JuiceBlender: Alex Mooney Resigns as MD GOP Chair But Still Eyes Congress, Supporters Push Bongino for Anne Arundel Exec

PLUS: MARYLAND JUICE ENDORSES BLAINE YOUNG FOR 2014 GOP GOVERNOR

The Internet is abuzz with evidence that the Maryland Republican Party is undergoing growing shrinking pains. Below Maryland Juice highlights several tidbits relating to the evolution of the Free State GOP:

JUICE #1: MARYLAND GOP CHAIR ALEX MOONEY RESIGNS, MAY CHALLENGE REP. JOHN DELANEY - The conservative gents at the Red Maryland blog are declaring victory over embattled GOP Chair Alex Mooney. Citing numerous gripes with Chairman Mooney, they called on him to resign last November:

P. Kenneth Burns' Maryland Politics Blog provided details on the resignation, which popped up on the public radar via a letter posted on Facebook (excerpt below):

P. KENNETH BURNS: According to a posting on Del. Mike Smigiel’s facebook page, former Frederick County Senator Alex Mooney has resigned as chairman of the Maryland Republican Party. Here is the letter posted on Smigiel’s page:

David Ferguson
Executive Director
Maryland Republican Party

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Dear Republican Central Committee Member:

It has been an honor and privilege to serve as your Chairman of The Maryland Republican Party (MDGOP) these past two years and two months. After twelve years in the state senate immediately followed by two years as MDGOP Chairman, it is time for me to pursue other ventures.

Therefore, I plan to send in my official letter of resignation as Chairman by March 1st, and I wanted to make my intentions known now so that appropriate plans can be made. 

According to our bylaws, this will allow for the election of a new Chairman on April 20th....

Sincerely,

Alex X. Mooney

The Washington Post also reported yesterday that Alex Mooney has not ruled out a future run for the 6th Congressional District seat currently held by Rep. John Delaney (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Last year, Mooney considered running for the 6th congressional district seat held at the time by then-Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.) — but ultimately backed off.

During the meeting with GOP leaders on Saturday, Mooney said he would not rule out seeking the seat at some point in the future, according to a participant....

JUICE #2: DAN BONGINO SUPPORTERS LOBBY FOR HIS APPOINTMENT TO ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY EXECUTIVE, BUT EHRLICH'S WIFE WANTS THE JOB  - This weekend WMAR reported that former GOP Gov. Bob Ehrlich's wife wants to be appointed to the open Anne Arundel County Executive's office (Hat tip: Maryland Reporter). Meanwhile, a Maryland Juice reader sent us evidence of former U.S. Senate candidate Dan Bongino's supporters asking people to vote for him in online polls. But more interesting is their lobbying for Bongino's appointment to the open Anne Arundel County Executive's post. Check out the two items below (excerpt below):

WMAR: She is the former first lady, but Kendel Ehrlich wants to be the front woman.  Ehrlich has her eyes set on the Office of Anne Arundel County executive, a seat that opened when John Leopold resigned following a guilty verdict.

"I just think it's significant that I'm a woman after many things that we've read about the prior administration.  I just think the women in the county would breathe, it would be a big breath of fresh air," said Ehrlich....

As for 2014, Ehrlich is adamant about not running for office.   She says her only interest is to restore dignity to Anne Arundel County for the rest of this term....

Below you can also read a forwarded February 9th email from Anne Arundel supporters of Dan Bongino:

From: "XXXXX" <annearundelforbongino@XXXXX>
Subject: Fwd: What's your opinion?

Friends,

The email attached below contains 2 links to polls here in Maryland. I encourage all of you to take both polls.... One question, one simple answer.... Daniel Bongino....

Also, we want to mobilize this weekend on the with emails and phones for Dan to "lobby" for this appointment by the Anne Arundel County Council to replace John Leopold.  They must name a replacement within 30 days.  However, I suspect that they may try to name a replacement much earlier than the deadline.

