POST-HOGAN JUICE: Sen. Pinsky & Dems Decry Comcast Jab, Middle-Class Woes, Change MD, Progressive Caucus & More!

Below Maryland Juice provides a quick round-up of election analyses and discussion of life after Larry Hogan's victory in the gubernatorial race:

JUICE #1: SENATOR PAUL PINSKY & FRESHMEN HOUSE DEMOCRATS DECRY "WACKO" LABEL AND DEFEND EFFORT TO END CORPORATE TAX DODGING - Immediately after Larry Hogan's win in the Governor's race, Maryland Reporter wrote that Comcast lobbyist Sean Looney called incoming Freshmen Democrats "anti-business" and said Democrats who want to end corporate tax-dodging were "far-left wackos." The comments struck a nerve with numerous lawmakers and Looney has since apologized, but not before two response pieces from Democrats were published.

State Senator Paul Pinsky of Prince George's County drafted a strong op-ed in The Baltimore Sun noting that ending corporate tax loopholes through a practice called "combined reporting" is anything but wacky (excerpt below):

PAUL PINSKY (VIA BALTIMORE SUN): At a Chamber of Commerce luncheon talk right after Larry Hogan's victory, Comcast lobbyist Sean Looney derisively dismissed ongoing legislative efforts in Annapolis to pass a corporate tax loophole-plugging reform known as "combined reporting."

"The far left wackos in the Democratic Party think it's a great idea," Mr. Looney told his high-powered business audience. Nearly a majority of Maryland's Senate — apparently the "far left wackos" decried by Mr. Looney — want to stop huge corporations like Comcast from charging their business expenses to their Maryland operations while shifting their profits to subsidiaries or companies incorporated in low- or no-tax states....

It seems this tax scheme is popular among the big boys doing business in our state. Our Maryland comptroller's office reports that many multi-state, multinational companies pay less in corporate tax than you and I pay in personal income tax. This tax avoidance garners these big corporations a major competitive advantage over Maryland's small businesses — and costs our state over $100 million in lost revenue annually.

We must have a good many such wackos in America today. Over half our states with corporate income taxes — 24 states in all — already have combined-reporting laws on the books. And these combined-reporting states include Texas, Utah and a host of other hotbeds of far-left wacko-ism....

Meanwhile, incoming Freshman Delegate Cory McCray of Baltimore organized a sign-on letter from 17 Democratic Delegates-elect (myself included) responding to Comcast's commentary. The response was published at Maryland Reporter (excerpt below):

17 FRESHMEN DELEGATES (VIA MARYLAND REPORTER): It was with a mixture of amusement and frustration that we awoke days after our new election to the General Assembly to read that you, the lobbyist paid by Comcast to work with us, had attempted to publicly insult us and demean our ideas....

We will not use this time to debate the substance of your grievance, which seemed to be that combined reporting is a radical idea, even though numerous states (many with Republican legislatures) have passed similar legislation in recent years. We look forward to discussing the value of combined reporting, as well as any benefit Comcast receives from government programs and services, with you and your client....

Shelly Hettleman, Terri Hill, Clarence Lam, Vanessa Atterbeary, Marc Korman, Andrew Platt, Marice Morales, David Moon, William Smith, Daryl Barnes, Antonio Hayes, Charles Sydnor, Patrick Young, Cory McCray, Brooke Lierman, Diana Fennell, Jimmy Tarlau

JUICE #2: NATIONAL PUNDITS HIGHLIGHT WAGE STAGNATION AS OBSTACLE TO ECONOMIC RECOVERY & DEMOCRATS' ELECTORAL FORTUNES - Soon after Larry Hogan won Maryland's race for Governor, Maryland Juice concluded that the biggest failure of state Democrats' was in missing the populist tide sweeping through the electorate. I then penned a piece calling on Maryland Democrats to prioritize measures to provide economic security for middle and working class residents, instead of joining the GOP and Big Business call for trickle-down (aka voodoo) economic measures like corporate & upper bracket tax cuts.

PAID SICK LEAVES WINS WHERE GOP BEAT DEMOCRATS: There is now a loud clamor of agreement from national pundits and economic analysts that Democrats have got to craft a strong economic populist message and start tackling our historic wealth gap. See a few examples below, starting with a case study from Massachusetts, where Republicans won control of the Governor's mansion -- at the same time that 60% of voters in the state approved a sick leave requirement at the ballot:

DAVE JAMIESON (VIA HUFFINGTON POST):  Massachusetts on Tuesday became the third state in the nation to guarantee paid sick days for workers, with voters decisively approving a sick-leave ballot initiative, 60 percent to 40 percent....

Although more employers voluntarily provide paid sick leave than they used to, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that about 39 percent of the U.S. private-sector workforce has no paid sick time. Workers without it are disproportionately employed in lower-wage jobs, such as food service and retail, where companies tend to keep a tighter grip on payroll hours....

As with raising the minimum wage, Americans in general seem to back the idea of placing a sick-leave requirement upon businesses, making such proposals good fodder for voter referendums. In a recent HuffPost/YouGov poll, 74 percent of respondents said they would support such a mandate, while just 18 percent said they would oppose it. That backing included majorities of Democrats, Republicans and independents....

WAGE STAGNATION HURT DEMOCRATIC ELECTORAL FORTUNES: The Democrats' recent electoral drubbing has pundits pointing to working class economic justice issues as the greatest challenge for the Party in coming years:

DAVID LEONHARDT (VIA NY TIMES): The Democratic Party’s short-term plan to help the middle class just isn’t very clear.... The fact remains that incomes for most Americans aren’t growing very fast and haven’t been for years. Median inflation-adjusted income last year was still $2,100 lower than when President Obama took office in 2009 — and $3,600 lower than when President George W. Bush took office in 2001.... We’re living through the great wage slowdown of the 21st century, and nothing presents a larger threat to the Democrats’ electoral fortunes than that slowdown. The Democratic Party fashions itself as the defender of working families.... But if Democrats can’t deliver rising living standards, many voters aren’t going to remain loyal. They’ll skip voting or give a chance to Republicans who offer an alternative, even a vague alternative....

