People of a certain age will recall that President’s Day used to be called Washington’s Birthday, the day we honored the birth of the most revered of our Founding Fathers, George Washington.
Washington earned many distinctions in his distinguished career of service to the new United States of America: Commanding General of the Continental Army, first president, Father of Our Country among them.
One distinction we can especially admire during this divided, ultra-partisan time is that Washington was the only president who was not a member of a political party. The only one. Political parties in the United States were just starting to form when Washington was unanimously chosen as the first president in 1789. He again ran unopposed and unaffiliated with either of the two parties that were emerging when he was again elected without opposition in 1792.
Now, don’t get me wrong. Political parties have served a purpose in helping to align people with common interests, organize to get important legislation and government projects accomplished, and educate voters about important policies and issues.
But right now, it seems our elected leaders are more concerned about serving their party’s interests than in representing the needs of the people who put them in office – us, the voters. And no politician in Washington is more in the pocket of his party’s handlers and big-money contributors than Andy Harris. Andy does what his party and the money behind it tells him to do – even if it harms his constituents, like not protecting the Chesapeake Bay. He’s done it for 12 years, and even though he promised to leave office after six terms, he’s running again.
My motto, “More Results, Less Politics,” isn’t just a catchy phrase to me. It’s how I’ve run my career and professional life. I believe it’s how all elected public officials should operate. Look, we can disagree on details, but we should all be committed to finding common ground and doing work that helps the people of our country – all the people, not just the ones who voted for us.
So whether it’s improving waterways, roads, and bridges in Maryland’s First Congressional District to help our producers get goods to market, or getting more funding for broadband in our rural areas so our businesses and students can make full use of the Internet, or saving our cherished Chesapeake Bay to preserve the livelihoods and way of life of our watermen, I’m going to find a way to work with representatives of both parties to get it done. I will not be guided by what my party’s leaders tell me to do. I will be guided by you – the people who put me in office to work for them.
So Happy President’s Day! And Happy Birthday and many thanks, George Washington, for all you did for your country.
- Dave
Dave Harden is a Democrat running for Maryland's 1st Congressional District. Dave's running to replace Andy Harris and will help the 1st District unlock its extraordinary potential. Support Dave with a donation today.
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