Democratic Baltimore County Executive James T. Smith Jr. said he changed his mind about running for comptroller because he didn’t think the statewide job would be a good fit for him. The sudden nature of announcement has political types guessing about his future, and about how he might spend his more than $1 million bankroll.

Among those who should keep an eye on the money: former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., a Baltimore County native who is waiting on the sidelines, possibly contemplating his best route for a return to politics.

Speculation is building about what position Ehrlich will run for, if any, in 2010. While he'd instantly be the most viable Republican in any race he decides to enter, the former congressman and Arbutus native is nothing if not a pragmatist. He doesn't get into races he doesn't think he can win.

Some believe Ehrlich is pondering a run for comptroller, a job that would put him back in Annapolis and allow him to serve as a thorn in the side of his arch-rival, Gov. Martin O'Malley. That's a role that was perfected by Ehrlich's ally and role model, former Gov. William Donald Schaefer, who ended his career as the irascible comptroller and all-around gadfly. Political columnist Blair Lee IV recently wrote that Ehrlich's chances of getting into the comptroller's race are 50-50.

Others wonder whether Ehrlich might be interested in becoming Baltimore County executive, the job Smith now holds but is leaving because of term limits. A clear front-runner has not yet emerged, and Ehrlich, with his name recognition and broad base in the county, would be a more-than-viable contender.

But in both scenarios, Smith's recent decision comes into play.

Smith and Ehrlich don't get along. The county executive was miffed that Ehrlich never returned phone calls when he was governor and didn't include him in decisions.

It was no surprise that when the 2006 election rolled around, Smith threw all his support -- as well as money and his campaign apparatus -- behind O'Malley, a longtime ally. In 2002, Ehrlich carried Baltimore County by 65,000 votes en route to a victory over Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, basically his margin of victory statewide. In 2006, Smith helped keep the margin down to about 8,400 votes. Ehrlich still carried the county, but by nowhere near enough to carry the state.

Smith is now poised to deny Ehrlich more victories. By bowing out of the comptroller race, Smith helps clear the way for incumbent Peter Franchot, a fellow Democrat, to retain the seat. A Democratic primary between Smith and Franchot would have been a bruising affair, leaving the victor (the incumbent, most likely) battered by negative advertisements and a lot poorer. If Ehrlich enters the race, he'll now face a stronger, better-funded incumbent -- and he knows how unlikely it is that incumbents lose, especially in such a Democratic state.

If Ehrlich decides to make a play for the Baltimore County executive seat (a job he has never really indicated he wants), Smith could deploy his formidable war chest -- he has raised over $1 million in donations that he now doesn’t seem to need -- to help the strongest Democrat vying for the county executive job. There's no doubt he would take great pleasure in once again helping orchestrate an Ehrlich defeat.

So as Ehrlich ponders his next move, he needs to ask himself not just, "Can I win?" There's another question that's nearly as important: "What will Jim do?"

-- with David Nitkin

Posted by Julie Bykowicz at 2:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

No one’s acting career will be launched by Comptroller Peter Franchot’s latest YouTube ad, but it might reconnect some Marylanders with their long-lost property. The ad is a parody of the GEICO insurance adds featuring a wad of cash and Groucho Marx glasses. Franchot’s version is intended to promote the agency’s unclaimed property program.

Franchot’s latest video ad on the much-trafficked Web site debuted Thursday before a group of residents at Charlestown Retirement Community in Catonsville. Just some captive elderly viewers and no red carpet or paparazzi — in keeping with the low-budget, viral nature of the ads. According to the comptroller’s office, Maryland Public Television produced the 3-minute, 42-second spot at no charge.

The actors include state Sen. John C. Astle, an Anne Arundel County Democrat; the official Annapolis Town Crier, Squire Frederick; and Franchot aide Joseph Shapiro. And, of course, Franchot himself makes an appearance.

Continue reading "No one is headed to Hollywood, but maybe someone will get paid" »

Posted by Laura Smitherman at 1:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

It would probably be easy to make fun of Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley's field trip to Washington today.

So, let's give it a try.

This was supposed to be one of those times when the guv could make a splash in D.C. He was all lined up to testify before Congress this morning, along with two other bigtime Democratic governors, Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania and Deval Patrick of Massachusetts.

Their assigned topic: a state's eye view of the implementation of President Barack Obama's stimulus package.

