DAN FURMANSKY: Del. Don Dwyer Must Be Ousted, But Due to Weak Laws, He May Retain His Seat in the Maryland House

Below, Maryland Juice writer Dan Furmansky provides an update and commentary on the second drunk-driving case involving Maryland's Tea Party lawmaker Don Dwyer.

DAN FURMANSKY: Kudos to The Baltimore Sun — which, incidentally, will not be bought by the Koch Brothers, thanks to all that is good and holy in the world. The paper has been running excellent coverage of very sad situation of Del. Don Dwyer. First was The Sun’s fantastic editorial about Del. Dwyer’s second arrest for driving under the influence. The paper hit all the marks, and did so sensitively. The entire piece is worth reading, but here is a snippet (excerpt below)

BALTIMORE SUN: We join Mr. Dwyer's colleagues from both sides of the General Assembly aisle in asking that he seek help in some appropriate residential treatment program. He should also resign from office. It's clear enough that the burden of public life is too much of a distraction for the delegate and may well be what's preventing him from fully appreciating his grave circumstances.

We take no joy in this development. The path to sobriety is seldom an easy one or without setbacks. Nor do we necessarily fully understand the personal demons and difficulties that may have contributed to his circumstances.

But we do know this: Such behavior is unbecoming a state legislator. Current state law, which does not give the state legislature authority to remove Mr. Dwyer from office nor for his District 31 constituents to seek his recall, is once again proving itself inadequate in the matter of a law-breaking elected official in this state. It is up to the delegate to do the right thing....

Now today’s article in The Sun, entitled “Law likely won't force Dwyer from office,” has more to say on the matter (excerpt below):

BALTIMORE SUN: Fellow lawmakers have called on Del. Don Dwyer Jr. to resign after his drunken-driving arrest Tuesday, but there is little in Maryland law to force that outcome, a review of the state’s statutes on removal from office shows.... 

State voters approved a constitutional amendment last year to automatically suspend elected officials from office once they are found guilty of a felony or certain misdemeanors related to their official duties. If they remain guilty after exhausting the appeals process, they are permanently removed.

Tiffany Alston, a former Democratic delegate from Prince George’s County, was removed from office last fall after she was convicted of misconduct in office — a crime that officials determined related directly to her official duties.

But DUI, like boating while drunk, is a misdemeanor that would not be construed as having to do with service in office, according to the state attorney general’s office. The General Assembly has broad discretion to discipline its members but can expel only with a two-thirds vote of the full membership of the chamber in question....

Furthermore, it’s not clear that there is any political appetite to begin that process in Dwyer’s case. House Speaker Michael E. Busch, an Annapolis Democrat, criticized Dwyer’s conduct as “unbecoming of a legislator” but said his future in the legislature “will be decided by his own conscience … or, ultimately, by the voters.”

Maryland is not one of the 19 states that allows for a citizen recall of an elected official, so it is indeed up to the General Assembly to take action if Del. Dwyer does not resign on his own. Legislators need to find their political appetite to deal with this, as a matter of moral imperative, or pass appropriate legislation allowing for automatic removal of a legislator convicted twice of a misdemeanor that endangers people’s lives. Call it the Delegate Don Dwyer Act of 2014.

It’s one thing to show mercy to a legislator dealing with alcoholism, who makes a life-endangering mistake one time, accepts that they have a serious problem with alcohol, and takes the steps necessary to ensure they will never endanger another life again, while also accepting their legal punishment. I could see the General Assembly choosing to reprimand that contrite legislator while not going so far as to remove him or her from office. Such a move would at least be fathomable.

But the idea that Del. Dwyer can be caught driving under the influence—endangering lives—for a second time and continue to be considered fit for public office makes a mockery out of our state’s lawmaking body. Del. Dwyer’s crime isn’t that his politics and political approach are disgusting, which they are. His crime isn’t that he is an alcoholic. His crime is endangering people’s lives. Twice.

Notably, Del. Dwyer refused to take a breath test, the results of which usually determine whether someone is charged with driving under the influence or driving while intoxicated, which carries a greater charge. Based upon the arrest report (via CBS News), it appears this was no minor incident (excerpt below):

CBS NEWS: “The officer was immediately concerned for the safety of everyone on the road,” said Justin Mulcahy, Anne Arundel County Police spokesman. “It was driving erratically to say the least.  It crossed over several lanes of traffic multiple times, onto the shoulder several times as well, even getting in front of vehicles.”

According to the official police report, during the traffic stop, the officers could smell a strong odor of alcohol, Dwyer’s speech was slow and slurred, and his eyes were glassy and red.

Police say Dwyer was traveling 70 mph in a 55 mph zone Tuesday morning. His car registration was expired and suspended for emissions, according to the police report.

Police say he failed three field sobriety tests and refused a breath test.

If Del. Tiffany Alston should be automatically removed from office for paying a law firm employee $800 in state money and using campaign funds for wedding expenses, then how can there be a question that driving under the influence after being convicted of the same crime just months before warrants the same?

Had Del. Dwyer struck another vehicle, forcing it to careen off the road, and causing a traumatic brain injury to its passenger, do you think we would even be having this conversation? Doubtful. Blessedly, the police intervened in time, and that did not happen. That’s lucky for both Del. Dwyer, and the people who might be dead right now had he remained behind the wheel for just a few more minutes.

But regardless of how much harm Del. Dwyer caused to others on this second, law-breaking occasion, if he is convicted of a DUI misdemeanor for a second time, the General Assembly must take the necessary action to remove him from office. If the Ethics Committee feels this situation is outside the purview of its job, because the violation was not directly involved with Del. Dwyer’s official duties, then current law must be amended in some appropriate way to clarify that office-holders twice convicted of a misdemeanor that endangers lives will be removed from office.

Fool me once, shame on you…fool me twice…


- Dan Furmansky

Gov. Martin O'Malley Appoints Former Del. Darren Swain to Tiffany Alston's D24 House Seat // PG Dems' Choices Rejected

Del. Darren Swain

OUT WITH THE NEW, IN WITH THE OLD: An anonymous source brings Maryland Juice readers news that Prince George's County residents in Maryland's District 24 now have a new member of the House of Delegates.

Gov. Martin O'Malley today announced he has chosen former Delegate Darren Swain to fulfill the remainder of Tiffany Alston's term. Notably, Swain was not one of the three names recently submitted for recommendation by the Prince George's County Democratic Central Committee.

