PLUS: MARYLAND JUICE ENDORSES BLAINE YOUNG FOR 2014 GOP GOVERNOR
The Internet is abuzz with evidence that the Maryland Republican Party is undergoing
growing shrinking pains. Below Maryland Juice highlights several tidbits relating to the evolution of the Free State GOP:
JUICE #1: MARYLAND GOP CHAIR ALEX MOONEY RESIGNS, MAY CHALLENGE REP. JOHN DELANEY - The conservative gents at the Red Maryland blog are
declaring victory over embattled GOP Chair Alex Mooney.
Citing numerous gripes with Chairman Mooney, they called on him to resign last November:
P. Kenneth Burns' Maryland Politics Blog provided details on the resignation, which popped up on the public radar via a letter posted on Facebook (
excerpt below):
P. KENNETH BURNS: According to a posting on Del. Mike Smigiel’s facebook page, former Frederick County Senator Alex Mooney has resigned as chairman of the Maryland Republican Party. Here is the letter posted on Smigiel’s page:
David Ferguson
Executive Director
Maryland Republican Party
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Dear Republican Central Committee Member:
It has been an honor and privilege to serve as your Chairman of The Maryland Republican Party (MDGOP) these past two years and two months. After twelve years in the state senate immediately followed by two years as MDGOP Chairman, it is time for me to pursue other ventures.
Therefore, I plan to send in my official letter of resignation as Chairman by March 1st, and I wanted to make my intentions known now so that appropriate plans can be made.
According to our bylaws, this will allow for the election of a new Chairman on April 20th....
Sincerely,
Alex X. Mooney
The Washington Post also reported yesterday that Alex Mooney has not ruled out a future run for the 6th Congressional District seat currently held by Rep. John Delaney (
excerpt below):
WASHINGTON POST: Last year, Mooney considered running for the 6th congressional district seat held at the time by then-Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.) — but ultimately backed off.
During the meeting with GOP leaders on Saturday, Mooney said he would not rule out seeking the seat at some point in the future, according to a participant....
JUICE #2: DAN BONGINO SUPPORTERS LOBBY FOR HIS APPOINTMENT TO ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY EXECUTIVE, BUT EHRLICH'S WIFE WANTS THE JOB - This weekend
WMAR reported that former GOP Gov. Bob Ehrlich's wife wants to be appointed to the open Anne Arundel County Executive's office (
Hat tip:
Maryland Reporter). Meanwhile, a Maryland Juice reader sent us evidence of former U.S. Senate
candidate Dan Bongino's supporters asking people to vote for him in
online polls. But more interesting is their lobbying for Bongino's appointment
to the open Anne Arundel County Executive's post. Check out the two items below (
excerpt below):
WMAR: She is the former first lady, but Kendel Ehrlich wants to be the front woman. Ehrlich has her eyes set on the Office of Anne Arundel County executive, a seat that opened when John Leopold resigned following a guilty verdict.
"I just think it's significant that I'm a woman after many things that we've read about the prior administration. I just think the women in the county would breathe, it would be a big breath of fresh air," said Ehrlich....
As for 2014, Ehrlich is adamant about not running for office. She says her only interest is to restore dignity to Anne Arundel County for the rest of this term....
Below you can also read a forwarded February 9th email from Anne Arundel supporters of Dan Bongino:
From: "XXXXX" <annearundelforbongino@XXXXX>
Subject: Fwd: What's your opinion?
Friends,
The email attached below contains 2 links to polls here in Maryland. I encourage all of you to take both polls.... One question, one simple answer.... Daniel Bongino....
Also, we want to mobilize this weekend on the with emails and phones for Dan to "lobby" for this appointment by the Anne Arundel County Council to replace John Leopold. They must name a replacement within 30 days. However, I suspect that they may try to name a replacement much earlier than the deadline.