Not a very heavy lift, especially since all three are huge Obama supporters. But sometimes things don't come as easily as they might on Capitol Hill--the kind of place where, if you're not a senator or a congressman, you might as well be just another tourist from Pocomoke City, even if your title is governor.

(Of course, the exact reverse might well be true at the Statehouse in Annapolis, but that's another story.)

Continue reading "Martin O'Malley's big D.C. adventure" »

Posted by Paul West at 5:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

It’s Miller time again. In Annapolis, of course, that’s a reference to Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller. But it also could refer to Ron Miller, an information technology consultant and conservative Republican who tried unsuccessfully to unseat the other Miller in 2006 when then-Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich recruited him. Now Ron is back, announcing this week that he plans to run again next year.

Winning against Mike would be no easy feat. He sailed to re-election with 70 percent of the vote three years ago. And he ranks as the longest-serving president of that chamber in history, after first being elected to the House of Delegates in 1970 and moving to the Senate in 1975.

So why does Ron think he has a shot in 2010? In a press release, he highlighted what’s sure to be a recurring theme in GOP campaign camps — that Democrats raised taxes during the 2007 special session and have mismanaged the state’s budget. But Ron also has another arrow to aim at the Senate president — that the powerful politician is talking about raising the gas tax. (Mike Miller has long said a gas tax increase may be needed to meet transportation priorities, though in a recent interview he said he would only support such a proposal when the economy improves.)

Of course, there’s also the issue of the Miller surname.

Continue reading "Don't call it a comeback; Miller's been here for years" »

Posted by Laura Smitherman at 1:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

This morning, we reported that out-going Baltimore County Executive James T. Smith has a nice chunk of political change to donate to other candidates, about $1.2 million, sources close to him report. And we explain a way he could circumvent the $6,000 candidate-to-candidate limit. He could transfer an unlimited amount to his Baltimore County Victory Slate, established for the 2006 gubernatorial election. The slate could then transfer virtually any amount to any other candidate on the slate. Right now, Smith is one of 21 members, though other candidates, even if they have nothing to do with Baltimore County, can be added at any time. Common Cause, a Maryland group that favors campaign finance reform, says such intra-slate transfers are tantamount to a “slush fund.”

Here are the current Baltimore County Victory Slate members, all Democrats:

Andrew Belt, sought Baltimore County delegate seat
Jon Cardin, Baltimore County delegate
Patricia Foerster, former president of Maryland State Teachers Union
Linda Hart, Baltimore County Democratic State Central Committee elected member
Delores Kelley, Baltimore County senator
Katherine Klausmeier, Baltimore County senator
Stephen Lafferty, Baltimore County delegate seat
Tracy Miller, sought Baltimore County delegate seat
Joseph Minnick, Baltimore County delegate
Dan Morhaim, Baltimore County delegate
Martin O’Malley, governor
Kenneth Oliver, Baltimore County councilman
John Olszewski, Baltimore County delegate (Johnny O’s son)
John “Johnny O” Olszewski, Baltimore County councilman
Todd Schuler, Baltimore County delegate
* Scott Shellenberger, Baltimore County state’s attorney
James T. Smith, Baltimore County executive
Norman Stone, Baltimore County senator
Jack Sturgill, sought Baltimore County delegate seat
Michael Weir, Baltimore County delegate
Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore County senator

Note that neither Kevin Kamenetz nor Joe Bartenfelder, considered the leading candidates to replace Smith as county executive, is on the list.

* Shellenberger, as we reported this morning, has already greatly benefited from this slate. In 2006, Smith transferred $585,000 to the slate, and Shellenberger, a first-time candidate in a tight race, received $435,000 from it.

Posted by Julie Bykowicz at 10:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The First District congressional seat in Maryland is on everyone's radar screen for 2010.

A pair of powerful Marylanders, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen and House Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer, will be going all out to protect one of their most vulnerable colleagues. And Republican National Chairman Michael Steele, a former Maryland lieutenant governor, just might want to help his party capture one of the juiciest pickup targets in the country.

The district covers mainly Republican portions of Baltimore, Anne Arundel and Harford counties, then jumps the Bay and takes in the entire Eastern Shore, one of the most conservative parts of the state. The current congressman, Democratic freshman Frank Kratovil, holds one of several dozen House seats nationwide from districts that voted for the Republican ticket of John McCain and Sarah Palin in 2008.

