Frank Kratovil made it official today: he'll vote against the Democratic health care plan in the House this weekend.

The freshman Democrat from the Eastern Shore, facing one of the toughest re-election fights in the country next year, released a statement declaring his opposition to the measure. His stance could complicate efforts by Democratic leaders to secure approval of the legislation this weekend.

“After months of thoroughly reviewing legislative proposals and speaking with constituents and stakeholders, I am not satisfied that this bill before us is a sustainable solution,” Kratovil said in a release from his office this morning. “While I applaud the efforts to improve this bill, I still am concerned that this bill does not do enough to bend the long-term cost curve and that it lacks adequate provisions to reduce the deficit and protect small businesses.”

Kratovil left open the possibility of supporting a future version of health care legislation. He stated that he would “continue to work with my colleagues to pursue a better bill as this process continues.”

If both the House and Senate approve health care overhaul plans, a final version of the legislation would have to be crafted and submitted to both chambers for a vote. That merged plan could be more palatable to moderates.

Kratovil, who represents the Eastern Shore and portions of Baltimore, Harford and Anne Arundel counties, is close to House Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer of southern Maryland. Kratovil had previously indicated his opposition to the House legislation, while leaving open the possibility that he might support it.

The former Queen Anne’s County prosecutor is a member of the House Blue Dog coalition, a group of 52 fiscally conservative Democrats that has been critical of the cost of their party’s health care proposal. He had been under pressure, from conservatives in his district and media ads by opponents of the Democratic health care plan, to vote against it.

Because House Republicans have remained united in their opposition to the Democratic health care proposal, House leaders will need to persuade at least a dozen Blue Dogs to support the plan. With a total of 258 Democrats in the House, and 218 votes needed to approve the measure, there can be no more than 40 defections by Democrats or the plan as currently written will fail.

In recent days, several House Democrats who represent Republican districts have come out against the measure. Kratovil, whose district backed Republican John McCain by a wide margin in 2008, fits that profile.

By announcing their opposition in advance of Saturday’s floor debate, these Democrats spare themselves from being pressured by House leaders to support the measure as a matter of party loyalty. Republicans are waging an aggressive campaign to warn Democrats from conservative districts that a vote in favor of the House health care plan, strongly supported by President Barack Obama and—just this week—groups such as AARP and the American Medical Association, could produce a voter backlash in 2010 that will end their careers in Congress.

Continue reading "Kratovil a "No" on health care" »

Posted by Paul West at 11:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

It's been nine years since federal Judge Andre Davis of Baltimore was first nominated to fill the "Maryland seat" on the federal Court of Appeals.

It's been seven months since President Barack Obama re-nominated Davis for the same position--which has remained vacant, thanks to political stalemate in Washington, since the death of Judge Francis D. Murnaghan Jr. in August, 2000.

And it's been more than five months since the Senate Judiciary Committee, on a bipartisan vote, cleared Davis for confirmation by the full Senate. Once again, it was politics--delaying tactics by Senate Republicans, who are waging a relatively unnoticed, but largely successful, blocking campaign against Obama nominees--that forced Davis to wait some more.

In just a few days, however, the Baltimore native--having spent his 50s waiting for the promotion to come through--should finally be able to move up.

Continue reading "Long wait about over for Baltimore judge" »

Posted by Paul West at 10:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Gov. Martin O’Malley would best former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich in a poll about a hypothetical rematch in 2010, but the sitting governor still may be vulnerable, according to pollsters at Clarus Research Group. How did they come to that conclusion? Several layers of data provide the answer.

First of all, pollsters pitted O’Malley against “someone new” in one question put to voters. While O’Malley has Ehrlich beat by a 47-40 percent margin in the poll, he lost to a nameless opponent by a 48-39 percent margin. That's a mixed bag for O’Malley, the incumbent Democrat next November, as well as Ehrlich, a Republican who hasn’t even revealed whether or not he’ll run next year.

But other questions also yielded telling results, according to Clarus. O’Malley scored less than 40 percent approval of the way he’s handling seven issues — holding down state taxes, bringing new jobs to Maryland, managing the state budget, bringing people together to solve problems, putting Maryland’s interest above partisan politics, keeping in touch with average citizens, and protecting consumers against high electric utility rates. It has to hurt that only 33 percent approved of O’Malley’s handling of the utility issue even after his recent public clashes with Constellation Energy Group during which he sought rate relief for customers of Baltimore Gas & Electric Co.

