Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Berliner opens campaign office in downtown Bethesda (Photos)

Montgomery County Councilmember Roger Berliner (D - District 1) will wage his campaign for County Executive from his home district. He has opened a campaign office at the corner of Auburn and Norfolk Avenues, in Bethesda's Woodmont Triangle.

Berliner, who is competing in the establishment-incumbent lane of the race, has surprisingly surged ahead of Councilmember George Leventhal in that lane in recent weeks - despite Leventhal's advantage in holding a countywide office. He had to do that to be competitive in the race, and he seems to have done it. Leading in the fundraising department, Berliner has also picked up some major endorsements. Leventhal, Berliner and former Rockville mayor Rose Krasnow will have an uphill climb collecting votes in areas like Westbard; all three were major backers of the highly-unpopular Westbard sector plan, which is now in litigation.

Delegate Bill Frick (D - District 16) is defining himself by emphasizing he is not a Council incumbent, and, like Berliner, opposes the County government liquor monopoly. Another Council incumbent, Marc Elrich (D - At-Large), remains the one to beat in the Democratic primary. Elrich is not only the most popular Democrat in the County, but has received a trifecta of powerful Democratic endorsements - CASA in Action, the AFL-CIO, and the SEIU 32BJ.

48 comments:

Anonymous said...

To me, getting endorsements from various unions is the kiss of death for Elrich.. but then again, I'm not a union member.

I'd take Frick over the rest at this point. He pushed hard to end the DLC monopoly.

Anonymous said...

Our County does not revolve around Westbard, Birdbrain.

Anonymous said...

What is the county council going to do about the Muslim no-go zones in downtown Bethesda where Sharia law rules?

Anonymous said...

Frick is out of the gate shooting himself in the foot, by stating he's never heard of Krasnow, and that planning is a non-issue in this county. Good move white man, your done.

Anonymous said...

Wow...never heard of Krasnow? Wonder if he gets to Rockville much. He needs a tour of the Town Center, King Farm, etc.

Robert Dyer said...

7:28: Your inane remark aside, we know that, in fact, Berliner and a few other at-large Council members actually had their staff calculate the numbers of votes they would lose if they backed the Westbard plan (this was before the term limits vote, remember).

We know this because one of their staffers let it slip here in my comment section by posting the math. And the conclusion was that they all thought they could still win countywide without Westbard votes.

They apparently didn't realize that A) term limits would pass, and B) there would be so many term-limit-driven candidates for county executive. Those "few" Westbard votes are now going to count bigly in the Democratic primary.

Think about how bad Westbard is going to hurt Helpless Hans Riemer, when he has to beat 24+ other candidates. LOL

#Oops

Anna said...

Really? Can you link to their "math"? You know how much I like numbers.
How do you know it was a staffer?

So many people have no idea what Westbard is. You're caught up in this world where everyone pays attention to local government and elections and candidates and campaign issues.
Pfft. They really don't.

The majority of people blindly pick a name on the ballot.
The property tax hike got their attention so term limits got approved and now they feel things are ok again.

Anonymous said...

BB reported on Frick's gaffe yesterday, and Elrich's endorsements six days ago.

Robert Dyer said...

8:56: And what about the actual breaking news, the opening of the Berliner office? Nobody wants to read old news except you. That's why they're turning to this site for breaking news. All morning again today, right here. Baba Booey.

Anna said...

Using baba booey is outdated and cringeworthy. What's next? Some Greaseman-esque comment about "hydraulics?"

So, got that link?

Anonymous said...

I"ve never heard of Krasnow either. She last held elected office, in Rockville, 17 years ago.

Anonymous said...

How many are actually "turning to this site for breaking news"?

You've said yourself that "Google won't let me see the IP addresses" of your readers. Which is rather ironic, given your claims to know that anyone who comments here is doing so from the County offices.

Tim said...

9:22 AM Dyer sets the agenda every morning for what will be discussed around the county and blogged about each day.

Randy said...

Dear Anna @ 8:47am - your comment is a very interesting one. I've enjoyed the banter & back/forth on this blog and the variety of opinions expressed about local politics. Your point about how people blindly pick a name on the ballot is extremely accurate yet still disappointing. I really appreciate that this blog is a source of news related to local issues. I feel like if everyone was interested in this stuff the county and area would improve.

Anonymous said...

LOL, sure, "Tim". Whatever you say. The affairs of Montgomery County totally revolve around a blog written by a 50-year-old unemployed man who has lived in his parents house all his life.

Tim said...

9:47 AM Your personal attack on Robert is factually incorrect, but I'm sure you know that.

Other local journalists and bloggers are fortunate not to have to put up with personal attacks on a daily basis. It's the price of having a large, vital daily audience like Robert's.

Anonymous said...

How big is Dyer's audience?

Anna said...

He's 46 not 50. 2 years older than my James. Although that's some sort of HUGE secret of monumental proportions and always gets deleted.

Anonymous said...

11:13 AM How do you know Dyer's age? I can't say I know the age of any local journalist or blogger that I read.

Thanks.

Anna said...

He's 2 years older than my James, who was born in 1973.

