This is the first break I've had from the radio show since Midday premiered in February. We are airing recorded Midday programs that were broadcast previously on WYPR. Remember: Thursday is Thanksgiving Day and Friday is the National Day of Listening. StoryCorps is turning the day after Thanksgiving into a National Day of Listening, encouraging family members to record each other’s stories. WYPR has a link on the homepage, and Andy Bienstock, the vice president and the program directror, says the station will soon begin airing spots.
More information at www.nationaldayoflistening.org.org

Suggestion -- if you've been long meaning to sit down with a tape recorder to tape a conversation with an elderly relative -- a grandmother or interesting old uncle -- consider doing it this week.

MIDDAY WITH DAN RODRICKS

Listen live on WYPR  88.1 FM  or online at wypr.org.  You can call during the show at 410-662-8780 or toll-free at 866-661-9309, or drop us an e-mail with brief comments or questions at midday@wypr.org.

Tuesday, November 25
1:00-2:00 pm EST
This hour we'll learn about the top-secret creation of the Soviet satellite Sputnik and how it fired up the space race and shaped American life in ways still felt today. Our guest is Marylander Paul Dickson, author of Sputnik: The Shock of the Century. (Originally broadcast 9/11/2008.) Watch for a special, Sputnik Mania, based on Paul's book, on the History Channel this Saturday, Nov. 29, at 10 pm.

MIDDAY WITH DAN RODRICKS

Listen live on WYPR  88.1 FM  or online at wypr.org.  You can call during the show at 410-662-8780 or toll-free at 866-661-9309, or drop us an e-mail with brief comments or questions at midday@wypr.org.

 

Tuesday, November 25
Noon-1:00 pm EST
Bullying is a bigger problem in schools across the nation than most parents may realize. We'll discuss ways of helping students who are the victims of bullying with Catherine Bradshaw, assistant professor and associate director for the Johns Hopkins Center for the Prevention of Youth Violence, and Sharon Boettinger, supervisor of counselors for Frederick County Public Schools. We'll also hear from Alexandra Wolff, an anti-bullying student activist.  For more information on what to do in your school or your child's school, visit the Maryland State Dept. of Education's Bullying Prevention website and the Pacer Center's National Center for Bullying Prevention website. (Originally broadcast 10/9/2008.)

1:00-2:00 pm EST
This hour we'll learn about the top-secret creation of the Soviet satellite Sputnik and how it fired up the space race and shaped American life in ways still felt today. Our guest is Marylander Paul Dickson, author of Sputnik: The Shock of the Century. (Originally broadcast 9/11/2008.) Watch for a special, Sputnik Mania, based on Paul's book, on the History Channel this Saturday, Nov. 29 at 10 pm.

Man, times flies. This year marks the 15th Night of 100 Elvises. Same location, same team of volunteers -- including the publicist with the name so nice it rings up twice: Carole Carroll -- and the event still supports businesses in Hollins Market. Here are the 'gistics:
 
15th Annual Night of 100 ELVISes
Friday, December 5th & Saturday, December 6th, 2008
Doors open at 6 pm - Stages start at 7 pm
Lithuanian Hall - 851-3 Hollins Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
30-plus Acts on 3 stages.  Searchlight, ice sculpture, showgirls & vintage hot rods.
Tickets - $55 Advance General Admission
All tickets include - premium draft beer, wine, sodas, Southern buffet & shuttle transportation from two area hotels
Web site: http://www.nightof100elvises.com
24 Hour Info: 888-494-9558

I received lots of interesting and thoughtful letters from readers in reaction to last Tuesday's column on the need to live wisely again, with less debt and fewer "things" purchased for the sake of spending and accumulating. (The number of Americans declaring bankruptcy -- more than 880,000 bankruptcies filed through October -- would support me on this.) A Perry Hall reader named Susan shared notes from a recent financial odyssey -- a stressful one, but with a happy ending. (Please note -- this woman is in a teachers' union, and her retirement benefits, reached through collective bargaining, play no small part in the outcome. Having a good credit rating over time is key as well.) Thanks to Susan for sharing the story.

I am so grateful that my parents taught me the value of a dollar and how to save, and how to spend.  My dad was a teacher at Poly and never made a lot of money. I followed him into teaching, becoming a first-grade teacher in the county. I just retired after 29 years.
 