HILLARY CLINTON NEEDS A REAL RESPONSE TO MIDDLE-CLASS WOES: The place where we're seeing this debate become increasingly relevant is in the upcoming Democratic Primary for the 2016 Presidential Election. Hillary Clinton, who is notoriously close to the party's Wall Street and industry backers, may have to sing a different tune to secure the White House:

ALBERT HUNT (VIA NY TIMES): It won't be sufficient to run on competence, breadth of experience.... [Hillary Clinton] needs an innovative, or even bold approach... to dealing with middle-class economic stagnation and income inequality....

LOW-INCOME VOTERS CHOSE GOP OR DIDN'T VOTE: Indeed, data from the November General Election shows that these bits of advice are not just speculation, they're backed by evidence:

JONATHAN MARTIN (VIA NY TIMES): Sifting through returns showing that lower-income voters either supported Republicans or did not vote, liberals argue that without a more robust message about economic fairness, the party will continue to suffer among working-class voters, particularly in the South and Midwest....

“Too many Democrats are too close to Wall Street,” said Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio. “Too many Democrats support trade agreements that outsource jobs, and too many Democrats are too willing to cut Social Security — and that’s why we lose elections.”

Mr. Brown said he had talked to over 60 Ohio Democratic leaders and activists since they were trounced in every statewide election. “The message I heard from all of them was: The Democratic Party should fight for the little guy,” he said....

Progressives pointed to three Democrats who ran as populists as models for success: Senator Al Franken of Minnesota, Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Senator-elect Gary Peters of Michigan.

Mr. Merkley, who focused on the loss of well-paying jobs, the cost of college tuition and opposition to trade deals that he said sent jobs overseas, won by 19 percentage points. While Democrats nationally lost whites without a college degree by 30 percentage points, Mr. Merkley narrowly carried that bloc....

Many liberals believe that the disconnect between the politics of the party’s grass roots and the message coming from Democratic administrations has left blue-collar voters unenthused. “We do not have to struggle for an agenda that connects with working-class voters,” said Representative Rosa DeLauro, Democrat of Connecticut. “We have an agenda that does that, but it does not get vocalized at the top....”

S&P ANALYSIS SAYS WEALTH GAP IS HURTING ECONOMIC RECOVERY: And while some Democrats continue to insist that economic populism is bad for business, the evidence actually points to the opposite conclusion. Indeed, trickle-down economics has never worked, and that fact has not changed today. In fact, S&P analysts seem to believe that caving to the millionaire & corporate tax cut crowd is hurting America's economic recovery and dragging down state revenues. Where is the courage?

JOSH BOAK (VIA WASHINGTON POST): The widening gap between the wealthiest Americans and everyone else has been matched by a slowdown in state tax revenue, according to a report being released Monday by Standard & Poor’s.

Even as income has accelerated for the affluent, it has barely kept pace with inflation for most other people. That trend can mean a double whammy for states: The wealthy often manage to shield much of their income from taxes. And they tend to spend less of it than others do, thereby limiting sales tax revenue.

As the growth of tax revenue has slowed, states have faced tensions over whether to raise taxes or cut spending to balance their budgets as required by law. “Rising income inequality is not just a social issue,” said Gabriel Petek, the S&P credit analyst who wrote the report. “It presents a very significant set of challenges for the policymakers.”

Stagnant pay for most people has compounded the pressure on states to preserve funding for education, highways and social programs such as Medicaid. The investments in education and infrastructure also have fueled economic growth. Yet they’re at risk without a strong flow of tax revenue....

S&P’s analysis builds on a previous report this year in which it said the widening gap between the wealthiest Americans and everyone else has slowed the U.S. economy’s recovery from the Great Recession. Because consumer spending fuels about 70 percent of the economy, weak pay growth typically slows economic growth....

U.S. VOTERS BACK INFRASTRUCTURE SPENDING AT THE NOVEMBER BALLOT:  Policymakers would be short-sighted to think that Republican wins at the ballot reflect a desire to gut infrastructure spending. In fact, several states (Maryland included) had infrastructure spending measures on the ballot this November, and the message is loud and clear:

FAWN JOHNSON (VIA NATIONAL JOURNAL):  ...both Republican and Democratic lawmakers agree that dedicating money to infrastructure is one of the best ways to boost the economy....

Last week's midterm elections showed that the willingness to set aside money for transportation extends to the voting public. In Hawaii, California, Rhode Island, Texas, Wisconsin, and Maryland, voters approved ballot initiatives to secure funding for water resources, roads, and transit. In Texas, 81 percent of voters approved a measure to dedicate half of the state's oil and gas revenues to a state highway fund, as long as that money isn't going to tolled roads. Maryland and Wisconsin voters approved "lockbox" initiatives to make it harder to take money out of the state's transportation coffers. Rhode Island voters gave a thumbs-up to bond initiatives for infrastructure. California voters, facing one of the most severe droughts on record, gave the OK to more than $7 billion in general obligation bonds to shore up the state's water supply.

"The outcomes of these elections demonstrate that Americans value well-maintained infrastructure and are willing to make the investment," said American Society of Civil Engineers President Robert Stevens.

U.S. SENATE DEMOCRATS RESPOND TO ELECTION LOSSES BY GIVING ELIZABETH WARREN A LEADERSHIP SPOT: At the national level, U.S. Senate Democratic leaders have responded to these challenges by giving economic populists a larger say in the Democratic Caucus. They recently elevated liberal Senator Elizabeth Warren to a leadership post. Will Maryland Democrats follow suit?

AMANDA TERKEL & RYAN GRIMM (VIA HUFFINGTON POST):  Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) gained a leadership position in the Senate Democratic caucus Thursday, giving the prominent progressive senator a key role in shaping the party's policy priorities.

Warren's new role, which was created specifically for her, will be strategic policy adviser to the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, helping to craft the party's policy positions and priorities. She will also serve as a liaison to progressive groups to ensure they have a voice in leadership meetings and discussions, according to a source familiar with the role....

