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."