INTERESTING: Controversial Obama Pastor Jeremiah Wright to Speak at Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's Church

Adam Meister, a Baltimore-based blogger and political activist, today reported that President Barack Obama's former pastor Jeremiah Wright is coming to Baltimore in February. Wright is scheduled to speak at Douglas Community Memorial Church, which is apparently where Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake worships. A press release for the event notes:

DOUGLAS COMMUNITY MEMORIAL CHURCH: Rev. Dr. S. Todd Yeary, Senior Pastor and the Douglas Church Family will welcome  Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr.  as they celebrate the 88th Anniversary of the church’s founding. The Founders’ Day service will be held on Sunday, February 17, 2013 at 10 A.M. at Douglas Memorial Community Church, located 1325 Madison Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21217.

In a blog post today, Adam Meister reminds readers of some of Jeremiah Wright's more inflammatory and controversial comments regarding Jewish Americans. You may remember Wright from the conflicts he created during Barack Obama's 2008 run for President, when he began criticizing the candidate at public events during the campaign. Wikiepedia provides a quick description:

WIKIPEDIA: Wright, who was Barack Obama's former pastor, gained national attention in March 2008 when ABC News, after reviewing dozens of Wright's sermons, excerpted parts which were subject to intense media scrutiny. Obama denounced the statements in question, but after critics continued to press the issue of his relationship with Wright he gave a speech titled "A More Perfect Union", in which he denounced Wright's remarks, but did not disown him as a person. The controversy began to fade, but was renewed in late April when Wright made a series of media appearances, including an interview on Bill Moyers Journal, a speech at the NAACP and a speech at the National Press Club. After the last of these, Obama spoke more forcefully against his former pastor, saying that he was "outraged" and "saddened" by his behavior, and in May he resigned his membership in the church.

On June 9, 2009, in an interview with the Daily Press of Newport News, Wright indicated that he hadn't had contact with Obama up to that point because "Them Jews aren't going to let him talk to me. I told my baby daughter, that he'll talk to me in five years when he's a lame duck, or in eight years when he's out of office."

Pastor Jeremiah Wright Comes to Baltimore, Maryland - February 2013

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:

Race-Baiting Group Funds Anti-Marriage Equality Petitions // Baltimore Mayor Rawlings-Blake & Black Leaders Speak Out

The Baltimore Sun is reporting that anti-marriage equality advocates have announced they have gathered twice as many signatures as needed to subject civil rights to a majority vote this November. Marylanders for Marriage Equality has revealed, however, that the race-baiting organization "National Organization for Marriage" has financed most of this operation.

Maryland Labor Secretary Alex Sanchez to Become Baltimore Mayor's Chief of Staff // Transportation Secretary Also Vacates

SEARCH FOR A NEW LABOR SECRETARY: Maryland Juice has just learned that Maryland's Secretary of Labor Alex Sanchez has resigned. We discovered the breaking news when a source contacted us to suggest a replacement for Mr. Sanchez. The Baltimore Sun reports that Sanchez, who leads the Department of Labor, Licensing Regulation (DLLR), will be taking over as Chief of Staff for Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake:

BLECH: Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake Wants Special Session to Push Gambling & Prince George's Casino

BACKGROUND: Maryland Juice read two statements from politicians today that confirm gambling is a central issue in Maryland's budget debate. Personally, the issue doesn't motivate me very much in either direction, but I am very disturbed to see so much legislative effort go into promoting an obviously regressive revenue source. Did folks really hold up the budget to bring more gambling into Maryland? If so, am I the only one that finds this to be shameful?

Earlier today we reported that Maryland will be facing a doomsday budget scenario with millions of dollars in education cuts -- that is, unless Governor Martin O'Malley intervenes and calls for a special session. Now, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake is calling for a special session and is supporting the gambling measures. Below we print an excerpt from Baltimore Business Journal coverage of the Mayor's remarks, followed by a statement from Delegate Melony Griffith. Ms. Griffith is the Chair of the Prince George's Delegation and highlights a few of the sticking points from yesterday's chaotic legislative proceedings. She also confirms that gambling has been a sticking point in negotiations. Hat tip: Real Prince George's blog.

Rawlings-Blake wants special session for table games; O'Malley undecided

BALTIMORE BUSINESS JOURNAL: Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake wants lawmakers to return for a special session to pass a bill adding games like poker and blackjack at Maryland’s casinos, and deal with other key pieces of legislation, a spokeswoman for the mayor said Tuesday.

A hotly contested casino-expansion bill was left in limbo after the House and Senate couldn’t agree on a plan to add a sixth casino in the state before the session ended Monday. The Senate passed legislation that would add a sixth casino in Prince George’s County, either at the National Harbor resort or at Penn National Gaming’s Rosecroft Raceway harness track, and add table games at all the state’s casinos.

