Brian Frosh, modest as always. Holding a fundraiser ostensibly to show he can "raise money to help Democrats get elected to the Senate," he refers to the event as a "Reception honoring Senator Brian Frosh." In other words, "help me raise money by honoring me." What would Frosh be honored for? Spending $1.1 million of taxpayers' money on political investigations that found nothing? Is Brian Frosh to be honored for his dispicable distinction of being one of a handful in Maryland to oppose Jessica's Law? Or are we to honor his brave and valiant crusade to ban dish detergent in the state of Maryland?

But just as Brian Frosh couldn't tell you the truth about Marilyn Goldwater's inability to serve, he can't be honest at his fundraiser either. He touts an endorsement - and explicitly implies the appearance - of Governor Martin O'Malley. Yet O'Malley will be in another state during the reception!! So he won't be there to witness what Democratic house organ the Post calls Frosh's "fundraising prowess." Yes, raising money for the Democratic Party is a real tough job in Maryland, a real challenge that tries men's souls. Actually, it's more like the job of parking attendant. The cars keep rolling in, and you just collect the money. So that's what we need in our next State Senate president, eh? Oh, and modesty, too.

More Gilbert Gude, this time hidden on the back of the Outlook section in the Post, by Burton Kummerow, chairman of the Potomac River Basin Consortium:

"Gilbert Gude died June 7. There were no front-page headlines, just the completion of a long life, well lived. Gude was one of an older breed of elected officials, noted most for their civility and authenticity."

"Gude had a disarming affability. He made everyone he met feel important. His civility came naturally. Together with other Maryland Republican leaders of his era, such as Sen. Charles "Mac" Mathias and Gov. Theodore R. McKeldin, he understood the meaning of public discourse. Progress comes with dialogue, respect, compromise and friendship."

Meanwhile, the Baltimore Sun is acknowledging the Brian Frosh-Democratic double standard in Annapolis:

"After making so much noise about what happened during the Ehrlich years, Democrats failed to reduce the number of so-called at-will employees when they had a chance earlier this year. Could it be because they wanted to give the newly elected governor a free hand in personnel matters? It's hard to see it any other way. That was their moment of genuine hypocrisy."

-Editorial, The Baltimore Sun, June 19, 2007

Taxation without representation in Bethesda. It is undeniable. Here in District 16 we pay full taxes to the state of Maryland, and yet we have only 2/3 representation in the House of Delegates! Marilyn Goldwater did not cast a single vote in Annapolis this year. As noted in the previous blog entry, we knew this was going to happen. The grand irony is, as the next highest finisher on November 7, I could have been actively representing our community in Annapolis, and we would have had our full 3 votes in the House. Instead, Ms. Goldwater was reelected under false pretenses. The public statements and newspaper endorsements that hid Ms. Goldwater's true medical status were nothing less than a cover-up perpetrated by the press and Ms. Goldwater's Democratic colleagues on the voting public. How much longer will this scandal go on, and will there be accountability demanded from those who misled the public?

More remembrances of Gilbert Gude:

How interesting that the developers' favorite Planning chief, Royce Hanson, was once a very partisan Democrat who made the mistake of challenging Gilbert Gude for Congress in 1966!

‘‘Gilbert Gude was the gold standard for Republicans in terms of his character, in terms of his intelligence, in terms of constituent services and in term of issues.” - Howard A. Denis

‘‘He was very enthusiastic, very energetic ... He took a balanced approach. He was a moderate in his views and he was able to reach all parts of the community.” - Charles McCurdy ‘‘Mac” Mathias

"[He] stood up for people who were in need of help, who felt they were victims of injustice.” - Gordon Hawk

Finally, some respect for our former Republican Congressman, Gilbert Gude. There is a small piece in today's Montgomery Notebook in the Post Montgomery section.