Last year was a very difficult one in my life. My ex-husband died suddenly. He was living in the big Perry Hall home we had once shared when married. I let him stay there, because he wanted to be in familiar surroundings. He was a DAV and we had fitted the home to meet his needs.
 
I was still on the deed, so when he passed away in October 2007, the house became mine. I took on the mortgage, the home equity loan he had taken out, along with MY OWN mortgage I had in my town home with my new husband, and OUR home equity loan. 
 
My ex-husband had serious debt; so there was no money at all to alleviate the mortgage/loan. We attempted to sell the big house in Perry Hall, but the market was so soft that it was impossible.
 
For seven months, I was paying two mortgages, two home equity loans, two BGE bills. (I was a teacher and my husband works as an accounting temp. Neither of us makes a whole lot of money.)  It was a very tight time, financially, but we made it. We decided to sell our townhouse instead, thinking the smaller home might be more attractive to buyers. It was a fortuitous decision because we sold it in four days.
 
We also had priced it lower than we had wanted but it worked.
When the sale was final, I paid off the two home equity loans, leaving us with only the one mortgage. WHEW!  
 
I had to re-finance the house to put it in my name and my husband’s. Because I have sterling credit it was no problem, even in this difficult time. Took two weeks, and I got a great rate (5.8%).

In June, I retired, in the OLD pension system, thanks to Dad’s advice years ago not to move to the NEW system even though they were offering a financial incentive to get teachers to switch. (Dad said if they’re paying you to move there must be plenty of benefit…to them. He was right).
 
Finally, my daughter graduated in June from the University of Delaware (in three years!) and without a single debt. Her dad and I had set up a college fund when she was born, and we made it! (My mom helped the last semester with the fund she had set up for her grandkids).  I had one child and provided for her, so that she could spend time abroad during her college years….twice.
 
So, Dan, with the example and advice of my parents, I am debt-free, except for a small mortgage, and I was able to weather a financial storm.  I carry no credit card debt at all, no car loans, and my good credit secured me a good, quick refinance when I needed it.
 
My daughter, 20, now working in Charlottesville, told me she has put $10,000 into a CD.
 
Looks like the tradition of good financial sense lives on!

Max, a listener of my Midday show on WYPR, has a suggestion for ailing Ford Motor Co. -- bring back the Festiva.

"From 1988 to 1993 I owed three Ford Festivas," Max says. "made in cooperation with the Korean Kia Company.  They each got 40 mpg in the city and 44-46 mpg on the highway and lasted more than 220,000 miles each. When I asked the dealer why Ford stopped manufacturing the Festiva, he said there was no profit in parts and repairs as the car just kept running and running. . . . "

MIDDAY WITH DAN RODRICKS

Listen live on WYPR  88.1 FM  or online at wypr.org.  You can call during the show at 410-662-8780 or toll-free at 866-661-9309, or drop us an e-mail with brief comments or questions at midday@wypr.org.

 

Monday, November 24
Noon-1:00 pm EST
We'll learn some tips on how to obtain a good night's sleep with Dr. David Neubauer, associate director of the Johns Hopkins Sleep Disorders Center.  As mentioned on today's program, sufferers of sleep apnea can contact the Baltimore A.W.A.K.E. Network patient support group at (443) 287-3313 or awake@jhmi.edu. Originally broadcast 10/13/2008.

1:00-2:00 pm EST
As a self-described "son of privilege," our guest Michael Gates Gill had it all: a mansion, six-figure salary, and an Ivy League education. He lost it all but started over as an hourly-wage-earning barista at Starbucks, which he describes as the best job he's ever had in his book How Starbucks Saved My Life.