The House favored adding a sixth casino at National Harbor that would be slots-only while adding table games at the other five casinos in the state, including one planned for Baltimore....

“We don’t even know if there is going to be a special session at this point,” said Raquel Guillory, a spokesman for Gov. Martin O’Malley....

Since lawmakers couldn’t agree on a budget before the session ended, a “doomsday budget” will go into effect starting July 1. It will eliminate 500 state jobs and cut spending by $512.2 million....

Caesars Entertainment CEO Gary Loveman said April 3 the ability to offer table games would mean 500 additional jobs at the proposed 3,750-machine slots parlor on Russell Street, south of M&T Bank Stadium....

Brennan, the mayoral spokesman, said that in addition to a casino-expansion bill, Rawlings-Blake wants a special session to also take up legislation passing a new state budget and hiking the state’s gas tax to raise money for needed road improvements.

Delegate Melony Griffith's statement about the budget debacle appears in full on The Real Prince George's blog. We print an excerpt below:

DELEGATE MELONY GRIFFITH: Members are awaiting word whether the legislature will re-convene in a special session or face a “Doomsday Budget” following last night’s uncertain end to the 90-day 2012 Maryland General Assembly Session, Delegation Chair Delegate Melony G. Griffith said.

“We are disappointed that our work requires the possibility of more time to resolve these key pieces of legislation,” Griffith said. “I know we all would have preferred to resolve this by the deadline.”

Amid debates over whether to allow casino gaming in Prince George’s County and negotiations over how to fund the state’s budget going down to midnight, the delegation was divided this session. Members met in March to be briefed on one of several late gaming proposals, Senate Bill 892, but no formal position was taken.

With the gaming bill stalled, the two chambers passed the state’s budget by midnight. But several key pieces of the budget concerning taxes and other revenues for the state failed to pass, including a proposal that set the amount of teacher pension costs to be shared with counties, along with revenue to local jurisdictions to smooth the transition.

It is now up to Gov. Martin O’Malley to decide whether to call a special session before the July 1 start of the fiscal year, or to allow a previous alternative “doomsday budget” with $500 million in cuts to education, colleges, grants and other state funding to take effect.

More on the Maryland budget crisis soon!

2014 Governors Race: 1) Baltimore Mayor Still Shopping for a Candidate? & 2) Can Peter Franchot Come in 2nd to Win?

Maryland Juice points readers to two articles of note regarding Maryland's 2014 Governor's race. We previously wrote that Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake hosted a fundraiser for Lt. Governor Anthony Brown. Based on that, we stated that it appeared as if she were supporting him in the 2014 Democratic Primary. The Baltimore Sun's Annie Linskey now calls that into question:

Howard County Executive Ken Ulman's fundraiser at Mother's in Federal Hill Monday night included an appearance by Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake Releases Ad Supporting Maryland Marriage Equality

Maryland Juice just received the following announcement from Marylanders for Marriage Equality:

[Baltimore Mayor] Stephanie Rawlings-Blake is featured in the group’s seventh web ad supporting marriage equality in Maryland. In the video, Mayor Rawlings-Blake says, “Marriage protects families. And couples regardless of sexual orientation deserve the same legal protections. It’s only fair. It’s only right.”

“The Mayor has been a longtime supporter of committed gay and lesbian couples getting married and building strong families," Carrie Evans, executive director of Equality Maryland. “We’re certainly grateful she has added her voice to the many other Marylanders who support fairness and family. There's no doubt we have the momentum as legislators return to Annapolis next month."

Maryland Governor 2014: Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake Supports Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake appears to be supporting Lt. Governor Anthony Brown in Maryland's 2014 gubernatorial contest. A Maryland Juice reader has forwarded an invitation to a December 14th fundraiser that the Mayor is hosting for Mr. Brown:

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

CASA in Action Announces Baltimore City Endorsements

Latino advocacy organization CASA in Action has announced the following endorsement recommendations in the upcoming Baltimore City primary election. Contrary to any mailings you may have received, Primary Election Day is Tuesday, September 13, 2011. Voting hours are from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm (voting information here).

The organization describes itself as follows:

CASA in Action facilitates greater electoral and campaign engagement by Latinos and immigrants in Maryland by focusing uncompromisingly on providing political education to Latinos and getting them to the polls.

Baltimore elects 14 councilmembers, each representing a single member district for a four-year term. The President of the Council, along with the Mayor, are elected at-large. The current Council is 100% Democratic. Note: According to the most recent census data, a little over 4% of Baltimore City residents identify as Hispanic or Latino.

Below, CASA has issued no endorsement recommendation in Districts 7, 9, 10, 11, and 13. A recommendation is pending in District 2. The remaining endorsees are incumbents, except for one. In District 12 CASA recommends community activist Odette Ramos over Carl Stokes. Stokes had decided to run for re-election after flirting with a Mayoral bid.

CASA in Action's Endorsement Recommendations: