Then to Now, My Downward Spiral into a Political Addiction

I started blogging here last September.  Before that, I was completely naive to local politics, a stay at home mom tired of not being represented by her elected officials.  It was at the PVRC Patriot Day Reception that I threw all caution to the wind and dove in.  It’s been a downward spiral ever since, and I mean that in the best possible use of the term.   At first, this was a place I could simply vent my frustrations, but before I knew it, I was the Communications Director for the Whisler campaign.  I was revamping Happy Hour, attending tea parties, and running for Central Committee.  Now, I’m starting a political consulting business with my good friend, Betsy Merena.

I love politics, and it seems to love me as well.  Betsy and I are young, passionate, and probably a little too idealistic as well, which I’m sure that will wear off in time.  We probably take on too much, but it seems to work for us.  Whether we’re writing, designing, or planning, we love every second of it.  It’s exhilarating and addicting.  So why not make a living at it, right?  We have the experience, both inside and outside of politics.  We absolutely adore the work, and we have the time to invest. It’s an addiction that I’ll gladly continue to feed.

We’ve also taken on our first two clients, the PVRC being one of them.  We’re planning the Patriot Day Reception on September 11.  Isn’t that a little too ironic?  To come full circle, to kick off where it all started for me?  Of course we want you all to be there as well.  The theme is “A Night at the USO.”  Think WWII era, elegant dresses, dapper suits, and lots and lots of dancing.  You’ll be entertained as well as enlisted.  And for $60 a person ($100 for couples) it’s a steal.  I mean, really, where else can you go and taken in a show, h’orderves, and all the beer and wine you can responsibly drink?  Oh and did we mention where we’re having it?  The Rolling Road Golf Club.  Yep, doesn’t that just add to the excitement?  Contact me to today if you’re interested in tickets for you or a friend.  We’re also offering honorariums for people who are serving or have served in our armed forces.  For $10, we’ll highlight your hero for all to see.  Plus, for businesses, we’re offering sponsorships for as little as $75.

Oh and if you’re interested, check out our new business venture, Strategic Victory Consulting and pass on the news to a friend.  Our vision is to empower conservatives to victory, whether a candidate, incumbent, organization, or small business. We can help.  Okay, that’s my shameless plug.

The Official Endorsements

PATAPSCO VALLEY REPUBLICAN CLUB

NEWS RELEASE

IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                             23 JULY 2010

PVRC ENDORSES CANDIDATES FOR UPCOMING PRIMARY

CATONSVILLE, Maryland – The Patapsco Valley Republican Club (PVRC) has announced its endorsements of candidates for the Maryland Republican primary in September.

Candidates that received the club’s support included former Gov. Bob Ehrlich for Governor, Rick Martel for State Senate, Dave “Augie” Aughenbaugh and Albert Nalley for State Delegates in District 12A, Steve Whisler for Baltimore County Council, Ken Holt for Baltimore County Executive, Rich Reinhardt for Baltimore County Clerk of the Circuit Court, and Chris Cavey for Chairman of the Baltimore County Republican Central Committee.

“The upcoming primary is a very critical decision point for the future of both Maryland and Baltimore County,” Harry Korrell, president of the PVRC, said. “This state and county has been hit extremely hard for a number of years by out of control spending, increased taxes, governmental growth, and lost jobs,” Korrell added. “We believe that the candidates that we are endorsing for this upcoming primary will give our residents the best possible opportunity to correct these problems and put both the State of Maryland and Baltimore County back on track toward a healthier and more prosperous future.”

The PVRC voted on these endorsements during its recent monthly meeting. This was the first time in its history that the PVRC voted on endorsements for candidates for a primary election.

“Though we have not done this in the past, due to the issues that face both our state and county, we thought it was a necessity for us to go ahead now in endorsing candidates for this upcoming primary ” Korrell stated.

Bryan Sears wrote it up in his Strange Bedfellows blog today as well.

Where’s the line and who’s crossing it?

I’m not one to keep things bottled up inside.  It’s simply not healthy.  When it comes to this particular issue, I have no choice but to bring it to light.  If you drive a car or walk on a street or have eyes to see, it’s hard not to notice the myriad of political signs multiplying by the day.  Most are legal and solicited.  Some are not, but that’s another blog altogether.

In this case, the sign itself is legal and people are certainly giving the candidate permission to put them up.  But do those home owners and businesses know that they are being duped?

As you already know, the PVRC has proudly and officially endorsed Dave Aughenbaugh and Al Nalley for the primary in the Maryland House of Delegates, District 12A, race.   The other contenders, Joe Hooe and Brian Matulonis, have been sending a bit of a false message, whether they come right out and say it or not.  Actually, I’m not sure that I can say much about Brian Matulonis.  He’s pretty much a ghost candidate, and from what I hear, a pretty stand up guy.

