Posted on 01/16/2005 6:41:04 PM PST by AuH2ORepublican
Mfume, O’Malley Lead 2006 Democratic Pack for Md. Senate, Poll Shows
By Josh Kurtz Roll Call Staff Wednesday, Jan. 12; 11:35am
Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley and former NAACP President Kweisi Mfume are running neck and neck in a new independent poll on the 2006 Maryland Senate Democratic primary, with Rep. Benjamin Cardin close behind.
(Excerpt) Read more at rollcall.com ...
Well, did the party force Fitzgerald out? Wasn't it his choice not to enter the primary even if the party wanted to put forth an "establishment" choice?
I read somewhere that Sarbanes was the most unpopular senator of all 100 among the Senate support staff, particularly the "little people" like the elevator operators. And this from a Democrat who claims to be the essence of the "little people."
No?
I wouldn't doubt at all that he's the most unpopular senator among the Senate support staff. Have you ever met the man? Arrogant and aloof doesn't begin to cover it.
"I read somewhere that Sarbanes was the most unpopular senator of all 100 among the Senate support staff, particularly the "little people" like the elevator operators."
I think ole Gare wanted to go shake the money tree.
Isn't he the guy that kidnapped Jerry Langford ?
I've wondered about Hastert myself, but I would tend to think more along the lines of that he's seemed rather clueless as to what has been going on around him in IL. Supposedly he was not even aware of who was in the running for the Senate when Jack Ryan bowed out. I tend to not be as hard on the federal officials for not tending to state party business (for example, I don't expect my Sen. Frist to be into aggressive recruitment for state offices, save perhaps for his own successor next year), as that really should be laid at the feet of the State Chair, the perpetually inept establishmentite Judy Baar Topinka.
Fitz was never a part of the establishment. The anointed candidate in '96 was Loleta Didrickson, and after Fitz ate her lunch in the primary, she and the establishment went about badmouthing him to the point that he managed a too-narrow win over Carol Mostly-Fraud. When Fitz went about running a clean ship (in direct contrast to Gov. George Ryan's corrupt business-as-usual money train shakedowns) and promoted a crusading Fed Attorney (also named Fitzgerald, but no relation), these were unforgiveable sins to the state establishment. People like Fitz were way too dangerous because they'd bring a halt to corruption in both the state parties. The establishment GOP is as pleased as punch to allow anti-American kooks like Barack Hussein Obama to get into the Senate as long as he doesn't bother to do anything about the corruption. No different than the effortless shift of corruption in Chicago in the early '30s from the Republicans under Big Bill Thompson to the Democrats under Anton Cermak... same payoffs, different party, same end result... just business as usual.
Well, it is still Maryland.
Yup, it's not Sarbanes that's the meanest, it is Specter. People loathe to work for the man, and staff turnover, IIRC, is rather high (who would want to be yelled out by that a$$hole daily ?).
Well, you may be right, I guess I had forgotten about Arlen since he has now pledged to do everything right!
Well, I know 1 thing for 100% certain: He telegraphed to the press that Mike Ditka was gonna take the run, only to embarras not only himself, but the state party as well.
I also know that he certainly didn't stop what happened from happening, and I simply cannot believe that a man with his power and presteige wouldn't have been listened to had he had a mind to put his foot down, and that goes to some of the corruption AND the senate race.
I don't know that Hastert is corrup, nor that he is incompetent. But I DO know two things: One, that he's not a good spokesman for the party, and two, that he has given me reasons not to trust him. I hope I'm wrong, but from where I am sitting, I'd sure rather have Delay, Dreier, or some other person as speaker.
You might be right, but he obviously pressured Jack Ryan out of the race, and if he did that not knowing who was going to replace him, that shows idiotic judgement if nothing else.
I tend to think that, Ryan, like Fitzgerald, would have gained enough power had he been elected to appoint some people that would have cleaned house, and threatened too many of his friends. That's why Fitzgerald was chased out, and that's why I simply don't trust Hastert.
I don't know that he is a bad man, but I do not trust him. I'd much rather see Dreier or DeLay as speaker. Or heck, even Roy Blunt.
However, I don't think that-outside of an artificially (racially) gerrymandered congressional district and a former civil rights organization that has been hijacked by the fringe of the Dem. Party-he could win a single elective office throughout this great land.
A better analogy-than a comparison between him and Mikulski, or a similiar hard core leftist that has been repeatedly endorsed by the Maryland electorate-would be one that compares his career with that of Cynthia McKinney.
Unpalatable to the vast majority of sane voters, to the point that, if he ran against Alan Keyes, he would probably lose.
However, unlike Sir Slickenstein, he believes in a philosophy-which unfortunately, as in the case of the fraudulent and wasteful expansion of Medicare, he occasionally corrupts, in a misguided pursuit of conservative goals, in that case, the reelection of President Bush-that extends beyond his own parochial interests.
Believe me, he knows the field.
You will never see him attempting to become Speaker of the House, come what may.
A race between Kweisi Mfume and Michael Steele would be historic. My concern involves the lamestream media acting as Mfume's cheerleading squad. If memory serves me correctly, there was a Senate race between an African-American leftist and an African-American conservative in the last election, and it didn't go well.
"A race between Kweisi Mfume and Michael Steele would be historic. My concern involves the lamestream media acting as Mfume's cheerleading squad."
I don't know anyone delusional enough to believe that Mfume could beat O'Malley-or any other serious primary opponent,for that matter-aside from Mfume himself, Julian Bond, and perhaps a few other radical, 60s retreads.
He would have been in a stronger position if he had waited till he had been reelected to start his crusade.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.