JuiceBlender: Hitler's Jewels in MD, Rushern Baker's Son for Delegate, More Syria Response & O'Malley on Saylor's Killing

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

JUICE #1: SALE OF HITLER'S NAZI JEWELS IN MARYLAND PROMPTS CRITICISM  - During the Jewish celebration of Rosh Hashanah this year, a reader forwarded us news of a controversial sale of Nazi artifacts in Maryland. Jezebel.com provided a quick snapshot of the controversy (excerpt below):

Hitler's ring for sale (Jezebel.com)

JEZEBEL.COM: Raise your hand if you'd be willing to spend almost $110,000 on a super fancy swastika ring made especially for Hitler by a rabid anti-semitic jeweler. None of you should be raising your hands....

Nazi memorabilia enthusiasts (ew) are basically pissing themselves with excitement over this item's availability, because people are into some f*cked up sh*t.

The UK's Daily Mail provided further detail on the sick retail event in Maryland (excerpt below):

DAILY MAIL: A rare Nazi bling-ring once owned by Adolf Hitler is going up for auction in Maryland next week and is expected to fetch at least £70,000.... It is being offered for sale by the Alexander Historical Auctions House in Maryland and comes with documents come with it testifying that it was made for the Fuhrer.

The ring was crafted by the master goldsmith Karl Berthold who was a fanatical Nazi and kicked Jewish craftsmen out of his business in Frankfurt shortly after the regime came to power in 1933 - long before laws forbidding them from working came into place. He wrote to Hitler saying he had fired the "Bolshevik-Jew servants" and was commissioned by a party functionary to make the ring for the Nazi leader....

The Alexander Historical Auctions House is famous for selling Nazi-themed militaria and artefacts. Three years ago it sold the diaries of Auschwitz 'Angel of Death' Josef Mengele - the camp doctor who performed terrible medical experiments on inmates - that he kept while on the run in Brazil....

Maryland Juice visited the website for the Chesapeake City, MD-based auction house "Alexander Historical Auctions House" and it appears Hitler's ring is not the only Nazi artifact they are selling. Based on their homepage, they appear to have a specialty in catering to Nazi collectors, which they categorize as items relating to "The Holocaust." Among the items for sale are anti-semitic children's books, and something tells me the potential buyers for these items may not be interested in the "never again" message of the post-Holocaust world. This stuff is sick!  

JUICE #2: PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY EXECUTIVE RUSHERN BAKER'S SON LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN FOR DISTRICT 22 HOUSE OF DELEGATES - The Washington Informer recently reported that Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker's son, Rushern Baker IV, launched a campaign for the Maryland House of Delegates on Labor Day (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON INFORMER: [Rushern Baker IV], 25, said he’s a candidate for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 22, and he used Greenbelt’s Labor Day parade on Monday, Sept. 2 as his first campaign event to shake hands and make his candidacy known....

Baker is seeking one of the three District 22 House seats in 2014. Currently those seats are occupied by delegates Tawana P. Gaines, Anne Healy and Alonzo T. Washington. All three will be up for re-election with the top three vote-getters taking office....

[Rushern Baker IV is] also the son of Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III and said he’s been inspired by his father’s leadership, which he called “undeniably beneficial for Prince George’s County.”

JUICE #3: CONGRESSMEN JOHN DELANEY & JOHN SARBANES SHARE THOUGHTS ON POTENTIAL BOMBING OF SYRIA - Yesterday Maryland Juice provided a round-up of responses to the potential bombing of Syria from a range of our state's Democratic officials, including Chris Van Hollen, Elijah Cummings, Ben Cardin, Barbara Mikulski and Martin O'Malley. Below you can see additional commentary from Rep. John Sarbanes and Rep. John Delaney. While stumping for a candidate in Iowa (?), Delaney provided his current of state of thinking on intervention in Syria (excerpt below):

SIOUXLAND NEWS: While Representative John Delaney was in town supporting Jim Mowrer, a candidate vying for Iowa's 4th congressional district seat, he also gave a little insight into how the House and Senate are handling the debate over a military strike against Syria....

"I think there's more work to do. I think I need to understand the implications of this action to the American People and to our interests internationally and I want to know what good is going to come from this. I don't think this discussion is actually about Syria anymore. It's about our response to chemical weapons which I think is the right way of framing our discussion because that really is the issue," said Delaney. "Because what's been going on in Syria for the last 18 months or almost two years is terrible and tragic, and we weren't going to do anything so this situation is really not about Syria it's about them violating its international norm that really has been around for 100 years and making sure there's consequences."