Previously, the saga to fill the D24 seat brought lawsuits from Greg Hall (an activist who was originally nominated for the vacancy) and Tiffany Alston. But Maryland courts ruled that O'Malley had ultimate authority to select a replacement, in this instance. See the Governor's press release below:

UPDATE: Sam Arora Clarifies Explanation of Marriage Equality Flip-Flop // BTW: Arora Has Less Than $3,000 Cash on Hand

BACKGROUND: Maryland Juice recently published televised comments from Democratic lawmaker Sam Arora where he attempted to explain why he betrayed a promise to support marriage equality legislation. His convoluted response implied that I personally had some sort of political agenda in asking about his flip-flop. Moreover, Arora strangely claimed that he was in fact a supporter of equal rights. This last claim baffled many marriage equality advocates and led an anonymous source to weigh in with harsh comments (excerpt below):

ANONYMOUS SOURCE #1: As far as I can tell, there is nothing in the formal legislative record of him ever exercising his tiny little brain to actually draft an amendment and submit it for his colleagues consideration.  Once again -- he is trying to rewrite history -- and avoid the legitimate scrutiny that his lies deserve....

ARORA CLARIFIES HIS FLIP-FLOP (KIND OF) - Today The Washington Blade followed up with additional coverage of Sam Arora's explanation of his marriage equality flip-flop. Sam responded to a media call from The Blade by revealing evidence of the amendment he was talking about. It turns out that Arora joined Delegates Tiffany Alston and Geraldine Valentino-Smith in trying to turn the marriage equality bill into a civil unions bill. But Arora declined to mention that Alston ultimately voted for the marriage equality bill, while he voted against it. Check out a quick excerpt from The Blade's coverage:

WASHINGTON BLADE:  Maryland Del. Sam Arora (D-Montgomery County) - who campaigned on a pledge to support a marriage equality bill then voted against it -  has offered his first public explanation for the vote.

"A lot of us wanted the goal of full legal equality for all couples," Arora said during a Jan. 8 segment of NewsTalk with Bruce DePuyt in response to a question from David Moon of Maryland Juice, a website that covers state politics....

Arora also referenced an amendment that he, Del. Geraldine Valentino-Smith (D-Prince George’s County) and former Del. Tiffany Alston introduced that would have replaced marriage with civil unions in the bill - he directed the Washington Blade to it in response to a request for comment on Moon’s question....

The Blade also published comments from Del. Mary Washington highlighting that civil unions were not a serious alternative to the marriage equality legislation being debated at the time:

DEL. MARY WASHINGTON: "We were pushing for full marriage equality and that civil unions has been found to be inadequate," she said. "In fact states that have civil unions are actually now looking to full marriage equality...."

MEGA JuiceBlender: Updates on Don Dwyer, John Delaney, Maryland Wind Power, Death Penalty, Gun Control & More!

Below Maryland Juice presents several recent political tidbits to take note of, starting with an update on everyone's favorite gay-bashing, drunk-driving Delegate Don Dwyer. Sorry for the length of this JuiceBlender, but I'm playing catch up on a bunch of story threads below.

Maryland's Drunk-Boating Delegate Don Dwyer

JUICE #1: CRIMINAL CHARGES BROUGHT AGAINST TEA PARTY LAWMAKER DON DWYER // SPOTLIGHT ON HYPOCRISY - Maryland Delegate Don Dwyer stunned political observers with his moral hypocrisy earlier this year when he admitted driving a boat with over three times the legal blood alcohol content (BAC). Dwyer is a self-proclaimed family values, Tea Party lawmaker who previously led the charge against marriage equality in Maryland. But Dwyer's drunk-boating led to serious injuries for several children, and now The Baltimore Sun reports that the Republican lawmaker is facing criminal charges (excerpt below):

BALTIMORE SUN: Del. Donald H. Dwyer Jr. is facing five charges in connection with an August boat crash that sent him and six other people — including four children — to the hospital....

Dwyer, 54, was charged Thursday by Maryland Natural Resources Police with operating a vessel while under the influence of alcohol, reckless operation of a vessel, negligent operation of a vessel, failing to register his boat and a rules-of-the-road violation.

If convicted, Dwyer could face a year in jail and up to $1,940 in combined fines.

The operator of the other boat, Mark "Randy" Harbin, also was charged in the crash; none of Harbin's charges were related to alcohol....

Don Dwyer's Republican colleague Del. Nic Kipke previously suggested that Dwyer should resign from office, but that was even before criminal charges were handed down. Now that Dwyer is actually facing jail time, The Capital Gazette has also weighed in and is joining the calls for Dwyer's resignation (excerpt below):

CAPITAL GAZETTE: ...after seeing Dwyer win three elections, we know he has a core of supporters who see his fundamentalist view of the world as their own. They have ignored his failing as a delegate, the inability to pass a single piece of legislation. Instead, they have been content with a representative focused on other people's morals, values and their lack of respect for the law. Now poor judgment has turned the table and the public must consider Dwyer's morals, values and lack of respect....

We should not tolerate a lawmaker who violates the laws passed by the very body he serves. Given the serious of the charges against Dwyer, he should resign.

With a blood-alcohol level measured at .24 -- three times the legal definition of intoxication -- his decision to take that boat onto the water represented a complete lack of respect for the lives of others. Police say he was negligent and reckless. He should have been charged with being oblivious.

It is less sensational yet of equal concern that Dwyer was piloting a unregistered boat. The man who has made his career lecturing us all on right and wrong decided he could ignore the law. His hubris was so great, so galling that he had the audacity to do it behind the wheel of a boat named Legislator.

Dwyer said he has no plans to step down....

JUICE #2: MD SENATE MAY SHIFT COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP TO PASS WIND POWER BILL, BUT FROSH NOT INTERESTED IN DOING SAME FOR DEATH PENALTY - Maryland Juice has been hearing rumors of potential shifts to the membership of various committees in the Maryland Senate. The reason for this would be to remove members who have been obstacles to various bills and allow the legislation to come to a full vote on the floor. The Associated Press (via WNAV) this month noted that Senate President Mike Miller wants a vote on a wind power bill (excerpt below):

ASSOCIATED PRESS: Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller says he will consider changing the membership of the Senate Finance Committee, if that's what is needed to get an offshore wind measure to the Senate for a full debate in the upcoming legislative session....

Additionally, the Prince George's County Young Democrats Tweeted at Maryland Juice that State Senator Joanne Benson announced she would changing committee assignments:

Maryland Juice has been hoping that if the State Senate is going to be making changes to pass wind power, that President Mike Miller will do the same to finally get the death penalty off the books in Maryland. Notably, Miller is an advocate of executions by the government and seems to be unexcited about bringing Maryland in line with global norms on the issue. Meanwhile human rights group Amnesty International noted the United States' embarrassing position on the issue last year:

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: The United States stayed in its dubiously bad place on this fundamental human rights issue. The U.S. was the only country in the Western hemisphere or the G8 to kill its prisoners, and was responsible for the fifth most known executions in the world, behind China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. (As an independent country, Texas would have ranked 7th, between North Korea and Somalia, with its 13 executions in 2011.)

