RED HOT ALERT!!! Jim Rutledge can beat Barbara Mikulski for Senate in Maryland

Maryland has a fiscal conservative Republican candidate who can win the race in November for U.S. Senate against Democrat incumbent Barbara Mikulski and his name is Jim Rutledge.

I’d have told you on July 3 when I heard Jim speak at the Tea Party in Bel Air, Maryland, and then got a chance to interview him, but it took several days to resolve technical difficulties with my blog. I also took extra time to re-build it with better integration with Facebook and Twitter so I would be more effective at my Paul Revere ride to wake the conservative blogosphere to the importance of Jim as a candidate WHO CAN BEAT BARBARA MIKULSKI IN DEEP, DARK BLUE MARYLAND!!!!!!111!!!!!1!!!!

Yes, I know Jim Geraghty pronounced Sen. Mikulski safe from all rivals in February when a blogger floated a rumor that she was about to retire. Hah! Sen. Mikulski will turn 74 on July 20, but my take on her is that she would prefer to — um, I’m a little stuck here on metaphors for dying in office that won’t cause gales of laughter when applied to a famously-closeted lesbian: stay in the saddle? drop dead in harness? die with her boots on?

Anyhoo, a tidal wave of tax hikes is on the horizon and will arrive on Jan. 1, 2011, to wipe out jobs in Maryland and across the U.S. and Sen. Mikulski’s name is right there on each and every one along with Barack Obama’s. PLUS, as dear Moe Lane points out today, the Democrat brand is losing favor here in Maryland to such a degree that polls show Republican Bob Ehrlich stands a very good chance of creating the coalition of Republicans, independents and disappointed Democrats that will win him the governor’s seat back from Democrat incumbent Martin O’Malley. This is the very same group that Jim Rutledge is inspiring with his Reagan Republican approach to unleashing the power of individual creativity and ambition that will transform our economy back into an engine — THE engine — of prosperity for our nation and the world.

If Jim Rutledge wins the Republican primary election on Sept. 14, HE is the candidate who can beat Barbara Mikulski in the general election on Nov. 2. All of the other candidates for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate for Maryland emphasize their positions as social conservatives. Jim’s wealthiest opponent for the Republican nomination, Eric Wargotz, calls for free healthcare for illegal immigrants. They can’t win against Barbara Mikulski because our most pressing problems as a nation right now are jobs and our economy — and these are best addressed by the candidate who is a fiscal conservative: Jim Rutledge.

I shot the video of Jim Rutledge in this post at the Tea Party in Bel Air, Maryland, on July 3. Since the purpose of the day was to honor the founding of the United States of America, each speaker was scheduled to talk about part of the Constitution. Jim’s speech is about the Fifth Amendment. Laws-a-mercy, when that man gets going he fires up a crowd!!! I was touched that he remembered me from last year’s Independence Day Tea Party — I spoke about the need for conservatives to stand up for our own so that our best and brightest don’t have to fear for their families when they enter the marketplace of ideas bearing the standard of conservative causes (also: fire David Letterman!). But then I realized that this means Jim has been running for the Republican Senate nomination to run against Barbara Mikulski for over a year and that he has become a seasoned candidate who knows how to campaign AND WIN.

OK, conservative blogosphere, here’s the call to action:

1. Check out Jim Rutledge’s positions at his official website: www.rutledgeforussenate.co
   m. Short version: Jim grew up on the farm in Harford County, Maryland, that his family has owned since the 1600’s. He is an attorney with a wife and two children. Jim believes in limited government, free markets, lower taxes, balancing the budget, term limits, securing our borders, no amnesty for illegal aliens, the sanctity of life, and school choice.
2. “Like” Jim at his Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jim-Rutledge/83322497829
3. Follow Jim on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JimRutledge2010, @JimRutledge2010
4. Interview Jim for your blog posts, radio shows and podcasts — see the “Contact” tab at his website.
5. Post about Jim.
6. Money bomb Jim on Sunday, July 18. Let’s get his campaign out of the red and into the black.
7. If you live in or near Maryland, Jim’s also having a fundraiser on Sunday, July 18:

Conservative blogosphere roll call:

Instapundit, Little Miss Attila, Stacy and Smitty at The Other McCain, Moe Lane, The Sundries Shack, Roger Simon of Pajamas Media, Michelle Malkin, Ed Morrissey and Allahpundit at Hot Air, Matthew Vadum, Erick Erickson at Red State, Melissa Clouthier of Liberty Pundits, William Jacobson of Legal Insurrection, Sissy Willis of SISU, Hill Buzz (centrist, not conservative, but conservative-friendly), Ace at Ace of Spades HQ, Dan Riehl, Slublog, Jules Crittendon, Tammy Bruce, Log Cabin Republicans, GOProud, John Hawkins of Right Wing News, Ginny Ray at Obi’s Sister, Fausta, Val Prieto at Babalu, Dan Collins of POWIP, Pamela Geller of Atlas Shrugs, Robert Spencer of Jihad Watch, Andrew Breitbart, Ann Althouse, Troglopundit, Kathy Shaidle of Five Feet of Fury, Don Surber, Afrocity of Autographed Letter Signed, Anita Moncrief, Another Black Conservative, Baldilocks, Gay Patriot, James Joyner and Doug Mataconis of Outside the Beltway, Vodkapundit, Yid with Lid, DaTechGuy, Nice Deb, Paco Enterprises, No Sheeples Here, Barbara Espinosa of American Freedom, The Bookworm Room, Villainous Company, The Camp of the Saints, Jeff Goldstein and Darleen Click at Protein Wisdom, The Anchoress, Gateway Pundit, Pundit and Pundette, Mark Koenig of Newsreal, Rick Moran of Right Wing Nut House, Conservative Pup, and The Rhetorican.

Please remember, as we cover Jim’s campaigh, the fable of the sun, the wind and the traveler. The sun and the wind argued each was more powerful than the other and wagered on which one could prove his power by getting a traveler to take off his coat. The wind went first, but the more furiously he blew, the tighter the traveler wrapped his coat around him. Then it was the sun’s turn, and he radiated light until the traveler became so hot that he took off his coat. Let’s use the approach of the sun to help people get out of the grip of the false promises of the Left. Families in Maryland and America are hurting and fiscal conservatism is what will heal their pain and restore our economy to health. Think about it — when you hold out a carrot, you know which direction the horse will go, but when you apply the stick, you only know it’s going to run away. Fiscal conservatism is about creating the conditions for everyone to fulfill their fulfill potential and keep the majority of the fruits of their labors with the liberty to enjoy them as they see fit. That’s the BEST CARROT EVER. So for heaven’s sake, don’t frighten people with the stick, inspire them and enliven their energies with the carrot!

P.S.

When I spoke with Jim on July 3, he told me that one of his brothers is openly gay and that he and his partner endorse Jim’s candidacy. I hope to get an interview with them soon, which I will post here and on YouTube.