Excellent rant from a GOP Congressman who's had it with his party and is finished with McCain!

[DeepModem Mom]

WP: Gilchrest Unloads on Know-Nothing Pols and the Rest of Us
By Marc Fisher
Thursday, October 2, 2008; B01

Wayne Gilchrest, the nine-term Republican congressman who represents Maryland's Eastern Shore and parts of Anne Arundel County, has had it, and he's ready to talk.

He's had it with his own party, which he says "has become more narrow, more self-serving, more centered around 'I want, I want, I want.'" He's finished with his party's presidential candidate, John McCain, who Gilchrest says "recites memorized pieces of information in a narrow way, whereas Barack Obama is constantly evaluating information, using his judgment. One guy just recites what's in front of him, and the other has initiative and reason and prudence and wisdom."

Gilchrest, a moderate who was defeated by a conservative challenger in February's primary, hit the boiling point after Monday's House vote rejecting the big financial bailout package. After much struggle and study, Gilchrest voted for the bailout; what appalls him about his many colleagues who went the other way was that they appeared to do so based neither on a close examination of the issues nor on principle, but rather with a finger to the wind and an eye on the e-mail inbox.

The congressman, whose strongly Republican district stretches from the Pennsylvania line to the border with Virginia, tells me that he's had it with colleagues who "don't understand the issues, who not only don't read the Financial Times, they have never heard of the Financial Times."

Gilchrest isn't done. "We're in this bad place as a country because of the evangelicals, the neocons, the nasty, bitter and mean . . . very clever ideological groups that use money, technology, fear and bigotry to lead people around," he says. "Voting according to your knowledge and experience -- that's out the window. Competence and prudence? Forget it."...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/01/AR2008100102784_pf.html

[Mme. Defarge]

1. Big K&R!

[BrklynLiberal]

2. He sounds much too intelligent and reasonable to be a repuke.

[eridani]

9. East Coast Pubbies used to ALL be like that. I'm series! n/t

[Booster]

3. Man, this guy really gets it.

[CC]

4. Go Wayne!

He is also supporting the Dem candidate for his office. The idiot repukes here voted for a flat-earth, humans and dinosaurs lived together hate filled right winger. Hoping Kravotil runs away with it. Though the die hards are busy writing lies about him and trying to scare everyone away from us evil liberals.

I did not always agree with my congress critter but the man would send me 10 plus page letters on why he took the stand he took every time I contacted him. He also was very strong for the environment.

[DeepModem Mom]

5. THANK YOU for sharing your perspective! nt

[pamela]

6. I hope Kratovil wins.

One of my favorite voting experiences occurred when Kratovil first ran for State's Attorney. My husband and I were walking towards the polling place when an elderly woman said "Will you vote for my son?" I said "Is he a Democrat?" and she said "Yes" in a kind of nervous voice because this is the very red Eastern Shore. I said "Sure, I'll vote for him if he's a Dem. What's his name?" It was Frank Kratovil.

We were very pleasantly surprised when he won. I sure hope he beats Andy Harris. What a far-right tool that guy is.

[yellowcanine]

7. Gilchrest is the one Republican I could vote for if it didn't change the House balance.

I think we should trade him for Lieberman and a DINO to be named later.

[Jim Sagle]

8. A "moderate" jagoff who voted for the most massive sellout ever, gets a big Pfffffbbbbbbttt!!!!!!!

Fuck'm.