Maryland’s floundering Republican Party chose another out of touch, obstructionist tea party candidate to run for higher office today. With House of Delegates Minority Leader Anthony O’Donnell announcing his candidacy for Congress, the GOP signaled they believe in promoting failed leadership.
Last spring, Anthony O’Donnell spent more energy trying to block progress instead of moving Maryland forward and even the miniscule Republican Caucus began to make plans to replace O’Donnell as Minority Leader. Even his own Party wants him out, but he thinks he should move up. This is eerily similar to Nancy Jacobs’ exit from a failed term as Senate Minority Leader to run for Congress in the 2nd district and GOP Chairman Alex Mooney’s decision to leave the party with over $100,000 in debt to run for Congress in the 6th district.
O’Donnell has shown he values partisan politics over consensus and solutions for Marylanders. In 2011 alone, O’Donnell voted against a balanced budget, school construction and infrastructure investments.
Maryland does not need another member of Congress that will join Roscoe Bartlett and Andy Harris in voting with the GOP to raise taxes on the middle class, raise healthcare premiums on seniors, and dismantle important programs like Medicare. While the GOP plays politics, Congressman Steny Hoyer continues to fight for the needs of all of his constituents.
Newt Gingrich’s campaign got off to a rough start when he called fellow Republican Paul Ryan’s plan to privatize Medicare “right-wing social engineering.” Then he took a cruise to Greek Isles and, while he was there, his campaign manager and a half-dozen senior advisors mutinied, quitting en masse and using the timing of his vacation to question Gingrich’s dedication.
And this week, the Washington Post reported that two more top Gingrich campaign fundraisers have quit, stating that the former Speaker showed little interest in the hard-work fundraising necessary for a presidential candidate.
A political campaign’s harmonious inner workings are usually taken for granted. But if Gingrich cannot convince his own staff, who he pays to support him, that he’s a good candidate, what are the chances he is going to convince the American people?
There is, however, a certain poetry to Gingrich’s upcoming visit to the Maryland. Maryland Republicans, like Newt, badly want to regain power and neither seems to have a shot. Part of the Maryland Republican Party’s problem is that, since Ehrlich lost in 2006, they have not had a leader. A bigger problem is that, like Newt, they lack both cash and a clear view on, well, almost anything.
This is where the Maryland Democratic Party would like to lend our support. We believe we have the solution for both Newt and the Maryland GOP: A marriage (something Newt is actually a bit of an expert at). Newt needs a staff and the Maryland Republicans need a leader. We welcome the marriage and, when Newt fails to gain the nomination, if he wants to come back here and run for governor, we would welcome that too.
The Maryland Democratic Party and the Maryland Republican Party held a joint press conference today to promote Early Voting.
The Party Chairs released this joint statement:
As the Chairs of our respective State Parties, we feel strongly that we have a responsibility to educate voters in Maryland about Early Voting. For the first time in Maryland, voters will have more control over when and where they vote. As State Party Chairs, we will work with the State Board of Elections to ensure early voting is safe and secure, giving Marylanders the benefit of choosing when and where they cast their ballots. Early Voting will make it easier for all Marylanders to get to the polls, regardless of their hectic schedules – increasing voter turnout, and giving all registered voters in this state an opportunity for their voices to be heard. This election year, the first decision that voters will make is when and where to vote.