That is why we must get on the phone and get busy immediately. I am including a link here: http://www.aacounty.org/CountyCouncil/generalInformation.cfm
This link will direct you to the Anne Arundel County Council General Information page. From this page you can look up who your County Councilman is if you aren't sure, as well as contact info such as email addresses and a general phone number you can call.
Do both - email your Councilman and call the general number and leave a message. I would also take the extra initiative and get personal phone numbers if you can to call and speak directly to your Councilman if you are able to do so.
It is OK to put pressure on them to cast their vote for Dan Bongino for the position. If you get feedback from them such as: "Well......there are a lot of good candidates that are running that we will look at and we will consider Dan for the position."
Don't take that answer from them.......TELL them you want Dan and no other to be named as the replacement. Tell them, also, that you are a faithful voter who never misses a mid-term election. You are counting on them to do the right thing by placing Dan as County Executive replacement for John Leopold. You will not take no for an answer!
Something like that.......don't be afraid to be firm. They need to know that Dan still has a fantastic Team of supporters and that we are and will continue to be a force in Anne Arundel County elections!....
Let's get busy and make this happen for Dan ASAP.......please reply to me to let me know you have emailed and called your Count Councilman.
Please maintain email security and Bcc; when you forward this.
Blessings to all and thank you so much,
XXXX XXXX
"Because it's your money, our freedom and our children's future!" ~ Daniel Bongino (R-MD)
JUICE #3: MARYLAND JUICE ENDORSES BLAINE YOUNG FOR GOP GUBERNATORIAL NOMINATION // WHO BEST TO REPRESENT THE MADNESS
- Numerous characters have announced they are contemplating a run for
the GOP's gubernatorial nomination in 2014. But no Republican candidate
has captured the attention of Maryland Juice in quite the way Frederick
County Tea Partier Blaine Young has been able to. That's why today we
are officially announcing our endorsement of Young for the Republican
nomination in 2014.
Young previously made national news after
his name appeared in a Madam's "black book."
Since then he's doubled-down on his tabloid-style politics by embracing
mean-spirited legislation like "English-only" laws for Frederick County.
But Blaine Young's latest incident was the final proof we needed that
the loudmouth politician would practically guarantee a Democratic
governor in 2014.
The Frederick News Post reported two weeks ago that Blaine Young was temporarily suspended from his duties as a youth basketball coach for cursing out a teenager who was serving as a volunteer referee:
FREDERICK NEWS POST:
Let's say you're a high-ranking elected official who coaches a youth
basketball team in your off time. During a game, you don't like how the
calls are going against your team. Do you:
(A) Let it go.
(B) Argue the calls with the referee, but in a respectful, professional manner.
(C)
Berate and bully the teenage referee after the game, using language so
foul it's unpublishable, and then play the victim by saying the only
reason you were suspended by the league for your actions was because of
who you are. To support the "victim defense" you also post comments by
sympathetic friends on your Facebook page that in turn blame the media
and critics for making you look bad.
If you're Frederick County Commissioners President Blaine Young, then of course you pick (C).
Young
was suspended for one game by the Linganore, Oakdale, Urbana Youth
Athletic Association for his actions after a Jan. 5 basketball game
involving fifth- and sixth-graders -- including his own 12-year-old son.
We
know there is always more to the story, but we can't imagine anything
that would justify a grown man (he's 41) cursing at a 17-year-old New
Life Christian Academy student over a youth basketball game.
And we're bothered that Young just doesn't seem to get it. "I'm old school, and when someone disrespects me, I let my feelings be known," Young told a Frederick News-Post reporter....
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| Blaine Young cursed out this teenage basketball referee |
SHAMEFUL BEHAVIOR FROM BLAINE YOUNG // VICTIM'S MOM DEFENDS HER SON:
According to news reports, Blaine Young later apologized for cursing
out the minor, but not before he tried to blame it on the teenage
referee.
This prompted the young victim's mother to speak out in her son's defense in the Frederick News Post (
excerpt below):
FREDERICK NEWS POST:
Stacy Allwein said her son, Michael, was not the aggressor in the Jan. 5
dispute, and the New Life Christian School senior reacted only after
Young, 41, made an obscene comment....