Meanwhile, Rep. John Sarbanes released a press release outlining his thoughts on the Syria debate:

JOHN SARBANES: "On August 21, 2013, the Assad regime launched a chemical weapons attack into rebel-held areas of the Damascus suburbs, killing over one thousand people, including hundreds of children. This shocking and abhorrent use of a weapon that the civilized world has long banned demands a forceful and unequivocal response.

"President Obama has asked the Congress to authorize the use of military force in support of a strike against the Assad regime as punishment for this attack. In the coming days, Congress will debate the President's request and I look forward to hearing all competing perspectives and examining any additional information provided by the Administration or other sources. I find persuasive the President's arguments that a strike is warranted in order to give teeth to the international ban on chemical weapons and in order to demonstrate American resolve in the Middle East. However, I share the conviction of many of my colleagues that any strike be limited in time and scope and otherwise designed to minimize the risk of drawing the United States into a broader military engagement. Those are the standards I will use in determining my support for any resolution that members of the House of Representatives are asked to vote upon."

JUICE #4: FAMILY OF ETHAN SAYLOR DELIVERS 340,000 PETITION SIGNATURES TO GOV. MARTIN O'MALLEY CALLING FOR ACTION ON FREDERICK POLICE KILLING OF MAN WITH DOWNS SYNDROME - Yesterday the widely-read progressive netroots blog DailyKos.com published an open letter to Gov. Martin O'Malley calling for Maryland to take concrete action on the death of Ethan Saylor in Frederick. Saylor's killing at the hands of off-duty Frederick cops sparked widespread outrage and accusations of a rigged "investigation," prompting 340,000 people to sign a petition calling for immediate action (excerpt below):

DAILYKOS.COM: Dear Governor O'Malley, This morning the family and supporters of Ethan Saylor will deliver over 338,000 signatures to you. They are asking you to do two things. First, call an independent investigation of the death of Ethan Saylor. Second, standardize training for police in how to handle situations like this in the future....

I assume your staff has read the 98-page report on Saylor's death produced by the Frederick County Sheriff and pronounced it sufficient. I disagree.... These officers decided to initiate contact. Why? Did they understand what they were doing?....

We're looking for justice here....  On that petition, hundreds of thousands of people have signed on, and your response will be, for many, their first interaction with you as a leader. Some are in Maryland, but this issue has gone national. If you want to be my president, if you want my vote in a Democratic primary, you will say yes. Whatever your decision, I'll be watching and waiting. And writing....

The Washington Post yesterday reported on O'Malley's response to the effort, noting that he is promising to create a plan on the training of police but is unsure about whether to launch an investigation (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) is preparing to issue a plan related to the training of law-enforcement officers and first responders when interacting with people with disabilities, aides confirmed Thursday....

Family members presented the governor with three boxes full of petitions which they said contained more than 340,000 signatures from people across the country asking O’Malley to launch an independent investigation into Saylor’s death. The 26-year-old died in January as three Frederick County deputies sought to remove him from the movie theater.

Upon emerging from the late-morning meeting in the State House, Patti Saylor told reporters that O’Malley was going to continue to think about an investigation into her son’s death....

The chief medical examiner’s office in Baltimore ruled Saylor’s death a homicide as a result of asphyxia, but a Frederick County grand jury determined in March that no charges were warranted against the deputies. The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating whether the civil rights of Saylor were violated.... Del. Heather R. Mizeur (D-Montgomery), who is running for governor next year, has been among those calling for an independent investigation....

JuiceBlender: 2 MoCo Democrats Trying to Weaken Assault Weapons Ban, PG School Takeover & Anger Over Frederick Cops

Below Maryland Juice highlights several tidbits of notable news and analysis for politicos:

JUICE #1: DELEGATES KATHLEEN DUMAIS & LUIZ SIMMONS UNDER FIRE FOR EFFORTS TO WEAKEN ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN - Maryland lawmakers are currently debating various efforts to curtail gun violence, including a ban on assault weapons. But the NRA has succeeded in scaring some lawmakers about these efforts -- even though a super-majority of Marylanders favor stricter gun regulations. Now Democratic Delegates Kathleen Dumais and Luiz Simmons of Montgomery County are trying to exempt AR-15 weapons from the proposed gun laws:

AR-15 rifle with a Stag lower receiver California legal (only with fixed 10-round magazine). Photo Source: Wikimedia.

