Even the Sun...

John Leopold has always been a darling with the Sun, because he is a registered Republican who talks, acts, and thinks like a liberal Democrat (and check out the love Paul Foer foists upon him). But even their editorial page took him to task for his latest broken campaign promise:

Certainly, there's nothing unusual about developers giving political contributions to county executives. Everyone does it. Executives have a big say in whether projects get the necessary government approvals. Developers can hardly afford not to be on their good side.

But Mr. Leopold is anything but typical. He waged a campaign that emphasized his arm's-length approach to the "growth industry" and that he wasn't part of the "good ol' boy" network of politicians and developers. And, indeed, his campaign finances reflected his attitude: Mr. Leopold spent more than a quarter-million dollars of his own savings on his candidacy, but his Democratic opponent still outspent him by a 3-to-1 ratio....

...No one is suggesting Mr. Leopold is particularly pro-development, at least not judging by his first nine months in office. His plight is also familiar: A county executive without a big pot of campaign money is seen as weak and vulnerable.

But appearances matter, and taking money from the same people you decry comes off as hypocritical. Taking that money just as the county is about to rewrite its comprehensive plan (with billions of dollars of development at stake) makes matters worse - and underscores the need for local residents to monitor this process closely.

The Sun's conclusions about public financing are another matter entirely. But even they note that Leopold's latest cash grab is nothing more than sheer hypocrisy from somebody who publicly chastises developers and campaign on promises he had no intention of keeping.

I hope that we as Republicans can unite behind a real Republican candidate for Governor in 2010, and make sure that we don't get stuck with Leopold as our standard bearer...