JUICEBLENDER - Pundits Pick Political Winners: O'Malley, Mizeur, Raskin, Hucker // Plus, Harford Exec for 2014 Gov?

Here's a random blend of political tidbits from the current news cycle, starting with an analysis of potential fallout from Maryland's current budget standoff:

JUICE #1: SENATE PREZ MIKE MILLER HARMS DEMOCRATIC BRAND - The Baltimore Sun's Annie Linskey recently published a lengthy write-up of the finger-pointing in the aftermath of Maryland's stalled budget negotiations. She printed speculation about the potential harm that a protracted budget battle could have on the reputations of political leaders, but most of the blame still seems to be hovering over Senate President Mike Miller. It seems clear that he is a poor brand-manager for the modern Democratic Party, and his ward boss political tactics are sullying the efforts of others. See an excerpt from The Sun's piece below:

CD6 SORE LOSER: Senate President Mike Miller Compares John Delaney to Mitt Romney in Post-Election Commentary

UPDATE: The Washington Post carried additional snarky comments from Senate President Mike Miller about John Delaney:

Maryland’s powerful Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert) offered perhaps the worst endorsement in recent memory. Miller said he would back Delaney: “Absolutely, I don’t know the gentleman, but if he can raise $800,000 for Hillary Clinton, he’s alright with me,” Miller said, referring to Delaney’s political fundraising prowess as a Montgomery County financier.

Contrast Mike Miller's comments about John Delaney with Gov. Martin O'Malley's recent statements in the press. The AP noted:  

Now, Democrats, including Gov. Martin O'Malley, are focusing on smoothing over any rifts as they seek to wrest away a seat 20 years under Republican control.

"He's a good person and I'm going to be doing everything I can to bring the party together to heal and to be successful for the people of Maryland come the fall," O'Malley, who endorsed Garagiola last week, said of Delaney on Wednesday.

SORE LOSERDOM: Maryland Juice just caught an undignified interview with Senate President Mike Miller in today's Baltimore Sun. The Democratic Party Leader in Maryland's Senate is apparently a sore loser and offering less than gracious comments for the new 6th Congressional District Democratic nominee John Delaney. Notably, Delaney beat Miller's hand-chosen pick State Senator Rob Garagiola by a landslide in yesterday's election.

Here is an excerpt from Mike Miller's magnanimous comments in The Sun:

Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller said he'll back John Delaney's bid to win in sixth Congressional District -- but he'd also like to see the candidate's income tax forms....

"I would like to see him, now that the election is over, show is income taxes," Miller said. "That would be nice. We’re all about disclosure and ethics, it would be nice to see if he pays less than 15 percent, less than Mitt Romney, or more."

Miller also noted the vast amounts of money spent during the race. "The people spoke. But what spoke unfortunately was the unlimited dollars," Miller said.

Maryland Democratic Party Chair Yvette Lewis Meets 
with Ben Cardin & John Delaney to Plot Nov. Strategy

Wow. That's just a little bit off message. Meanwhile, the rest of the Democratic Party actually still cares about -- The Democratic Party.

Earlier today, Maryland Democratic Party Chair Yvette Lewis had lunch with Mr. Delaney, along with Ben Cardin, the recently re-approved Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate. They were meeting to discuss strategy for the November General Election.

With control of the U.S. House at stake, Democratic leaders from around the Free State will be rallying around the Party's nominees this November. But apparently Mr. Miller is not exactly a team player.


Perhaps we need a new captain in the Maryland Senate?

The Race to Succeed Mike Miller for Senate President BEGINS NOW // Maryland Juice Straw Poll Ballots Are Trickling In

Here we go! Ballots are trickling in for Maryland Juice's 2012 Straw Poll. We are polling State Senators on a range of questions about the Senate Presidency, including whether they think the multi-decade reign of Mike Miller should now come to an end. More importantly, we are asking Senators who they would choose to succeed Mr. Miller and about basic rules to establish accountability and transparency for leadership elections.

Senators -- don't be so scared! Hurry up and get your ballots in. Some of your colleagues have already mailed their ballots. Besides, I have no plans to open these until I have a critical mass of ballots in-hand. Then, I will open them all at once.

Let me give you a few hints as to why the time is ripe for a leadership change:

Maryland Senate President Straw Poll: Ballots Have Been Mailed // VIDEO: Instructions for Senators & Proof of Anonymity

SENATORS: STRAW POLL BALLOTS WERE MAILED TODAY

CHECK YOUR ANNAPOLIS MAILBOX THIS WEEK

Maryland Juice recently announced a new experiment in guerilla journalism -- we are sending State Senators an anonymous ballot asking them whether or not they would like to see Senate President Mike Miller replaced in a leadership election. You can view our sample ballots online, but I have also produced a new video below. State Senators: Please watch the video below, as it provides loose confirmation that the ballots are anonymous, as well as further clarification on the polling process:

If you have any further questions, you can contact me anonymously.

ANONYMOUS: Maryland Juice Sample Ballots // Senate President 2012 Straw Poll

Below, Maryland Juice has posted the sample ballots for our upcoming straw poll of State Senators. We have created a separate ballot for Democrats and Republicans to see who they would choose for Senate President if an election were allowed to occur. You can watch our kickoff video for the project, as it explains the basic concept. We'll also post a second video with further explanation soon!

Maryland Juice Straw Poll // Senate President - DEMOCRATIC SAMPLE BALLOT

Maryland Juice Straw Poll // Senate President - REPUBLICAN SAMPLE BALLOT