JUICE: Gansler & Brown Spar Over Vets, O'Malley in NH, No Corporate Tax Cut Support, Mizeur LG Video, D16 Senate, More

Below Maryland Juice highlights a few items that may be of interest to Free State politicos:

JUICE #1: RSVP FOR MARYLAND JUICE'S "1 MILLION VIEWS" PARTY // REP. JOHN DELANEY, FORMER MOCO EXEC DOUG DUNCAN & OTHERS WILL TAKE Q&A FROM READERS ON MONDAY - Don't forget to RSVP for Maryland Juice's "1 Million Views" party. The event is taking place this Monday 11/18 from 6-8 pm at the Paladar Latin Kitchen in Rockville (White Flint Metro Station). Congressman John Delaney, MoCo Exec candidate Doug Duncan and other elected officials will be on hand to take live Q&A from Maryland Juice readers, and we'll be announcing other surprise participants soon! Food at the event is being sponsored by Progressive Maryland and Congressman John Delaney (cash bar):

Maryland Juice Unplugged : One Million Views Party

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18TH - 6 TO 8 pm

Paladar Latin Kitchen

11333 Woodglen Drive

North Bethesda, MD

[ RSVP ON FACEBOOK ] 

JUICE #2: NEW POLL SHOWS MARYLANDERS NOT INTERESTED IN CUTTING CORPORATE TAXES & EVERYONE SUPPORTS MINIMUM WAGE HIKE  - This week Maryland Reporter highlighted a new poll by the Maryland-based survey firm Gonzales Research and Marketing Strategies on behalf of Progressive Maryland (excerpt below):

MARYLAND REPORTER: The survey ... found overwhelming support for increasing the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10, with more than 82% favoring the move. Support was strong from all groups — Democrats, Independents and even Republicans, as well as whites, blacks, men and women.... The poll also found 56% opposed reducing the corporate income tax rate....

Below Maryland Juice highlights a few of the party crosstabs from the poll indicating how Democratic and Republican voters feel about the minimum wage and corporate tax cut proposals that may be considered in Annapolis next year. Notably, a super-majority of Democrats oppose a corporate tax cut, and even Republicans are more likely to oppose than support cutting corporate taxes. Meanwhile, Democrats, Republicans and Independents are united in supporting a minimum wage increase and "combined reporting" to close tax loopholes for corporations. Is this another example of voters being ahead of politicians on obvious policy matters?

Minimum Wage Increase

• Democrats: 92% Support, 8% Oppose
• Republicans: 64% Support, 34% Oppose
• Independents: 88% Support, 11% Oppose

Corporate Tax Cuts

• Democrats: 33% Support, 62% Oppose
• Republicans: 48% Support, 49% Oppose
• Independents: 38% Support, 55% Oppose

"Combined Reporting" to Close Corporate Tax Loophole

• Democrats: 75% Support, 17% Oppose
• Republicans: 60% Support, 28% Oppose
• Independents: 66% Support, 26% Oppose

You can read the full polling memos [HERE].


JUICE #3: UPDATE ON POSSIBLE CANDIDATES FOR BRIAN FROSH'S DISTRICT 16 SENATE SEAT - Bethesda Magazine's Lou Peck recently provided an updated on potential candidates for Maryland's District 16 Senate race. Delegate Susan Lee is running for the State Senate seat being vacated by Brian Frosh, but a couple others may enter the race (excerpt below):

BETHESDA MAGAZINE: Reggie Oldak, a familiar figure in District 16 Democratic politics... said Tuesday she had decided against running – leaving Delegate Susan Lee as the only announced candidate for the Senate nomination in next June’s Democratic primary....

“I’m still evaluating a few different races, and that is, of course, one of them,” former County Councilmember Duchy Trachtenberg.... And sources said that Kyle Lierman, who came close to winning a nomination for delegate in District 16 in 2010, is continuing to strongly consider the Senate contest....