The Washington Post editorial board this weekend condemned efforts by these two Montgomery County Democrats to weaken the proposed assault weapons ban (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST:  [The] Maryland lawmakers now wavering on banning military-style weapons include Democrats who are highly unlikely to face a serious challenge in a general election. In fact, a number of them represent districts in Montgomery County where large majorities of voters favor gun control. They should favor prohibiting the sale of assault weapons such as the popular AR-15 because it’s the right thing to do to promote public safety and it would reflect the interests of their constituents.

After all, a variant of the AR-15 was used by John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo when they stalked innocent victims during their killing spree in the Washington area in 2002....

A pair of Montgomery County Democrats, Dels. Luiz R.S. Simmons and Kathleen M. Dumais, both members of the House Judiciary Committee, said they were inclined to exempt the AR-15 from the weapons ban....

Indeed, recent Washington Post coverage of the proposed assault weapons ban indicates that Del. Kathleen Dumais may have been swayed by flimsy arguments. Specifically, some veterans have been arguing against the ban by claiming that shooting assault weapons is relaxing. But Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown calls that argument "nonsense" (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Since he has returned from Afghanistan, A.J. Wynne, 24, who was a corporal in the Marines, has spent countless hours shooting in the farmland north of Frederick.... “It’s not yoga — it’s not graceful in any sense of the word, but I could do this all day long,” he said....

Del. Kathleen M. Dumais, a Montgomery County Democrat and vice chair of the House Judiciary Committee, said veterans and competitive sportsmen were central factors in her thinking that a total ban may be inappropriate....

“It’s nonsense,” said [ Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown], the highest-ranking U.S. elected official to have served in Iraq. “The military trains us on these military-style assault weapons to perform a combat mission, and that combat mission does not exist in the communities of Maryland or anywhere in this country....”

You can contact the two MoCo Delegates who are wavering on the assault weapons ban below:

• DEL. KATHLEEN DUMAIS: (410) 841-3052 or kathleen.dumais@house.state.md.us 
• DEL. LUIZ SIMMONS: (410) 841-3037 or luiz.simmons@house.state.md.us

JUICE #2: MEDICAL EXAMINER RULES DEATH OF FREDERICK MAN WITH DOWNS SYNDROME HOMICIDE, BUT NO CRIMINAL CHARGES FOR 3 RESPONSIBLE COPS - Maryland Juice has been following the shocking story of a Frederick man with Downs Syndrome who was recently killed while in custody of three off-duty cops in Frederick, Maryland. The poor guy was watching a movie and wanted to stay for another showing -- but that was apparently too much for a movie theater employee, who proceeded to call three rent-a-cops (on loan from the Frederick County Sheriff's Office). From there, the cops apparently allowed the situation to escalate to the point that they handcuffed the young man and put him face-down on the ground. The case was ruled a homicide by the medical examiner, but this weekend The Washington Post reported that no criminal charges were being sought in connection with the death (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Less than five miles from the theater where a man with Down syndrome died at the hands of the law enforcement officials he idolized, a grand jury on Friday heard the details of the case and decided that no crime had been committed....An attorney for the parents of Robert Ethan Saylor, who died at the age of 26, described their reaction as “extremely disappointed and saddened and concerned....”

Nationally, the case has drawn wide attention from parents of children with Down syndrome and advocacy groups. More than 1,000 angry messages also fill the Facebook page of the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office....  [The] family has been concerned that the investigation was handled by the same sheriff’s office that employs the deputies....

Hundreds of Washington Post readers have posted angry reactions in response to the news. If you are unfamiliar with the basic facts, The Washington Post recently provided a summary (except below):

WASHINGTON POST:  Robert Ethan Saylor died last month in the custody of off-duty Frederick County sheriff’s deputies after he refused to leave a movie theater. The county is investigating, and parents of other children with Down syndrome have voiced concern.

As officials tell it, Saylor had been watching “Zero Dark Thirty” at a Frederick movie theater last month and, as soon as it ended, wanted to watch it again. When he refused to leave, a theater employee called three off-duty Frederick County sheriff’s deputies who were working a security job at the Westview Promenade shopping center and told them that Saylor either needed to buy another ticket or be removed....