Republican state Sen. Andy Harris of Baltimore County, who lost to Kratovil by fewer than 3,000 votes in a district that McCain carried by 20 percentage points, is already on the rematch trail. He's raising campaign funds and hoping for a clear shot at the incumbent in a year when Barack Obama's name won't be on the ballot to pump up the district's anemic Democratic vote.

Of course, Harris's primary triumph over Republican Rep. Wayne Gilchrest--unseating a veteran congressman in a classic conservative-moderate intraparty fight--was among the factors that helped Kratovil win. Gilchrest crossed party lines to endorse the Democrat, and in a race that close, it's easy to imagine that a divided Republican Party contributed to Kratovil's victory.

Next time around, for many reasons, Harris wants a straight path to the general election, allowing him to focus all of his time, money and effort on Kratovil.

Whether he gets it will depend, most likely, on what state Sen. E.J. Pipkin decides to do.

Continue reading "Waiting for E.J." »

Posted by Paul West at 9:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Michael Steele
        

Rite of Passage, a for-profit juvenile services provider, fought hard to defeat a Maryland bill to limit the capacity of private facilities such as the one it is opening this month in rural Carroll County.

But one of the Nevada-based company's most important advocates -- a former government aide and campaign manager for Gov. Martin O''Malley -- failed to register with the State Ethics Commission.

Josh White, who works for Annapolis powerhouse Rifkin, Livingston, Levitan and Silver, said the missing lobbying registration for the legislative session was an unintentional paperwork oversight that he is working to correct.

"The firm had every intent to disclose my clear and highly visible advocacy for this important juvenile services facility," White said in an e-mailed statement. "All fees and expenses were reported and disclosed. The firm submitted paperwork to fix the administrative error."

White left the O'Malley administration to become a lobbyist in late 2007.

White personally lobbied lawmakers and spoke to reporters on Rite of Passage's behalf throughout the January to April legislative session, though the company is officially the client of Michael Johansen, another Rifkin employee.

Everything Rite of Passage has paid to the firm for the session -- $27,100 -- is documented on Johansen's filings, White said. The company has paid Rifkin lobbyists about $50,000 in the past year, according to disclosure forms.

The State Ethics Commission can levy fines and other penalties on unregistered lobbyists.

According to its Web site: "If the Ethics Commission determines that the respondent has violated the law, it may issue an order of compliance or issue a reprimand. The Commission may require a respondent to file any additional reports or information and has the power to impose a fine not to exceed $5,000 for each violation."

The site also notes that unintentionally late registrations, which White said is the case here, can result in up to $250 in fees.

"From the commission's perspective, when people voluntarily come forward to acknowledge a problem, it doesn't make sense to severely sanction them" said Robert Hahn, executive director of the ethics commission. "We know that mistakes can happen and do happen."

Rite of Passage succeeded in batting down Sen. Bobby A. Zirkin's bill to limit all private juvenile facilities to 48 beds -- a law already on the books for state juvenile facilities.

The company's lobbyists were the only ones to testify against Zirkin's bill. White said he "look(s) forward to working with them for years to come."

Posted by Julie Bykowicz at 3:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Sarah Palin’s surprise decision to walk away from her job as governor of Alaska held special resonance for at least one group of Marylanders.

Not long ago, their congressman did pretty much the same thing.

Rep. Albert R. Wynn, one of the state’s senior lawmakers in Washington, abruptly quit his post last year. Shortly after earning lame-duck status, he announced that he was abandoning the job, even though he still had more than one-fourth of his term left to serve, to join a big-time lobbying firm.

Unlike Palin, who made a personal decision not to seek re-election, Wynn became a lame duck involuntarily. He was resoundingly unseated by the voters of his own party, who picked Donna Edwards over Wynn in the 2008 primary.

After announcing his decision to quit and join one of Washington's biggest lobby firms, Wynn said his decision to quit early would enable his successor to get a head start on seniority in the House.

Critics blasted the decision, in part because it forced taxpayers to shell out money to pay for a special election to choose his replacement. Published estimates pegged the cost between $500,000 and $2 million.

For the departing congressman, however, the decision was a win-win.

First, it allowed him to escape a job he’d been forced to give up eventually. Second, and more important, it gave Wynn a head start on lining his pockets in his next, more lucrative, career: peddling influence to his former colleagues in Congress.