This issue (and others) continue to fuel my belief that Maryland's legislative leadership is much more conservative than the voters they are supposed to represent. More surprising, however, is the fact that liberal State Senator Brian Frosh seems to be pulling his punches against the immoral and Dark Ages practice of conducting state-sponsored murders in Maryland. The Baltimore Sun reported last month that the NAACP planned to make repeal of government executions their top priority in Maryland. But The Sun's coverage also noted that Frosh, who chairs the Senate committee with jurisdiction over state executions, does not believe that Miller should change the composition of the Judiciary Committee to abolish the death penalty. This is an odd view for Frosh (a death penalty opponent), given that he is no stranger to using strong-arm tactics to advance or kill legislation, as he did when he unilaterally overruled his colleagues and killed student voting rights in Montgomery County this year. It is also an interesting position, given that the composition of Senate committees is pretty arbitrary to begin with. See an excerpt from The Sun's coverage below:

BALTIMORE SUN: The NAACP is vowing to mount in Annapolis its largest-ever effort to abolish the death penalty in a state, saying Maryland's historic role in the civil rights movement makes it an appropriate place for the push....

The NAACP has historically opposed the death penalty for a variety of reasons, including racial disparities in how it is applied. [NAACP President Ben] Jealous said Maryland is especially important to the NAACP because of the state's civil rights history — including the careers of native sons Thurgood Marshall and Frederick Douglass....

To get a repeal bill to the Senate floor under standard procedure, the Judicial Proceedings Committee would have to approve it. A 6-5 majority on the panel has consistently supported the death penalty....

Frosh, a Montgomery County Democrat, said he has little enthusiasm for one strategy suggested by repeal proponents — persuading Miller to shuffle committee memberships to dislodge the bill. "I don't think it's good policy to shift members of committees to pick up a vote on one issue," he said....

I agree that its not good practice to do this willy-nilly, but surely there are instances where it makes sense. When a state government grants itself the right to kill people, I think that might be a good time to dust off the old "committee membership switcheroo" tactic. Come on, we're doing it for wind power! I think that stopping state murder is at least as important as promoting renewable energy and halting climate change.


JUICE #3: SEN. BARBARA MIKULSKI TO CHAIR APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE // TEA LEAVES: NO RETIREMENT COMING - Numerous outlets are reporting that U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski (aka BAM!) has been tapped to chair the body's appropriations committee, which (naturally) has jurisdiction over how the Senate spends money. Mikulski will be the first woman to hold the powerful post, and already Maryland politicos are thinking about how this may benefit the Free State. One Maryland Juice source noted, "This makes it much easier to get federal funding for both Red Line and Purple Line... if we can just get the state to come up with some transportation revenues." In any case, The Associated Press reported on the development via The New York Times (excerpt below):

ASSOCIATED PRESS: Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski is set to become the first woman to chair the prestigious Senate Appropriations Committee, a position left open this week by the death of Hawaii Sen. Daniel Inouye.

A Democrat, Mikulski was first elected to the Senate in 1986 after serving 10 years in the House. Last year, she became the longest-serving woman in Senate history.

With her ascendancy to the chairmanship of Appropriations, she enters a male-dominated realm that in the past has had sweeping power in deciding how federal dollars will be dispersed around the country....

On the other hand, Josh Kurtz from Center Maryland had an astute observation about the ascencion of BAM! In a column this week Kurtz noted that Mikulski's elevation to Appropriations Chair meant she was clearly not going to be vacating her U.S. Senate seat anytime soon (excerpt below):

JOSH KURTZ: ...for all the cheering about Mikulski in Maryland, there was also a perceptible, if mostly silent cry of pain last week among ambitious younger politicians looking to move up the food chain: My God, now she’ll never leave!

It’s already been widely suspected that the 76-year-old senator wasn’t planning to retire anytime soon, that she’d seek a record-breaking sixth term in 2016. Now there shouldn’t be any doubt. Mikulski, whose political career has been her life, has extra reason to stay....

JUICE #4: CONGRESSMAN-ELECT JOHN DELANEY TAPPED FOR HOUSE FINANCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE // WILL THE 1% BE GOOD FOR THE 99%? - A former campaign aide to Congressman-elect John Delaney reports that the 6th Congressional District Democrat has been tapped to serve on the U.S. House's Financial Services committee. Maryland Juice caught the following post on Facebook a few days ago:


Depending on what type of official Delaney turns out to be, this could either be a great thing or an unfortunate development. Remember when Dick Cheney let oil industry lobbyists make energy policy for the White House?

During Delaney's heated campaign for Congress this year, his opponents marched out a series of stories about his company Capital Source, including allegations that Delaney was essentially insensitive to the plight of ordinary people affected by his company's activities. I have no idea if those characterizations were accurate or not, but it does lead me to be slightly skeptical about whether it is a good thing to put a member of the 1% in charge of financial services in Congress -- especially if it is unclear if that one-percenter is committed to advancing social & economic justice. Note that I don't mean to use the 1% term pejoratively here; rather, I'm merely reflecting the reality that Delaney is (as a matter of fact) very, very, very rich, and he got that money through the very sector he will be regulating. Hmm.

On the other hand, Delaney could understand that most of his constituents are not interested in seeing further consolidation of wealth in the United States, and so maybe he will turn out to be a refreshingly forward-thinking voice on fiscal issues. After all, it should be obvious to those with at least half a brain that it is not healthy for our economy to have a shrinking body of wealth among middle-class consumers. But for now, we'll all have to keep close tabs on John Delaney's votes and priorities in Congress.


JUICE #5: STATE SENATOR BILL FERGUSON OF BALTIMORE MAY FACE 2014 PRIMARY CHALLENGE FROM FORMER SEN. JOHN PICA - State Senator Bill Ferguson of Baltimore is having an "interesting" month to say the least. We recently reported that his car was vandalized with horseshit and acid, and now a former State Senator who served 16 years ago wants to primary Ferguson in 2014. See a quick excerpt from The Baltimore Sun's coverage below:

BALTIMORE SUN: Former state Sen. John A. Pica Jr., who has been out of office the past 16 years, is considering a return to the political arena with a possible Democratic primary challenge to Baltimore Sen. William C. Ferguson IV....

"I wouldn't be looking at this if I didn't think I could be a much more effective senator," Pica said. He said that while his votes on issues would not be much different from Ferguson's, he could be more effective than Ferguson in bringing back state money to Baltimore....

Ferguson, the youngest member of the Maryland Senate at 29, knocked off seven-term incumbent George W. Della Jr. in the 2010 Democratic primary. After a bitter campaign marked by harsh accusations on both sides, the young teacher trounced the veteran by almost 60 percent to 40 percent.

The incumbent said he will seek re-election. If Pica does run, Ferguson said, the race will be seen as a contest between "old politics" and a "new way of doing business...."