JUICE #4: GOVERNOR O'MALLEY IN NEW HAMPSHIRE TOMORROW NIGHT // 2016 WHITE HOUSE SETUP? - Today Maryland Juice received the following email blast from Governor Martin O'Malley indicating he'll be speaking in New Hampshire tomorrow night at the Democrats' annual Jefferson Jackson dinner. The event (which you can watch online tomorrow) is often a preview stage for candidates weighing presidential runs:

Juice -

Tomorrow night, I'll help New Hampshire Democrats kick-off the 2014 campaign season at their annual Jefferson Jackson dinner.

The event is an opportunity to gather with like-minded Democrats and build the Party, but it's also a chance to talk about the better choices we've made in Maryland to educate, innovate, and rebuild a strong and growing middle class.

The program will be broadcast on CSPAN and streamed live on the internet, and I'd love for you to watch it. If you'd like me to send you an email or text message alert shortly before it begins, just let me know here:

http://action.martinomalley.com/watch-live

We have a lot to be proud of in Maryland, and I appreciate the opportunity to share our story while working to re-elect New Hampshire's Governor Maggie Hassan, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, and Democrats up-and-down the ticket.

I hope you'll consider tuning in tomorrow night.

All the best,

Martin O'Malley

JUICE #5:  WATCH VIDEO FOOTAGE FROM HEATHER MIZEUR'S EVENT ANNOUNCING PASTOR DELMAN COATES AS HER RUNNING MATE - Montgomery County Media posted video footage from Delegate Heather Mizeur's event this week announcing the selection of Pastor Delman Coates as her running mate. You can watch the video below:



JUICE #6: JANUARY 2014 GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES DEBATE // WATCH ANTHONY BROWN, DOUG GANSLER & HEATHER MIZEUR LIVE - Save the date! Maryland Juice received the following announcement of a gubernatorial debate between the three Democratic candidates for Governor. Details from the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee below:

MCDCC: The Democratic Club of Leisure World and the District 19 Democratic Club have arranged to co-sponsor a candidates forum for the three major Democratic candidates for Governor of Maryland in the 2014 primary election. All the candidates have confirmed that they will participate.

The date is Thursday, January 30, 2014. The time is 7pm. The place is Leisure World, probably in the Ballroom in Clubhouse 1 (possibly in the Auditorium in Clubhouse 2).

JUICE #7: DOUG GANSLER AND ANTHONY BROWN SPAR ON VETERANS' ISSUES // VOTE VETS PAC WEIGHS IN - Below Maryland Juice highlights a tit-for-tat between the Brown and Gansler campaigns that emerged as both campaigns celebrated Veterans Day this week. There are three pieces to this story below:

First, Anthony Brown's campaign released the following announcement of a compact with veterans (excerpt below):

PRESS RELEASE

Anthony Brown and Ken Ulman Release Compact with Maryland Veterans

Five-Point Plan will Build on Existing Progress and make Maryland a Better Place for all Veterans

Baltimore, MD - Today on Veterans Day, Lt. Governor Anthony Brown and Howard County Executive Ken Ulman released their Compact with Maryland Veterans, a five-point plan to make Maryland better for all of our Veterans.

“Our Veterans have made tremendous sacrifices to protect our freedom and we owe them our gratitude,” said Lt. Governor Anthony Brown. “We’ve made a lot of progress to support Veterans in Maryland, but we can do more. That’s why I’m announcing my plan to build a better Maryland for all of our Veterans.”

The Brown-Ulman Compact with Maryland Veterans will:

Exempt Military Retirement Income from Taxation for the Majority of Veterans
Establish a VetConnect Hiring Challenge Program
Extend Bridge Loans for Disability Claims
Create a Maryland Veterans Treatment Court
Expand Rental Housing Works for Our Veterans

You can read the details of the five point Compact with Maryland Veterans by clicking here.