The deputies restrained him using three sets of handcuffs linked together and escorted him from the theater. At some point, Saylor ended up on the ground and began showing signs of medical distress. A short while later, he was pronounced dead at a local hospital.... Late last week, the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Baltimore ruled Saylor’s death a homicide as a result of asphyxia....

Hundreds of residents have been speaking out in outrage over the incident on the Frederick Sheriff's Facebook page. (Note that Frederick County Sheriff Charles Jenkins also happens to be a notoriously anti-immigrant Tea Partier).

Maryland Juice highly doubts that ordinary residents earn the same benefit of the doubt or sympathy from prosecutors that the cops in this case likely received. Typical.

In the meantime, Delegate Jill Carter thinks she may have a legislative response to the death of Robert Saylor. She posted the following response on Twitter drawing attention to her bill HB1281, which would require training in the proper use of force and dealing with diverse residents. The bill recently passed the Maryland House 110-21 and is now being heard in the State Senate:



JUICE #3: COUNTY EXECUTIVE RUSHERN BAKER'S ATTEMPT TO TAKEOVER THE SCHOOL SYSTEM GENERATES CONTROVERSY - Last week Maryland Juice appeared on News Channel 8's NewsTalk show to discuss some of the legislative battles going on in Annapolis. But host Bruce DePuyt also brought on Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker to discuss his newly launched effort to take control of the county's public school system. The effort was quickly introduced in Annapolis last week, and The Washington Post summarized Baker's broad goals (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III is planning a takeover of the county’s struggling school system, seeking state legislation that would put him in charge of the school superintendent and $1.7 billion budget while significantly reducing the power of the elected Board of Education.

Should Baker (D) succeed, it would mark a dramatic shift in power and result in a hybrid of the restructurings that have taken place in big cities across the country, such as the District and New York, where reform-minded executives have wrested control of embattled school systems....

In comments appearing on News Channel 8 (watch below), Maryland Juice highlighted some of the potential political risks involved in Baker's school takeover plan. Below you can watch the News 8 discussion with County Exec Rushern Baker and Maryland Juice, followed by my comments on the death penalty, gas tax and more.

If you really want to dig into the schools issue, the PG Politics blog has been compiling news coverage about Rushern Baker's Prince George's takeover effort. Note however, that the PG Politics blogger is decidedly opposed to Baker's plan and has written a five-part series critiquing the schools takeover plan: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5.

COUNTY EXECUTIVE RUSHERN BAKER EXPLAINS HIS SCHOOL TAKEOVER PLAN



  MARYLAND JUICE & PETER SHAPIRO DISCUSS BAKER'S PLAN



  MARYLAND JUICE DISCUSSES KEY LEGISLATIVE BATTLES THIS SESSION

DIRECT MAIL: Gov. Martin O'Malley and Baltimore, PG, MoCo & Howard Democratic Executives Urge "Vote For All" Referenda

Yesterday Maryland Juice reported that a new Democratic-aligned group materialized out of nowhere and was endorsing a "vote for all" the ballot questions. The sample ballot, from a group called "Forward Maryland" urged voters to support not only marriage equality (Question 6) and the Dream Act (Question 4), but also Maryland's congressional districts (Question 5) and gambling expansion (Question 7).

It turns out the operation is not faceless. Today, Maryland Juice received a direct mail sample ballot from the group, but they are now calling it the "Official Recommendations of Governor Martin O'Malley and Maryland's Leading Democrats." The mailer below also includes the faces of Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings Blake, Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett, Prince George's Executive Rushern Baker, and Howard County Executive Ken Ulman:

See the full direct mail piece below:

SAMPLE BALLOT: Gov. O'Malley & Democratic Executives Urge Vote For All Questions

IKE LEGGETT DEFENDING MOCO VALUES?: Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett, for what its worth, is also appearing on straight-up "vote for" Question 7 direct mail pieces promoting Maryland gambling expansion. See an excerpt from a postcard that arrived at my house yesterday:

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?