JUICE #6: GOV. O'MALLEY PUSHING MARYLAND ASSAULT WEAPON BAN // FMR. LT. GOV. MICHAEL STEELE CONDEMNS NRA STATEMENTS - In the wake of Connecticut's school shooting, Maryland Democrats are making gun control legislation a priority in 2013. Governor O'Malley and Democratic state legislators are proposing a ban on assault weapons and other measures. WAMU reported a couple weeks ago on O'Malley's plans (excerpt below):

WAMU: Last week's shooting presents three main areas of legislative focus, the governor said: laws relating to assault weapons, mental health treatment and school safety....

Indeed, in tandem with O'Malley's push, several Democratic lawmakers are introducing bills to curb gun violence. In a follow-up article, WAMU detailed some of the bills that are being proposed by State Senators Bill Ferguson of Baltimore and Jamie Raskin of Montgomery County (excerpt below):

WAMU: In the wake of last week's mass shooting in Connecticut, a group of state senators in Maryland is unveiling a series of gun control bills they will push during the upcoming session of the General Assembly.

The bills are wide-ranging, including an assault weapon ban, mandatory reduction of ammunition clip size and banning concealed gun permits for people who've been committed involuntarily to a mental institution in the past five years....

"This madness must stop," Ferguson says. "We can not continue to have a community in which gun violence is accepted...."

"There is simply no reason for any civilian in the United States of America to be carrying around a military style assault weapon like an uzi," Raskin says....

Republican lawmakers, on the other hand, are proposing to simply require police officers to be present at Maryland high schools. The Gazette reported on the counter-proposal by Maryland Republicans (excerpt below):

GAZETTE: Del. John W.E. Cluster Jr. (R-Dist. 8) of Parkville has crafted a bill requiring school resource officers — sworn, active-duty police officers — to be assigned daily to every public school in the state....

Cluster made clear that his proposal would only include sworn, active-duty police officers, and that they could become good role models for the students in the schools they serve.

He also said he is skeptical of proposals such as the state assault-weapons ban, which he doesn’t feel would keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people....

In an interesting aside, former Republican Lt. Gov. Michael Steele recently weighed in on the gun control debate by condemning the NRA's call for teachers to start packing heat. In comments that appeared in Politico, Steele called the proposal "disturbing" (excerpt below):

POLITICO: “I don’t even know where to begin. As a supporter of the Second Amendment and a supporter of the NRA — even though I’m not a member of the NRA — I just found it very haunting and very disturbing that our country now is talking about arming our teachers and our principals in classrooms,” Steele said on MSNBC immediately after LaPierre finished his comments.

Steele continued: “What does that say about us? What does that say about us? I do not believe that is where the American people want to go. I do not believe that is the response that should be coming out of the tragedy out of Newtown....”

While Maryland Juice is glad to see the surge in interest in common-sense gun control legislation, I am curious why American policymakers continually wait for tragedies to occur before addressing obvious problems. We seem to lack a proactive or predictive policy apparatus in this country. Again, I point to the Minnesota bridge collapses, the flooding of New Orleans, the NUMEROUS school shootings in America, and many, many other tragedies as examples of dangerously reactive policymaking. When will Americans get macro and start working to preempt problems, rather than waiting until tragedy strikes to act?


JUICE #7: ALONZO WASHINGTON SWORN IN TO REPLACE DELEGATE JUSTIN ROSS // MEANWHILE GREG HALL STILL IN LIMBO - Prince George's County's political team has been undergoing constant shifts in recent years, and 2012 was no exception. A few days ago, Delegate Jolene Ivey posted a photo on Twitter of Alonzo Washington being sworn into the House of Delegates. Washington is replacing Democrat Justin Ross who vacated his seat earlier this year. I have to admit, I ~love~ Alonzo Washington's bad-ass hairdo:

Meanwhile, Maryland politicos are still awaiting the final outcome of litigation regarding Prince George's County's other vacant State House seat. Tiffany Alston and Greg Hall continue to battle in court for the right to represent Maryland's District 24. But with the case still in front of Maryland's high court, we may have to wait until 2013 to see how this shakes out.


JUICE #8: NANCY NAVARRO BEGINS MOCO COUNCIL PRESIDENCY, BERLINER REFLECTS ON HIS TERM AS PREZ - Councilmember Nancy Navarro became the first Latina to serve as President of the Montgomery Council this month. She succeeds Councilmember Roger Berliner, who ended a one-year term as President this month. Note that the MoCo Council Prez position changes every year, with the Councilmembers themselves voting on the leader of their body. Below you can see a video interview with Navarro where she describes her plans for the year. You can also see Berliner reviewing his year as President.

NANCY NAVARRO ON HER PLANS AS COUNCIL PRESIDENT:

ROGER BERLINER ON HIS TERM AS COUNCIL PRESIDENT: 

VIDEO: Doug Duncan for MoCo Executive & Greg Hall for District 24 Delegate? // Maryland Juice Weighs In on News 8

This morning, Maryland Juice appeared on Bruce DePuyt's News Channel 8 show Newstalk. The two of us had a free-ranging conversation about two hot topics in Maryland politics right now:

1. Former Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan's decision to run for Exec again in 2014
2. The stalled appointment of Greg Hall for the District 24 State House vacancy

For those who are unaware of these stories, let me quickly catch you up. First, MoCo's 2014 County Executive race is heating up, and the newest combatant is former County Exec Doug Duncan. Earlier this week he announced he would be entering the race for the Democratic nomination. In the interview below, I suggest that Duncan surely starts with some name recognition but may have a harder time in a modern MoCo primary than some are acknowledging.

Meanwhile, in neighboring Prince George's County, the fate of the District 24 House seat formerly held by Delegate Tiffany Alston is up in the air. Alston copped a plea after facing charges that she used her State House budget for private purposes. The powers that be have decided that means she was suspended from the legislature. She's lawyered up and is challenging that view. But even still, the vacancy appointment process has proceeded, and a group of elected Prince George's Democratic leaders met to select Alston's replacement. The group's Chair Terry Speigner battled local activist Greg Hall for the appointment, but Hall won by a hair. Shortly thereafter, news reports surfaced of the newly nominated Delegate's violent past. Decades ago, Greg Hall was involved in a drug-related shootout that resulted in the death of a child, though Hall's bullet was not the cause of death. Some are now expressing second-thoughts about his nomination, while Hall's backers make the case for his new life and for belief in "redemption." Governor Martin O'Malley, in the meantime, has asked the P.G. Dems to retract Hall's name. Hall too is has now lawyered up to seek a temporary restraining order. The next decision point should come on Tuesday.