That is why we must get on the phone and get busy immediately. I am including a link here: http://www.aacounty.org/CountyCouncil/generalInformation.cfm

This link will direct you to the Anne Arundel County Council General Information page. From this page you can look up who your County Councilman is if you aren't sure, as well as contact info such as email addresses and a general phone number you can call.

Do both - email your Councilman and call the general number and leave a message.  I would also take the extra initiative and get personal phone numbers if you can to call and speak directly to your Councilman if you are able to do so.

It is OK to put pressure on them to cast their vote for Dan Bongino for the position. If you get feedback from them such as: "Well......there are a lot of good candidates that are running that we will look at and we will consider Dan for the position."

Don't take that answer from them.......TELL them you want Dan and no other to be named as the replacement. Tell them, also, that you are a faithful voter who never misses a mid-term election.  You are counting on them to do the right thing by placing Dan as County Executive replacement for John Leopold.  You will not take no for an answer!

Something like that.......don't be afraid to be firm.  They need to know that Dan still has a fantastic Team of supporters and that we are and will continue to be a force in Anne Arundel County elections!....

Let's get busy and make this happen for Dan ASAP.......please reply to me to let me know you have emailed and called your Count Councilman.

Please maintain email security and Bcc; when you forward this.

Blessings to all and thank you so much,

XXXX XXXX

"Because it's your money, our freedom and our children's future!" ~ Daniel Bongino (R-MD)

JUICE #3: MARYLAND JUICE ENDORSES BLAINE YOUNG FOR GOP GUBERNATORIAL NOMINATION // WHO BEST TO REPRESENT THE MADNESS - Numerous characters have announced they are contemplating a run for the GOP's gubernatorial nomination in 2014. But no Republican candidate has captured the attention of Maryland Juice in quite the way Frederick County Tea Partier Blaine Young has been able to. That's why today we are officially announcing our endorsement of Young for the Republican nomination in 2014.

Young previously made national news after his name appeared in a Madam's "black book." Since then he's doubled-down on his tabloid-style politics by embracing mean-spirited legislation like "English-only" laws for Frederick County. But Blaine Young's latest incident was the final proof we needed that the loudmouth politician would practically guarantee a Democratic governor in 2014. The Frederick News Post reported two weeks ago that Blaine Young was temporarily suspended from his duties as a youth basketball coach for cursing out a teenager who was serving as a volunteer referee:

FREDERICK NEWS POST: Let's say you're a high-ranking elected official who coaches a youth basketball team in your off time. During a game, you don't like how the calls are going against your team. Do you:

(A) Let it go.

(B) Argue the calls with the referee, but in a respectful, professional manner.

(C) Berate and bully the teenage referee after the game, using language so foul it's unpublishable, and then play the victim by saying the only reason you were suspended by the league for your actions was because of who you are. To support the "victim defense" you also post comments by sympathetic friends on your Facebook page that in turn blame the media and critics for making you look bad.

If you're Frederick County Commissioners President Blaine Young, then of course you pick (C).

Young was suspended for one game by the Linganore, Oakdale, Urbana Youth Athletic Association for his actions after a Jan. 5 basketball game involving fifth- and sixth-graders -- including his own 12-year-old son.

We know there is always more to the story, but we can't imagine anything that would justify a grown man (he's 41) cursing at a 17-year-old New Life Christian Academy student over a youth basketball game.

And we're bothered that Young just doesn't seem to get it. "I'm old school, and when someone disrespects me, I let my feelings be known," Young told a Frederick News-Post reporter....

Blaine Young cursed out this teenage basketball referee

SHAMEFUL BEHAVIOR FROM BLAINE YOUNG  //  VICTIM'S MOM DEFENDS HER SON: According to news reports, Blaine Young later apologized for cursing out the minor, but not before he tried to blame it on the teenage referee. This prompted the young victim's mother to speak out in her son's defense in the Frederick News Post (excerpt below):

FREDERICK NEWS POST:  Stacy Allwein said her son, Michael, was not the aggressor in the Jan. 5 dispute, and the New Life Christian School senior reacted only after Young, 41, made an obscene comment....

