Creeping back into the fold

There were a number of critical articles (like this one) and even a resolution before the state party stemming from the decision of Cecil County Executive Tari Moore to bolt from the Republican Party so she could pick her own successor on the County Council. But count me among those who figured she’d return to the GOP. Indeed, she did so back in November.

Needless to say, the local party didn’t exactly welcome her back with open arms, particular county Chair Chris Zeauskas:

Today, the Cecil Whig published a story announcing County Executive Tari Moore’s switch back from Unaffiliated to Republican.

By changing her Party affiliation, she confirms, yet again, that her switch was nothing more than political calculation.

For Tari Moore, it wasn’t about conscience and it wasn’t about doing what was best for Cecil County.

As you might remember, just after being elected County Executive, Tari Moore changed her Party affiliation in a politically motivated move to control who her successor would be in filling her then vacant County Council seat.

She chose to steal the right of the duly elected Cecil County Republican Central Committee to nominate candidates to fill her vacancy on the Cecil County Council.

As per the County Charter, when a vacancy opens on the County Council (assuming that seat is held by a Republican), the Cecil County Republican Central Committee nominates 3 individuals for the County Council to select for appointment.

Rather than stand for the conservative Republican values of Cecil County voters, Tari Moore decided to undermine them.

She undermined the democratic process and the will of the voters for her own political gain.

Not only was it wrong for Moore to betray Republican voters who helped her get elected, she’s betrayed all Cecil County voters in her time in office.

As our representative, Moore has:

  • Increased taxes and fees several times
  • Increased and voted for huge spending increases
  • Piled on massive new debt that our children and grandchildren will have to pay for
  • Voted against our property rights by supporting government purchases of land and centralized planning initiatives

Tari Moore is not a Republican, she does not stand for any Republican values, and she has proven herself to be yet another self-interested, self-serving politician.

Between now and her next election we hope to educate all voters in Cecil County about what Tari Moore truly stands for and we ask you today to do the same.

You know, I could say all that about a lot of Republicans all around the state. Anyway, I’m reading that as Tari Moore having a primary opponent the next time she’s up for election. Cecil County, though, is sort of an odd duck in that they will have perhaps the most significant of the local elections come 2016. Unlike most other counties, they elect certain officers (such as their County Executive) in a Presidential year rather than a Gubernatorial one; thus, the election will be one of the most closely watched in the state.

You may recall Zeauskas is the Central Committee chair who sponsored a resolution in 2012 accusing Moore of accepting party money “under false pretenses.” The resolution was tabled in that meeting and not brought up in the chaotic spring 2013 convention that followed.

In fact, this news wasn’t revealed as the county filed suit against Delegate Michael Smigiel to recoup legal costs incurred in the Zeauskas lawsuit against Cecil County. My post happened to be the day she switched back, but it turns out I was correct in assuming she would wait until the legal coast was clear.

I find it very intriguing, though, that Zeauskas will get very little feedback about being critical of a fellow Republican elected official – but let a conservative blogger do the same thing and the cries of disloyalty spring up from several quarters. I’m sure what passes for a Democratic Party in Cecil County is enjoying the show, not that they have nothing else to run against since most county officials there are Republicans.

So I’ll welcome Tari back, even if her motives for leaving weren’t the purest. Let’s allow the debate to focus on policy, both now and once the candidates are known.

3 thoughts on “Creeping back into the fold”

  1. And now, as Paul Harvey would have said, for “the rest of the story”. In case of a vacancy, the Cecil County Charter calls for the remaining council members to choose a replacement within 30 days. Failure to do so gave the choice to the County Exec., who chose a life-long Republican and long-time community volunteer. By eliminating the salutation“ Patriot” and the closing “ For Liberty”, your readers are deprived of the knowledge that Zeauskas is essentially writing not as a Republican, but rather as a Campaign for Liberty operative. In fact, for those familiar with these antics, the letter was obviously written by Ted Patterson, Secretary of Cecil County RINO Central as well as Maryland State Coordinator of Campaign for Liberty. Zeauskas (Patterson) complains about “centralized planning initiatives”, while Patterson is a central planner employed by the University of Delaware. The 9 member Cecil County GOP Central Committee is controlled by 7 “Smipkins” (followers of Del. Smigiel and former Sen. Pipkin). If Moore had not switched, her replacement would have essentially been chosen by Smigiel and Pipkin (The SMIPKIN), guaranteeing two more years of dysfunctional county government. Instead, we have had a period of adult decision making and long range planning. Zeauskas and the Campaign for Liberty have relentlessly attacked Moore as well as 3 of the 5 (all-Republican) council members. The 2 who remain unscathed are former Legislative Aides to Del. Smigiel. Those who assume from this letter that “the local party didn’t exactly welcome her back with open arms” would be mistaken.
    The referenced convention resolution was tabled due to delegate requests for more information and clarification. It was not re-introduced at two successive conventions and rendered moot by the court ruling against Zeauskas.
    Cecil County voters don’t have to wait until 2016 to express their views on the “Moore issue”. Her appointee has filed to stand for election in the 2014 election. The 2 previously mentioned council members must also run again in 2014. This election is shaping up to be a battle of surrogates: Moore v Smigiel.
    Cecil County RINO Central and the Campaign for Liberty rely on a media blitz to spread misinformation to low information voters. I suggest that those seeking information and insight on Cecil County issues visit ceciltimes.com for “the rest of the story”.

  2. It’s also worth pointing out, Bob, that the e-mail came to me under the Cecil County GOP letterhead, not Campaign for Liberty.

    So I’m led to assume this is the “official” stance of the Cecil County GOP – having duly noted this, one can make the assumption she wasn’t welcomed back.

    Your argument that 2014 will be a referendum on Moore via the surrogates holds some weight, but I would have expected Bowlsbey to have challengers anyway since she was appointed to the post. The key to watch is how much tacit assistance the other two will receive from the Central Committee – speaking of which, I would expect a number of aspirants for those positions.

  3. You were 100% correct in assuming that the e-mail was the “official” stance, which would have required an “official” meeting and an “official” vote. Those of us who challenge actions taken without proper procedure are called “nitpickers” and told to “leave”. The only safe assumption is that she was not welcomed back by 7/9ths of the so-called “Republican Central Committee”. The line between them and Campaign for Liberty has been erased. They are one and the same. We await the 2/25/2014 filing deadline to learn the list of total challengers. In the meantime we entertain ourselves with speculation as to whether Delegate Smigiel will file for Delegate or Senator, as well as the impact of Pipkin’s departure on the Smipkins.

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