Below Maryland Juice comments on both stories (watch video below):

HOLY MACKEREL: Gov. O'Malley Asks Prince George's Dems to Withdraw Greg Hall's Name For Tiffany Alston's MD House Seat

BACKGROUND: Just days ago, local news outlets were abuzz with news that Greg Hall, the choice of the Prince George's Democratic Central Committee (PGDCC) to replace Delegate Tiffany Alston (D24), had previously been involved in a drug-dealing gun-shootout that resulted in a dead child. The PG Democratic Central Committee had appointed Hall to replace Alston after she copped a plea on criminal charges involving misuse of government resources. Maryland Juice highlighted a few news articles indicating that the PG Dems were uncomfortable with the revelations and began changing their vacancy appointment process to preempt this kind of a problem in the future.

O'MALLEY ASKS PG CENTRAL COMMITTEE TO WITHDRAW HALL'S NAME: But now, The Washington Post is reporting that Governor Martin O'Malley is asking the Prince George's Democratic Central Committee to withdraw Hall's name for the District 24 seat, and it sounds like they are inclined to listen (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley has asked Prince George’s County Democrats to withdraw the name of businessman Greg Hall to replace Tiffany Alston in the House of Delegates until the state’s attorney general rules on whether the seat is actually vacant....

Assistant States’s Attorney General Dan Friedman had advised the General Assembly that Alston’s seat was vacant upon her conviction. But an Anne Arundel County judge last week agreed to modify Alston’s one-year suspended jail sentence to probation before judgment, essentially striking her conviction....

[PGDCC Chair Terry] Speigner said the 24-member panel is already scheduled to meet Tuesday. At that meeting, he said “we will comply with the governor’s request to rescind Hall’s nomination.” He said the committee would do what O’Malley asked.

O'MALLEY DODGES BULLET: Governor O'Malley may have caught a very lucky break with the sudden legal ambiguities about whether Tiffany Alston has been suspended from the legislature or not. After all, if Hall's nomination for the vacancy had proceeded, O'Malley himself would have had to ultimately appointment him to the D24 seat. It seems pretty easy to imagine how O'Malley's rivals could have used this issue either in a primary or a general election.

Even more interesting to think about is what will happen to Tiffany Alston. Did she just find a way to stay in office? We shall know soon enough!

UGLY: Prince George's Democratic Chaos // Vacancy Process May Shift After Unelected Lawmaker's Gun Violence Revealed

Things continue to remain a little crazy in Prince George's politics. First, it should be noted that two of Councilmember Will Campos' aides just received vacancy appointments from the PG Dems Central Committee: former aide Greg Hall and Chief of Staff Alonzo Washington. Hall won a close vote to replace Del. Tiffany Alston (D24) right before the presidential election, while Washington won his appointment to Del. Justin Ross' seat (D22) with a fairly large margin last night. But the way in which these appointments are being handled is going to differ. The reason being that after Hall won the vote for Alston's seat, The Washington Post's Ann Marimow reported that the soon-to-be District 24 lawmaker was involved in a drug-dealing, gun shootout that resulted in a dead child:

WASHINGTON POST: Two decades ago, Gregory A. Hall was a 21-year-old crack dealer who took part in a gun battle that killed a seventh-grade honors student as he and his family left a church service in Capitol Heights.... County Democrats named him to finish Alston’s term, which ends in January 2015.

But Hall’s troubled past has resurfaced as Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) considers the appointment. Some local Democratic activists have said privately that Democratic Central Committee members are having second thoughts after choosing the 42-year-old in a 12-10 vote....

O’Malley has until Thanksgiving to approve Hall’s nomination, and the governor’s spokeswoman has said the administration is aware of Hall’s criminal record and that “everything is being taken into consideration.”

PG DEMS TO START SUBMITTING TWO NAMES FOR VACANCIES? - Shortly after Hall was appointed to fill Tiffany Alston's seat, the Prince George's Democrats had occasion to fill yet another seat -- that of retiring Delegate Justin Ross. Fresh off the Greg Hall controversy, it appears that the PG Dems may start submitting two names to the Governor for vacancies. The press accounts are not perfectly clear on this point, but at a minimum candidates will go through more vetting than in the past. The top two Democrats for Ross' District 22 seat were Alonzo Washington with Karren Pope-Onwukwe in second place. Check out the following report from The Gazette (excerpt below):

GAZETTE: The submission of two names to the governor is a break from tradition, said Terry Speigner, chairman of the central committee.... “The committee feels it needs to do a better job of vetting candidates,” Speigner said....

Speigner said the committee would take the top two vote-getters for the District 22 seat [Alonzo] Washington and [Karren] Pope-Onwukwe and do more thorough research into their backgrounds before submitting a name to the governor. “That’s totally different than we’ve ever done before,” he said.

The Washington Post's Miranda Spivack provided more detail on the vacancy controversies following Alonzo Washington's appointment to Delegate Justin Ross' seat (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: The decision to take a closer look at Washington comes as the 24-member committee has been circulating reports that Greg Hall, 42, selected two weeks ago to replace Del. Tiffany Alston (D-Prince George’s), had a criminal history. The committee plans to do more research on its selections before sending them to the governor, beginning with Washington, said Terry Speigner, the committee chairman who had sought Alston’s seat and lost to Hall.

After Washington’s selection, committee members huddled in private to discuss Hall. Hall said he has not hidden his history and discussed some of the details as he pressed his candidacy two weeks ago during the selection meeting. Campos told The Washington Post, “It’s never been a secret. He talks about it....” The committee came to no consensus about Hall’s nomination, and Speigner said it will now be up to O’Malley. Hall defeated Speigner in a 12-10 vote on Nov. 2.

It is worth noting that the man who lost the vacancy appointment to Greg Hall was the current PG Democratic Chair himself -- Terry Speigner. This creates an obvious self-serving aura in his pursuit of complaints against his rival - but even still, there is something to be said about Speigner's view that this just looks bad. Remember that the Prince George's Democrats are filling a seat that is currently left vacant due to Del. Tiffany Alston's alleged misuse of taxpayer and campaign funds -- and they are filling that seat with someone who was involved in a gun shootout that left a child dead. No wonder Tiffany Alston is hanging around making her case! Even still, Speigner would do well to state clearly that he will not seek the D24 seat himself, and instead try to ensure a process that works for the public. This seems impossible to achieve when the person in charge is seeking the seat himself -- and it also just looks bad.

CONCLUSION: Here's the real question for the Prince George's Central Committee -- how did it come to this? In a County of thousands, were there honestly no other Democrats worthy of appointment to the State House? Perhaps the real problem is that machine politics continue to take priority over sound outcomes. Surely there were more Democrats to consider other than political aides and members of the Central Committee itself?

If the Prince George's Democrats want to really clean this up, they're going to have to try harder to undo machine politics -- not simply replace one machine with another. I'm beginning to think this pressure is going to have to come from the outside though, unless there is a miraculous shift in mentality among politicos. In the meantime, it'll be interesting to see who runs for these seats in 2014. After all, just because someone has been appointed by insiders doesn't mean they can win an election. Maryland politics has a few examples of appointees who were unable to win their seats outright.