"I was furious when it all happened," she said. "We decided to let it go. We wanted to set the right example for Michael." But after reading that Young told The News-Post the referee initiated the confrontation, Stacy Allwein decided to come forward.

"I just thought it was very arrogant and (Young) was twisting things to make himself look like a victim," Allwein said. "It just appeared he had ulterior political motives. Taking the blame off him and putting it on a 17-year-old...."

Allwein, who is in his first season as a referee for this league, will continue to work games, his mother said. Referees are paid less than $20 a game, according to a league official. Her son, who has played basketball since the first grade, is a starting guard on his high school team....

CONTROVERSY DRIVING BLAINE YOUNG TO FREDERICK COUNTY EXEC RACE INSTEAD OF GOVERNOR? - This controversy may help explain why Blaine Young is now downshifting expectations from his 2014 gubernatorial run. Recent news reports indicate that after denying any interest in running for Frederick County Executive, Young is now thinking about running for that office instead of Governor. That would be a damn shame, because Maryland Juice looks forward to months of Blaine Young on the statewide campaign trail!


JUICE #4: MARYLAND ON VERGE OF BECOMING A RED STATE (ACCORDING TO MARYLAND GOP)  //  BUT MOCO GOP AIMS FOR PURPLE - Yesterday the Maryland GOP held a party to celebrate Ronald "The Gipper" Reagan. Notably, the invitation to the "Reagan Ball" claimed that Maryland "is on the verge of becoming a red state...." The Montgomery County Republican Party, however, apparently has the largest number of registered Republicans in the state. In contrast with the state party, the MoCo GOP is not claiming that Maryland is turning red. Maryland Reporter today reports that they are instead focused on trying to make Montgomery County purple. See items on the Maryland GOP and MoCo GOP plans below:

Fellow Republicans, Maryland is on the verge of becoming a red state and we're ready to party! So join us at the 3rd Annual Reagan Ball as we the celebrate the legacy of America's greatest President, Ronald Reagan, and prepare for a future of strong growth and opportunity. The Reagan Ball will take place on Saturday, February 9th at the Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City. Black tie is optional, plus you'll be able to indulge in sumptuous hors d'oeuvres and desserts while getting to know Republicans from across our great state. Tickets are going fast, so click here to RSVP! If you have any questions, please contact us by email here (lisaemarr@gmail.com) or by telephone at (410) 263-2125. We hope to see you there! Sincerely, Lisa -- Lisa Ellis Marr Finance Team Maryland Republican Party

In contrast to the Maryland Republican Party optimism, the MoCo GOP is setting its goals a bit closer to reality:

MARYLAND REPORTER: With the help of state party leaders and a lot of data, the Montgomery County Republican Party - which boasts the largest number of registered Republicans in the state - launched an all out ground game Saturday at their annual convention in Rockville.

Their goal in this targeted effort is to change Montgomery County from blue to purple by the 2014 election. "We are not going to get where we want to be with just Republicans," said Montgomery Republican Chairman Mark Uncapher. "We need to go after Independents and soft Democrats...."

Montgomery County’s 23-member state delegation and nine-member County Council are exclusively Democratic. But changing the landscape from a minority party to a majority party where Republicans can often be outnumbered by as much as 3-to-1, may not be the ultimate end game for the county or state party....