Have you seen this sign?

What is the first thing that pops in your mind when you see this sign?  Their all on a ticket together, right?  Not so much.  Neither Ehrlich nor Whisler were asked permission before displaying their names on this sign.  Not only that, but Hooe is approaching yards with Ehrlich and/or Whisler signs in the yard, telling them that he’s on their team, and asking if he can add his sign, which in some cases is replacing the original Ehrlich or Whisler sign.  Nothing ticks me off more than dishonesty and a lack of integrity.  Bottom line: Hooe is in this alone, which is ironically the way he likes it, according to sources who were around the last two times he ran.  He’s certainly not a team player.  Be warned my peeps or a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

More Signs of Good Times

According to a poll that came out late last week, Obama is not doing so hot.  Of course, not even the most liberal of pollsters can bring his approval rating above 50%, but what if he were to go head to head, right now, against top Republicans? Public Policy Polling, a Democrat-affiliated pollster, found that when pitted against Romney, Huckabee, Newt, and Palin, Obama is essentially in a dead heat.

Now this doesn’t say as much about the 2012 election as it does about this November.  2012 is still two years away and we all know that A LOT can happen in 2 years.  However, that being said, we also know what kind of effect an unpopular president can have on a mid-term election.  We, as  conservatives, really have a shot here of taking back some power and giving the Dems a run for their money…even here in Maryland.  Just think, for the first time in 7 years, since I moved to Maryland, we might actually be able to put someone in office that would represent my views and beliefs.  Heck, I’m hoping for a clean sweep.

However, I’m noticing a bit of a lull here in SW Baltimore County.  It’s time to gear it up, peeps.  I know it’s Summer and hot as all get out, but we can’t lose momentum now.  If you can do one thing today to impact this election, do it.  Go out and sign wave for your favorite candidate (or all of them in fact), put up a yard sign or a bumper sticker, invite a friend to Happy Hour this Wednesday night, and for goodness sake, send money.  Conservative candidates can’t win without you.  It’s time to rally the troops.

Speaking of, block out September 11 on your calendar for our annual Patriot Day Reception.  We have something real special in mind.  Details will be revealed this week.  Are you sitting on the edge of your seat yet?

How Well Do You Know Your Constitution?

Elected Officials and Candidates are invited to a non-partisan two-day course on the U.S. Constitution.

The public is also welcome.

What: Discover our founders’ worldview of law and government. Obtain a working knowledge of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights in this enlightening course.
Topics will include:
- the history of the United States leading to the Declaration of Independence.
- the beliefs of our Founding Fathers and their Five-Fold Formula.
- the drafting of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the amendments.
After each topic there will be Q&A.

Who: Instructor: Pastor David Whitney, Senior Instructor for Institute on the Constitution.
Institute on the Constitution is an educational effort through the law office of Peroutka & Peroutka of Pasadena, MD that intends to reconnect Americans to the history of the American Republic and to their heritage of freedom under law.

When: Friday, July 30, 5:00-9:00pm [Doors open at 4:30]
& Saturday, July 31, 9:00am-9:00pm [Includes 1 hr break for dinner]

Where: 12 Carroll Street, Westminster, Maryland 21157.
Enter the side door in side parking lot (next to Carroll Street Solar).
Parking also available at Carroll Lutheran Church parking lot.

Why: Elected officials swear to uphold and defend the U.S. Constitution against all enemies – foreign and domestic. To properly uphold and defend the Constitution, we must first thoroughly understand it. Pastor Whitney says: “We can restore our Constitutional Republic only if we have a working knowledge of the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and Bill of Rights.”

We will be happy to publicize the name of candidates and elected officials who complete this course.

Payment Options: Cost is $35

1. Pay by Credit Card- Select the desired amount of tickets in the “Quantity” field and click “Order Now” above to pay by credit card.
2. Pay by Check- Select the desired amount of tickets in the “Quantity” field and click on “Show other payment options,” then “Pay Offline” and then “Pay by Check.”

Reserve your seat early as we expect a full house. (Registration Below)

Maps, restaurants, and lodging lists are available upon request. Send an email to suzannemhill@yahoo.com or fullersusa@netscape.net for more information.

Organized by Suzanne Hill of Ron Smith Show Fans and Kathy Fuller of Carroll County Republican Women’s Club.

Bring It Down!!!

Unless something changed in the last couple of minutes, I’m pretty sure that it is in fact illegal for a government funded school to endorse a candidate.  Sure, maybe a teacher’s union, but a school?  Of course, one must ask the question, did the school give permission for it to be there, or did the O’Malley camp just think we might be too stupid to figure it out?  Either way, it must come down.  Call Mike Moehler at 410-887-3351 and ask him to send out an inspector to Hillcrest Elementary School on Frederick Rd in Catonsville.  They can’t miss it, just look for the big green sign.

