Fresh off last night's Democratic Party dinner in which he was given the big snub by party leaders, Comptroller Peter Franchot shot off a letter today to Dem Chairman Michael Cryor that looks designed to inflame the situation. To wit:

...I was troubled to see just how far the leadership of the Maryland Democratic Party has become indebted to the national gambling industry.  Not only were gambling interests major sponsors of this event, but the leadership of our state Party made a conscious decision to silence those who are not beholden to these special interests.  While other statewide elected officials were invited to speak at last night's event, I was intentionally left off the program because some feared I would address a major issue on the ballot this November:  whether to amend Maryland's constitution and legalize slots.  This was petty and below the dignity of the Maryland Democratic Party.

Franchot is attempting to make a career out of being independent of the state Democratic party hierarchy; it certainly didn't support him in his 2006 race, so he may figure he doesn't need it. But as is the case for all those trying to position themselves for 2010, it's hard to know what the landscape is going to look like in a few years. Will being a thorn in Martin O'Malley's side look like a good move or a bad one?