JUICE #5: NEWS ABOUT ANNE ARUNDEL EXECUTIVE JOHN LEOPOLD TRIGGERS CONDOM CATHETER ADS BY GOOGLE - Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold was recently convicted of misconduct relating to numerous abuses of power. These misdeeds included using police to spy on political opponents and forcing government employees to empty his urinary catheter bag. An amused Maryland Juice reader noted that readers of some news articles about Leopold's misconduct were being shown ads for "Condom Catheter Supplies." Check out the screencap below:

JuiceBlender: Valerie Ervin Builds MoCo Exec Team, Anne Arundel Exec John Leopold Suspended & Transgender Rights

The late Del. Hattie Harrison

PLUS: WHY IS DOUG DUNCAN HIDING?

Below Maryland Juice highlights a few items of interest to politicos....

But before we begin the JuiceBlender, we note the recent passing of Delegate Hattie Harrison, a Democrat representing District 45 in the Maryland House. Maryland Democratic Party Chair Yvette Lewis commented, "From her appointment 40 years ago until today, Delegate Harrison served the people of Maryland with grace, honor, and distinction.

Delegate Harrison's legacy will live on in the lives of the many people she inspired. As the longest serving member of the House of Delegates, she broke though barriers time and again, including becoming the first African American woman to chair a major committee."


JUICE #1:  MOCO COUNCILMEMBER VALERIE ERVIN BEGINS ASSEMBLING 2014 COUNTY EXECUTIVE CAMPAIGN TEAM  - The Washington Post's Bill Turque yesterday reported that Montgomery County Councilmember Valerie Ervin has begun assembling a team for a County Executive run in 2014. Among the revelations in the article are rumors that Ervin is working with O'Malley-Brown pollster Fred Yang and political consultant Martha McKenna (formerly of the DSSC and EMILY's List). Morever, Ervin stated she would run regardless of incumbent Executive Ike Leggett's decision on his future (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Montgomery County Council member Valerie Ervin, long mentioned as a possible candidate for county executive in 2014 , is moving closer to running. Ervin (D-Silver Spring) said she is in "serious discussions" with two national Democratic operatives, pollster Fred Yang and media consultant Martha McKenna, about roles in the campaign. Incumbent Isiah Leggett (D) has yet to announce whether he will seek a third term. But Ervin said if she runs, it will be regardless of whether Leggett is in or out....

MARC ELRICH WEIGHING POTENTIAL COUNTY EXECUTIVE CAMPAIGN - Though Valerie Ervin is not making a run for County Executive contingent on the actions of Ike Leggett, At Large Councilmember Marc Elrich is suggesting he may be a candidate if Leggett retires. After hearing rumors yesterday that Elrich had publicly discussed his possible bid, Maryland Juice asked Elrich about the race. Here's what he had to say:

MARC ELRICH: If Ike does not run, it is likely that I will, but I expect that he will decide to run again, in which case I'll support him.

PHIL ANDREWS BEGINS CANVASSING - Notably, The Washington Post article also took note of where MoCo Councilmember Phil Andrews was in his County Exec campaign: "Andrews said Monday that he doesn’t expect to hire either a pollster or media consultant. 'I’m out knocking on doors right now. That’s the best kind of poll to have,' he said." Coincidentally, two days ago a Maryland Juice reader contacted us on Twitter to report being door-knocked by Phil Andrews:

WHERE IS DOUG DUNCAN?: Perhaps driven by all of this chatter from County Executive candidates, The Baltimore Sun's John Fritze Tweeted an interesting question yesterday:

Indeed, former Exec Doug Duncan has been awfully quiet lately, after previously announcing he was running for MoCo Executive in 2014. Maryland Juice asked a source close to Duncan about this, and our contact stated that he was indeed still in the race. But that's not stopping reporters from wondering about Duncan's whereabouts. The Gazette's Kate Alexander today noted this abensence in an amusing article headlined, "Doug Duncan spent $33,000 to find out people remember him" (excerpt below):

GAZETTE: January campaign finance reports showed Duncan’s campaign paid $33,000 last May to Hickman Analytics of Chevy Chase for “cell and landline sample polling.”

When Duncan announced his race to supporters at a November breakfast, sources said he referenced a poll that showed him with favorable ratings....