PHOTO ALBUM: White House Hispanic Summit in MoCo Draws Officials From Across MD // Ken Ulman, Rushern Baker & More

This past weekend, Montgomery County played host to a White House Hispanic Community Action Summit. Notably, the event took place the day after President Obama announced a halt to the the deportation of Dream Act students. Numerous Democratic officials from across the State participated in the discussion, including candidates for statewide office in 2014. Below, Maryland Juice re-prints a few photos from the event, along with an excerpt from a WTOP article about the event:

WTOP: ...The meeting, held at Montgomery Blair High School in Montgomery County, focused on the achievement gap, small business owners and the DREAM Act....

More than two dozen Obama administration officials, Congressman Chris Van Hollen, state senators and delegates, Montgomery County officials and Montgomery County school board members also attended the meeting to hear the voice of the community.

Nancy Navarro, the first Latino woman ever elected to the Montgomery County City Council, was one of the officials there to hear what the community had to say....

"This Administration has made incredible progress on a range of issues important to the Latino community, and recognizes that there is still very important work left to complete," Navarro said to the crowd.

View the full photo gallery on MoCo Councilmember Nancy Navarro's Facebook page:

MoCo Councilmember Nancy Navarro, PG Exec Rushern Baker, HoCo Exec Ken Ulman

Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown & MoCo Exec Ike Leggett

Rep. Chris Van Hollen, Councilmember Nancy Navarro, MoCo BOE President Shirley Brandman, Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown

Rep. Chris Van Hollen & MoCo Councilmember Nancy Navarro

Audience at the White House Hispanic Summit at Blair High School, Silver Spring, MD

MoCo Councilmember Nancy Navarro & HoCo Exec Ken Ulman, MoCo BOE Member Chris Barclay at right

Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown Fundraiser in MoCo to Feature VA Gov. Doug Wilder and MoCo & PG Execs Ike Leggett & Rushern Baker

A number of Maryland politicos I have spoken to recently have been surprised to see Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown allowing Attorney General Doug Gansler to build a sizeable cash advantage early in the race for 2014 Governor. After all, with roughly two years until the June 2014 Democratic Primary for Governor, Mr. Gansler has over $4.1 million banked to Mr. Brown's roughly $810,000 campaign war chest.

Nevertheless, it is worth pointing out that Mr. Brown seemingly launched his gubernatorial effort (for real) two weeks ago. We reported that the Lt. Governor had setup a website independent of the O'Malley-Brown site. Mr. Brown is now following up his PR efforts with a push to start banking cash. An anonymous source emailed Maryland Juice a fundraising calendar compiled by Annapolis influence-peddler (aka lobbyist) Bruce Bereano.

Our source wanted to draw readers' attention to one particular event. On Monday, June 18th, Lieutenant Governor Anthony G. Brown is holding a fundraiser in Potomac, Maryland, a wealthy suburb in Montgomery County. His three special guests are among the areas most prominent African American politicians (see event listing below). If the guests are actually endorsing Anthony Brown for Governor, it would appear the LG is walking into the race with the support of the MoCo and Prince George's County Executives:

UPCOMING EVENTS: Democratic Rallies & Parties in MoCo, HoCo, PG, Talbot // PLUS: Dream Act & COSTCO Fundraisers

UPDATE: We've added two invitations to the event round-up below. The first is the Maryland Democratic Party's Gala next Monday. The second is Montgomery County's annual peace luncheon. Details below.

Here's a random blend of invitations to upcoming events that may be of interest to Democratic or politically agnostic Maryland Juice readers. With six months to go until the November General Election, it appears that Maryland Democrats are getting ready to fire up the base:

EVENT #1: PRINCE GEORGE'S DEMOCRATIC UNITY RALLY- THU 5/10

Please join the Cardin Campaign, Maryland Democratic Party and Obama For America for a Prince George's County Unity Rally as we show our support for President Obama and Team Maryland in 2012

Featuring:

• Senator Ben Cardin
• Senator Barbara Mikulski
• Comptroller Peter Franchot
• Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer
• Representative Donna Edwards
• County Executive Rushern Baker

Thursday, May 10th - 7:00pm
IBEW Local 26, 4371 Parliament Place, Lanham, MD
RSVP:  http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gpstss

EVENT #2: MONTGOMERY DEMOCRATIC UNITY RALLY - MON 5/14

Montgomery County Unity Event: Please Attend. Show Your Support for Maryland Democrats

What - Montgomery County Unity Event with Gov. O'Malley, Sen Cardin, John Delaney and our Maryland Elected Officials
When - Monday, May 14th, 6-8PM
Where - Casey Community Center, 810 S. Frederick Ave, Gaithersburg MD

RSVP: https://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gpb33l

EVENT #3: IMPACT SILVER SPRING BASKETBALL WITH DOUG GANSLER - SAT 5/5

Community leaders, elected officials, beverage company representatives, Silver Spring families and others will gather for an afternoon of fun and some lighthearted competition this Saturday, May 5, as IMPACT Silver Spring, Maryland soft drink bottlers and the American Beverage Association (ABA) come together to host a local celebrity basketball game!