Not that I’m willing to overlook all the other illegal signs here and there through out our district.  However, most of them are small yard signs and the line between county property and private property can sometimes be a bit vague.  But you can’t overlook a 4×8 sign blatantly placed on publicly owned property.

It’s bad enough that this man technically represents me, despite the fact that he could give a crap less about me simply because I’m a registered Republican, but to have to drive by the school my kid will attend in the fall and see that sign is an insult to me and my family.  Take it down, Mr. Moehler, take it down!
Thanks Augie for the picture!  Correction: Thanks Art for supplying Augie who supplied me with the picture.

You’re Missing The Point, Mr. Media

In the last couple of weeks, two polls have come out showing Ehrlich in the lead.  Critics say that they don’t count because the pollsters are “right wing nut jobs” and therefore not credible.  Okay, let’s just say for a minute that Rasmussen was in fact a lachey for the Republican party, you’re still missing the point.

Am I killing you yet with suspense?  Probably not, this is, after all, just an op.ed., right?

The point is that Ehrlich should be no where close to O’Malley.  He’s the challenger, a one-time loser.  O’Malley should be 10-15 points ahead right now, and he’s not.  Even if the Dems came out with their own poll showing O’Malley in the lead, I’d say it would be fairly close to a dead heat.  And even the lib of the libs couldn’t deny the fact that Ehrlich is gaining momentum while O’Malley is fluttering out.

It must be infuriating actually.  Mr. Martin must be freaking out right about now.  What could he possibly have done to deserve such a backlash?  It could have nothing to do with his tax hikes he’s imposed, the deficits he’s created, or the campaign promises he left at the ballot boxes.  Really, he must be scratching his head.

PVRC Endorses Candidates for the First Time Ever

If you decided to stay home Thursday night then you probably missed the most exciting yet heated evening in PVRC history.  For the first time ever, the PVRC voted on endorsements for candidates in a primary; probably because we rarely have enough candidates to fill in a slate, much less to run against one another in a primary.  Of course, several endorsements came easy, given the fact that the candidates are running unopposed; Rick Martel for State Senate, Steve Whisler for County Council, Ken Holt for County Executive, and Rich Reinhart for Clerk of the Court.

Governor Erhlich won the endorsement hands down.  And yes, he has a primary opponent, but we’re not even going to mention his name.  It’s just silly.

Another unmentionable name is one running against Chris Cavey for Chairman of the Baltimore County Republican Central Committee.  Seriously, do we really want someone representing us who headed up the “Republicans for Obama” movement in 2008?  Enough said.  Clearly, we endorse Cavey.

This year, the contenders for State Delegate in District 12A are (in alphabetical order), David “Augie” Aughenbaugh, Joe Hooe (former candidate in 2002 and 2006), Brian Matulonis (pretty much a ghost candidate), and Albert Nalley (former candidate in 2006).  It was a land slide amongst the members of the PVRC who voted to endorse both Augie and Al, long time active members both of the organization and the Republican party.

Dave “Augie” Aughenbaugh is a newcomer to the world of politics.  He has heart, passion, and takes a “no b.s.” attitude towards politics.  He’s the kind of guy who would buy you a Bud Light and just listen to you for hours.  Then, unlike our elected officials, he’d do something about it.  As a newbie myself, I have to say that Dave was one of the few people (shout out to Leslie here too) that made me feel comfortable within the party, like I could actually make a difference despite zero experience.

Albert Nalley is more of a veteran.  He’s used to the game, but refuses to play.  He’s laid back yet fired up.  I’ve never seen someone so willing to go the distance.  He’s out there going door to door every chance he gets.   Something like that would scare me to death (which is probably why I’ll stick to running for safe bets like Central Committee), but Al just takes it in stride and keeps going.  He’s like the Energizer Bunny turbo charged.  He’s faithful, caring, and kind.

So why not the other guys?  Well, for starters, they haven’t been around for the last four years…at all.  They haven’t been carrying any of the weight and yet they want our endorsement? We think not.  The other issue, much more deeply rooted, has to do with integrity or team spirit.  We’ll just leave it at that and let the endorsements speak for themselves.

Lastly, let me take a moment to recognize Leslie Tinker, newly elected to the BCRCC with me, and winner of the Volunteer of the Year award from the Baltimore County GOP.  She even got a trophy and boy, did she look like a rock star.  No one in this area works harder and has more heart than her.  Congratulations Leslie.  You deserve it.