In comments that appeared in The Baltimore Sun, Doug Gansler's campaign then argued that the Attorney General could aid veterans better than Anthony Brown (excerpt below):

BALTIMORE SUN: A Maryland state senator who heads the General Assembly's veteran's caucus rebuked Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler Tuesday night over the Democratic gubernatorial candidate's claim he could fix problems with federal processing of veterans' claims better than his campaign rival.

Sen. Douglas J. J. Peters of Prince George's County criticized Gansler for claiming he would reduce the delays in processing by the Veterans Administration where Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown, his rival for the Democratic nomination, has not.

The Baltimore office of the VA has some of the worst claims-processing times in the nation, and Gansler blamed Brown for that Monday after the lieutenant governor released a five-point plan for veterans.

Peters said that as a veteran and a state senator he felt compelled to respond.

"The Federal government is, of course, solely responsible for processing Veteran's Administration claim. The delay is a federal problem, and, therefore, requires a federal solution," Peters said....

The testy exchange pulled the Vote Vets PAC into the fray with the following press release. Note that the PAC endorsed Anthony Brown earlier this year:

PRESS RELEASE

After Gansler Campaign Implies that the Governor Controls the Federal Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Group Questions Gansler's Ability to Lead Maryland

Baltimore, MD – The largest progressive group of veterans, VoteVets.org, with over 360,000 supporters, is questioning Attorney General Doug Gansler’s ability to lead the state, after his spokesperson claimed that the Lt. Governor has the ability to control the Federal Department of Veterans Affairs.

On Monday, Veterans Day, Gansler spokesperson Bob Wheelock launched an attack on Lt. Gov Anthony Brown, an Iraq War Veteran, saying of the backlog of claims at the Department of Veterans Affairs, “The Lt. Governor has not fixed that problem.”

Responding to Wheelock, Iraq War Veteran and Chairman of VoteVets.org Jon Soltz said, “It’s somewhat disturbing that someone running to be the Governor of the state seems to have no idea what a Governor actually does.  While the backlog of claims at the VA is a huge problem, to claim that the Lt. Governor of Maryland has the ability to make changes to a Federal department shows a severe lack of understanding of how Government actually works.”

“Anthony Brown, having served in war, deeply understands what our veterans are going through, and has dedicated his life to help them, and all Marylanders.  To claim otherwise is a real cheap shot, and a terribly ignorant cheap shot, at that,” Soltz added.

Founded in 2006, the mission of VoteVets.org Political Action Committee is to elect Veterans to public office, with a focus on Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, and hold public officials accountable for their words and actions that impact America's 21st century troops and veterans. Though VoteVets.org PAC is non-partisan, candidates it backs must support VoteVets.org's core mission and beliefs.  The group has endorsed Anthony Brown’s campaign for Governor.

###

JUICE #8: ANTHONY BROWN HIRES FORMER GOP CAMPAIGN AIDE? - Maryland Juice previously reported on news that Doug Gansler may have hired a GOP campaign aide for his gubernatorial campaign. The Gansler campaign said that the news report that first mentioned this hire was flawed, but now The Quinton Report (a GOP blog) is accusing Anthony Brown of the same (excerpt below):

QUINTON REPORT: I’ve confirmed an initial tip that William Pierce, who is working for the campaign of Anthony Brown and Ken Ulman, previously worked for the 2012 GOP presidential campaign of Buddy Roemer....

JUICE #9: NEW WEBSITE ACCUSES MARYLAND THINK TANKS OF TIES TO RIGHT WING FUNDERS  - A Maryland Juice reader forwarded us a link to a new website drawing attention to ties between right wing funders and Maryland think tanks. The site called StinkTanks.org notes the following (excerpt below):

STINK TANKS: Maryland is home to two State Policy Network (SPN) “think tanks”: the
Calvert Institute for Policy Research and the Maryland Public Policy Institute (MPPI). SPN is an umbrella group of right-wing think tanks across the country. While the two think tanks claim to be focused on issues important to the people of Maryland, they actually push an agenda dictated by their national right-wing funders and partners.