The Maryland non-alcoholic beverage companies will also announce a partnership with IMPACT Silver Spring to expand athletic programs and promote the importance of a healthy, balanced and active lifestyle.  The Washington GreenHawks will be on hand to entertain the crowd and take to the court for some basketball action. All attendees can enter a free drawing to win an iPod Touch!

When:            Saturday, May 5, 2012,  2-4 PM (3:30 PM  Program)

Who:              Ronnie Galvin, IMPACT Silver Spring
                       Seth Goldman, Honest Tea
                       Doug Gansler, Maryland Attorney General
                       Long Branch Athletic Assocation youth participants
                       Local community leaders          
                       Representatives of Maryland soft drink companies and the ABA
                       Washington GreenHawks

Where:          Long Branch Community Center Gymnasium
                      8700 Piney Branch Road
                      Silver Spring, MD 20901

Join us earlier in the day for the Montgomery County Department of Recreation's annual Long Branch Unity Festival!

EVENT #4: MOCO DEMOCRATIC CENTRAL COMMITTEE SPRING BALL - SAT 5/12

Attend the Annual Spring Ball And Awards Gala

The Annual Spring Ball is our most important fund-raiser. The money goes to support Democratic ideals and candidates in Montgomery County. You can help by donating unique items for the Silent Auction. Jewelry, wine, spa treatments or other glamorous items always do well!

You can also help by buying and placing an ad of congratulations, recognition or thanks in the Spring Ball Program. Most of all, you can help by attending. Remember: First Pay – First Seating basis.

Click Here to RSVP

When: Saturday May 12, 2012, from 6:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Where: Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center 5701 Marinelli Road, Rockville 20852.
What: A fabulous evening of fun: A Reception, Both Live and Silent Auctions, Dinner and Dancing 

Amount: $100 per ticket.

EVENT #5: DEMOCRATIC WOMEN OF TALBOT COUNTY W/ WENDY ROSEN - WED 5/16

EASTON STAR DEMOCRAT:  Wendy Rosen, the Democratic nominee for the 1st District Congressional seat, is scheduled to speak at 11 a.m. May 16 at Londonderry Retirement Community on Port Street.

The Democratic Women's Club of Talbot County meeting is open to the public. Rosen is challenging incumbent Congressman Andy Harris, R-Md.-1st.

Lunch will follow a question and answer session with Rosen. Lunch reservations are recommended and are available until May 7 through Natalie Caccia at 410-822-4812....

EVENT #6: YOUNG DEMOCRATS OF MD ANNUAL FUNDRAISER W/ MIKE MILLER  - SAT 5/5

SAT 5/4 from 2-4 pm: Join us at the 4th Annual Blue State Bash fundraiser in support of the Young Democrats of Maryland as we continue our hard work across the state to engage young voters and elect Democrats. This year’s Blue State Bash will be held in Howard County at the home of Delegate Guy Guzzone.

We're pleased to share that Senate President Mike Miller will be our keynote speaker, so we know we'll be in good company. We hope to see you there!

Individual tickets are $30 and can be purchased online via http://ydmaryland.org/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=747

EVENT #7: DANCE PARTY FUNDRAISER FOR DREAM ACT DEFENSE - SAT 5/5 

CASA Dream Act Fundraiser

Friday 5/4 - 9:00pm until 2:30am

COCOCABANA BAR & GRILL

2031 University Boulevard East, Hyattsville, MD 20783

What is the DREAM Act? Maryland’s new in-state tuition law, or the “Maryland Dream Act” as it is often called, allows a specific category of students to qualify for in-state tuition at any two-year community college or four-year university in the state of Maryland regardless of their immigration status.

• http://www.casademaryland.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1368
• http://www.educatingmarylandkids.org/

This fundraising event will be the Biggest Latin Social Dance in the area of MD, DC, & VA. Where everyone is welcome to be part of a great community where the main purspose is to make an impact with our future generation and to support those that are already part of the DREAM.