"I was furious when it all happened," she said. "We decided to let it go. We wanted to set the right example for Michael." But after reading that Young told The News-Post the referee initiated the confrontation, Stacy Allwein decided to come forward.
"I
just thought it was very arrogant and (Young) was twisting things to
make himself look like a victim," Allwein said. "It just appeared he had
ulterior political motives. Taking the blame off him and putting it on a
17-year-old...."
Allwein, who is in his first season as a
referee for this league, will continue to work games, his mother said.
Referees are paid less than $20 a game, according to a league official.
Her son, who has played basketball since the first grade, is a starting
guard on his high school team....
CONTROVERSY DRIVING BLAINE YOUNG TO FREDERICK COUNTY EXEC RACE INSTEAD OF GOVERNOR? - This controversy may help explain why
Blaine Young is now downshifting expectations from his 2014 gubernatorial run.
Recent news reports indicate that after denying any interest in running
for Frederick County Executive, Young is now thinking about running for
that office instead of Governor.
That would be a damn shame, because Maryland Juice looks forward to months of Blaine Young on the statewide campaign trail!
JUICE #4: MARYLAND ON VERGE OF BECOMING A RED STATE (ACCORDING TO MARYLAND GOP) // BUT MOCO GOP AIMS FOR PURPLE - Yesterday the Maryland GOP held a party to celebrate Ronald "The Gipper" Reagan. Notably, the
invitation to the "Reagan Ball" claimed that Maryland "is on the verge of becoming a red state...."
The Montgomery County Republican Party, however, apparently has the largest number of registered Republicans in the state. In contrast with the state party, the MoCo GOP is
not claiming that Maryland is turning red.
Maryland Reporter today reports that they are instead focused on trying to make Montgomery County purple. See items on the Maryland GOP and MoCo GOP plans below:
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Fellow Republicans,
Maryland is on the verge of becoming a red state and we're ready to party! So join us at the 3rd Annual Reagan Ball as we the celebrate the legacy of America's greatest President, Ronald Reagan, and prepare for a future of strong growth and opportunity.
The Reagan Ball will take place on Saturday, February 9th at the Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City. Black tie is optional, plus you'll be able to indulge in sumptuous hors d'oeuvres and desserts while getting to know Republicans from across our great state.
Tickets are going fast, so click here to RSVP!
If you have any questions, please contact us by email here ( lisaemarr@gmail.com) or by telephone at (410) 263-2125.
We hope to see you there!
Sincerely,
Lisa
--
Lisa Ellis Marr
Finance Team
Maryland Republican Party
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In contrast to the Maryland Republican Party optimism, the
MoCo GOP is setting its goals a bit closer to reality:
MARYLAND REPORTER: With the help of state party leaders and a lot of data, the Montgomery County Republican Party - which boasts the largest number of registered Republicans in the state - launched an all out ground game Saturday at their annual convention in Rockville.
Their goal in this targeted effort is to change Montgomery County from blue to purple by the 2014 election. "We are not going to get where we want to be with just Republicans," said Montgomery Republican Chairman Mark Uncapher. "We need to go after Independents and soft Democrats...."
Montgomery County’s 23-member state delegation and nine-member County Council are exclusively Democratic. But changing the landscape from a minority party to a majority party where Republicans can often be outnumbered by as much as 3-to-1, may not be the ultimate end game for the county or state party....
JUICE #5: NEWS ABOUT ANNE ARUNDEL EXECUTIVE JOHN LEOPOLD TRIGGERS CONDOM CATHETER ADS BY GOOGLE -
Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold was recently convicted of misconduct relating to numerous abuses of power. These misdeeds included using police to spy on political opponents and forcing government employees to empty his urinary catheter bag. An amused Maryland Juice reader noted that readers of some news articles about Leopold's misconduct were being shown ads for "Condom Catheter Supplies." Check out the screencap below:
