John Boehner Misses A Great Opportunity
a few words from Jacques Chirac to the wise
By streiff Posted in John Boehner | Maryland | Republicans | Wayne Gilchrest — Comments (14) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Yesterday House Minority Leader John Boehner missed a couple of great opportunities.
In the hotly contested primary in MD-1, Mr Boehner endorsed the candidacy of the incumbent, Wayne Gilchrest.
Why Mr. Boehner felt it necessary to weigh in on the primary in a safe Republican district borders on the inexplicable. This is not the case of a Arlen Specter v. Pat Toomey race where the incumbent was viewed as the only way to retain a seat. Selling out principle for power can be a disgusting act to watch but rarely does it leave one scratching their butt in wonderment. MD-1, absent an Act of God, is going to have a Republican representative.
We documented repeatedly on Wayne Gilchrest's dubious claim to being a member of the Republican caucus. He is the only Republican to have voted to override all five of President Bush's vetoes. He has resolutely pursued defeat in Iraq even to the extent of supporting the odious John Murtha's attempts to defund the war while leaving the troops in combat. He votes for every bit of pork that comes down the pike. What is notable about his support of pork is that none of it arrives in Mr. Gilchrest's stronghold in the economically depressed Eastern Shore of Maryland, though Mr. Gilchrest has a pattern of showing up in even numbered years and promising to build this wharf or dredge that channel, promises which never seem to materialize.
Mr. Boehner, himself, is well acquainted with the inconstancy and pliable loyalty of Mr. Gilchrest. In the race for House Minority Leader Mr Gilchrest promised his support to Mr. Boehner then jumped ship to support Representative Roy Blunt.
The best choice for Mr. Boehner would have been to take a bit of advice from Jacques Chirac. It would have cost him nothing and had the added virtue of being the right thing to do. If he couldn't do that then the next best would have been to endorse one of the two conservative challengers in the race and try to create a more cohesive Republican caucus.
Why he couldn't restrain himself or, failing that, act to strengthen the party is a mystery.
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John Boehner Misses A Great Opportunity 14 Comments (0 topical, 14 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
....any polling data on this race? It seems like a good conservative could unseat a liberal like Gilchrest in this district.
“.....women and minorities hardest hit”
is that Gilchrest is polling very weak even in his own campaign's polls. We had a good chance to boot him which may have evaporated last week when State Senator E.J. Pipkin entered the race.
"A man can never have too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition." -- Rudyard Kipling
...and why did Pipkin enter the race? I thought conservatives were lining up behind Harris in this one?
“.....women and minorities hardest hit”
the best explanation is that when Andy Harris launched his race Gilchrest didn't look this weak. Since last summer things have changed.
Now Harris is doing a great job of raising money, prominent Republicans in that area have endorsed him, former Governor Bob Ehrlich has endorsed him. Like I said, even Gilchrest's polls show him in deep crap.
Pipkin ran against Barbara Mikulski in 2004 and lost, but he has higher ambitions than state senator. The odds of him being governor in Maryland are fairly slim. So his upward mobility is in MD-1.
My assessment would be that Pipkin didn't enter the race this summer because he thought Andy Harris would get beat and he thought that Gilchrest would either retire by 2010 or he could scare Gilchrest into retirement.
Now Gilchrest looks beatable and if Harris wins then that seat won't be open for some decades. Pipkin's base is on the Eastern Shore, which comprises most of the landmass and slight majority of the voters in MD-1. He probably thinks he can come in first in a 3-person race based on name recognition.
"A man can never have too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition." -- Rudyard Kipling
(and yes, I think we're all registered here at Red State) are still lined up behind Harris (at least if we live in the district where we can support Harris), but that still leaves all the rest of the RINOs who constitute the MD Republican party.
Okay, maybe I exaggerate, but only a little. About 15 years ago I lived in Gilchrest's district. The few Republicans I knew were pretty much in line with what Gilchrest backed. Think of Maryland as a little DC. Except for the fishermen on the Eastern shore, and the rednecks* in Western MD, everybody else in the State works for the government. Now it may be the Baltimore city government, or it may be the DC government, or it may be as a lobbyist to one of those governments, or it may be a contractor working to support one of the above (including the banks), but in some way it's all government work. I work in the IT department for a contractor who manages government grants and health education programs and analyzes healthcare data and organizes meetings for the same. And the economists count me as private sector, but at least as far as I'm concerned, we're all government workers (except we don't necessarily have the same job security as an actual government worker). So it is tough to be a conservative Republican in MD. I guess the prospect of the possibility of being one was too much for Pipkin to resist, even though it means Gilchrest will now probably win the primary. With the drumming we took in the governor's race last cycle, I feel for the man, but yeah, he should have stayed out so we'd have a chance.
and no, I don't mean that in a derogatory manner. I like rednecks, and mean it as a compliment when I say Fredneck to refer to the largish town/city where I lived for a couple of years.
I think Boehner seeks to build goodwill with Gilchrest. In essence, he knows that Gilchrest will be more and more likely to help Boehner's cause than not.
I don't think you are right about the district being that safe. I don't have the numbers in front of me, but I remember hearing that it's not as safe as some say.
That said, I support Wayne Gilchrest's primary opponent, and agree with your criticism of Rep. Gilchrest himself. But your tattackon Boehner is wrongheaded. The leadership ALWAYS supports incumbents, and that's the way it needs to be.
If the leadership of the party doesn't support elected Representatives of their party, you get fewer incumbents, i.e. more Democrats. It might be justifiable, even preferable for them to support primary opponents in any individual case, but the overarching result of the leadership not supporting incumbents is a lot fewer people willing to throw their hat in the ring, and that's a huge problem that's much larger then any one race, including this one.
That isn't to say that the rank and file can't do an end-around Congressional leadership, as here, I support it. However, it shouldn't reflect badly on leadership to support incumbents.
John Bolton for President
"FEAR THE 'STACH!!!"
went for 63% for Bush in 2004.
The leadership usually stays out of primary races. That is the way it should be. When it does get involved in primaries it is in some misbegotten effort to save a seat.
Thanks for the fact-free commentary.
"A man can never have too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition." -- Rudyard Kipling
You're wrong. Leadership absolutely does not generally stay out of primaries where an incumbent is involved, and they always support the incumbent, as they should.
The only exception that might even qualify is Sununu/Smith in 2002. But even in that case, I think they still technically supported Smith, although they didn't lift a finger to help him. Even if I'm wrong on that, (I don't remember for sure whom they technically supported), in that case, Smith had actually left the party, and then came back to try to keep his seat when he realized he couldn't keep it as an independent.
John Bolton for President
"FEAR THE 'STACH!!!"
you beclowned yourself with your comment on the make up of MD-1, knock yourself out with this bit of nonsense.
"A man can never have too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition." -- Rudyard Kipling
I "beclowned" myself by saying the district "might not be as safe as it appears?"
Please, spare me your sanctimony. Tell frm. Rep. Hostettler how much Bush won his district by.
I renew my challenge: With the (possible) exception of someone who switched parties and then switched back (the 2002 NH senate election), why don't you name all of these elections where the leadership has refused to support the incumbent?
John Bolton for President
"FEAR THE 'STACH!!!"
John Boehner only concerns himself with three things.
His hair, his tan and his golf game.
He is a self centered fraud.
the only reason Wayne Gilchrest has an (R) after his name is, because of the district he represents. A (D) would never get him elected.
Mr. Boehner, what the H&*l are you doing?
"Thou Comest to me with a Sword, with a spear and with a shield, but I cometh to you in the name of the Lord of Hosts who you have defied"