Posted on 11/18/2014 6:13:06 AM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
ANNAPOLIS Preparing to launch a Republican administration in deep-blue Maryland, Gov.-elect Larry Hogan on Monday introduced a transition team that included some familiar Democratic faces as he moved to avoid some of the partisan confrontations that stymied the states last Republican governor.
Mr. Hogan repeatedly promised to lead a bipartisan executive branch that would be staffed with experts, not partisans, to work with the heavily Democratic General Assembly to tackle the states severe budget and economic problems.
We have an enormous challenge ahead of us, Mr. Hogan told reporters as he introduced six members of his transition team. Im looking for the smartest, most capable, most experienced, most talented people we can find, whether they are Democrat or Republican, whether they have business experience or government experience, whether they come from Maryland or from somewhere else.
The transition team was the latest signal from Mr. Hogan to the Democratic leadership of the General Assembly that he wanted to avoid the bitter partisan feud that engulfed Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., who was elected in 2002 as the states first Republican governor in 33 years and served one term before being defeated by Democrat Martin O'Malley.
Mr. Ehrlich weathered lawsuits for firing longtime Democratic appointees and suffered criticism for hiring Republicans with questionable credentials, including professional ice dancer Gregory Maddalone for a top job at the Maryland Department of Transportation.
Mr. Hogan won an upset victory over Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, a Democrat who, after serving eight years with Mr. O'Malley, expected to coast to an easy win in a state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-to-1.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Oh stop with the logic DJ, it’s more fun to shout RINO RINO RINO. A few democrat advisors, in a state full of democrats? Cut the RINO’s head off!!!!! Too bad the light-skinned Black demmy didn’t win, cause those guys are all AWESOME.
I tell you right now, this guy Hogan appears to be noticeably more conservative than my new RINO Governor, Bruce the Spruce Goose, anyone wanna trade?
GOP numbers in the leg BTW, 14 (+2) of 47 in the Senate (30%). 50 of 141 (35%) in the House (which this article calls a “likely historic high” which can’t be true as GOP did have a majority in the late 1910’s.) Very very low. Veto threshold is unfortunately 3/5s and not 2/3s. And their stinking terms are all 4 years, which is probably a good cause in a POTUS year GOP would probably really take in the A.
People talk about the Republican bench, how deep it is. But the problem is that these new Republicans are not going to promote conservatism, they're going to promote the same progressive agenda under the guise of compromising and bipartisanship with Democrats. And then they're going to lose elections because the electorate will just vote for the real thing.
If he is a good leader he won't have to. But he's a typical Milquetoast Republican.
Baker’s doing the same thing here - recruiting RATS. When you’re outnumbered 9:1 what are you supposed to do?
Recruit GOP from other states? Maybe.
I’ll still take Baker over Coakley. He came out against driver’s licenses for illegals; he’s already surpassed the current RAT gov and anything Coakley would have done.
So true, but people in TX still believe in everything Bush, says George P.
Why? Why can't he stand for conservative principles, go to the people and explain how wrong liberalism is and how its killing the state, and that he'll veto any and all liberal crap that reaches his desk. Why work with these cretins?
He cant do things the same way as Walker, Kasich or Scott, all of whom are fortunate to have GOP legislative majorities.
Many of these Republicans in these legislatures were RINOs and tried to thwart the Governors' agenda. Walker, in particular, won out because he stood his ground and didn't back down from the progressives in both parties who tried to destroy him.
Hogan is not going to get his agenda passed by "working with" Democrats. In fact, the state will continue its socialist slide, and Hogan will get the blame for it because he's a Republican. I'd rather see Hogan stand for conservative principles and lose (Then voters will open their eyes and break from liberalism), than to be a groveling feckless RINO and still end up losing and getting blamed for it.
Give me a break. Here in WI, Gov. Doyle and the state legislature was completely in Rat hands; Walker changed all of that by running a pragmatic, conservative agenda.
All MD needs is a Republican willing to stand and die on his sword. Working with Democrats and compromising is not the answer.
I live in MD, and as far as I am concerned, out-of-staters can criticize all they want, because this state is a sick joke.
Yes, I’m one of them, and the other two are leaving.
Those Democrats will stab him in the back every chance they get.
Think about it...He’s hiring people that want him to be defeated when he’s up for reelection.....it’s insanity, what’s the point?
DUMKOPF!
yeah, but I bet he’ll look like Einstein next to Tom Wolf
Wisconsin doesn’t have the honor of being cheek-by-jowl to the Washington DC metro area. Talk about Liberal Magnet with a capital (capitol?) L and M.
Conservative/Republican Maryland is pretty well western Maryland. I lived there while working a contract job, commuting between the liberal and conservative parts of Maryland because I could only afford to stay in the conservative part.
And now Hogan is pissing away his base there. He’s dead meat when he’s up for reelection.
Consider in no way am I urging Hogan or any other Governor to pursue a leftist agenda or to rubber stamp that agenda. I’m merely stating a fact that in a state that is effectively 2 or 3-to-1 Democrat, if you want to get anything passed or accomplished, you have no choice but to work with them. You hone in on those elected officials who want to get something done in the opposition and do an end-run around the Dem leadership that would seek to shoot it down. Reagan had to do this, and he was successful.
If he decides to exclusively play the partisan or obstructionist role across the board for 4 years under such dynamics, it’s going to wear thin real fast and it certainly won’t do anything to further the GOP in MD for the future.
There’s a lot of flux in the liberal areas, making any politicking efforts for the GOP hard to make stick. I bet Hogan primarily benefited from the Obama malaise.
Only if Hogan isn't up for the task.
Appeal to your base, the folks that got you elected, get them on your side and make them passionately support you. That’s how you win.....Playing the wet noodle gets you nowhere.
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