We will have a lot information for you about CASA's work with the community and the DREAM Act. Also, dancing lessons, special shows, and performances through the whole night!

Workshops and times:
Bachata foundation: 9:00 pm - 9:30 pm w/ Yulio & Autumn
Bachata inter/Adv: 9:30 pm - 10:00 pm w/ Yulio & Autumn

Latin Social Dance: 10:00 pm - 3:00 am

Yulio's TBR Entertainment will be keeping you on the dance floor all night long with the hottest Bachata, Salsa, Merengue, Cha-Cha-Cha, and more...

Shows Program:

11 pm Salsa performance w/ Omario & Margarite from the "SALSA PROJECT VA MD DC"
Slideshow photos and videos...
Presenting the DREAMERS...
12 am Bachata performance w/Yulio & Serena
Speech from one of the Maryland Dreamers

DONATION:
$10.00 minimum voluntary donation

EVENT #8: KENSINGTON COSTCO LEGAL DEFENSE DANCE PARTY FUNDRAISER  - SAT 5/5 

SUBJECT: Westfield Wheaton Costco Gas KHCA Legal Defense Dance Party

Juice, it would be great if you could give the event below a little promo. After three years of doing battle with billion-dollar bullies, we need all the help we can get. For more information, check out our YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SouGIX5uiDc
 
You are invited to a Dance Party at Kenmont Swim and Tennis Club!

Members and non-members are invited!

This Saturday May 5, 2012 - 7:30pm

The Kensington Heights Civic Association (KHCA) is sponsoring a Dance Party to raise funds to support the opposition to the Costco mega gas station proposed for Westfield Wheaton

$15 donation requested/$5 for children
in the Kenmont Clubhouse (2900 Faulkner Drive, Kensington)

Refreshments and good dance music provided; you supply the fun! This event is open to all (Kenmont membership not required), so bring your friends and family!

RSVP (so KHCA knows how many to expect) to Karen Cordry, karenc425@aol.com

EVENT #9: MARYLAND DEMOCRATIC PARTY GALA MON 5/7

VIP Reception 6:00 PM

General Reception 6:30 PM

Dinner 7:00 PM

Martins Crosswinds
7400 Greenway Center Drive
Greenbelt, MD 20770

RSVP

EVENT #10: ANNUAL MONTGOMERY COUNTY PEACE LUNCHEON  - SAT 5/19

Don’t miss Montgomery County’s annual Peace Luncheon, Sat., May 19, 11:30 a.m.  RSVP today at info@peaceactionmc.org.

Keynote speaker: the fabulous David Swanson, who will inspire you and give you hope and energy for our long struggle for peace.

Delicious Middle Eastern food, great speaker—and all to benefit two terrific organizations, one that provides services for rural Afghan women, the Afghan Women’s Fund (www.afghanwomensfund.org) and the other the national office of Peace Action (www.peace-action.org). We will present  the Maryland Peace Maker Awards, and the amazing MoCo Peace Players will make an appearance.

Suggested donation: $25 (includes lunch).

Location: Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockville, 100 Welsh Park Dr., Rockville. Directions here:  http://www.uucr.org/directions.php 

Everyone is invited, but please be sure to RSVP to info@peaceactionmc.org so that the organizers can ensure enough food for everyone!

Sponsored by Peace Action Montgomery, the UUCR Social Justice Committee, and Pax Christi.

VIDEO: Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker Endorses Sen. Ben Cardin for Re-Election

Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker today endorsed U.S. Senator Ben Cardin for re-election through the following video. Hat tip: The still anonymous Real Prince George's blog.

Marylander of the Year Nominations from CASA de Maryland, Patch.com and Delegate Eric Luedtke

UPDATE: Kim Propeack of CASA nominates the DOJ's Tom Perez below. Her shout-out to Perez notes his investigation of controversial Sheriff Joe Arpaio below. You can read more about Sheriff Joe in the latest Tea Party newsletter. He's launching an independent investigation into Obama's birth certificate! 

