For the first time in years, Del. John Bohanan (D – 29B) will not have to campaign against a retired Naval officer who has seen at least seven decades in his lifetime. While Noel “Tim” Wood and Joseph Dick are fine men and true American heroes, Bohanan was always able to campaign as the young charismatic all-American family man and hold himself in contrast to his longer-lived opponents. But in 2010, he will find himself up against a young and charismatic foe in his own right – 20 year Army veteran Capt. Erik Anderson.

Anderson has a varied background that gives him a well-rounded understanding of what citizens from all walks of life must face day in and out. Anderson worked his way though college as an airplane mechanic and kept right on going. In 2002, he was recalled to active duty and sent to serve in Afghanistan, where he battled AL-Qaeda and the Taliban, and was decorated for distinguished valor under fire in combat. More recently, Anderson worked on the Presidential helicopter program at NAS Patuxent River, until the program was cancelled without a peep from his opponent’s boss, House Majority Leader Rep. Steny Hoyer (D – Md. 5).

As he sets his sights on Bohanan, Anderson must be ready to focus on his opponent’s record. There is no need to pull anything out of a hat; Bohanan’s liberal track-record speaks for itself. He is the self styled budget expert, who presides over the House Budget Committee, and has managed to steer that budget straight off a cliff. Not only is the Maryland budget rife with waste, funding such “necessities” as private country clubs and the painting of bridges that are shut down for safety reasons, but it is also severely in debt. Without a helping hand from Uncle Barack and his “stimulus” plan, there would have been no way for O’Malley to have signed a balanced budget this year.

The future looks worse still for the budget, as the long forecasted structural deficit kicks in – amazingly catching all the politicians, like Bohanan, who predicted it by complete surprise! But in an effort to hide their own ineptitude, the politicians in Annapolis have devised a clever scheme: Pass the buck! Instead of taking the hit at the state level, the General Assembly and the Governor are prepared to pass billions of dollars in cuts to the counties. This allows people like the “budget expert” to come out looking clean while leaving it to elected county officials to clean up the mess and take the heat. Do the Democrats in Annapolis really think the people of Maryland are that stupid?

The record is clearly there, waiting for a solid opponent to expose, but it is up to Anderson to do the digging and bring it to light. In the past two elections, both Wood and Dick were a bit too nice for their own good. Neither was really willing to take advantage of Bohanan’s own record, looking to take what they felt was the high road. But it is not negative campaigning, or underhanded in any way, to point out an elected official’s actual record. This is what our news media should be doing, but fail miserably at. So it is up to Anderson to take that step and make sure the voters of St. Mary’s know exactly what John Bohanan has been up to in Annapolis all these years.

If he can do this, and show why his ideas will be successful in turning the ship around, Anderson could well be heading up the road himself. It will not be easy, and it is certainly an uphill climb for anyone seeking to remove a several term incumbent, but the mood is as good as it will ever get, and the budgetary situation, while bad, has not yet bottomed out. And with his own platform consisting of measures to turn the budget around while providing accountability to the taxpayers, Anderson would certainly represent a breath of fresh air.

Anderson has a long road ahead, but has already laid the groundwork for the trip. Starting Nov. 11, he will tell the people of St. Mary’s why he is running and what makes him the best man for the job.

Anderson’s announcement will take place Nov. 11 at VFW Post 2632 in California, MD, on Rt. 235. The festivities commence at 5:30 with Anderson set to speak at 6 p.m.