Under House ethics rules, an ex-representative must wait a full year before stepping through Washington’s revolving door and registering as a lobbyist. Of course, though there was nothing in those rules to prevent Wynn from helping clients in his new job as a “special advisor” at Dickstein Shapiro.

Wynn grabbed that job almost immediately after he failed to persuade voters in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties to return him to Congress for a ninth term. Had he served out his term, as defeated representatives usually do, he could not become a lobbyist until 2010.

Instead, he’s perfectly positioned to grab a share of this year’s biggest lobbying bonanzas. One potential money pot: the high-stakes fight over rewriting the rules of the road for energy companies. As Democrats try to pass sweeping climate change legislation, companies who stand to win or lose big from the proposed legislation are shelling out hefty bucks for Washington lobbyists to help them carve out special provisions.

Continue reading "Wynn lobbying for company accused of ties to Sudan genocide" »

Posted by Paul West at 12:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Rep. Frank Kratovil of Maryland has been fined $3,860 by the Federal Election Commission for failing to report more than two dozen last-minute donations to his successful House campaign last fall.

The FEC assessed the penalty under its administrative fine program. The commission uses the program for less serious violations of federal election law, especially the late filing of disclosure reports.

A Kratovil spokesman, Kevin Lawlor, blamed an “administrative backlog” for the failure to disclose 26 contributions within 48 hours after they were received, as required by FEC regulations. Lawlor said the campaign made on-time disclosures of contributions totaling more than $200,000 in the weeks leading up to the November, 2008 vote.

“There was such a large amount of donations coming in at that time. There was an administrative backlog and not all of them were filed on time,” he said.

The unreported donations included $5,000 from the Congressional Black Caucus, $2,000 each from the campaign accounts of Democratic House candidate Ben R. Lujan of New Mexico and Democratic Rep. Xavier Becerra of Los Angeles, Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Doyle’s political action committee and $1,000 each from Democratic Rep. Gary Ackerman of New York and Illinois Rep. Mellissa Bean's PAC, the Boilermakers union, Washington lobbyist Thomas H. Boggs Jr. and the U.S. Sugar Association’s political action committee.

Kratovil’s campaign did not contest the FEC enforcement action. It paid the fine in late April. The FEC announced the enforcement action in its more recent weekly report.

In the 2008 campaign, Kratovil raised and spent nearly $2 million to win one of the closest House races in the country. He defeated Republican state Sen. Andy Harris of Baltimore County.

Harris, who unseated moderate Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest in last year's primary, spent almost $3 million and is seeking a rematch with Kratovil in next year's election.

Kratovil, a former Queen Anne's County state's attorney, "campaigned on his rule-of-law credentials, then got caught violating campaign finance rules," said Andy Seré, a spokesman for the National Republican Campaign Committee. "It’s a bit like campaigning as a Blue Dog, then voting like a lap dog for the National Energy Tax and the so-called ‘stimulus’ plan."

Kratovil, of Stevensville, is the first Democrat in 18 years to represent the First Congressional District, which takes in the entire Eastern Shore, plus portions of Baltimore, Anne Arundel and Harford counties.

The Baltimore Sun previously reported that Kratovil, who campaigned as an outsider, attracted more than $20,000 in post-election campaign donations from political action committees representing some of the nation's most powerful interests. They included the banking industry, pharmaceutical manufacturers, broadcasters, Realtors, dairy farmers (Kratovil was given a seat on the Agriculture Committee) and companies such as Verizon, Microsoft and Disney.

Posted by Paul West at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Maryland Business for Responsive Government released this month the 2009 edition of its Roll Call, which measures the voting records of state lawmakers on a number bills that affect business. The nonpartisan group does political research and aims to improve Maryland’s business climate.

The General Assembly has a reputation for being decidedly un-friendly to the corporate world, and this year lawmaker scores were the “lowest on record,” according to the group. In the study, MBRG authors describe “an attitude by lawmakers that suggests the irrelevance of business.”

Particularly troublesome, the group contends, was passage of legislation giving the state eminent domain rights over the Preakness Stakes. State officials worried the bankruptcy of owner Magna Entertainment Corp. would imperil the horse race’s future in Maryland, and quickly stepped in. MBRG authors said they hadn’t seen anything like it. The bill sets an “extraordinary precedent” by asserting a right to take the private property of a specific corporation and interferes in a bankruptcy, they said.

Continue reading "Scorecards Part Deux: Lawmaker ratings on friendliness to business hit new low" »

Posted by Laura Smitherman at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)