s campaign has removed a “misleading” poll citation from its website.
Wargotz’s Senatorial campaign trumpeted the data in a Wednesday press release claiming “Wargotz leads Mikulski by 3% in recent poll.” While the data was indeed correct, Tarrance warned that as a basis for a realistic snapshot of the county’s electorate the poll couldn’t be trusted because of its small sample size of 41 people and the fact it only encompassed the portion of Baltimore County lying within the First Congressional District.
(continued on my Examiner.com page…)
It certainly wasn’t unexpected that Rick Pollitt would file to keep his County Executive seat, and today he did. But in a case which Yogi Berra would call “deja vu all over again” his Democratic challenger from 2006 also filed today.
T. Anthony “Tom” Taylor, who only won 23% of the vote in that challenge four years ago, is back to face Pollitt in the September 14th primary. But this time Pollitt has a record for Taylor to criticize, and Tom is going to make this campaign one about, “…financial responsibility and ending the expansive intrusiveness of government.”
(continued on my Examiner.com page…but come back for more analysis.)
One thing about having a blog is having an archive. On September 10, 2006, just before the primary, I said the following regarding Tom Taylor:
On the other side in his self-described “David vs. Goliath” matchup is Tom Taylor. Taylor is what I would describe as a Reagan Democrat, stressing private property rights, citizen preparedness, and allowing citizens more of an ability to defend themselves as they see fit.
Taylor fits in with Wicomico County in many ways. Our county is one where the Democrats lead in voter registration, but where the Democrat party has not had a gubernatorial or Presidential candidate carry the county since William Donald Schaefer in 1986. Essentially, it’s a conservative hotbed where voter registration means less than it does in most places.
(snip)
Wicomico County, based on its overall voting record in races for executive positions and its overwhelming approval of the revenue cap just two years ago, is no place for a “taxer and spender.” Because he provides an insurance policy against government overwhelming the masses in Wicomico County, I’m urging our county’s Democrats to follow the age-old example and let David slay Goliath. Tom Taylor is your best pick for County Executive.
That still rings true today because, quite honestly, we needed a belt-tightener when times were good to make the bad times easier to work through. Certainly Wicomico County did set some money aside, but as we see by the example of the man Pollitt is local campaign chair for (Martin O’Malley) no wallet is truly safe with a Democrat like Pollitt or O’Malley in charge.
It should be an interesting campaign.
Back to the field of play after my one-time departure.
As is traditional (if it’s not I’m making it so) any SAL All-Stars from Delmarva not already so honored as SotW will get their due after the break. Thus, Jesse Beal is my pick this week.
Because this is the first full season for the 19 year old righthander (he turns 20 later this month) out of South County High School in Lorton, Virginia, Jesse has already set a number of career highs for himself. In 14 appearances and starts for the Shorebirds, Beal has set new career marks in pitching 85 1/3 innings, allowing 89 hits and a 3.69 ERA with 50 strikeouts and 18 walks.
Jesse was especially effective in May, going 3-0 with a 2.27 ERA in 6 starts covering 39 2/3 innings. Perhaps consistency is the one thing he needs to work on as his May numbers were quite a bit better than lackluster performances in April and June, where his earned run average was much higher.
However, the 11th round Oriole pick from 2008 has shown good control over his minor league career, walking only one batter per nine innings in his previous stints with the GCL Orioles in 2008 and Bluefield last season. Like some other Shorebird pitchers, Jesse doesn’t have the eyepopping strikeout numbers but pitches more to contact as he’s allowed more hits than innings pitched but gets a lot of ground ball outs too.
With each inning for Beal adding to the personal best totals, he may be one of those pitchers who we see less of as the season wears on. Since Jesse has a wide lead over fellow high school prospect Matt Hobgood and the promoted Nathan Moreau in terms of team leadership in innings pitched (Jesse is tied for 7th in the SAL as well) the Orioles may shorten his starts a little bit to maintain his arm for future seasons. Even though Beal looks like a durable sort of guy, too many pitchers have seen their careers end from throwing too much early on.
If he pitches to contact well, though, Beal may surprise us and rack up double-digit wins by season’s end. Staying on rotation would give him 12 or 13 chances to pick up 5 more wins, so it’s a doable goal. Here’s hoping he gets there.
In a message to supporters on his Facebook page last night, Democratic candidate for Governor George Owings announced he was dropping his bid due to health reasons. On May 25 he had an unspecified medical procedure, and I’ll let him pick it up from here on my Examiner.com page.
Whether intentional or not, he managed to bury the news under the announcement of Bob Ehrlich’s lieutenant governor running mate last night.