Fingers crossed for a #CleanSlate for Prince George's Democrats.

JuiceBlender: Tiffany Alston May Sue to Stay in House, Heather Mizeur on 2014 Governor, Tea Party Urges MD Secession & More

Below Maryland Juice provides a quick round-up of more post-election angling and political tidbits, starting with more on the continuing saga of embattled Prince George's Democrat Tiffany Alston:

JUICE #1: FORMER DELEGATE TIFFANY ALSTON MAY SUE TO KEEP DELEGATE SEAT - Maryland Juice recently reported that the Prince George's Democratic Central Committee voted to replace Delegate Tiffany Alston's seat with former candidate Greg Hall. The switch came after a plea entered by Alston led to her suspension from the Maryland legislature. The Washington Post reports that Alston is not giving up and may sue to keep her seat. Additionally, it appears that she is ready to stage some sort of sit-in in Annapolis (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: She was convicted in June of stealing $800 from the Maryland General Assembly to pay an employee of her private law firm. But on Tuesday, attorneys for former delegate Tiffany T. Alston suggested that she was the one who had been robbed — of her seat.

After a court hearing, Alston’s attorneys said that the Prince George’s County Democrat is prepared to sue, if necessary, to continue serving in the House of Delegates. And even though she no longer has the keys to her old office in Annapolis, they said she may try to occupy it anyway—a move that could set up an awkward, if not tense, standoff in the halls of the State House.....

The Post's most recent coverage noted that Alston was at last check choosing "diplomacy over litigation," but we'll have to keep an eye on this story!

JUICE #2: DELEGATE HEATHER MIZEUR DISCUSSES 2014 GUBERNATORIAL RACE - The Washington Blade today carried an interview with Delegate Heather Mizeur about her interest in running for Governor of Maryland in 2014. Check out a few of her comments and explanations from the Blade (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON BLADE: Heather Mizeur, a lesbian member of the Maryland House of Delegates, said she’s seriously considering a run for governor in an exclusive interview with the Washington Blade this week.

“I’m taking a very serious look at it,” Mizeur said. “I can’t say for sure what 2014 is going to bring but … I know that I would make a good chief executive. I have good ideas for keeping Maryland moving forward....”

“Right now we’re taking stock of what happened in the last election,” she said. “It was incredible to see a big win with Tammy Baldwin being elected the first openly gay senator and Kyrsten Sinema making history in Congress. It really has inspired us to keep pushing forward. So, yes, I’m seriously considering running for governor because we need more diverse voices at that level of government....”

She added that she won’t get in the race unless she can be competitive financially.... When asked whether he had any thoughts about Mizeur’s potential gubernatorial campaign, O’Malley told the Blade on Tuesday, “Not really, I’m supporting Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown wholeheartedly for governor of Maryland....”

JUICE #3: TEA PARTY ACTIVISTS URGE MARYLAND TO SECEDE FROM USA - Maryland Juice has been alerting politicos to a new effort by Tea Party enthusiasts around the nation to launch petitions asking permission for their state to secede from the United States. WBFF (a rightwing Baltimore Fox News affiliate) reports that Maryland is now one of the states where the Tea Partiers are urging secession (excerpt below):

WBFF: Maryland is now one of the 49 states that have started online petitions to secede from the United States in response to the re-election of President Barack Obama.... If the petitions reach 25,000 signatures, they get an official response from the White House. Maryland has only around 1,700 signatures calling for secession, but the number is quickly growing.

You can check out the Maryland secession petition at the White House's online petition site (Hat tip: Maryland Reporter). Maryland Juice first found out about the secession effort after receiving a national Tea Party email blast highlighting a Louisiana secession petition. Since then, rightwing activists are launching petitions in every state. Check out an excerpt from the original Tea Party message below:

TEA PARTY: On Nov. 6, Americans voted to return Barack Obama to the White House; then on Nov. 7, some folks in Louisiana petitioned the White House to peaceably withdraw their state from the Union.... Join the Tea Party REVOLUTION! It’s time to double-down and fight harder! The petition reads....

“…Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and institute new Government…” 

JUICE #4: ANATOMY OF MARYLAND MARRIAGE EQUALITY VICTORY - The Washington Blade has a worthwhile post-election piece dissecting the victory for Maryland marriage equality (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON BLADE: ...One of Gov. Martin O’Malley’s staffers wrote on a napkin during lunch on Election Day that the referendum would pass with 53 percent support....

Josh Levin, campaign manager for Marylanders for Marriage Equality, was backstage with the governor, Rawlings-Blake and several other elected officials watching the results come in.... Levin and others remained hesitant to declare victory because Montgomery County had yet to report election results. (Question 6 passed in the county by a 65-35 percent margin.)

“Once we figured that out then I started breathing a little more deeply,” O’Malley says. “Then when the Montgomery County numbers came in and we were up to 51 [percent,] the night seemed to be coming into perspective....”

Election Day capped off a long and often tumultuous effort for Maryland’s same-sex marriage advocates that began in 1997 when three state lawmakers introduced the first bill that would have allowed nuptials for gays and lesbians.....

[Sen. Rich] Madaleno, who once again proposed to his husband Mark on stage at the Baltimore Soundstage after Question 6 passed, plans to have what he describes as their “renewal of vows” once they and their two children return from a family vacation at Walt Disney World in Florida in January....

That's just a teaser from The Blade's decently long article. Check out the full-length version.

Prince George's Democratic Central Committee Chooses Greg Hall over Terry Speigner to Replace Delegate Tiffany Alston

UPDATE: An anonymous source adds a great deal of color to the battle for the D24 vacancy. Apparently, this was a battle between the good guys and the bad guys (see below):

ANONYMOUS SOURCE: There is sooooo much you're missing about what went down Friday night- this was a proxy fight between the progressives (Joanne Benson, SEIU, Wil Campos and Victor Ramirez) versus the old boys *corrupt* network (Camille Exum, al Wynn, Michael Vaughn and Carolyn Howard)- Arms were twisted, mud was thrown- they ALMOST prevailed by Terry Speigner taking the extraordinary step of VOTING for HIMSELF, but that one act was so offensive that one or two key people defected to our side and for once, the good guys won one !

Tonight the Prince George's County Democratic Central Committee (PGDCC) met to appoint a replacement for District 24 Delegate Tiffany Alston. We previously noted that the PGDCC chair himself, Terry Speigner, had been openly campaigning for the job. But the Prince George's Young Democrats earlier today joined others in endorsing one of Speigner's competitors, Greg Hall. The Washington Post is now reporting that Greg Hall has prevailed and was appointed to the D24 seat earlier tonight (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Prince George’s County Democrats on Friday selected businessman Greg Hall to replace Tiffany Alston in the Maryland House of Delegates. Alston, a first-term Democrat, was suspended from the legislature last month after she was sentenced for misconduct in office....