O’Malley only scored majority approval on one of the issues — 54 percent for living up to high standards of ethics. Then again, 48 percent of those polled approved of the overall job O’Malley is doing while only 40 percent disapproved

Clarus also provided more detail on the O’Malley-Ehrlich matchup.

Continue reading "Poll shows O'Malley may be vulnerable; devil's in the details " »

Posted by Laura Smitherman at 3:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

Republican renaissance? What Republican renaissance? In Maryland, at least, national Democrats are still riding high.

According to a new statewide poll, Barbara A. Mikulski heads into the 2010 mid-term election with her status intact as Maryland's most popular politician.

The survey, by Clarus Research Group of Washington, showed the Democratic senator with a job approval rating of 57 percent, a good score for an incumbent at a time of widespread voter discontent and economic malaise.

A majority of Maryland voters surveyed -- 53 percent -- said they would like to see the Senate's senior woman get another six-year term. Only 36 percent wanted someone new in the job.

Mikulski, already running for re-election, has drawn three Republican rivals so far. None of them is well-known statewide or attracting a significant amount of campaign money (the first test for a challenger).

Continue reading "Obama, Mikulski still score high in Maryland" »

Posted by Paul West at 12:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Candidate Watch 2010
        

Mike Pappas, the first Republican brave enough to wade into the 2010 gubernatorial contest in Maryland, is dropping out and throwing his support behind Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. Nearly a year after Pappas declared he was “in it to win it,” he’s now saying he’s in it for Hogan.

“I’m withdrawing from the race, and I believe that Larry is the candidate who can win next November,” Pappas said in a press release from Hogan’s campaign. “Larry nearly defeated Maryland’s most powerful Democrat. He has a proven record of wining over Democrats and Independents as well as Republicans.”

Hogan does count among his political credentials a campaign that almost unseated Steny H. Hoyer in the 1990s, a significant feat in a heavily Democratic state. The real estate company executive went on to serve in former Republican Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich’s cabinet. Pappas said Hogan has the ability to build the grassroots organization and fund-raising operation needed to be successful as Democratic Gov. Martin O’Malley is already gearing up his campaign.

But there’s one major caveat — Hogan has said he’s only in it if Ehrlich’s not.

Continue reading "Pappas drops gubernatorial bid and backs Hogan" »

Posted by Laura Smitherman at 4:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Heard the news from the statement from Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett and Council President Phil Andrews:

“Montgomery County has suffered a terrible loss.

“Jean Cryor served the people of the County in several capacities – as a local journalist, a State Delegate, and as a member of the County Planning Board. Her absence will be deeply felt in many ways and in many communities.

“We mourn her loss and extend our deepest condolences to her family, her friends, and her colleagues on the Planning Board.”

My own view: For years, Cryor, former editor and publisher of the Gazette Newspapers, was the lone Republican in the Montgomery legislative delegation. She carried the distinction with humor and class, and fought the good fight on Ways and Means and on the House floor. As a woman Republican from Montgomery, her name was frequently mentioned as a lieutenant governor candidate or for other high-level positions, which she could have filled with distinction.

Posted by David Nitkin at 7:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

A candidate for Annapolis alderman says he will file a complaint with the state Attorney General’s office after an anonymous racist and homophobic flier criticizing his candidacy began circulating last weekend.

The flier, addressed to the “Friends and Supporters of Black Annapolis,” was distributed in public housing developments in Ward 3, where Republican Scott Bowling, who is white, is challenging the Democratic incumbent Classie Hoyle, who is African-American.

The flier states that Bowling “will be a danger to us all and our children,” and makes references to the “risk of sexual assault,” and says that Bowling is “white and gay,” and “wants to push for a pro gay agenda at City Hall.”

“It’s racial, bigoted and prejudiced and this has no place in Annapolis politics,” said Bowling, 38, a mortgage banker.

The flier also compares Bowling, who is openly gay, to Samuel E. Shropshire, the alderman who has been accused of fondling a male midshipman.

“There’s no secret,” said Bowling. “I don’t feel that has anything to do with the issues facing the city, but it’s who I am.”

Hoyle, who has held the seat for eight years, could not be reached for comment.
Raquel Guillory, a spokeswoman for the attorney general’s office, said Tuesday that any complaint filed would be reviewed and likely referred to the state’s attorney office.