Whisler Chimes In on County Sign Debacle

If you haven’t been following the Baltimore County political sign debacle, now might be a good time to jump on board.  In a nutshell, Steve Kolbe from Towson puts up a 4×8 Ehrlich sign on his private property.  County code enforcer gets an “anonymous tip” and forces Kolbe to take the sign down.  Kolbe takes down sign, brings on lawyer, Mike Pappas, and takes the County to court siting freedom of speech infringement.  County responds maintaining, not only that their law does not violate free speech, but that the enforcement of that law was not politically motivated. Oh really?  Let’s ask that question to Don Albright of Essex who was asked to take a legal 4×8 sign off of his business because Ehrlich wasn’t a declared candidate.  Too bad the county ordinances say nothing about the official status of candidates.  Given the ground swell in the Kolbe case, it didn’t take long for the County to back off this one.

Now that you’re caught up, it’s time to expand the issue a bit.  Three years ago, Clarence Bell, backed by the ACLU, filed a similar lawsuit against the county siting that their 45 day rule on all political signs was unconstitutional.  The higher courts agreed and the County was ordered to remove the ordinance.  Guess what?  They didn’t.  To this day, the county code still states that all political signs are illegal until 45 days prior to the primary election.

In an affidavit , submitted to Kolbe’s attorney, Mike Pappas, Steve outlines Mike Moehler’s, Baltimore County code enforcer, insistence that the ordinance still stands.  It wasn’t until Kolbe’s lawsuit came up that Moehler backed down saying that the law was no longer in effect.  We’re seeing a theme in Baltimore County, aren’t we?

I wonder where those anonymous callers were on July 3rd in both Arbutus and Catonsville as political signs, both 2×8 and 4×8′s, went up on residential properties.  Get this.  Some were even for incumbent County Councilmen running for County Executive.  And some of those signs are still up, despite complaints from non-anonymous callers.  Selective hearing maybe?

This is what you get when an entire county is run by one party.  There are no checks and balances and the fight to remain in power, especially in this particular election year, becomes more important that our rights as citizens.  Remember what it was like to have representatives who actually represented you?  This is why it is so important to elect Steve Whisler to the County Council.  He is not just another politician.  He’s been advocating for our communities for over a decade, down in the trenches fighting against the uncontrolled spending and under the table deals with contractors.  He’s helped neighborhood after neighborhood protect what is important to them.  he has the extensive knowledge and experience to go in there and do what is right, focusing on the next generation not the next election.

Let the Games Begin

If you attended either parade on Saturday, then you already know what I’m going to say.  Momentum that has been building for months, culminated in both Arbutus and Catonsville.  And even though the parades had a very different feel, due to what you could and couldn’t do on Frederick Rd, the electricity was undeniable.

In Arbutus, where campaign signs and shirts were displayed with pride, and even though the Gov was separated from the rest of the local candidates, we walked amongst the cheers.  People were excited, energized.  From Team Martel to Team Whisler, we dominated the scene with our very presence.  Of course it helped that we had so many people walking with us.  We even picked some up along the way.

Catonsville presented a few “minor” challenges.  One, we weren’t able to use campaign signs, shirts or banners.  So we abided by the rules while making the most of our candidates name recognition, especially a certain guy names Ehrlich.  Now, I chose not to walk in the this parade.  Instead I sat on the sidelines near Hillcrest Elementary with my husband, three kids, and a few friends.  As O’Malley passed by, I get a text from a friend (as I was on my way to the potty).  It simply said, “muted response to O’Malley.”  Some people told me that there were “boos” and such, which I don’t necessarily condone.  Others spoke of respectful “golf” claps.  Regardless, I’m guessing that there was a stark contrast between that and the appearance of Ehrlich.  You would have thought it was a victory parade.  People were going nuts when the Republican candidates passed by.  They held up their rally signs for Ehrlich and Whisler.  I almost wish I had hopped up from my perch and joined in the parade as my friend Glenn got to do (who’s still gleaming days later).

Despite the restrictions, we still ended up outshining the incumbents.  I think it just goes to show that you can’t keep a good man (or men and women) down.  It’s just not possible.  Our job now is to keep the momentum building.

A poll came out Monday showing that Ehrlich was ahead of O’Malley.  It’s building people.  Let’s keep it going, not just with Ehrlich, but with all of our local candidates as well.

Let’s be realistic for a second, the other side is not going down easy.  The electricity on Saturday was noticed by our opponents as much as by us.  I’m pretty sure they didn’t have the same reaction either.  They’re worried and it’s showing.  Illegal signs are going up all over the place.  One candidate in particular just puts them where ever hoping they won’t get taken down, even on private property.  Inappropriate comments are made.  Someone even took Whisler bumper magnets and put them in their car so others couldn’t take them.  I guess this is the side of politics they warned me about.  It’s all fun and games until your side becomes an actual threat.

Well, I say bring it on, as long as you don’t cross the line, of course.  We’re pumped and raring to go.

Oh and a side note,  both Leslie Tinker and I filed our paperwork last Friday.  We’re officially Central Committee candidates.  YAY!  I even started a Facebook page just for fun.