Duncan, who has not responded to requests for comment since announcing his campaign, did not return calls seeking comment.

Hat tip: Maryland Reporter. Lastly, At Large Councilmember George Leventhal is also actively pursuing the County Exec office right now. Still no word from Ike Leggett!


JUICE #2:  ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY EXEC JOHN LEOPOLD FOUND GUILTY OF MISCONDUCT & SUSPENDED FROM OFFICE  - Maryland Juice previously discussed the bizarre saga surrounding Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold. The Republican politician has been under siege for months, due to accusations he misused the powers of his office in numerous ways -- including using police officers and government employees to: conduct political activities, enable affairs and sexual encounters, and even to dispose of his urine. But The Baltimore Sun reported yesterday that Leopold was found guilty of two counts of misconduct and was suspended from office (excerpt below):

BALTIMORE SUN: Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold has been suspended from office after being found guilty of two counts of misconduct Tuesday.

Circuit Court Judge Dennis M. Sweeney convicted the county executive for using his taxpayer-funded police protection detail to perform political duties and for requiring officers and an aide to empty the urinary catheter bag he used after back surgery.

County Attorney Jonathan A. Hodgson said Chief Administrative Officer John Hammond is now the acting county executive....

JUICE #3:  OVER TWENTY MARYLAND SENATORS CO-SPONSOR TRANSGENDER ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAW // BILL POISED FOR PASSAGE  - After previously stalling in the Maryland State Senate, The Washington Blade yesterday reported that legislation to prohibit discrimination against transgender residents was introduced and already has over twenty co-sponsors (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON BLADE: Maryland lawmakers on Tuesday introduced a bill that would ban anti-transgender discrimination in the workplace, housing and public accommodations.

The Fairness for All Marylanders Act of 2013 that gay state Sen. Rich Madaleno (D-Montgomery County) and state Sen. Jamie Raskin (D-Montgomery County) introduced has more than 20 co-sponsors. These include state Sen. Allan Kittleman (R-Howard County.)....

Metro Weekly followed up with coverage indicating that the bill may now be on track for passage (excerpt below):

METRO WEEKLY: This new bill will first receive a hearing in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee sometime in the next month, after which the committee is expected to approve it and send it to the floor for a vote, if Miller consents. Advocates are confident they have the requisite number of votes needed to pass it in the upper chamber. It would then go to the House, where it is expected to pass easily....

JUICE #4:  ACTIVISTS PETITION LEGISLATURE FOR EQUAL FUNDING FOR MARYLAND'S HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES  - A few activists and organizations have contacted Maryland Juice regarding a renewed effort to seek equal funding for HBCU's in the Free State. The coalition of groups involved in the effort circulated the following action alert via BEST Democratic Club (excerpt below):

MARYLAND BLACK CAUCUS: On February 4, 2013 more than 2,000  students and supporters of Maryland’s four Historically Black Colleges and Universities – including Morgan State University, Bowie State University, Coppin State University, and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore - will converge on the Maryland State House to lobby legislators for increased funding to support these historically underfunded universities....

Click Here to sign the petition to urge Governor O'Malley to stand with Maryland's HBCUs then share it with your friends

As part of the Caucus’ push, they are calling on Governor O’Malley to find a just end to the six-year legal battle between the Coalition for Excellence in Higher Education in Maryland, which represents the Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and the Maryland Higher Education Commission and the State of Maryland.

Additionally, given that both parties have indicated that they would seek an appeal should they not prevail in the lawsuit, which could result in an additional six years of litigation, the Caucus is asking that Governor O’Malley provide for a special appropriation of $14 million per year in funding over the next five years, beginning in 2014....

A diverse coalition of groups supports this call to action. The initiative is backed by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), CASA de Maryland, B.E.S.T. Democratic Club, Maryland Young Democrats, and the Sierra Club.