JUICE #3: CHANGE MARYLAND? // PROGRESSIVE MARYLAND & ACTIVISTS LAUNCH CAMPAIGN TO PRIORITIZE ECONOMIC JUSTICE ISSUES - It seems clear that Maryland progressives are getting fired up after the Democrats' recent electoral losses. The message moving forward is obviously that its time for the Party to start focusing on poor and working class Marylanders. Maryland Juice recently received the following event invitation from Progressive Maryland announcing a new campaign to move this message forward (details below and at www.newrulesmd.tk):

LARRY STAFFORD (VIA PROGRESSIVE MARYLAND): Yesterday I came on board as the Deputy Director for Progressive Maryland. After years of progressive activism that has included work with Project Vote, the New Organizing Institute, and with Heather Mizeur's campaign for Governor, I'm looking to bring my skills and experiences to build on the successes of this great organization. With last Tuesday's results in mind, Progressive Maryland is issuing a call to action for all progressives in the state to begin organizing and mobilizing for this upcoming legislative session. On November 18th at 7pm, we will be hosting an event to kick-off our upcoming organizing efforts.

It has become clear. The status quo in Maryland politics is no longer acceptable. Many of our elected leaders have become disconnected from the voters that they have been elected to serve. Maryland's political leadership has found its opportunities to be progressive on important social issues, but has failed to speak to the economic plight facing poor and working families in Maryland.

Conservatives win when we are not boldly and clearly articulating our message of economic justice and fairness. They repeat dishonest messages that are designed to arouse the frustrations of the neglected communities of our State. They speak boldly of the problems that face poor and working families, but offer no real solutions that will create good paying jobs that uplift our communities....

When: November 18th at 7pm
Where:  4371 Parliament Pl Lanham, MD

JUICE #4: A PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS IN MARYLAND - As pundits continue to ponder Maryland's recent election results, one thing is clear: the Democratic Caucus is now much more progressive. Barry Rascovar recently discussed the developments at Maryland Reporter (excerpt below):

BARRY RASCOVAR (VIA MARYLAND REPORTER): Hardly noticed in the Nov. 4 election that saw Anthony Brown wiped out in an embarrassing avalanche of rejection was the obliteration of the Democratic Party’s moderate-conservative wing in Annapolis. Gone is Southern Maryland Sen. Roy Dyson. Gone is half-century veteran Baltimore County Sen. Norman Stone (retirement). Gone is a Howard County fixture, Sen. Jim Robey (retirement).

Also out of luck, conservative Western Maryland Del. Kevin Kelly, moderate Western Maryland Del. John Donoghue, conservative Baltimore County Dels. Mike Weir, Jimmy Malone (retirement), Steve DeBoy (retirement) and Sonny Minnick (retirement), moderate-conservative Del. Emmett Burns of Baltimore County (retirement), Eastern Shore Committee Chairman Del. Norm Conway, Cecil County Del. David Randolph, Southern Maryland Dels. John Bohanan and Johnny Wood (retirement), Harford County Del. Mary-Dulany James, and Frederick County Del. Galen Clagett (retirement).

The Democratic Party’s fulcrum in the State House now is dangerously weighted to the strident left. The party’s center-right legislators have shrunk to a handful.

It’s tough even coming up with who you’d place in that category in the House of Delegates once you get beyond House Speaker Mike Busch.  You can count less than 10 moderates still left in the Senate, including President Mike Miller — Charles County’s Mac Middleton, Frederick’s Ron Young, Anne Arundel’s John Astle and Ed DeGrange, Ocean City’s Jim Mathias, Baltimore County’s Jim Brochin and Kathy Klausmeier....

Rascovar calls this development "dangerous," but that seems like centrist spin. Believe it or not, many progressives (myself included) are outcome-oriented individuals and prioritize moving good policy over partisan politics. And while the GOP believes tax cuts will help ordinary Marylanders, progressives believe there are other was to help the middle-class. But the key commonality is that (if you take the GOP at their word), both the far right and far left are trying to help ordinary Marylanders. That may not be true of powered and institutional interests, and it presents an interesting opportunity to get things done in the future. Unfortunately, much of the pundit class is posing this question to liberal Democrats, but I think it is just as fair to pose this question to incoming GOP Governor Larry Hogan. Is he willing to play ball?

JUICE #5: MARYLAND JUICE & RED MARYLAND'S BRIAN GRIFFITHS DISCUSS THE NOVEMBER ELECTIONS AND LIFE AFTER LARRY HOGAN: Maryland Juice (aka David Moon) recently appeared on WNAV radio with our frenemy Brian Griffiths at Red Maryland. We talked about the recent election results and what the future of Maryland politics might look like with a Republican Governor. You can listen to the three-part radio interview below:

ODD COMMENTARY: RNC Chair & Former Homeland Security Head Discuss Doug Gansler Beach Week // PLUS: Much More!

Below Maryland Juice provides a roundup of recent news items regarding our state's heated Governor's race. We include commentary on the Beach Week controversy from some interesting sources, along with additional sparring going on in Maryland's top statewide race:

JUICE #1: FORMER HEAD OF U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY DISCUSSES DOUG GANSLER BEACH WEEK STORY - In one of the stranger commentaries about the Doug Gansler Beach Week story, Michael Chertoff (former head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security) used the controversy to defend the NSA's mass surveillance program. Chertoff's musings on Gansler and NSA surveillance appeared in a Washington Post op-ed yesterday (excerpt below):

MICHAEL CHERTOFF VIA WASHINGTON POST: In the past few months, much has been written about whether the National Security Agency’s authorized storage of anonymous telephone records should be curtailed on the grounds that it’s too invasive of Americans’ privacy.... So it is striking that two recent news stories illustrate a less-debated threat to privacy that we as a society are inflicting on ourselves. Last week, a passenger on an Acela train decided to tweet in real time his summary of an overheard phone conversation by Gen. Michael Hayden, a former director of the National Security Agency (NSA) and the CIA (and my current business partner). The same day, a photo was published of Maryland Attorney General Douglas Gansler at a summer party where he was surrounded by underage youths who apparently were drinking.

