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Straight Shooters
Dr. Jim Purtilo, head honcho of Tripwire, a Maryland Gun Rights Advocacy organization is on to something.
In the January, 2009 Tripwire Newsletter, Purtilo congratulates his organization’s picks for congress, 1st District Congressman-elect Frank Kratovil – a favorite of Governor O’Malley – and 6th District Congressman Roscoe Bartlett, on their respective elections. Both gents were elected, re-elected in Bartlett’s case, with Tripwire’s full support.
While Bartlett was expected to handily win re-election, which he did, Democrat Kratovil’s election over Republican State Senator Andy Harris in what had been a safely Republican seat under the stewardship of moderate GOP Congressman Wayne Gilchrest came as a stunner to many.
(Many thought Kratovil never had a prayer against Harris: Did pro gunners help produce a miracle?)
Nonetheless, Kratovil beat Harris in a close race in a district in which John McCain ripped President-elect Barack Obama by about 20%. This, despite the fact Senator Harris had the full support of former GOP Governor Bob Ehrlich in this strongly GOP District.
Or, was it because of Ehrlich’s support that Harris went down to a quite ignominious defeat? To some degree, at least, Purtilo seems to think so. And I tend to agree with him.
After detailing in his newsletter what he considers to be a number of Harris’ own credibility problems and endeavors into political expediency,(http://myguns.org/Articles/elections3.htm), Purtilo writes:
“His (Harris’) strong tie with Bob Ehrlich sealed his fate. When Ehrlich told voters “here’s a guy like me!” all they heard was “here’s another loser who will screw his base, forget issues that got him into office in the first place, and spend time pandering to the left.” A safe GOP seat flipped blue.”
Purtilo went on to add that “Ehrlich’s brand of “where they gonna go?” Republicanism is on the rocks. Voters made clear in 2006 what they thought of his kind of governing – writing on the wall that went unheeded by GOP strategists going into the 2008 elections.”
Perhaps most devestating was Purtilo’s admonition that “The Maryland GOP should stop dreaming about how to get drunk again on the Ehrlich brand of big government booze and get back to abstinence.”
This, from a staunch pro-gunner who had previously supported Mr. Ehrlich. Oh, my!
Now, to be frank, I have concerns about Frank Kratovil as the new Congressman from Maryland’s 1st District. As a State’s Attorney, Kratovil had no voting record with which one can attempt deciphering what type of Congressman he will be regarless of campaign rhetoric. Will he be a pro-gun leftist, as was former North Dakota Senator George McGovern, or will he be a pro-grun moderate to conservative Democrat who represents the views of the 1st District?
Funny thing is, had Harris never taken on Congressman Wayne Gilchrest, we’d never know how a Congressman Kratovil would vote because Gilchrest would be prepping to be sworn in for another term. Of course, folks like Jim Purtilo won’t care one way or the other what type of overall congressman Kratovil will be as long as he is good on the single issue of gun rights. You just gotta love those single-issue groups!
To a degree to which he may not even be aware, however, Purtilo has Ehrlich’s number on gun and “credibility issues.” While, as congressman, Bob Ehrlich consistently received “A” ratings from the National Rifle Association (NRA) and was villified by the Brady Campaign for these ratings, the Ehrlich camp made damned sure that wouldn’t be the case in 2002. Working behind the scenes Ehrlich strategists ensured his 2002 NRA rating would be a “B.”
Why, you may ask? Because Bob Ehrlich didn’t want to be running for Governor against Kathleen Kennedy Townsend in MD while being “saddled” with an “A” NRA rating. Good politics? In a left leaning state like Maryland, probably yes. True to his beliefs? Who knows for certain? But, boy was it politically expedient – almost as politically expedient as was the Ehrlich 2006 campaign’s attempts to bully and intimidate pro-gun groups for having the audacity to support pro-gun Democrats, a tactic that failed miserably.
All of this really begs the statement, if not question, for gun rights advocates – and all voters, for that matter – who want at least some conviction mixed in with their fiction: If soon to be congressman Frank Kratovil really proves to be a strong proponent of gun rights after having garnered Tripwire’s support in the 2008 general election, it will be clear that it is Purtilo/Kratovil – and not Ehrlich/Harris – who really are the Straight Shooters.
And wouldn’t that just be the shot heard ’round the Free State?