[ See All of the "Marylander of the Year" Nominations ]

This is the 2nd installation of our inaugural Marylander of the Year project. In the spirit of TIME Magazine's annual "Person of the Year" article, we are asking various Marylanders for their thoughts on who has been most influential or impactful in the amazing Free State/Old Line State. Contact Maryland Juice to share your own thoughts (either anonymously or publicly). Below, we print three more nominations. They come from Maryland legislator Eric Luedkte, Casa de Maryland's political director Kim Propeack and Doug Tallman, Patch.com's regional editor for Maryland & Virginia:

Prince George's County Executive 2.0? // Rushern Baker Rolls Out $50 Million Economic Development Plan

Maryland Juice received the email announcement below from Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker, regarding a newly approved $50 million economic development proposal. The Washington Business Journal introduced the plan as follows:

The Prince George's County Council on Tuesday unanimously backed the $50 million economic development incentive fund that County Executive Rushern Baker proposed shortly after his inauguration.

The 8-0 vote ensures Baker and the county government will have $50 million to parcel out over the next five fiscal years — including $7 million in the current fiscal 2012 — to attract businesses, retain existing ones, promote minority business, encourage transit-oriented development and broaden the tax base. Baker has called the EDI fund a "game changer" unlike any other pot available in the region.

Does Rushern Baker represent a new day for Prince George's County? Maryland Juice hopes so, because the Maryland-side of the Washington suburbs have so much unleashed potential....




Dear Friends,

Since the day I was sworn in as County Executive, my priorities have been creating jobs, growing our economy, and improving schools and public safety. Those goals are what drive everything I have done the past eleven months, from advocating for ethics reforms, to bringing our first State agency to Prince George’s County, to taking one day every week to visit a Prince George's County school.

But the Economic Development Incentive (EDI) Fund I introduced has been the cornerstone of those initiatives. The key to creating jobs and increasing revenues for public safety and schools is growing our commercial tax base. That's why I proposed we invest $50 million into a groundbreaking fund that would be the "wow" factor we need to jump-start job creation in the County. Now, after months of planning and collaboration, I have an amazing announcement to make:

Prince George's County's jobs bill, the Economic Development Incentive Fund, has received unanimous approval from the County Council.

There is no part of Prince George's County that will not be affected by this news. Our reputation in the business community and in the region will turn a significant corner. We have signaled that we are serious about job creation and business growth.

Prince George's Voters Replace Leslie Johnson With Derrick Leon Davis for Council

Yesterday, Prince George's County voters (a handful of them, at least), elected Democrat Derrick Leon Davis to the County Council's District 6 seat. The result shouldn't be surprising, as Maryland Juice previously noted that Mr. Davis was sweeping the local political endorsements. We also noted the circumstances leading to the Council vacancy:

The Prince George's Democrats are also likely to rally behind a single candidate to help them move past the incidents that gave rise to the special election. In 2010, Davis was bested by Leslie Johnson, wife of then County Executive Jack Johnson. As the Washington Post wrote, Johnson stepped down from the District 6 Council seat after facing criminal charges...

With the backing of County Executive Rushern Baker and area politicos, The Gazette reports that Mr. Davis won yesterday's Special General Election in a landslide:

Insider Gossip: Sen. Madaleno Dishes Dirt on the 2014 Gubernatorial Race // TOPIC: Dark Horse Candidates & Political Demography

Today, Maryland Juice brings you an exclusive interview with Maryland Senator Rich Madaleno on a few bits of political gossip: 2014's gubernatorial dark horse candidates, notes on political demography and more. Rich is an election geek and on top of representing District 18, formerly chaired the Montgomery County Senate delegation.

We previously covered the race from the lens of Maryland's push for marriage equality, but Senator Madaleno highlights a few more potential candidates and points out some of the difficult geographic considerations for the candidates.

His dark horse list includes:

• Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker
• Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake
• Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett
• Former Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith

BREAKING: Prince George's Officials to Back Derrick Leon Davis for County Council

UPDATE: Today's canvass-rally has been re-scheduled from SAT 8/26 to SAT 9/10. Irene!

Tomorrow, numerous Prince George's elected officials are expected to back Derrick Leon Davis for County Council. Davis is running for the District 6 seat which is currently up for a special election (voting info here).

The dates for the Special Primary Election and the Special General Election are September 20, 2011 and October 18, 2011, respectively. The polls for each election open at 7:00 A.M. and close at 8:00 P.M.

Mr. Davis hails from Mitchellville, Maryland and is a former O'Malley appointee and Chair of the Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund. According to an invitation leaked to Maryland Juice, tomorrow Davis is hosting a morning rally-canvass featuring the following special guests: