In a dogfight, Gilchrest won't go dogmatic

ANNAPOLIS - Conservatives like William F. Buckley used to footnote Edmund Burke when explaining their particular political ideology, an evocation that was seldom incompatible with Barry Goldwater - as in "a Burkian, Goldwater conservative."

Post Ronald Reagan, and in the waning days of a Bush presidency that has frayed the nerves of many self-avowed conservatives, the Gipper has been the go-to guy for Republicans intent on aligning themselves with the conservative movement.

Locked in a tough re-election fight for his 1st District Congressional seat on the Eastern Shore, U.S. Rep. Wayne Gilchrest is no exception when it comes to Reagan admiration.

To his critics on the right - including primary combatants, senators Andy Harris and E.J. Pipkin - who question the incumbent’s commitment to the 40th president’s core principles, Gilchrest fires back, "I think they are forgetting President Reagan’s 11th commandment, which is that thou shalt not bear false witness against fellow Republicans."

An avowed moderate with strong labor backing, Gilchrest is casting himself as a non-ideological problem-solver against what he sees as the forces of dogmatic extremism embodied by Harris and Pipkin.

"I don’t know what ‘conservative’ means," he told reporters in the Annapolis Waterfront Marriot on Monday, immediately following a joint appearance with his presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain, and moments before he embarked on a last day rapid-fire tour of all nine full counties and three partial counties in his congressional district.

Meanwhile, Harris’ hard-right credentials have endeared him to socially conservative donors. He’s nearly doubled the amount of cash raised by the Gilchrest campaign: $1, 095,618 to $567,192. Pipkin’s also out-worked the incumbent in the money department, raking in $600,556.

Gilchrest’s steadfast refusal to kowtow to ideology have put his negatives in the 60% range among Republican voters in recent polls, but he’s been dogged by the dreaded "liberal" tag since he was first elected in 1990, and keeps winning elections, some of them in near-loss dogfights.

On Monday, Gilchrest was sporting a "McCain 2000" button, and happily reminding people about his longtime support for McCain, a fellow decorated Vietnam veteran - and relative political moderate. McCain has been the subject of radio rants by Rush Limbaugh who says McCain’s moderate views on immigration, and initial opposition to the Bush tax cuts make him a disastrous potential GOP nominee.

"I’m not ideologically driven either," said Gilchrest, expanding on his similarities with McCain. "Let somebody else define what conservative is. In place of any kind of dogma, what I offer is integrity, courage, ingenuity and competence. That’s what sets me apart from my challengers, and those qualities are what the voters are looking for."

Chris Meekins, campaign manager for state Sen. Andy Harris’ congressional campaign, defines modern GOP conservatism as Reagan’s three-legged stool, which consists of fiscal restraint; social commitment to life, traditional marriage and traditional values; and peace through strength.

"Congressman Gilchrest is 0-3," said Meekins. "He’s supported higher taxes and wasteful government spending, he’s pro-choice, he opposes a constitutional amendment to protect marriage between a man and a woman, and he opposed the troop surge in Iraq."

Acknowledging McCain’s failure to meet the second criteria of conservatism, Meekins nonetheless insisted that despite their mutual Vietnam War records, McCain and Gilchrest have very different views on the War in Iraq and on national security in general.

"Sen. McCain was for the troop surge, another piece of evidence that he is capable of living up to Reagan’s model of peace through strength," said Meekins. "His foreign policy focus is right. He clearly recognizes the importance of stopping the jihad that is being waged against the United States, and his record indicates he’d be apt to do that."

Andi Moroney, press secretary for the Pipkin campaign, acknowledged that her candidate is likewise trying to outflank Gilchrest from the right.

"Conservatism resolves around lesser government, individual freedom, and the understanding that people know how to spend their money better than the government does," said Moroney, paraphrasing Pipkin moments after speaking with the candidate, who like his rivals for the 1st District Congressional seat, was in the middle of hardcore GOTV efforts.

"What Sen. Pipkin is offering is a plan to cut spending, cut taxes, secure our borders and preserve our second amendment rights," said Moroney of her candidate, who in this campaign has most vocally assailed Gilchrest and Bush for embracing an immigration plan that Pipkin deems too corrosive.

Their differences on Iraq notwithstanding, Gilchrest today could claim a public boost from McCain’s surging performance in the polls. But adding to the Congressman’s potential woes is another endorsement - from Bush.

"When it comes to endorsements, former Gov. Ehrlich trumps Bush," said Meekins, noting Robert Ehrlich’s support of Harris over the 1st District incumbent. "Certainly he’s much more important to Maryland voters."

Whatever the particular definitions of post-Bush conservatism in Maryland, McCain’s backing of Gilchrest was straightforward enough Monday in Annapolis.

"We’re both combat vets," McCain said bluntly.