Bitter Gilchrest chooses Dems…once again
The Baltimore Sun reports that defeated Republican Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest will cross party lines today to endorse Democrat Frank M. Kratovil Jr. in the 1st Congressional District this November.
Amid the news of damage and suffering from Hurricane Gustav and the news from the Republican National Convention, Gilchrest, a seasoned veteran of the national political scene, will announce his endorsement sometime today. He will appear beside Kratovil in two appearances on the Eastern shore today.
How’s that for “partisan politics”? No wonder he lost his election!
Blurring the lines between parties is not new news. And the length of Gilchrest’s tenure in Washington is a clear case study in how to win re-election by garnering votes of moderates on both sides of party lines.
Sometimes straddling the fence can provide a clear view of both sides before making a decision about where to take the next step.
But it isn’t possible to sit on the fence forever.
And in this case, Gilchrest’s constituents voted to oust him, perhaps because they could no longer tell the difference between him and the other side… Which is exactly where he finds himself today.
September 2nd, 2008 at 11:34 am
Wayne:
I am very disappointed with your decision to support Frank Kratovil. You abandoned your base a couple of years ago and let down your constituency. It became more “about you”, than about us. When you appeared at Perry Hall High School, and only six people attended, you might have guessed that people were not enthused about your representation.
You might also have guessed that your term of office was decided by the people this past Spring. Instead of accepting the people’s decision, you now cross the party line to support Mr. Kratovil.
Sir, you have lost my support both as a representative and a person. Where is your character?
Cal
September 18th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
[...] with Washington “haphazard” and “reckless” policies. He would not get off the fence to address the issues of his constituents. In short, he was part of the [...]