Republicans In The News
Dr. Mike Hargadon Meets Enthusiastic Crowd in Catonsville
Date: September 9, 2008 - 9:57am
Publication: PolitickerMD.com
Contact: Adam Wilson, (443) 977-4401
Dr. Mike Hargadon, Republican challenger to Elijah Cummings in Maryland’s Seventh District, spent about six hours stumping on Sunday at the Catonsville Arts and Crafts Festival on Frederick Road. Dr. Hargadon spent much of his time in a booth hosted by the Patapsco Valley Republican Club, where volunteers were encouraged not only by the enthusiasm shown towards Dr. Hargadon, but also towards Senator John McCain’s new running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Dr. Hargadon noted that at the Howard County Democrats’ annual Labor Day Picnic, County Executive Ken Ulman criticized McCain by stating that she "represents the furthers right they could think of." Dr. Hargadon strongly disagreed with Ulman’s assessment, saying, "If that’s the case, how do they explain a recent Rasmussen poll, which showed that Governor Palin is viewed more favorably than Obama, Biden, and McCain? The fact is, the Democratic leadership is out of touch with the American public, who see Palin as a regular person, not as an inside-the-beltway politician."
Dr. Hargadon pointed to Congress’s approval rating, which stands at nine percent, as supporting evidence. "People aren’t interested in politics as usual. I find it ridiculous that Elijah Cummings is talking about ‘change’ as an Obama supporter, but in his own district, he obviously supports the status quo." Dr. Hargadon noted that repeated attempts to contact Cummings’ office regarding debates have fallen on deaf ears, and they still have yet to respond.
"It doesn’t surprise me that he’s ignoring me. Like Sarah Palin, I’m a real person, not a career politician," continued Dr. Hargadon. "Cummings has been in some kind of public office for over 25 years. He knows how to play the game. Tell the people what they want to hear, and then vote for your special interests. As I pointed out last month, Cummings has taken $10,000 from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac over four years and then voted for them to have an open line of credit from the US Treasury. It didn’t take long for that vote to do serious damage to the American taxpayer," said Dr. Hargadon, referring to the recent takeover of the two mortgage companies by the US government. "The people are starting to wisen up. I’m doing my part to educate the public, and believe me, even the Democrats I’ve met today are not happy when they hear about his voting record or how much he receives in corporate contributions," an amount exceeding $400,000 for this election cycle.
UPDATE: In an email late Monday, the Cummings campaign declined the debate proposal set out by the Hargadon campaign, citing Cummings’ Congressional responsibilities and leadership role in Senator Obama’s Presidential campaign. A previously scheduled forum arranged by the Howard County League of Women Voters will take place between the two candidates on October 7th.