MD-06: Andrew Duck gets a nice Endorsement

Maryland's 6th Congressional District is pretty darn Republican (Bush got 65% in 2004), and our Fighting Dem challenger Andrew Duck has a tough race on his hands.  

But there was a nice surprise newspaper endorsement this week by the Frederick Gazette (text below).  The Gazette papers are read mostly as a weekly giveaway, but they are read.  A Gazette endorsement does get attention, especially one where the Republican incumbent (since 1992) does not get the nod.

Andrew needs our support - GIVE A BUCK TO MR DUCK! - see his website at www.duckforcongress.com.  The 6th CD could be one of those miracle stories in this year of - we hope and work for - a Democratic wave.

FREDERICK (MD) GAZETTE

Our endorsements for the General Election
Thursday, Oct. 12, 2006

District 6, House of Representatives

District 6 of the U.S. House of Representatives is largely Republican, and spans eight counties that mostly border Pennsylvania.

Voters have the choice between incumbent Republican Roscoe G. Bartlett of Buckeystown, Democrat Andrew Duck of Brunswick, and Green party candidate Robert E. Kozak of Frederick.

Bartlett has held the seat since 1992, and many believe him to be a shoo in for an eighth term. However, we do not believe that is sufficient reason to endorse him.

Our support goes to Duck, who we believe has the potential to represent the future of District 6. We thank Bartlett for his service to this district and the country.

Possibly the biggest issue facing this nation is the war on terror, what some circles are starting to call World War III. Clearly, one of the biggest components of that war is the ongoing struggle in Iraq.

Duck served in the Army for 20 years, and was in Iraq in 2003. He saw first hand the results of the decisions being made, and believes we are headed in the wrong direction. He says we need to change our policies by shifting from combat operations to peace enforcement techniques, as was done in Bosnia.

The details of his position on Iraq are too many to include in this space, but we encourage readers to visit his Web site, www.duckforcongress.org, to learn more. District 6 will benefit from having a representative who not only served in the military, but also was on the ground in Iraq.

In other issues, Duck believes the federal and the local governments need to cooperate more with one another to improve the infrastructure in District 6, specifically Interstate 270. Duck sees the need to extend the HOV lane all the way to Frederick, and for improved mass transit.

He believes in economic development, and that federal telework centers would help. He is also for America working toward energy independence, and believes District 6 could become a world leader in alternative energy research.

With all the farming in Mid- and Western Maryland, the residents of District 6 surely would benefit from this research. We believe Duck's efforts can help lead a growing and changing District 6 in the early years of this 21st century.

•  Surprising

  I hope he wins, boy, do I hope he wins.  But while it's hard to beat a sitting congressman, it's even harder to beat a fixture.  I hope Duck is in it for the long haul because even if he comes up short this time, there is constant talk of Roscoe stepping aside soon.  My guess is that the seat would cause a nasty primary fight on the right between Bartlett's son and Alex Mooney -- a serious winger.  With the name recognition, Duck would have a strong chance in round two if he doesn't pull it off in round one.

  by SteveG on Sat Oct 14, 2006 at 07:12:49 PM PDT

  •  Second

    Whoever has his hear:

    Encourage Duck to stick around IF he loses.  (I hope he gets swept in)!

    by Blue South on Sat Oct 14, 2006 at 07:15:43 PM PDT

•  Go Andrew!

  Great to see a fighting Dem here in MD, in very red Frederick County get an endorsement!  It would be nice to see Bartlett go away.

  by audiomom on Sat Oct 14, 2006 at 07:14:18 PM PDT

•  interesting

  They endorsed Ehrlich which surprised me.

  by JOEL1954 on Sat Oct 14, 2006 at 07:19:09 PM PDT

•  Duck!

  The Gazette papers are read mostly as a weekly giveaway, but they are read.

  Yep, you see this paper all the time in waiting rooms.  I usually skim the entire issue when I get an oil change.

  Very interesting to see Duck get the endorsement.  Interesting and excellent.

  BTW, my mother and her friend accidentally met Andrew Duck recently.  During one of the standard "stand at an intersection and wave" politician meet'n'greets that he was doing, they stopped by him.  Not because they wanted to talk politics, but because they needed directions.  He apparently seemed a little surprised, but duly gave them the directions.  

  FWIW, the directions he gave turned out to be accurate.  Maybe he knows a similar way out of Iraq? :)

  (Yes, I gave to Andrew Duck on his website, and I encourage everyone else in the area to do so as well!)

  by TooLittleSleep on Sat Oct 14, 2006 at 07:26:14 PM PDT

•  This is a very tough district

  Back in the 1980s, when the 6th district extended as far south as Gaithersburg and Germantown in Montgomery County, Democrats had a shot. Beverly Byron represented this district up until 1992, when she lost the primary. Bartlett was able to win because her Democratic primary challenger proved to be a weak general election candidate.

  The 2002 redistricting, however, eliminted two Republicans. It eliminated Connie Morella and Bob Ehrlich, who both lost their seats. Morella lost to Chris Van Hollen and Ehrlich ran for Governor. Both districts, MD-2 and MD-8, were centerd in the DC and Baltimore suburbs. The Democratic legislature made them both Democratic-leaning.

  As a result the legislature ceeded two districts to the Republicans: MD-1 and MD-6. The legislature basically threw in all of rural and exurban Baltimore/Washington into the 1st and 6th districts. The 1st district basically takes in the Eastern Shore, a sliver of the most Republican part of Anne Arundel County, a 1/3 of Harford County, and heavily Republican precincts in eastern Baltimore County. The 6th district takes the northern 1/3rd of Harford County, northern Baltimore County, Carroll County, the heavily Republican Damascus section of Montgomery County, Fredrick County, and the western part of the Panhandle.

  The 1st and the 6th basically take in the most Republican parts of Maryland. They basically weaken the political impact of Republican-leaning Harford County, which made Ehrlich's old district, while heavily Democratic by registration, safe for the Republicans. What the 1st and 6th basically do is enable the 2nd to be a safe Democratic district.

  Thus, when you look at the MD Congressional map, the legsilature purposely created the 6th to be heavily Republican. To enable the Democrats to dominte the other six districts, the legislature conceeded the 1st and the 6th to the GOP. The 6th is perhaps the most Republican district in the state, taking in the heavily Republican Baltimore/Washington exurbs and the panhandle. In point of fact, in the 2002 Gubernatorial election, Ehrlich polled almost 80% of the vote in Caroll County! That was his best county in the state.

  For Duck to win he is going to have to do very well in the exurban part of the district. I don't have the exact numbers in front of me, but I would venture to guess that the majority of this district's votes come from the Baltimore, Carroll, Fredrick, Harford, and nothern Montgomery coutny parts of the district. Duck is going to have to do very well there and I'm not sure if he can.

  by jiacinto on Sat Oct 14, 2006 at 07:54:21 PM PDT

•  Link

  http://www.gazette.net/...

  by davybaby on Sat Oct 14, 2006 at 07:55:48 PM PDT

•  I'd love to see that nutball Bartlett lose!

  The Maryland panhandle people deserve the same good representation I've had as a Montgomery County resident.  Bartlett is the only mentalcase Republican in Congress from Maryland (the creepy uncle we never talk about).  I sincerely wish you could be put in our district, represented by Chris Van Hollen.

  by skidrow on Sat Oct 14, 2006 at 08:52:43 PM PDT

•  Duck needs $$ support from all of us

  I keep pushing donations to Duck because I don't think he'll get any money from the DCCC, and because there isn't much Democratic money in the 6th CD (or not to my knowledge).

  Of course I hope Andrew wins, because he sure as hell deserves to, but if he doesn't, as noted above, he should try again in 2008.  As noted above, the word is that Bartlett will retire and that the Republicans will scramble viciously among themselves for the nomination.  

  Andrew is one of those candidates where you know if he gets the exposure, people will be sold.  It's just such an enormous district, it's hard to get that exposure.

  by norabb on Sat Oct 14, 2006 at 09:00:00 PM PDT

•  Only the little folks

  have helped so far.  The DCCC and the MD State Party both wrote this district off from the beginning. They were too short sighted to even take the time or energy to mentor what should have been immediatly obvious as a great candidate for this district. And if not this year, maybe next cycle.

  Van Hollen has been very helpful in sheparding Andrew thru this but that help comes late. This race is going to be way closer than anyone thinks, and for half of what was given to Tammy Duckworth, Andrew could have stolen this district. I'm still betting that when the smoke clears on Nov 8, Duck gets the win.

  by rockfish on Mon Oct 16, 2006 at 10:14:55 PM PDT