I had forgotten that Mike Protack was actually, once again, running for something. This year he is a Republican candidate for New Castle County Council President. This is a change in the trajectory of his political career. For before this year, he had been on a downward spiral in the office he was seeking in any given year. In 2004, he ran for Governor and lost in the Republican Primary. In 2006, he ran for the U.S. Senate and lost in the Republican Primary. In 2008, he ran again for Governor and lost at the Republican convention. In 2010, he finally lowered his sights and ran for something that even I thought he could win: a County Council seat. But he lost in the Republican Primary.
If he were to run again, I thought the next logical stop would have been Alderman or whatever similar office they have in Hockessin (or dogcatcher if they don’t). But to my surprise, Protack, ever the poker player, is upping the ante once again.
And this time, finally, at long last, after a long quioxitic journy, Michael D. Protack will be the nominee of the Republican Party for something.
But only because no one is running against him in the primary. But hey, take your small victories where you can find them.
I bring up Protack because he was in the news today.
Republican Mike Protack tells WDEL News if he’s elected, he’ll work to make county government more open, transparent and honest by creating an office of Inspector General, which would include a staff charged with rooting out waste and inefficiency. The Inspector General would serve a 4-year term, and be prohibited from running for office for at least 2 years after that.
Interesting that a Republican would propose expanding government and increasing spending. Why can’t Protack root out waste and inefficiency himself as County Council President? Is he saying he can’t do it? Then why should anyone elect him?