LISTEN: Police Launch Radio Ads Against Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold // Disgraced GOP Leader Abused Power

Local news outlets are reporting that the labor union representing Anne Arundel County police is launching a radio campaign against disgraced County Executive John Leopold. The Republican County leader is currently under investigation after allegations emerged that he used County Police to spy on his political enemies, change his urinary catheters and aid in his sexual conquests - Read the Indictment Online.

Numerous groups have called on GOP Exec. John Leopold to resign, along with Police Chief James Teare. The union representing Anne Arundel's cops (IBPO) is now airing radio ads on the matter. Hometown Annapolis today reported:

The union that represents most of the county’s sergeants and lieutenants began running radio ads today in support of Anne Arundel County Deputy Police Chief Emerson Davis.

Davis, the department’s second-in-command, testified before the County Council last week on allegations related to the indictment of County Executive John R. Leopold.

Meghan Walsh, a spokeswoman for the Washington, D.C., office of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers, or IBPO, said the ads will run several times a day for several days on three Baltimore-based radio stations: WPOC 93.1 FM, WQSR 102.7 FM and WCAO 600 AM....

Leopold was indicted last month on five counts of misappropriation and misconduct. The indictment alleged he used the police officers assigned to his security detail for personal and political reasons.

The indictment also alleges that police officers went to Police Chief James Teare Sr. with complaints, but Teare took “no effective action.” Teare has not been charged with any wrongdoing.

The Baltimore Sun shortly followed up, noting that IBPO replaced the original ad mentioned in Hometown Annapolis with a new version:

The union that represents high-ranking police officers in Anne Arundel County has dropped the name of the force's second-in-command from a radio ad that criticizes the county's executive and chief of police. 

The International Brotherhood of Police Officers, which represents Anne Arundel's police lieutenants and sergeants, originally planned to run an ad that promoted Deputy Police Chief Lt. Col. Emerson C. Davis as having taken a "brave stand" by testifying in front of the County Council about alleged improprieties by his superiors. 

The rewritten one-minute radio spot now calls for County Executive John Leopold and Police Chief Col. James E. Teare Sr. to vacate office until charges against Leopold are resolved, according to a statement Thursday from the union.

Maryland Juice has obtained copies of both radio ads, which we replay below. Note, we added some visuals to the raw audio tapes, using screencaps of the WILD indictment charges against John Leopold.

NEW RADIO AD


 ORIGINAL RADIO AD

Indicted Anne Arundel Exec John Leopold Spied on "Enemies" // Flashback to Ehrlich Spy Scandal, Democratic Complacency

The emerging story of Anne Arundel's recently indicted County Executive paints an embarrassing caricature of small-town political corruption in the Free State. Yesterday, we talked about how Anne Arundel's top Republican official John Leopold (aka "Indictment-Guy") allegedly forced on-duty police officers to:

1. deliver his campaign lawnsigns
2. aid and abet in his sexual conquests,
3. and even empty his urinary catheter bag (eww!)

POLICE MONITORING REVEALED: The Baltimore Sun today reports on more details within Mr. Leopold's indictment, including allegations that he used police to research and monitor his political enemies:

The indictment handed down Friday against Leopold, who is in his second term, accuses Leopold of requiring executive protection officers to assemble dossiers on people he considered to be political rivals. According to the document, those people included Joanna Conti, who unsuccessfully ran against him in 2010, Carl O. Snowden, who heads the state attorney general's civil rights office and is a local activist, and potentially others.

The indictment says Leopold's security detail "did not consider these people to be a security risk."

FLASHBACK TO THE EHRLICH ERA: This sounds eerily similar to GOP Governor Bob Ehrlich's spying scandal. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the details of that case, Adam Pagnucco of Maryland Politics Watch wrote a great deal about it. In short, during Mr. Ehrlich's tenure as one-term Governor of the Free State, State Police were used to spy on ordinary citizens engaged in ordinary political protest (ie: Quakers marching against the death penalty or young people protesting war). Only three-and-a-half years ago, Pagnucco commented on the need to reign in the government's abuses of power and willy-nilly attitude toward privacy:

Spygate is the ultimate example of big, arrogant government seeking power over law-abiding citizens. So we would expect the Free State’s conservatives to condemn it, right? Wrong....