Hall’s nomination by the 24-member Democratic Central Committee after voting Friday night requires the approval of Gov. Martin O’Malley (D). The vote was 12 to 10, according to Terry Speigner, chairman of the committee, who said he was runner-up....

Earlier today, the Prince George's Young Democrats sent out an email endorsing Greg Hall for the D24 appointment. Their message also contained a few items from Hall's resume. See an excerpt from their email blast below:

PRINCE GEORGE'S YOUNG DEMOCRATS: Good Evening Juice, As you may know Tiffany Alston, former MD Delegate representing the 24th legislative district, has been suspended from office after entering a plea agreement to settle two separate criminal cases. The Prince George's County Democratic Central Committee will make a formal recommendation to fill the vacant seat, to Governor Martin O'Mally, who will most likely confirm the recommendation. Greg Hall, a former Prince George's County Young Democrats President and a major supporter of ours is in the running -- And now PGCYD is supporting Greg Hall!

This isn’t Mr. Hall's first time seeking office. In November of 2010 he sought to represent the 24th legislative district as delegate and earned over 3,000 votes from the Prince George’s County populace. Mr. Hall came close to victory with a shy margin.Greg Hall is a community activist, an entrepreneur, and a devoted citizen focused on the success and growth of the 24th legislative district. Additionally, he’s worked with the environmental and business communities to identify new opportunities for economic growth in the district....

Respectfully,

Prince George's County Young Democrats Executive Board

Maryland Juice previously shared our uneasy feeling that there was a conflict of interest in allowing a candidate for the appointment to also run the candidate selection process -- and as it turns out, the vote was indeed very close! Also, now that the race is over, Maryland Juice must admit that someone had been slipping us negative information about Greg Hall. In other words, this race was getting hot!

CONFLICT: Prince George's Democratic Chair Terry Speigner Campaigning to be Del. Tiffany Alston's Replacement

UPDATE: OBVIOUS CONFLICT OF INTEREST - Am I the only one that finds it strange that candidates for the D24 vacancy, have to send their materials to one of their competitors (aka PGDCC Chair Terry Speigner)? Look closely at the email below, which indicates that candidates to replace Del. Tiffany Alston need to send their applications to another candidate for the seat. Speigner tries to pre-empt this issue in the letter below, where he states:

TERRY SPEIGNER: In closing, I know some people are wondering if I can serve as the simultaneously as the Chairman of the Prince George’s County Democratic Central Committee and in the House of Delegates. The simple answer is yes I can do both.

Well, I'm glad HE decided he can be objective! The optics of this are just terrible, considering that the reason why there is a vacancy has to do with the appearance of impropriety.


BACKGROUND: We recently discussed how there was a looming vacancy for Delegate Tiffany Alston's District 24 House seat. We noted that Alston had copped a plea after facing criminal charges for misuse of taxpayer funds and that prosecutors insisted the agreement would trigger Alston's suspension from office. Now Delegate Alston's Prince George's-based seat is going to filled through a vacancy appointment process in the Prince George's County Democratic Central Committee (PGDCC). It also turns out that the recently re-elected Chair of the PGDCC himself, Terry Speigner, is interested in the position. This is a bit "ironic" since The Gazette just noted that Speigner would be guiding the recommendations of the PGDCC as it worked to fill the vacancies created by Alston and Delegate Justin Ross (excerpt below):

GAZETTE: As chairman, Speigner will guide the committee as it makes recommendations to fill two House vacancies in the next few weeks: one in District 22, for the seat held by Del. Justin D. Ross (D) of Hyattsville until he retires from the House on Nov. 9; and one in District 24, for the seat held by Del. Tiffany T. Alston (D) of Mitchellville until two weeks ago, when she was suspended from office after pleading no contest to a charge that she misused campaign money. Hearings to fill the two seats are scheduled for Nov. 15 and Nov. 2, respectively.

Below you can see that Terry Speigner is now actively seeking the appointment for the District 24 House vacancy. An anonymous Maryland Juice reader forwarded us a copy of the email Speigner is sending to activate his supporters. Check out his action campaign below -- it also happens to include instructions on how District 24 residents can apply for the vacancy themselves:

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Terry Speigner 
Date: Monday, October 29, 2012
Subject: URGENT REQUEST: I personally need your help this week
To: Terry Speigner <speigner@ngen.com>

Hello neighbors,

As you may recall, Delegate Tiffany Alston was suspended from the Legislative District 24 Maryland House of Delegates on October 9, 2012. The Maryland Constitution requires that the Central Committee submit a name to the Governor within 30 days to fill a vacancy. This could be a temporary appointment or an appointment to complete her unexpired term through December 2014.

I am writing to let you know that I am seeking the appointment of the Prince George’s County Democratic Central Committee to fill the vacancy in the Legislative District 24 Maryland House of Delegates.

For many years, together we have worked to make District 24 and our County a place where our children, our seniors, schools, safety, economic prosperity and high community standards are priorities. I am running because I want to continue the great work we have done and with your support I will continue our work in Annapolis, where I along with Senator Joanne Benson and Delegates Carolyn J.B. Howard and Michael Vaughn can bring back money and resources to our communities.

The vacancy public hearing for this process will take place on Friday, November 2, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. at the Glenarden City Hall – Goldroom. I am asking you to attend and to show your support for my candidacy.

How can you help? You can send a letter of support via email to me as soon as possible before Friday, November 2, 2012. Please address the letter to: PGCDCC| 4725 Silver Hill Road, Suitland, Maryland 20746 (Please remember to email your letter of support to me).

Ways You Can Help District 24 and Terry Speigner:

1.       Write a letter of support for me. What do you put in a letter of support?

·         I know Terry through his involvement with….

·         Terry will serve us well because….

·         He is committed to his community…..

2.       Please attend the hearing on Friday, November 2^nd @ 7pm to testify for me or to just show your support.

In closing, I know some people are wondering if I can serve as the simultaneously as the Chairman of the Prince George’s County Democratic Central Committee and in the House of Delegates. The simple answer is yes I can do both.

Please see the information below on the public hearing for the vacancy appointment hearing.

Please call me should you have any questions at 202.550.2782. I thank you in advance for your support.

Best Regards,   Terry L. Speigner 9907 Rosa Vista Court | Mitchellville, MD 20721
202.550.2782 – Cell

Contact: Terry Speigner, Chairman Phone: (202) 550-2782

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

24^th District House of Delegates Vacancy appointment PUBLIC hearing

Suitland, MD, October 21, 2012:  The Prince George’s County Democratic Central Committee (PGCDCC) will hold a hearing on Friday, November 2, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. for the purpose of filling a vacancy in the Maryland House of Delegates for Legislative District 24. The hearing will be held at the City of Glenarden Municipal Center – Goldroom, 8600 Glenarden Parkway, Glenarden, MD 20706.

