Annapolis Capital Punishment

It's official and State Senator Andy Harris has conceded to Frank Kratovil in what the Baltimore Sun reported was a less than one-minute but "cordial" phone call. Hmm. I doubt it was cordial. That's not the forte of the combative, irascible, pugnacious, insulting, vituperative Harris that we have all come to know from his years in the MD Senate and from this campaign. And there are negatives about him too.

There are plenty of politicians and elected officials of all stripes with whom we disagree and hold divergent--often highly divergent viewpoints. But they can be civil and respectful. And we can be civil and respectful to them. Yet the extremist Harris somehow went beyond the limits of respectability and acceptability. I have personally seen him in action, in his office and in committee hearings. I read his nasty and mean-spirited news releases and pronouncements, one after the other in which he incessantly pounded on his opponent for being "liberal", trying his best to attack all liberals and turn "liberal" into a dirty word, an epithet.

In a long-standing Republican district, and one that strongly went for McCain, Harris only won in a few of the counties, and in none on the relatively conservative Eastern Shore. Harris was widely recognized as having one of the weakest records on supporting environmental protection and in this district which is so closely tied to the Chesapeake, Kratovil was clearly seen as being his opposite. Helped along by the endorsement of most newspapers and by Republican and moderate incumbent Wayne Gilchrest, who was also pilloried by Harris in the primary, Kratovil went on to win, though by one of the tiniest of margins.

It was close all right. But as it is said, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. Maybe that's a lesson Andy Harris ought to learn as he collects all the grenades he lobbed and rides off on his horse--his once high horse. He has not yet posted a "thanks to my supporters" or "congratulations to my opponent" on his web-site.  He does have a special message from his local pal, "Jim the Plumber."




I am sure it is reasonable  to suggest that once we do all our congratulating to Mr. Kratovil that we expect him to do great things, especially in a district where he barely squeaked out a win.

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