We're all from the same area. I know the ages of Nils Lofgren, Ted King, Sean Murray,& Dan Snyder, too. Lewis Black was much older than me, same age as my neighbor Fran.

Anonymous said...

11:38 AM You dodged the question. How do you know Dyer's age as you claim you do?

Anna said...

I told you. what's it to you, anyway?

Anonymous said...

11:43 AM If you have access to Dyer's personal info, it is relevant.

Anna said...

Why?

Anonymous said...

11:58 AM It's relevant if you have access to Dyer's personal information. Why do you have it and how did you obtain it?

Anna said...

Relevant to what?

Anna said...

I'm sure there are lots of folks around here who know your age. Sheesh. Do you have neighbors? Did you go to school with other people? Do you have friends the same age who would know? Do you have family? They probably know.

...like I said earlier...some sort of HUGE secret of monumental proportions

Anonymous said...

12:48 PM You went to school with Robert Dyer?

Anonymous said...

12:32 PM Why were you searching for old information on Robert Dyer?

Anna said...

Nope. He just seemed so weird-ed out that anyone would know his age and i'm always running into people who by default know my age because I've lived/worked here most of my life, so I mentioned other ways.

Anna said...

1:02PM You never answered my question.
Relevant to what?

And what's with the interrogation here?

Anonymous said...

Why were you seeking personal information on Robert Dyer?

Anonymous said...

I'm 12:32. I'm not Anna. This is public information, published by Dyer himself in 2006. It can be found on Google in less than half a minute. Anyone who is a regular reader of this blog already knows this.

Anna said...

What personal information?

Anna said...

Thanks 2:17PM.
See, then i probably read it here. Mystery solved.

Sheesh. What an ordeal. Over someone's age.

So, why is it so secret?

Anonymous said...

Anna is at it again, being obnoxious and making rude comments. Sadly she doesn't have anything better to do with her time except cyber bully.

Anonymous said...

Why were you searching for info on Robert Dyer?

Anonymous said...

Saith Tim: "Other local journalists and bloggers are fortunate not to have to put up with personal attacks on a daily basis. It's the price of having a large, vital daily audience like Robert's."

LOL. Dyer insults and personally attacks Bethesda Beat, The Washington Post and Google News, Jeff Bezos, plus the entire Montgomery County government, many times every day. He can dish it out, but he can't take it.

And there has been no credible evidence that Dyer has a "large, vital daily audience."

Anna said...

3:23PM, Thanks for the laugh. I asked for a link he mentioned and I posted his age.

The paranoid accusations and interrogating was all Dyer, or a minion who's just as crazed about his age as he is.

Anonymous said...

Bobbie has just four weeks to declare his Primary candidacy. Time is running out.

At-Large for the County Council?
County Council President?
State Legislator?
U.S. Senator?

My guess: he does not file to run for any office. There at least 33 (30 Democrats) just for the four at-large seats on the Montgomery County Council, with Hans Riemer the favorite.

The other three offices are well beyond his reach, much less his grasp.

Robert Dyer said...

6:29: "Hans Riemer the favorite." LOL

Anonymous said...

5:41am you're not transparent about why you're obsessed with Dyer. Is it normal to search for personal info on local journalists?

Anonymous said...

5:32pm Dyer has never "insulted" or "personally attacked" any of those people.

Skeptical coverage of the government is journalism 101.

Also, please don't put the local magazine on the same level of bezos or the Post. Lol.

Anna said...

More deleting of the truth.

8:18 I never "searched out" info. I simply said he was 46.

You're the one who freaked out that someone might know that piece of super-secret, world-changing fact.

The truth is "hate speech" only to those who have something to hide.
Get over yourself, Dyer.

8:40 AM

Rick said...

"Anna," are you a paid troll sent here by the Montgomery County political crime cartel?

Anonymous said...

Anna, you obviously don't know much about MoCO primary elections. A core group are the so-called "super voters", who vote repeatedly in primaries and are influential. They choose their candidates carefully and are more likely to be women and aged 55+.

As for Westbard: it's an issue that played an important role in the term limits vote, as did the property tax increase and the controversy over the privatization of County liquor sales. I'd never voted for a term limits vote before-- and in fact had supported incumbents in the 2014 County Council elections-- but the Council's stance on Westbard pushed me over the edge. With the exception of Elrich, I'm happy to bid adieu to the incumbents who've stopped listening to the people (Berliner, Floreen, Leventhal.) Looking forward to voting against Riemer in November as well and regret my vote for him in 2014.

Anna said...

I do know a bit more than you think. Keep in mind what I do for a living, talk to people about taxes. Do you think people are forgetting so easily? Pshaw! Especially now that in 2018+ those property tax increases aren't going to help on their taxes.
I know people from residential groups all over the county and I say with complete confidence that it was the property tax hike that brought out the bulk of voters for term limits. Combine that with a large Westbard contingent and voila. Term limits.

I never voted for Reimer. He reminds me of someone who I didn't like. (Betcha thought I'd say it wasn't a name I'd pick blindly...)

Anna said...

PS. "They choose their candidates carefully and are more likely to be women and aged 55+." YepYep. That's me!!! :)