Former Republican John Atkins and Democrat Barbara Lifflander met last night in a debate sponsored by the Delaware Manufactured Homeowners Association. Besides Carney-Markell and Lee-Protack, this primary is one of the more interesting ones in the state. As we all know, Mr. Atkins formerly represented this district as a Republican from 2003 until 2007. But on one fateful evening in late October 2006, Mr. Atkins drove back from Secrets in Ocean City, Maryland intoxicated, was pulled over by the Maryland police, and he used his General Assembly credentials to escape getting thrown in jail. The ethical consequences of that move, along with other sordid allegations of spousal abuse and the bribery of babysitters forced Mr. Atkins to resign in 2007 lest the House take formal action to remove him.
Barbara Lifflander was Mr. Atkin’s opposition in 2004 and 2006, and she ran in the special election to replace him in 2007 but lost to Republican Greg Hastings. Now in 2008, Atkins wants his job back. But, for some reason, he does not want to challenge Mr. Hastings in a primary. Instead, he wants to deceive his constituents and register as a Democrat so that he can challenge Hastings in the general election. Now, this is a deep mystery to me, because Atkins’ basic selling point on running to return to his old job is that he has deep contacts within the community and knows how to work Dover and the state government agencies so as to provide excellent constitutent services. Now, that is Atkins’ only argument for his campaign. But it is an argument that can help win in a Republican primary just as it can help him win a general election. Nevertheless, Atkins has registered as Democrat, and is has filed as Democrat for this race.
Thus, Barbara Lifflander is back for a third attempt. Normally I would not enjoy have a two time loser be my standard bearer again in 2008, but with morally challenged John Atkins pretending to be a Democrat, I openly welcome any true Democrat that wants to take him on.
The question of who is a real Democrat and who is not took center stage at last night’s debate:
On Monday, Lifflander and Atkins agreed that more must be done by the state representative from the 41st District on issues from government accountability to helping residents of manufactured-home parks get protections from the threat of unexpected rent increases.
The real differences came as Lifflander described herself as the “real Democrat” and raised questions about whether Atkins could be an effective representative given his past history.
“If your own party turned on you … you would not be an effective legislator,” she said. Then, turning to the audience, Lifflander said: “He’s saying now, forgive me … and I’ll be better than ever.”
Atkins then asked Lifflander why, if she is the real Democrat, did she run as an independent in an earlier race for 41st representative district?
The discussion was lively but polite.
Atkins said he is a registered Democrat but also a conservative.
“To me, it doesn’t matter if you’re a Democrat or Republican,” he said.
Atkins also told the crowd he sold his trash-hauling business and no longer has ties with his former business partner, Robert Tunnell, the owner of several Long Neck-area manufactured-home parks.
Lifflander, who served on the board for the Manufactured Homeowners Association, pointed out to the audience that she was one of their neighbors.
“Our cause,” she said, “is always going to be my cause.”
To me, it does matter if you are a Republican or a Democrat. But what is more important to me, is the question of whether you are a liberal, a moderate, or a conservative. And John Atkins proudly announced that he is a conservative. Our Democratic party leadership, the leadership we all seek to replace, are all conservative Democrats. We have had enough of conservativism, whether it be in the Republican or Democratic form. Conservatism is what has failed America during the last 28 years. The principle of greed, the lack of accountability and personal responsibility, the unbalanced budgets, the trickle down economics that never trickled down, but instead made the rich richer and the poor poorer, the huge budget deficits and huge foreign debt, the notion that everyone is own their own instead of we are all in this together, the cowboy diplomacy, the attempts to destroy Social Security and Medicare, the taxbreaks to Big Oil, and the fake morality or at the very least the hypocritical morality that is best preached but never practiced. We have had enough of conservatism.
The question is not who is the real Democrat. The question is who is the real conservative. John Atkins is the real conservative.