-- Nicole Fuller

Posted by David Nitkin at 6:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Updated

If Republican candidates roll to big victories in today's elections, it could move at least one Republican closer to a 2012 presidential run: National Party Chairman Michael S. Steele.

For some time, the former Maryland lieutenant governor has been open to a presidential try. The scuttlebutt from folks who work at national party headquarters is that he thinks he’s going to be a presidential candidate in 2012.

A Republican turnaround after back-to-back defeats in the last two elections could advance Steele's presidential ambitions. He'd be a distinct longshot as a candidate; but if he outperformed expectations, there's no way of knowing where, exactly, he might wind up.

Today, Steele is making the rounds in New Jersey and Virginia, two Barack Obama states that Republicans hope to win in the only governor's elections of 2009.

Tonight, Steele will be all over cable TV. On Wednesday morning he plans to declare victory at a rare Washington press conference.

National party chairmanships aren't typical launching pads for a presidential candidacy (just the opposite in the case of Howard Dean, whose election as head of the Democratic National Committee was a consolation prize after his 2004 primary campaign flamed out).

Steele's army of critics, in both major parties, would no doubt say that he is a potential president only in his own mind. But that's where presidential runs start in modern politics.

And the notion of a Steele for President campaign isn’t completely far-fetched, at least to Steele.

Continue reading "Steele for president in 2012? Yes, he might" »

Posted by Paul West at 4:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: Michael Steele
        

Annapolis is technically Gov. Martin O’Malley’s stage. Now the state’s capital will literally serve as his stage when his Irish folk rock band plays two concerts at the popular Ram’s Head watering hole/restaurant there next month.

Tickets to see O’Malley’s March play an afternoon or evening show on Sunday, Dec. 20, went on sale today and can be purchased here. The band has played in Washington, Philadelphia and Ireland since they began performing in 1988, according to Ram’s Head Web site. They are also playing two shows on Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Avalon Theatre in Easton.

The governor sang lead vocals for the band’s fifth album released this year and titled “Galway Races," featuring remakes of songs by Green Day and the Saw Doctors. The band’s Web site includes a one-word description of the album from a Washington Post review: “... shines...” Well, that's not quite what the reviewer wrote. The full review reads: “The band sounds better when it strikes up sans vocals, as on the traditional instrumental ‘Sean Sa Cheo.’ Elsewhere, harpist Jared Denhard's work truly shines.” Ouch for O'Malley; kudos to the harpist.

All of this stage work begs the question again about whether he's truly moonlighting while in public office. (O'Malley got paid $800 for appearing on HBO's “Real Time with Bill Maher” last month, and donated the money to a domestic violence center.) As for the governor playing with the band, aides say he doesn’t make any money from it, and the other band members split any proceeds from concert ticket and CD sales.

Posted by Laura Smitherman at 2:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

State and local elected officials react to the troubling news that Black & Decker was purchased Monday by Stanley tools of Connecticut, which is where the combined company will be located.

"Having the worldwide headquarters of Black & Decker here in Towson has long been a point of pride for Baltimore County," said County Executive James T. Smith Jr. "The company has been an important part of our economic landscape for decades. This is clearly not a positive development. But such decisions are based on global competition. This is the sort of thing we have to expect in this tough economy."

"It would be great if, as much as possible, they kept operations here," said state Sen. James Brochin, a Baltimore County Democrat. "Black & Decker has been a huge asset for Towson and a huge asset for the community. The civic work they do is off the charts. There are a lot of people who invest a lot of time in that company, and those families make up the core of this district."

And Gov. Martin O'Malley plans to talk with Stanley's CEO and has directed the state labor and economic development departments to provide employment services to any displaced workers.

***

A bronze Willie Don draws a crowd of past and present pols to the Inner Harbor, including Gov. Martin O'Malley, Mayor Sheila Dixon and former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.

Former Gov. William Donald Schaefer, who turned 88 on Monday, wasn't about to be upstaged by himself. He gave a short speech: "I'm only going to take two minutes because I saw someone yawn. I used to yawn when I listened to you, too."

***

Making a seemingly random suggestion that comes either a bit too late or a bit too early in the slots process, a company offers to sell a parcel near BWI for the development of an Anne Arundel County casino. But Cordish says he's not buying.

Posted by Julie Bykowicz at 10:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)