Legislative District 24 residents interested in being considered for appointment to this vacancy must follow the instructions below:

1. Submit a letter of interest and resume to the PGCDCC no later than Wednesday, October 31, 2012 by 11:59 p.m. (letters received after this date and time will not be accepted)
2. Include a copy of your voter registration card. Only registered Democrats will be considered for the vacancy.
3. Include evidence that you currently live in Legislative District 24 (copy of utility bill and one of the following; copy of apartment lease or copy of property tax bill or record)
4. Bring 24 copies of your complete package to the hearing on November 2, 2012 (one copy for each PGCDCC member)

Please email, fax or mail your complete package as follows:

• Via email to: Nora E. Carmichael (nec872@aol.com); Alonzo T. Washington (atwashington@gmail.com) and Terry L. Speigner (terry@ngen.com) – Send email to all three.
•  Via mail delivery: PGCDCC | 4725 Silver Hill Road, Suitland, Maryland 20746
•  Via fax: 301-531-9722

-End-

Best Regards,   Terry L. Speigner Chairman | Prince George's County Democratic Central Committee 4725 Silver Hill Road Suitland, Maryland 20746 202-550-2782 - Cell http://www.pgdems.com terry@ngen.com

UPDATE: Delegate Tiffany Alston Takes Plea Deal // Prince George's Lawmaker May Be Suspended From Office

UPDATE: The Daily Record reports that legal counsel to the Maryland General Assembly asserts Del. Alston will be suspended. That will trigger an immediate 30-day deadline for the Prince George's Democratic Central Committee to fill her seat with a replacement. Note that Alston is contesting the suspension. See an excerpt from the Daily Record's report below:

DAILY RECORD: A Maryland delegate who reached a plea agreement with the state prosecutor this week was automatically suspended from office without pay when a judge sentenced her, the legal counsel to the Maryland General Assembly concluded in a legal opinion Wednesday.

Dan Friedman responded to a request from House Speaker Michael Busch, who asked for legal advice regarding Del. Tiffany Alston’s status after she entered a plea deal on Tuesday....

In his opinion Wednesday, Friedman also wrote that Alston’s suspension has triggered the process for appointing a person to temporarily fill her position. The Democratic Central Committee for Prince George’s County has 30 days from Tuesday to forward names of temporary replacements to Gov. Martin O’Malley, who then has 15 days to select a replacement.

JuiceBlender: Tiffany Alston Found Guilty, Karl Rove Compares O'Malley to Dean, Canadians on Rollin Stanley, MD Drone Crash

Here's a random blend of political tidbits from recent news, starting with disturbing news that an unmanned predator drone has crashed on Maryland's Eastern shore:

JUICE #1: UNMANNED PREDATOR DRONE CRASHES ON MARYLAND'S EASTERN SHORE - Earlier this month, Maryland Juice reported on disturbing news that local governments and even college police forces were beginning to apply for permission to fly unmanned "predator drones" in U.S. airspace. Queen Anne's County, Maryland is one of the jurisdictions that had received authorization to fly drones. As we've seen through our (questionable) use of drones in other nations, they can be dangerous. Indeed, yesterday a $176 million "predator drone" crashed on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The Associated Press carried video footage of the flaming wreckage in Maryland:




REP. DUTCH RUPPERSBERGER & VA GOV. BOB MCDONNELL SEEK EXPANDED DRONE USE: Notably, Maryland Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger wants to see more drones flying around and takes thousands of dollars ($190,000) from drone manufacturers. As a result of this mission creep, privacy advocates in the U.S. have become increasingly alarmed about the prospect of spy drones and now hummingbird-sized flying spy cameras being cleared for use by local law enforcement. The Examiner's Gene Healy recently raised red flags about drones invading Americans' reasonable expectations of  privacy (see excerpt below):

EXAMINER: Last week, in its report on the 2013 Defense Authorization bill, the Senate Armed Services Committee called for allowing drones to operate "freely and routinely" in U.S. airspace....

...they're increasingly "contributing to missions of agencies and departments within the United States. ... The pace of development must be accelerated," the report concluded.....

"It's great!" Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell said on WTOP's "Ask the Governor" program last month....

Juice Blender: MD House GOP Members Meeting to Discuss Leadership Future // Del. Tiffany Alston Faces More Charges

UPDATE: A Maryland Juice reader has written a rather feisty defense of Del. Tiffany Alston. Here is a short clip, but I urge you to read the full tirade: "Maybe House Seaker Busch could be a better mentor rather than attacking her though. When Sam Arora flipped on gay marriage, he got a stern talking to and a trip to India! Delegate Alston pissed off the speaker, she gots multiple indictments."

Here's a random blend of political tidbits starting with a development in Annapolis. Yesterday we wrote about MD House Minority Leader Tony O'Donnell's entry into the 5th Congressional District race. We also noted that Tea Party leader Del. Mike Smigiel called on Mr. O'Donnell to resign his GOP leadership position while campaigning for Congress. Today, a Maryland Juice reader who happens to work as a legislative aide in Annapolis sent us the following news:

Juice #1: The GOP House caucus is meeting right now. Potential leadership change. Smigiel is angling.... Also, Smigiel is running for a Judgeship, so I dont know what his deal is. http://www.elections.state.md.us/elections/2012/primary_candidates/statecandidateslist.aspx. Scroll down to "Circuit Court - Judicial Circuit 2."

Juice #2: Meanwhile, The Washington Post reports on another twist in the case against Del. Tiffany Alston:

GAY PARTY BOSS DEFENSE? MD Lawmaker Tiffany Alston Calls Criminal Charges Revenge for Marriage Equality Flip-Flop

Maryland Juice previously reported on the ironic story of Delegate Tiffany Alston facing criminal charges for allegedly using campaign funds on her wedding expenses. LGBT advocates noted that Ms. Alston was one of the reasons the marriage equality effort failed this year, as she sponsored the bill but then announced she would vote against it. Now The Gazette reports that Delegate Alston is blaming the criminal charges on her failure to support marriage equality:

The defense attorney for state Del. Tiffany Alston, who has been charged with misusing her 2010 campaign money, claims the charges against her are a backlash for Alston withdrawing support from a 2011 same-sex marriage bill....

Del. Tiffany Alston Indicted // Irony: Marriage Equality Opponent Steals To Pay for Wedding?

UPDATE: Del. Alston's marriage-hypocrisy story goes national. Check out this Mother Jones story.

Numerous people have emailed me with the unfortunate breaking news that Maryland Delegate Tiffany Alston has been indicted for theft of campaign funds. This story is amazing for two reasons: 1) Ms. Alston represents Prince George's, where voters just this week elected Derrick Leon Davis to replace scandal-ridden Councilmember Leslie Johnson, and 2) Ms. Alston is ironically charged with stealing campaign funds to pay for her own wedding, after voting down the marriage rights of same-sex couples.