Of course, the delicious irony is obvious: In one case, the former NSA chief becomes a victim of eavesdropping. In the other, a politician critical of teen drinking fails to intervene when he is surrounded by it. But both stories carry a more troubling implication....

Where does this lead us? If a well-known person has an argument with a spouse or child at a restaurant, should it be broadcast? If a business personality expresses a political opinion at a private party, should that opinion (or a distortion of it) be passed on to the rest of the world?.... This is worth a national, and perhaps global, conversation at least as robust as the debate over government collection of telephone numbers....

JUICE #2: NATIONAL REPUBLICAN PARTY CHAIR REINCE PRIEBUS COMMENTS ON DOUG GANSLER BEACH WEEK STORY - It appears that the national Republican Party has decided to use the Doug Gansler Beach Week story to try and score some political points. RNC Chair Reince Priebus published the following op-ed in The Baltimore Sun this week chastising Gansler over the controversy (excerpt below):

REINCE PRIEBUS VIA BALTIMORE SUN: "Parents, you're the leading influence on your teen's decision not to drink." Those are the words of Maryland's Attorney General Doug Gansler, a Democrat and candidate for governor, in an anti-underage age drinking public service announcement he recorded a year ago.

Sadly, Attorney General Gansler doesn't listen to his own words and reportedly helped plan a party last June at which underage boys would be drinking beer and wine.... As a dad, I'm appalled by his behavior. It's irresponsible for a parent. And as a lawyer, I also know he likely violated the oath he took as attorney general by selectively enforcing the law....

JUICE #3: ANTHONY BROWN'S CAMPAIGN DENIES LEAKING ATTACKS ON DOUG GANSLER, CONSERVATIVE ACTIVISTS CRITICIZE BROWN CAMPAIGN - Given the constant flow of negative attacks on Attorney General Doug Gansler, it seems entirely plausible that rivals (or their allies) have been responsible for the recent spate of embarrassing leaks. But NBC News reported this week that Anthony Brown's campaign is denying involvement (excerpt below):

NBC NEWS:  "We know exactly who these things are fed by ... do I think this is a character assassination set up by my opponent? Maybe," Gansler said at a press conference called to respond to the beach party picture.

But Tuesday, Gansler's chief opponent in the race for governor -- Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown -- said he was not the source of the stories. When News4's Mark Segraves asked the candidate if he had anything to do with the stories, Brown said, "Our focus will not be what other campaigns are doing or candidates, it will be on the future of Maryland."

Segraves asked again if the campaign had anything to do with stories of Gansler at the teen party, or of a previous Washington Post story about a speed-camera ticket that Gansler never paid. "Did you have anything to do with it?" Segraves asked. "Nothing," Brown said, at an appearance at a counseling center for victims of domestic abuse.... 

But in a pair of recent blog posts, the conservative writers at Red Maryland laid the blame for the recent negative turn in the Governor's race at the feet of the Brown campaign. Moreover, the Red Maryland bloggers seem to think Reince Priebus' entry into the Doug Gansler story might be short-sighted as they think Maryland Republicans will be the next ones to receive this sort of treatment (excerpts below):

RED MARYLAND: What the Democrats are doing to Doug Gansler right now is something that few of us have ever seen before in Maryland intraparty Democratic politics.... And it has been extremely vicious between the Brown camp and the Gansler camp. And it has been sustained, from the original story about Gansler's State Police Drivers, to the speeding ticket that became an issue earlier this week, and now on to the Beach House Party story that broke late last night. The sustained assault on Doug Gansler and his character really is a new low for Anthony Brown, Martin O'Malley, and Maryland's Democratic establishment....

And my fellow Republicans, don't revel in the misfortunes of Gansler, Brown, and the open warfare occurring in the Democratic primary. On June 25th, after the primary and regardless of who wins, they will set their sights on us. Just wait for it....

In a second, more recent blog post, the Red Maryland bloggers also seem to imply that negative tactics are the norm for Brown's campaign manager Justin Schall (excerpt below):

RED MARYLAND: Anthony Brown’s campaign manager, Justin Schall, has quite a history, and it isn’t pretty. Maryland political insiders know Schall hopped over to Brown after running John Delany’s successful campaign to win Maryland’s gerrymandered sixth district. However, Schall’s track record is pretty shady.

In 2006, Schall managed the losing campaign of Cindy Chavez, who was running for mayor of San Jose, CA.  Here’s what the website MetroActive reported that election night.

We love election night parties. The exuberance, the fatalism, the cheese cubes. We even enjoyed getting tossed out of the Holiday Inn's Mediterranean Room banquet hall by a man who claimed to be Cindy Chavez's campaign manager, Justin Schall. "This is a private party," he explained with postal rage. (Was it something we wrote?)....

Hostility to a certain media that fails to write nice things about a campaign that won’t talk to said media.... 

Schall was one of the mental giants behind a local San Jose sleaze site called San Jose Revealed.   Funded by a labor union, Schall and his partners, which included the husband of his former boss, Cindy Chavez, dished out all manner of personal attacks and invaded the privacy of its targets.... one frequent victim of San Jose Revealed’s particularly vicious attacks asked Chavez for help in removing a map to his residence that had been posted to the site... After the map was published by Revealed, the home’s owner, falsely accused of making money through pornography, became the victim of a hate crime that involved property destruction and swastika graffiti....

JUICE #4: IN LIGHT OF GANSLER CONTROVERSY, SOUTH BETHANY ISSUES WARNING TO HOMEOWNERS - In our last bit of response to the Beach Week story, we provide a short item from the town of South Bethany. Delaware Online reports that the town has decided to turn the controversy into a teachable moment (excerpt below):

DELAWARE ONLINE: The government of a Delaware beach town is warning homeowners that they can face penalties if underage drinking or other offenses occur inside their homes.

South Bethany was the site of a party for graduating high schoolseniors that Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler briefly visited last summer....

The town government says in a statement many such incidents “are the result of poor or absent supervision by parents....” Homeowners can face fines or the loss of their rental licenses over disturbances on their property....

JUICE #5: DOUG GANSLER LAUNCHES ATTACK ON ANTHONY BROWN'S DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RECORD, DELEGATE CHERYL GLENN RESPONDS - On Tuesday, Doug Gansler's campaign decided to fight back against Anthony Brown by dredging up a 2003 domestic violence bill that they accuse Brown of helping sink. Delegate Cheryl Glenn responded with the following statement:

DELEGATE CHERYL GLENN: Reducing domestic violence is something we should all agree on.  As a survivor of domestic violence myself, it is deeply troubling that the Attorney General’s campaign would use this issue to score cheap political points, especially when Lt. Governor Brown, like far too many in Maryland, has been personally affected by domestic violence.  Anthony has fought for - and won - critical legislation to reduce the scourge of domestic violence, and Doug Gansler knows it.  Political attacks on this issue are entirely inappropriate. 

MORE ON THE MARYLAND GOVERNOR'S RACE SOON!

UPDATE: Dan Bongino Not Seeking Anne Arundel Executive Vacancy // Former Senate Candidate Still Running for Gov?

Earlier today Maryland Juice noted that supporters of Dan Bongino were lobbying for him to replace John Leopold as Anne Arundel County Executive. We published an email message that urged supporters of the former GOP Senate nominee to contact members of the Anne Arundel Council in support of Bongino.

But only three hours later, Bongino posted a message on his Facebook page indicating that he's not interested in serving as Anne Arundel County Executive (Hat tip: Red Maryland). Should we presume the message below means Bongino will be continuing his campaign for Governor?

Friends & Supporters,

Paula and I cannot thank you enough for your support and encouragement, both during and after the election. Although the results were not what we intended, I am proud of what we accomplished and honored to remain in the fight.

I would like to update you on rumors you may have heard about my interest in the Anne Arundel County Executive position and the MDGOP Chairman position. I will not be seeking either position at this time, although I am extremely grateful to all of those who emailed and called in their support to a number of elected officials.

Regarding the decision making process for the vacant Anne Arundel County Executive position, I have chosen to disengage from a process that has become weighted towards insider politics. This County needs a reformer, not an insider, and any illusions otherwise are driven by a political agenda and not the sentiments of actual voters on the ground.

Regarding the MDGOP Chairmanship, although I respect the MDGOP Party infrastructure for their recent outreach initiatives and I feel the Party is headed in a better direction, I have chosen to take my platform and my commitment to a Maryland government that is citizen-centric, rather than insider-driven, to the people via a continued, robust grassroots effort.

Very Respectfully, 

Dan

More on the 2014 Governor's race soon!

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: Push For MD GOP Chair Alex Mooney to Resign, Councilmember Leventhal Eyes MoCo Exec & Marijuana Reform

Maryland Juice knew that many political machinations would be on hold pending the outcome of the Presidential election. But now that Obama has been re-elected, things are ramping up again. Below we highlight a few examples of post-election organizing, starting with some calls for housekeeping within the Maryland Republican Party:

JUICE #1: CONSERVATIVES CALL ON MD GOP CHAIR ALEX MOONEY TO RESIGN - Last week we noted that conservatives activists were grumbling on Twitter about Chairman Alex Mooney's botched management of the Maryland GOP. Now they are beginning to get serious about it. Four editors at the rightwing blog Red Maryland published a column calling for Mooney's resignation. Meanwhile, several knowledgeable Maryland Juice sources indicate that conservative activists are quietly mobilizing a coalition to re-define the Maryland Republican brand. We shall see where this all goes soon enough, but in the meantime enjoy this short snippet from Red Maryland's scorching full article (excerpt below):

RED MARYLAND: When former state senator Alex Mooney won the race for MGOP chair ...  his biggest drawback ... was that he saw the position of MDGOP chair as a place holder position....

While MDGOP was mired in $120,000 debt, he was busy raising $108,00 for a 2012 congressional campaign to replace Roscoe Bartlett....

The defeat on questions 4 through 6, and to some extent question 7, lies squarely on Alex Mooney.  Instead of organizing and raising money to win those races, Mooney was busy helping Roscoe Bartlett get shellacked by 20 points....

We have no confidence in Alex Mooney’s leadership.  He must go. Now.

Note that one Red Maryland writer disagreed with the calls for Mooney to resign, stating "this is a bad idea that will result in nothing good, but we are the Maryland GOP and that is our nature." It remains to be seen whether the anti-Mooney forces in the GOP will prevail. If they do, Mooney's ouster as Republican Party Chair might prove an embarrassing start to a potential run against soon-to-be Rep. John Delaney in 2014.


JUICE #2: MOCO COUNCILMEMBER GEORGE LEVENTHAL FUNDRAISING FOR 2014 EXECUTIVE RUN - The 2014 Montgomery County Executive's race has been quietly stirring for several months now. But now that the Presidential election is over, we expect to start to seeing a trickle of announcements from prospective candidates. The Examiner's Rachel Baye today carried a quote from At-Large Councilmember George Leventhal indicating that he is fundraising for a 2014 Exec run. See the excerpt below, but note that at most recent check Maryland Juice also heard rumors of potential runs from the following District Councilmembers:  Phil Andrews, Roger Berliner, and Valerie Ervin. Additionally, the names of former County Executive Doug Duncan, former Councilmember Steve Silverman, and Delegate Ben Kramer continue to generate rumors of activity. Back to The Examiner's tidbit below:

EXAMINER: ...Montgomery County Councilman George Leventhal is already looking ahead to 2014. The at-large Democrat is throwing himself a 50th birthday party Monday that will double as a fundraiser for his campaign for Montgomery County Executive, Leventhal told The Washington Examiner

JUICE #3: MARIJUANA BACK ON MARYLAND'S POLICY RADAR - Though all eyes in Maryland were glued to the raging referenda battles over gambling, marriage equality and the Dream Act -- around the nation pundits were watching returns with a broader issue lens. Indeed, this year American voters around the nation affirmed a wave of laws protecting individual rights and liberties. Yes, this included marriage and women's rights -- but outside of Maryland it also included the now mainstream issue of marijuana legalization. The issue has been promoted through various lenses, ranging from a liberty and taxpayer waste issue, to a criminal justice reform issue with loud racial overtones. But Maryland Juice has been predicting the turning tide for months, and the recent marijuana legalization wins at state ballot boxes are creating demands for policy sanity within Maryland. After the election, Baltimore Sun columnist Dan Rodricks described the results of law enforcement and political idiocy on the issue (excerpt below):

DAN RODRICKS (VIA BALTIMORE SUN): [Arrests for marijuana possession] accounted for 43 percent of all drug arrests in 2011. So, just in case you were operating under the impression that the law had backed off the whole grass-possession thing, there it is: More than four out of 10 of all narcotics arrests made in United States were for people having marijuana in their possession.... So that's what our cops spend a lot of their time doing — arresting people for pot, hundreds of thousands of times per year....

On Tuesday, voters in Colorado and Washington made it legal to smoke pot without a prescription or a medical reason.

That's a breakthrough in the long stalemate in the public debate about the war on drugs — electorates in two states expressing what the American public has been telling politicians for a long time, that we spend too much money and manpower on chasing and incarcerating people who use drugs. It has been going on for 40 years. It hasn't decreased the demand for drugs, but it has led to an epoch of terrible violence related to the underground commerce, and it has filled our prisons....

MAJORITY SUPPORT FOR LEGALIZATION // SUPER-MAJORITY AMONG DEMS & LIBERALS: Again, demographic churning and the shifting importance of various birth cohorts is leading to surging support for an end to the anti-science War on Drugs. My personal hunch is that we are now at a convergence point in the timeline of political opinion, where a large chunk of young voters are in agreement with older voters who came of age during the 60's and 70's. Indeed, a very recent 2012 Huffington Post/YouGov opinion survey confirmed our hunch about the shifting attitudes:

HUFFINGTON POST: A solid majority of Americans support legalizing marijuana, either with or without taxes and regulations similar to those imposed on alcoholic beverages, according to a new survey conducted by YouGov for The Huffington Post.

The poll found that 51 percent of adults support legalizing, taxing and regulating marijuana like alcohol.... Only 26 percent of respondents said that marijuana should not be legalized.... Those under age 29 and between ages 45 and 64 were most likely to support legalization pure and simple...

The poll found more variation among people of different political parties. Sixty-four percent of Democrats ...  said they supported legalization with taxes and regulations. Overall, opposition was highest among Republicans, but even so, more Republicans favored one of the two legalization options (47 percent) than opposed legalization entirely (44 percent).

A Gallup poll conducted last year also verified new majority support for marijuana reform and noted that a whopping 69% of liberals support the legalization effort. Check out a few summary tables below:

CALLS FOR GOP TO SUPPORT DRUG REFORM THROUGH A STATES RIGHTS & LIBERTARIAN LENS: Though it appears that the base for marijuana legalization is Democrats and young voters, some on the right are beginning to point out the ideological ties between their views and pot reform. The writers at Red Maryland today pointed their readers in the direction of a post-election analysis from a writer at Reason.com (excerpt below):

REASON.COM: The short answer is that the GOP insisted on pushing backward-looking social issues in a country that is increasingly libertarian.... There’s no question that on broadly defined social issues such as immigration, marriage equality, and drug policy, Barack Obama has been terrible....

Similar dynamics hold true on issues such as drug policy.... Obama has raided medical marijuana dispensaries that are legal under state law without a second thought. Now that Washington and Colorado have legalized not just medical marijuana but all pot, the GOP should stay true to its valorization of federalism and the states as “laboratories of democracy” and call for an end to the federal drug war....

The GOP can lick its wounds and tell themselves whatever they want to hear—that it was the media's fault, that they need to be more religious, that they just need better candidates, or whatever. But until the party actually changes its positions on basic policy issues and articulates a clear and consistent role for limited government, it has nowhere to go but down.

MARIJUANA INITIATIVES DROVE SURGE IN YOUTH VOTE: On a more practical note, at least one writer at FireDogLake is pointing out that in states where marijuana was on the ballot this year, youth turnout surged. Compared to other states, the pot states witnessed between a 5x to 12x higher turnout increase among young voters:

CONCLUSION: BELIEVING IN THE WAR ON DRUGS IS LIKE BELIEVING IN SANTA CLAUS (AKA CHILDISH) - Indeed, for many ordinary Americans, belief in the War on Drugs has become as ridiculous as holding onto visions of Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy. But just as with marriage equality, Maryland Juice believes that the public is way ahead of the arrogant and/or incompetent policymakers who are again unable to game out the rapidly moving shifts and trendlines in public opinion.

But a few Maryland politicos have (unprompted by me) mentioned a renewed interest in making the Free State a beacon of rational policymaking by pushing marijuana legalization/decriminalization and a broader overhaul of our criminal "justice" system. In the meantime, a White House petition on the issue is gathering thousands of signatures. Onward!

WATCH TV DEBATES: Maryland Juice vs. Red Maryland, Del. Heather Mizeur vs. Gov. Bob Ehrlich, SEIU vs. Help Save MD

As we get closer to the November 6th election day, numerous media outlets are beginning to cover the various candidate horse races and ballot question battles with greater scrutiny. Some local TV reporters are also beginning to host right-left dialogues to tease out the arguments (and spin) from both sides. Today, we highlight a few worthwhile TV debates, including one tomorrow night featuring Maryland Juice! You can also watch Del. Heather Mizeur debate former Gov. Bob Ehrlich below:

TOMORROW NIGHT: MARYLAND JUICE ENCOUNTERS RED MARYLAND ON TV - Maryland Juice (aka David Moon) will be appearing on a televised "Political Roundtable" on the MPT show "State Circle." I'll be appearing alongside Red Maryland blogger Mark Newgent. Catch us on MPT Friday night (Oct. 5) at 7:30 pm.

The left-right dialogue is billed as a conversation between "a Republican blogger and a Democratic blogger to discuss the latest happenings in the state government." But I suspect we'll be talking about topics like so-called voter fraud, the ballot questions, and issues in the 6th Congressional District race. Watch the show tomorrow night on MPT @ 7:30 pm. We'll also post the online version of the discussion once it is available.

WARNING: Turn your eyes away from the stretched photo of my face above!  :)

WATCH ONLINE: DEL. HEATHER MIZEUR VS. GOV. BOB EHRLICH DEBATE THE DEBATE - News Channel 8's Bruce DePuyt today had a segment featuring Del. Heather Mizeur and Mitt Romney's Maryland Chair - former Gov. Bob Ehrlich. The Democrat and Republican appeared on air to discuss the impact of last night's debate between President Obama and Mitt Romney:



ALSO ON MPT FRIDAY NIGHT: SEIU VS. HELP SAVE MARYLAND ON THE DREAM ACT (QUESTION 4) - In addition to Maryland Juice & Red Maryland, tomorrow night's "State Circle" broadcast will include a debate over the Dream Act (Question 4). The segment will feature Mark McLaurin from SEIU and Brad Botwin from Help Save Maryland. SEIU is one of the leading members of the Educating Maryland Kids coalition, a group promoting a "vote for" Question 4. Help Save Maryland is a nativist group that is airing radio ads urging a "vote against" Question 4. Watch the debate on MPT Friday night (Oct. 5) at 7:30 pm.

RUH ROH: Rushern Baker's Financial Disclosures Under Fire // Rightwing Alleges Prince George's Executive Omitted Employers

OH BOY: The conservative bloggers over at Red Maryland have a scorching blog post regarding Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker. They published an investigative piece about the politician's financial disclosures from Marta Mossburg, a fellow at the rightwing/libertarian oriented Maryland Public Policy Institute, an anti-regulatory/"free market" think tank in Rockville, MD. The piece is beginning to spread among Maryland politicos.

The article is basically a compilation of a series of purported inconsistencies in Rushern Baker's public financial disclosure documents. Every story has two sides, but taken at face value, the allegations could prove embarrassing for Mr. Baker. He is, after all, in the midst of pushing for a controversial new casino in his County, and he has also been working to try and turn around public impression of Prince George's politicians, after a series of high-profile scandals involving public officials.

Take note, this is not an instance of theft or misuse of office, or anything like that. The Republican activists are making hay about Mr. Baker's reporting of his sources of income and discrepancies or oddities on his financial disclosures. These are similar allegations to those that dogged State Senator Rob Garagiola in the District 6 Democratic Congressional Primary last Spring.

We'll have to see what his response is, and whether the accusations prove to hold water, but take a look for yourself at Red Maryland. We provide a couple excerpts below:

RED MARYLAND: Public documents show Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker did not answer county financial disclosure forms accurately....

On the 2010 financial disclosure form, Mr. Baker checked “No” to a question asking if he had outside income during the calendar year. The first line under the title on the form, which Mr. Baker signed under penalty of perjury, is the date of the reporting period....

For part of that year Mr. Baker worked for a then Lanham-based nonprofit, Community Teachers Institute (CTI), according to an IRS Form 990 filed by the group, which is now based in New York. It lists him as executive director, working 40 plus hours per week and earning $60,000....

CTI is not the only potential source of income for Mr. Baker. His campaign biography says, “He became a Senior Partner at Baker & Perry LLP in 1998, where he worked until his swearing-in as County Executive in 2010.” The website also cited his work at CTI....

Also odd is the fact that Mr. Baker notes on both his 2010 and 2011 financial disclosure forms that his mortgage is exactly $350,000 each year. How is that possible?....

What do you think? Big deal or no?

REPORTER: GOP Ready to Abandon Rep. Roscoe Bartlett in Maryland CD6 // Plus, Red Maryland Hijacks Bartlett Photo

Yesterday, the politically-oriented newspaper Roll Call wrote about how redistricting changes were leading to unexpected retirement decisions, but they had an unusual comment about the fate of Maryland's 6th Congressional District incumbent, Rep. Roscoe Bartlett:

In Maryland, 85-year-old Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R) could retire instead of seeking re-election in a redrawn, heavily Democratic district. The GOP would rather give up the seat than try to fight for Bartlett in a hopeless effort.

I wonder who Roll Call reporters have been talking to in the Republican Party? This article makes it appear as though Rep. Bartlett should not expect to have the financial support of the establishment should he decide to run for re-election. I suppose they have other more winnable races to worry about. 

But as Maryland Juice recently wrote, the idea of Rep. Bartlett running for re-election might be a sham, no matter what he says publicly. Maryland Juice recently pointed readers to an article on the rightwing Red Maryland blog accusing the Congressman of trying to give his seat to his Chief of Staff. We drew a big arrow on the Red Maryland photo (see below), but it turns out they may not have had permission to use the image. A reporter from Hagerstown's Herald-Mail points out that the photo comes from an article he wrote in May. Hat tip to the mighty Andrew Schotz. Note, that he also deserves the photo credit on the shot below:

GOP Blogger Calls Out Congressman Roscoe Bartlett for Trying to Pass CD6 Seat to Chief of Staff

A writer for the rightwing Red Maryland blog today accused Rep. Roscoe Bartlett of trying to pass his seat onto his Chief of Staff Bud Otis. Maryland Juice recently noted that Mr. Bartlett's lackluster fundraising makes him a sitting target in the Republican Primary for Maryland's 6th Congressional District. Mr. Bartlett and the GOP have also encouraged litigation against Maryland's 2012 redistricting map, noting "altruistic" arguments like the need for greater minority representation and fewer political considerations in redistricting. If Red Maryland's accusations about Mr. Bartlett are true, they would make him a pretty big hypocrite:

NOTE: Credit for the photo above goes to the Hagerstown Herald-Mail.

I excerpt part of the Red Maryland article below:

Maryland Juice Cracks Baltimore Sun Readers' Top 10 for Best News Blog // Propaganda on the Right is Flagging

I don't know why I posted this photo. But it just came through my email box. :)

Maryland Juice started ranting in August of this year, so we are totally psyched by the results of this year's Baltimore Sun's Mobbie's awards. Indeed, a blog whose primary articles are about censorship, demographic changes, tax policy and redistricting -- is thrilled to already make Maryland's Top 10 for Best News Blog and Best New Blog. Here's to next year!

Congrats to the Maryland Chamber of Commerce blog for not coming in last place, by beating out the "Wilson Bros. Blog - Two brothers blogging the best of Odenton Town Center."

SIDEBAR: Our Republican counterparts at Red Maryland cleverly wrote a post criticizing the Mobbie's, but then linked to the voting page in their article for their readers. Yes, I know, The Sun is trying to build their data and online assets by hosting this contest, but who cares -- so is Facebook, Google, and every other service we all use. You gotta "pay" for news somehow. But not like the "Sun Block" -- that's bollocks.

One Year Out: Maryland Democrats Rally The Troops // Exclusive Video & Photo Gallery!

About a month ago, Maryland Juice caught word of plans for a Democratic "One Year Out" Mega-Rally to fire up troops before the 2012 elections. Of course, the GOP mocked Maryland Juice's effort and called it "desperate" on Twitter (see below):

For months I've been telling my friends concerned about Obama's re-election that it was silly to look at the early polling, because in a Presidential year (especially one like this), partisanship will eventually drive most of the votes back into a predictable place before November 2012. But still, I must admit, I was very curious to see whether the average Democrat would be fired up for next year. Judging by the hundreds of fed up voters that showed up at yesterday's rally, I'd say we're on the right track. See our video and photo coverage below, starting with this rally cry from Rep. Elijah Cummings:

Tea Party-Aligned Maryland Think Tank Admits Real Goal: Cut Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid

UPDATE: The AARP is now teeing up spots to defend seniors' entitlements from cuts. Like I said, let's bring the GOP's 3-point platform below to Florida!

Maryland Juice earlier this week criticized Tea Party politicians for supporting policies that would hurt their constituents, and we implied that some of them were being phony in their support for eliminating government. Everyone breath a sigh of relief, because the Maryland Public Policy Institute (MPPI) responded by basically saying: a) these policies really do work, and b) Tea Party politicians really do believe this stuff.

Maryland Juice thought it was worth pointing out which policies MPPI is supporting. Below we highlight some of MPPI's suggestions, with some very brief commentary. This is not intended to be an issue review, just a sampler:

Think Tank Doubleheader with the Koch Brothers // MPPI vs. Maryland Juice & CATO vs. Marc Elrich

UPDATE: A GOP blogger at Red Maryland has responded to Maryland Juice's "think tank doubleheader." Mr. Newgent makes an observation about "rich Marylanders voting against their economic interests" by supporting Democrats. How's that for class warfare?

Yesterday, the innocently-named Maryland Public Policy Institute (MPPI) published an article responding to Maryland Juice's post about how Red States are the biggest welfare recipients. The piece was apparently developed after conversations with a Red Maryland blogger, so we decided to track down MPPI's mission statement:

The mission of the Maryland Public Policy Institute is to formulate and promote public policies at all levels of government based on principles of free enterprise, limited government, and civil society. 

Surprisingly, the Baltimore County Public Library website has an election resources section that describes MPPI as follows:

Maryland GOP Overspends, Can't Save Money // Plus, Meet GOP Chair Alex Mooney

UPDATE: A reader has pointed out that the totals we report below are from the parties' federal filings. The situation is even worse for the GOP when you factor in the Maryland finance reports. As of the January 19, 2011 filings, the Maryland GOP started the year with $430.66 cash-on-hand and $48,796.80 in debt. Compare that to the Democrats' $306,535.09 cash and zero debt.

Maryland's Republican Party, like much of the nation's GOP, has veered sharply to the extreme right. We've highlighted a few examples of this in recent weeks (ie: government privatization efforts in Frederick, Islamophobia in Montgomery, conservative anti-tax propaganda, etc). Much of this change is reflected in the state party's leadership, too. Enter Maryland Republican Party Chair Alex Mooney.

When Mooney campaigned to take control of the Maryland Republicans, he pledged to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to help candidates across the state. Below, we check in how he's doing midway through 2011 and highlight some fishy financial activity on Mr. Mooney's ledger. But first, Maryland Juice will provide a quick profile of Alex Mooney.

Maryland Juice's Montgomery County Redistricting Testimony // Thanks, Red Maryland!

Today, Maryland Juice will submit testimony to the Montgomery County Redistricting Commission. As a reminder to the public, MoCo is holding a public hearing tonight on two competing County Council maps. Both proposals would re-draw the  boundaries of the county's five single member Council districts. One plan comes from the MoCo Republicans, while the other comes from their Democratic counterparts.

We previously analyzed the competing plans in a prior post entitled: Montgomery County Council Redistricting Review. Nevertheless, the basic summary is that the Democratic plan tinkers with the existing boundaries by swapping a few towns and neighborhoods between districts (ie: Poolesville, Kensington, Leisure World, etc). In contrast, the Republican plan is a laughable gerrymander that is the subject of my testimony below.

I am submitting this testimony at the request of GOP Blogger, Red Maryland's Brian Griffiths. In a June 26th post titled, "Redistricting Starts at Home," he put out the following call to action:

If you're not a resident of Anne Arundel County, I encourage you to look into your own local redistricting process and getting involved. This is where the rubber meets the road folks, so if you want to have an impact, this is a great place to start.

 I would also like to thank Red Maryland for providing me with much of the text for my testimony below:

Periodic Welfare Queen Reminder: Red States Need Socialism

Every once and again, statisticians produce reports showing which states provide the federal government with the most money, and which are the biggest recipients of federal welfare.

I decided that since the extremists are showing us how serious they are about running this country into the ground with their fears of socialism, they needed a polite reminder that they are the...

BIGGEST
WELFARE
QUEENS*
.................................................. EVER.

Montgomery Liberals Protest Chevy Chase Women's Republican Club

Last week, we reported on the controversial choice of speaker for an upcoming Chevy Chase Women's Republican Club meeting. The GOP group invited former Congressman and WMAL radio personality, Fred Grandy, to speak at their next meeting. As we noted earlier, Grandy was forced off the air and has had recent speaking invitations revoked over complaints about his show becoming increasingly anti-muslim.

The Chevy Chase Patch now reports that former Delegate Saqib Ali is calling on the GOP group to cancel the event: