(November 8, 2002) Tripwire congratulates our endorsee Leroy Myers for his election victory in Maryland District 1C over House Speaker Casper Taylor. Myers is the right candidate at the right time, and we applaud the voters in Allegany and Washington Counties for their choice. We look forward to working with Myers in Annapolis.

To the punditocracy trying to explain why Myers could defeat a 28 year incumbent and member of leadership, we have this tip: the word you're trying not to say is spelled "g - u - n."

Cas Taylor's pivotal role in enacting gun control placed him at odds with firearm owners in his district. Apparently the rest of his voter base was turned off with Cas's disingenuous spin when called on the issue. Taylor's chief error was believing Parris Glendening and Mike Miller who said they could protect him on the gun issue after bartering away the rights of constituents.

With due respect to Governor-elect Ehrlich's campaign effort, Taylor's woes do not stem from a Republican coattail effect. Taylor's fellow Democrat Kevin Kelly, a true pro-gun legislator in District 1, handily defeated his well-funded Republican challenger.

Taylor's public consideration of a recount following Tuesday's election only confirms to people what we said all along in the campaign: Cas is a pliable politician who tries to have it both ways on issues, and arrogantly assumes we have no memory. On November 11, 2000, Casper Taylor is quoted in a New York Times article, speaking critically of Al Gore's demands for a recount in the presidential election:

"I think you have to worry about destroying our citizens' confidence in our system," said Casper R. Taylor, the Democratic House speaker in Maryland, who has been in public office for 25 years. "One of the things we've had going for us throughout our history is a fundamental belief in and respect for the American system. We damn near lost it in the Civil War, and we spilled one hell of a lot of blood to avoid losing it. And that's a lesson we should reflect on."