Indicted Anne Arundel Exec. John Leopold's Aide Pushed Former Senator for Council Vacancy // Police Seek Resignations

BACKGROUND: Maryland Juice has written a great deal about Anne Arundel County politics lately. This is owing mainly to the pathetic controversy over how to fill a vacancy on the County Council. The Democrats and one Republican are pushing to appoint a young, qualified African American Marine Corps reservist, while the remaining Republicans are pushing Michael Wagner, a 70-year-old, white, former State Senator.

Recent news coverage makes it appear as though former Senator Wagner was pushed into the race by allies of Anne Arundel County's Republican Executive John Leopold. Strangely, Wagner also seems to describe himself as out-of-touch with the District's voters. Notably, Wagner's political benefactor -- County Exec. Leopold -- is currently under indictment for shocking misuse of his public office (see below). Yesterday, The Baltimore Sun provided additional context on the race:

The council has been deadlocked in a 3-3 tie between two candidates: Peter I. Smith, a Defense Department budget manager and a Marine reservist from Severn who is African-American, and Michael J. Wagner, a former state senator from Ferndale, who is white....

Smith said he became interested in politics when he worked as a volunteer for former county Sheriff George F. Johnson, who ran unsuccessfully against County Executive John R. Leopold in 2006....

In his pitch for the seat, Wagner has said he was encouraged to apply by a former top aide to Leopold....

"I probably wouldn't have thought of it, to tell you the truth," said Wagner.... "I'm a conservative Democrat. I know a lot of the regular Democrats wouldn't be jumping for joy with me in there. They'd rather have a person who's stepping to their tune."

Smith, meanwhile, said he's anxious to get the matter settled. "I wish they would just give me an opportunity."

Meanwhile, The Tri-City Herald recently reported on the ridiculous details of County Executive Leopold's misuse of taxpayer resources:

A Maryland official was indicted Friday for misusing his police protection squad, including making them wait while he had sex with a county employee in parking lots, using the officers to conceal his affair and having them do errands such as emptying his urinary catheter bag, prosecutors said.

Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold was charged with four counts of misconduct in office and a count of fraudulent misappropriation by a fiduciary, state prosecutor Emmet Davitt announced Friday.

WJLA also notes that Leopold had police planting political lawnsigns for his campaign (really???):

Leopold, a Republican, allegedly used sworn, on-duty Anne Arundel County officers as political campaign workers who would regularly place and distribute campaign signs during the 2010 election, according to the state's attorney.

Today, the union representing Anne Arundel's police force is calling on John Leopold to resign. The Examiner's Jennifer Teates reports:

International Brotherhood of Police Officers, the union representing the sergeants and lieutenants of the Anne Arundel County Police Department, has followed up their recent “no confidence” vote with a call on Monday for County Executive John Leopold and Police Chief James Teare, Sr. to resign....

If county leaders do not take immediate action, officers fear a rise in crime and, according to the IBPO, “the waste of millions of dollars of taxpayer money to fix problems that could have been avoided with more prudent management....” 

"Our members thought the county executive made unsafe decisions about public safety before the indictment," said Paul J. Birks, IBPO national vice president, referring to the vote of no confidence the sergeants and lieutenants took in Leopold’s performance a week before the release of the indictment. "We're even more concerned now that Mr. Leopold will have the distraction of such serious legal troubles."

"If officers cannot trust their chief to protect them from the alleged abuse by a public official, then how can citizens trust the chief to protect them?" asked Birks.

Can the Anne Arundel County Council really appoint the hand-picked choice of an indicted politician to fill a vacancy?