Club For Growth

So, the Club For Growth is peeved that "the party's most steadfast elected economic conservatives" will not have prominent speaking roles at the Republican National Committee Convention in two weeks. No surprise there -- the Club is always goading their party in one way or the other.

"With the Republican Party’s brand in shambles, it is important for the Party to showcase those leaders who are currently in office fighting to preserve the limited-government, free-market principles the GOP used to stand for," the release said.

But they probably should have stopped themselves there.

ROYAL OAK - Speaking at a weekend fundraiser where he tried to stress a bipartisan political approach, state's Attorney Frank Kratovil (D-Stevensville) accused his Republican opponent of being outside the political mainstream and practicing "politics as usual."

"If you look at my opponent's background, he thinks things are going great in this country," Kratovil said of state Sen. Andy Harris (R-Cockeysville). "He believes we don't need change and I believe we do."

Kratovil continued criticizing his opponent. "If you look at votes my opponent has had in the Maryland legislature on a whole host of issues, it demonstrates extremism that I don't think benefits the majority of the people in this district," he said.

Harris Campaign Manager Chris Meekins defended his candidate in an interview with PolitickerMD.com.

"Andy's record on both fighting for lower taxes and less wasteful government spending is exactly what voters in the 1st District want," Meekins said.

There are two very nervous Maryland Republicans today. Two very conservative, Bush-loving guys who look at their “safe” Republican districts right now and wonder how they can rescue their campaigns in the face of some really bad news, worse trends and outright voter hostility.

Roscoe Bartlett (R–MD6) and Roscoe Bartlett Jr., otherwise known as Andy Harris (R–MD 1 Wannabe), are two peas in a pod; two bizarrely ineffective lawmakers devoted to all things right-wing and virtually anything George Bush.

They see themselves as ideological lightening rods; angry, bitter and more comfortable pointing fingers than doing the hard work of serving their constituents.

Club for Growth President Pat Toomey has an op-ed in this morning's Wall Street Journal on the necessity of primary challenges.

The Club was influential in Andy Harris' defeat of Wayne Gilchrest, and, given the current climate, is forced to defend itself (again) as to why they expend more energy attacking Republicans than Democrats.

Rep. Chris Van HollenRep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Kensington), the chairman of the 2008 Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), was the honorary host of a fundraiser held on behalf of congressional candidate and State’s Attorney Frank Kratovil (D-Stevensville) at Cottingham Farm in Easton, this evening.

Kratovil will face Andy Harris (R-Cockeysville) in the November election in Maryland’s First Congressional District.

Speaking with PolitickerMD.com, Van Hollen called Kratovil a “terrific candidate” who “fits the political temperament of the district” and has a “good chance” of winning.

“We will do everything we can to support his effort,” Van Hollen said of the DCCC.

Erik Gulbrandsen, Kratovil’s communications director, said he did not know how much money the campaign expected to raise from the event, but said the cost was $250 per person.

On the fundraising question, Kratovil told PolitickerMD.com that he was pleased with the recent numbers from the first financial quarter reports, saying, “We’re dead even in cash on hand.”

Response To Harris Release Against Gilchrest

State Senator E.J. Pipkin's campaign took a swipe at his main First District GOP rivals, saying theirs is "the only viable candidate for Congress ... who has not been tainted by special interests."

Pipkin attacked state Sen. Andy Harris and Rep. Wayne Gilchrest for accepting contributions from political action committees and outside groups spending money on communications toward voters.

Claiming they are "above this type of influence peddling," Pipkin campaign manager Mike Brown said, "Voters can be confident that no one has bought E.J. Pipkin."

But they took specific aim at Harris, singling out a press release from yesterday, in which Harris' campaign manager Chris Meekins called for transparency in the Service Employee International's Union funding of an independent group supporting Gilchrest.

Club for Growth ad$250K Ad Buy Ignores Pipkin

This morning, the Club for Growth Political Action Committee announced another major ad buy on television and radio targeting First District Rep. Wayne Gilchrest.

Backed by a $250,000 buy, the ads decry Gilchrest’s 18-year record for being “too liberal for too long,” blaming him for tax increases, the infamous Alaskan ‘bridge to nowhere,’ and pay increases.

The ads also attempt to link Gilchrest and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, citing a Congressional Quarterly report that he has voted with the Democrats more than any other Republican in the current Congress.

The Club for Growth, a conservative political action committee (PAC) backing state Sen. Andy Harris in the First District Republican primary, are denouncing a major television ad-buy by another PAC, Republicans Who Care, in support of Rep. Wayne Gilchrest.

In its latest ad, Republicans Who Care labels Harris and state Sen. E.J. Pipkin as “politicians who waste millions of your tax dollars – for a dancehall in Montgomery County, to redecorate offices in Annapolis, even for a Cow Museum” – similar to Club for Growth commercials aired against Gilchrest. The issue ad asks, “No wonder our taxes went up,” and encourages people to contact Harris and Pipkin.

This morning, the Club for Growth called Republicans Who Care, “a sham group fronting” for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), citing a recent FEC filing showing a $200,000 transfer from the labor group. The Club for Growth notes this covers the $180,000 First District ad buy.

James BraswellFormer Gilchrest Intern, Pipkin Supporter Helps Friends

Pasadena attorney James Braswell smells something fishy about the relationship between state Sen. Andy Harris and the political action committee (PAC) the Club for Growth.

Braswell spoke with PolitickerMD.com this afternoon about the official complaint that he filed today with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) against Harris' congressional campaign and the conservative PAC.

"You have a coordinated campaign between a candidate and a PAC," he said.

Last week, the Club for Growth announced that they would spend $250,000 on media advertisements in support of Harris over a two-week period.

Under federal law, PAC's can contribute a maximum of $5,000 to a candidate per election cycle, though they are not limited to the amount of money they can spend independent of a particular candidates' campaign.