They did not include my comment about the tradition of Republican leadership on the environment in Montgomery County. A real energy policy starts with energetic leadership, and that's what we don't have in Annapolis today. In fact, we only have 2/3 of our constitutional representation in the House of Delegates. Marilyn Goldwater did not cast a single vote in Annapolis this year. She was absent every day. I have been utterly vindicated as I told everyone during the campaign that this would happen. Of course, I wish Ms. Goldwater the best, given her serious medical condition. That is not the point of contention here. The point is that Robert Dyer told the voters the truth about the danger that we would have only 2 active delegates - and therefore only 2 votes - in the House. It came to pass. In contrast, Bob Asher and the Washington Post, the Gazette, and my Democratic opponents Bill Bronrott and Susan Lee (along with Brian Frosh) misled you, the public. They told you Ms. Goldwater was fully able to serve over and over again. Asher, Bronrott, Lee, and Frosh, and the Washington Post and Gazette are all on the public record stating that Goldwater's health would not be an issue. That was absolutely false, and now they must be held accountable. And yet the Post has never covered this story! It's happening right now! We in District 16 have only 2 votes. For all the talk about "representation" in the Congress for D.C., the hypocritical Post and Gazette are aiding your denial of representation in our Maryland House of Delegates. This will be a historic scandal.

The hypocrisy of Brian Frosh and the Democratic monopoly in Annapolis exposed - and punished - by the justice system! How many times did I talk about the financial cost of their political investigations during the election? Here is the breaking news and response from Maryland Republican Party Chairman, James Pelura:

Martin O’Malley Breaks Campaign Promises and Now The Law
ANNAPOLIS—Administrative Law Judge Susan Sinrod has ruled that Governor Martin O’Malley’s Administration acted “unconstitutionally” and “for political reasons” when Transportation Secretary John Porcari fired Greg Maddalone on January 23, 2007. Judge Sinrod has ordered the O’Malley Administration to reinstate Mr. Maddalone with full back pay.

Chairman James Pelura of the Maryland Republican Party made the following statement:

“Martin O’Malley has made a name for himself – breaking campaign promises and now the law. It is amazing that Democrats spent more than $1.1 million and thirteen months investigating Governor Ehrlich for perceived unlawful firings, and there was not one violation found. Martin O’Malley was in office for not even six days when his Administration unlawfully fired a state employee. Marylanders should be outraged that $1.1 million was wasted last year on investigations and not one penny has been spent on real, documented cases of abuse under Martin O’Malley. Marylanders deserve better than these double standards and political games.”

The lack of Gilbert Gude articles this week has been embarrassing to the Washington Post. What scares the press most, is the powerful reminder Congressman Gude's death presented: that Bethesda, Chevy Chase, and Potomac - as well as the larger 8th Congressional District - have a long and distinguished tradition of Republican leadership. And that leadership has been on issues that we don't often get credit for leading on, such as the environment, civil rights, and controlling developer excess. This is the truth that the press in Montgomery County doesn't want you to know. But it is the truth: consider that when Howard Denis was closing out his last term on the County Council, he was making a Herculean effort to protect champion trees in our community. In contrast, our current, all-Democrat County Council's single environmental achievement in 2007 was to classify a rooftop garden as "green space," as it approved yet another Royce Hanson colossus of development excess in downtown Bethesda.

Where were the great, sweeping retrospectives in the A Section? After all, there was far more to Gude's terms in office than his monumental environmental achievements. Where was the poor quality "Appreciation" that liberals get in the Style section?

For a variety of reasons, Republicans are briefly out of office here in District 8/16. But there is reason to believe it won't last for long, as voters quickly discovered this year that the narrow, extreme Democratic agenda excludes them. That majority of voters finds its civic role reduced to being a bank of ATM machines, to fund the radical agenda that covers such weighty societal crises as trans fats and dish detergent. And they are going to respond by voting for Republicans in 2008 and 2010, because we have been inclusive and represented the interests of Republicans, Independents, and moderate Democrats in the past.

Here is the full statement I released this week to acknowledge the passing of Congressman Gude:

"It is with sadness that we note the passing of Congressman Gilbert Gude, but with great pride that we recall his accomplishments. Gilbert Gude exemplified the tradition of Republican leadership on environmental issues in our community. To those of us in Bethesda, he was a neighbor - a neighbor who changed all of America for the better. The C&O Canal National Park is his immortal legacy. We should take that legacy forward by aspiring to equal his leadership and commitment to a cleaner environment, regardless of party affiliation."