DGA makes an argument for Ehrlich?
The Democratic Governors Association is running an ad in Rhode Island arguing that fence-sitting Democrats should not support an Republican independent gubernatorial candidate because he proposes a one-percent sales tax on items not currently covered by the state's 7 percent tax.
The issue plays a little differently in Maryland: In our pitched gubernatorial race Republican challenger Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., the state's former governor, has promised to repeal the 20 percent increase that Democrat Gov. Martin O'Malley added to the state's sales tax. (Its a promise that Ehrlich has not explained how he would fund, as The Sun detailed in a story today.)
Ehrlich's team points out that the DGA ad provides a solid reason to vote for their guy -- and its a good time for the Republican candidate to get some outside national help. The Republican Governors Association has cut their ad buys in the Washington market. Also Politico reported this morning that RGA chairman Haley Barbour, the governor of Mississippi, is hitting 13 states on a final election tour of places with competitive races. Maryland is not listed. (We contacted the RGA's press person, who, perhaps busy with reporters elsewhere, has not returned our message.)
You can watch the DGA's ad here. in it a lefty sounding narrator is considering voting for Lincoln Chafee, who was a Republican until 2007. The narrator considers Chafee, but in the end asks us "Is a sales tax that is going to hurt people who have the least a good idea? I don't think so."
The issue plays a little differently in Maryland: In our pitched gubernatorial race Republican challenger Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., the state's former governor, has promised to repeal the 20 percent increase that Democrat Gov. Martin O'Malley added to the state's sales tax. (Its a promise that Ehrlich has not explained how he would fund, as The Sun detailed in a story today.)
Ehrlich's team points out that the DGA ad provides a solid reason to vote for their guy -- and its a good time for the Republican candidate to get some outside national help. The Republican Governors Association has cut their ad buys in the Washington market. Also Politico reported this morning that RGA chairman Haley Barbour, the governor of Mississippi, is hitting 13 states on a final election tour of places with competitive races. Maryland is not listed. (We contacted the RGA's press person, who, perhaps busy with reporters elsewhere, has not returned our message.)
You can watch the DGA's ad here. in it a lefty sounding narrator is considering voting for Lincoln Chafee, who was a Republican until 2007. The narrator considers Chafee, but in the end asks us "Is a sales tax that is going to hurt people who have the least a good idea? I don't think so."
Comments
The difference is that Rhode Island is already charging 7% for sales tax.
Posted by: Josh | October 22, 2010 10:50 AM
Lincoln Chafee is an independent, NOT a Republican!
He left the Republican party in 2007.
Posted by: RI2010 | October 22, 2010 11:48 AM
Annie,
Please check your facts.
I believe that the 1% sales tax is for items not currently subject to sales tax (groceries, prescriptions, et. al). also I believe Lincoln Chafee is running as an Independent this time.
Posted by: Anonymous | October 22, 2010 11:49 AM
No. Chaffee wants a new tax just like Ehrlich and his new fees. Tax on food is the worst tax there can be.
Posted by: Anonymous | October 22, 2010 12:42 PM
Why did you correct the fact that Chafee is an independent in the first paragraph but not the last one? Chafee left the Republican Party quite a while ago and is running against both a Republican and Democrat candidate.
Posted by: Chris | October 22, 2010 12:51 PM
The worst politicians in RI are Democrats - that's what happens with a super-majority. I believe it was the only state with the dubious honor of having a Dem state rep introduce draconian AZ-style immigration legislation. Like MD, the real races are in the primary, and this year RI saw huge anger and anti-incumbent movement from the progressive left against the conservative Democrats that Gube-candidate Caprio embodies.
The RI gube race is a waste of time of the DGA's effort, because the Independent candidate is more reasonable than the Democrat - who has said repeatedly he'd extend the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest, and whose little brother campaigned on small government and holding the line on taxes. which is bullshit when the state budget has been in the red for hundreds of millions of dollars the past four-five years.
No it doesn't reflect well upon Chafee that he stayed with a party that didn't reflect his ideology and positions on all social issues, and many economic issues. He's not the enlightened saviour that RI progressives want/make him out to be, but he's ten times better than any of the other options.
still, it's clever of ehrlich to pick up on the inconsistencies of the DGA.
My vote is to O'Malley.
Posted by: L | October 22, 2010 6:35 PM