Harris Sides With Big Banks at the Expense of Maryland Families in Opposing Efforts to Rein in Greedy and Reckless Behavior by Wall Street
With the Wall Street Reform package set to become law, Andy Harris should explain to voters why he would put the interests of big banks ahead of protecting Maryland families. In a June 2010 radio interview, Harris said that he did not support the Wall Street Reform package adopted by the House.
Once again, Harris is siding with Wall Street-backed special interests like Club for Growth, which spent millions of dollars on his behalf during the 2008 campaign. Rather than rein in the greed and reckless behavior that led to the 2008 economic collapse with common sense solutions, Harris instead prefers to maintain the status quo by looking out for his buddies on Wall Street and putting homeowners, consumers, and small businesses last.
Andy Harris’ outrageous refusal to hold Wall Street accountable and protect consumers from predatory lending, credit card and mortgage abuse is yet another reminder that Harris stands with big banks, not with Maryland’s middle class families. Hardworking families, seniors and small businesses that played by the rules saw their jobs and economic security wiped out by Wall Street’s greed deserve better than Andy Harris.
Protecting consumers and holding big banks accountable is a key piece of the change that all of us fought for in 2008. We are proud that Frank Kratovil and our entire Maryland Democratic congressional delegation supported this important reform. This is a huge victory for all Marylanders.
Harris’s Track Record of Dishonest Campaigning and Ethical Lapses Exemplify What’s Wrong with Extremist Politics
A review of Andy Harris’s 12-year record makes it clear that his history of dishonest campaign attacks, strict partisanship, and ethical lapses represent everything that voters despise about political extremes.
Harris’s record in Annapolis has been a monument to extremism and obstructionism. He has regularly placed himself outside of the mainstream of even his own party, voting numerous times as the only Senator of either party to oppose common-sense legislation:
- The only Senator of either party to oppose the creation of the state’s child care tax credit.
- The only Senator of either party to oppose a bill to reduce class sizes in public schools.
- The only Senator of either party to oppose the creation of a cancer screening, prevention and treatment program
Harris’s extremism extends beyond his voting record. He has also established himself as a poster child for blatantly dishonest campaign smears. Harris’ attacks against Wayne Gilchrest and Frank Kratovil during the 2008 campaign were blasted by the media as “knowingly deceptive,” “embarrassing,” and “disappointing.”
Since that 2008 race, Harris has managed to get himself into ethical trouble in Annapolis. The Attorney General’s office determined that he was blatantly violating Senate Ethics rules by keeping a Senate aide on his payroll even as she was actively running for the House of Delegates. Despite his initial denials, Harris effectively conceded that he had been violating ethics rules when he and his aide agreed to suspend her campaign.
Andy Harris is a poster child for everything that is wrong with the Republican Party of no. His extreme rhetoric, dishonest attacks, and ethical lapses are exactly why voters have lost faith in their Party. There’s a reason why voters rejected him in 2008, and they will do so again in November and vote to continue Frank Kratovil’s independent leadership in Washington.
