Now I can delete the tease part, I’m actually writing this article up. As I stated last night, this website says Wayne Gilchrest is a liberal. While one would think it’s a creation of the Andy Harris campaign, it’s actually funded not by his campaign but by a known Harris supporter group, the Club for Growth PAC.
I looked through the site today and checked out the votes the group cites here and here. While the evidence is damning in a number of cases, I was sort of surprised and disappointed to find that there were many other GOP voters with Gilchrest on a number of issues, including all 46 earmarks noted in the “Porker” post. Those amendments tended to fail with just the true GOP fiscal conservatives in the House voting to kill the earmark. Meanwhile, the “sampling” post took into account a small number of votes over the last 7 years. Of those 12 votes, the GOP voted in the majority on 6 of them so the Club For Growth’s complaint shouldn’t just be with Gilchrest on a number of those.
While I did not verify yesterday’s claim, that “Gilchrest votes more often with Democratic leadership than with GOP leadership. So far this year (as of Sunday), he has voted with Majority Leader Steny Hoyer 514 out of 866 times. Conversely, he’s voted with Boehner 470 times out of 866,” it’s very plausible given a CQ Politics survey I posted on in July (about halfway down) that showed Gilchrest voted with the Democrats 48% of the time on key issues.
However, I did decide to link to the site on my sidebar so you can check it out for yourself anytime.
In other First District race news…
Andy Harris’s campaign did let me know about an article by Aaron Blake in The Hill Tuesday that talks about the First District battle for endorsements and fundraising.
Also, I found out today that another Gilchrest challenger has signed on to appear at the Wicomico County GOP Straw Poll Monday night, that challenger being John Leo Walter. He’ll join Joe Arminio at the event. I’m still awaiting word on who will be representing both Harris and Gilchrest at the Straw Poll.
Finally, an interesting Arminio aside. On his website under “The Campaign in the News” he has two links – a link to a WJZ-TV article and a “local blog”. It’s my post I did on his entering the campaign back in July. Hey Joe, at least properly cite the source will you?
When the Club for Growth started it was for noble purposes. However ever since Stephan Moore left in 2004, it has moved more and more to the fringe every election cycle, distorting the records of incumbent Republicans by cherry picking votes and “creating votes” on which they can grandstand. What’s not in the footnote of those earmark votes from earlier this year is the fact that the next day, Democrats put on the House floor all of the Republican earmarks which Republicans scrambled to protect despite their previous days arguments. Just google Patrick McHenry and earmarks and you can see the debate the following day where many GOP lawmakers changed their tune overnight.
And the GOP farm bills that they criticize, a lot of farmers on the Eastern Shore depend on those subsidies to make ends meet either with direct aid or keeping crop prices at a level that enables them to continue farming.
The website Club for Growth created is great. They document the actual votes. I was wondering how the Gilchrest campaign would respond and then I read lloyd’s comment so I guess now I know.
I think all earmarks are bad period. Whether they are Republican, Democrat, or Independent earmarks, they are bad. They are non-competitive bids. They are used to help increase campaign donations to individual members of congress. They are a major source of corruption in congress. If Wayne can’t see that, he needs to go.
Do you know who benefits from the farm bill, Manhatten. The farm bill benefits big corporate farmers more than local ones. Here is a map of who gets subsidies. Look at the major cities. http://farm.ewg.org/sites/farmbill2007/mappage.php?&lat=38.959408792454&lng=-97.3828125&z=5&type=Road%20Map
Finally, the fact that other GOP lawmakers are bad on fiscal issues does not justify Gilchrest’s actions. The “well everybody is doing it” argument is one I expect from Middle Schoolers, not members of congress.
Time for a change.
Chris,
Thank you for the link. Since I’m not an employee of Harris or Gilchrest, I don’t have the access to the information you do. But it is very informative and I hope that everybody takes a moment to visit the link and see where the money goes.
You will have to move the map to the Delmarva peninsula and then I encourage you to draw your own conclusions on whether or not the farm bill was good for the family farms on the Eastern Shore.
If Farm subsidies are so important, then why do we keep voting for Gilchrest? He is one of the worst at getting farm contributions. In the State of MD, Wicomico County is number one in agricultural production, yet is only 8th in the level of subsidies…why is that? Hmmm… Also, all of the farmers I know HATE Wayne Gilchrest for his environmental policies. Everytime a new environmental regulation comes in, the first people it impacts are the farmers. And who is one of the leading Environmentalists? Green-Thumb Wayne himself. So, don’t attempt to laud Gilchrest for his support of agriculture. If there is one person who should NOT be praised by farmers, it is the current Congressman, Wayne “I’m Blue on the Inside” Gilchrest.
Shoreman,
Hmmm why is that?
Two words. Perdue Farms.
I just googled “Maryland Agricultural Statistics” and found this link http://www.nass.usda.gov/census/census02/profiles/md/index.htm
Wicomico County is first in agricultural products sold. It is also first in livestock sold but 8th in crop production.
Go a little bit further down the page you will see why Wicomico is first in Maryland. Apparently, Wicomico sells a lot of broilers.
I’m not sure but the culprit might be the little chicken company whose name appears on the stadium that Michael likes to frequent.
It turns out that little chicken company is the third largest in the country with sales in excess of $3 billion each year.
http://www.perdue.com/company/about/index.html
Take away the numbers related to Perdue farms and all of a sudden Wicomico is right on par with every other county on the shore.
Of course, if Harris had his way, I guess instead of eighth, Wicomico farmers wouldn’t get any help from the federal government. That’s a great sell, vote for me, Wayne only gets you $24 million in federal subsidies each year, but I’m not going to get you a dime because I oppose farm subsidies and earmarks.
As for “Wayne’s environmental record hurts Eastern Shore Farmers?” Where’s the proof? Give us some examples. What votes did Wayne Gilchrest cast in the Congress that hurt Eastern Shore farmers?
See the aformentioned Farm Bill…there are several environmental concessions in there. Also, everytime he votes on something to help the Chesapeake, it has a negative effect on farms. If you don’t believe me, go visit Lew Riley (former Sec. of Ag in Maryland and a life-long farmer) or, Lowell Stoltzfus (former Senate Minority Leader and life-long farmer). If Wayne’s policies are so great, then why are these extremely well regarded farmers supporting Harris?