 

It was a heart-scorching moment that, for those who remember it, no longer seems like yesterday.
   It was a huge national tragedy and an international event that, by the
force of time, has finally become a still life, rather than living history,
black-and-white instead of color.
   Those who can remember Nov. 22, 1963, are saddened by the memories,
but the hurt is not as acute as it once was. The scars
have faded.
   Only time has made that possible.
   The JFK assassination was the 9/11 of my childhood, and 9/11 is the JFK
assassination of my children's lives. My daughter was 9 when the terrorists
attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. I was the same age when JFK
was killed. The memories of the effect of JFK's assassination on the grownups
around us - their shock at the murder of promise and the death of an ideal -
will remain forever with those of us of an age to remember.
   But the memories are 45 years removed now; they only seem to emerge, like
pentimento in an oil painting, when some other such tragedy invites
comparison.
   I guess it's true: Live long enough and you will see old wounds heal and
new ones open, and the new ones might be worse than you ever imagined
possible.
   Pardon my meandering through the decades.
   I have a habit of pondering time. It's a sort of hobby of mine. I try to
measure time and understand it. I am always marking distances on the American
clock. I'm fascinated by intervals and I note anniversaries of events.
   I sometimes look back and discover the obvious, and the obvious surprises
me.
   Consider the span of five years.
   Here's what I wish to note about five years:
   Five years was the distance in time between JFK's assassination and 1968.
   1968 was one of the worst years in American history. 1968 was the year of
Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination and, two months later, Robert F.
Kennedy's assassination. There were riots that destroyed city neighborhoods,
too, including some of Baltimore's.
   When I was a kid, of course, the distance between 1963 and 1968 seemed
twice as long as it really was. I guess it seemed to me like a decade instead
of a half-decade.
   But, all things being relative - and particularly time - five years now
seems to me like five months. Maybe even five weeks. (To my 94-year-old
mother, the former Rose Popolo, it probably seems like five minutes.)
   And so, as I look back, I no longer see the assassination of JFK as clearly
distinct from those of MLK and RFK, but only the first in a fast burst of
insane violence in the 1960s.
   In retrospect, those assassinations now seem compressed into an hour on the
American clock, a stunning loss of leadership in a wink of time. Layer in the
Vietnam War and all that flowed from that flood of history in the 1960s, and
it's amazing the republic survived.
   But, of course, the republic survived.
   It was scarred, but it survived.
   I remember when the death of JFK would be marked, by the media and national
leaders, on its anniversaries - the fifth, and 10th, and 25th - but we seem to
have stopped doing that. It was too sad for too many, I guess, or, for the
millions of Americans born since 1963, JFK's assassination carries no
emotional punch; it is merely a tragic fact of history.
   Time will treat 9/11 the same way, and probably sooner than later. At the
mention of the date, we'll remember blue sky and ruin, terrorism and heroism,
fear and anger and "Let's roll!" In time, and if we're lucky, 9/11 becomes
history - another in a long line of American traumas and challenges that its
people lived through and lived with, and somehow survived.

A friend who is an alumnus of Johns Hopkins and who resides near Homewood invited four students to dinner last night.

“Do any of you gentlemen know what tomorrow is the anniversary of -- Nov. 22?” he asked them.

         Complete blanks.  "No," one said.

"The assassination of John F. Kennedy," my friend said. "It’ll be the 45th anniversary tomorrow.  Ask your parents.  They’ll remember exactly where they were.”

            One student says, “My mother was three years old; I think my father was five.”  Another said something similar. 

            “Well," my friend said, "ask your grandparents . . ."

            My friend showed the students a huge scrapbook of Kennedy-related items, including all the extras printed by the New York evening newspapers on Nov. 22, 1963. The students were impressed. "And," my friend says, "I felt more like a museum director than ever . . ."

The second hour of yesterday's Midday show was a reprise of the Hometown Favorites special we did in August -- with people who grew up in various parts of the country describing the treat they missed the most from back home. WYPR listeners made some great contributions to our growing list of hometown faves. (And one of them, Elise from Mount Washington, came over to the station to taste the Blue Bell Ice Cream we had shipped in from Texas!) Here's a healthy selection of the e-mail we received during the show. Thanks to all who wrote or called in.

When we go to Philadelphia, where I went to school, we stop at the Reading Terminal Market, which is like Lexington Market, and buy a bag of chocolate-covered potato chips from one of the Pennsylvania Dutch vendors.
Bob, Timonium

Tastycakes are not available outside of the mid-Atlantic area...Pa, MD, De, NJ, etc. when I lived in California years ago I missed them. Many years ago, Johnny Carson had comedian and musician Pete Barbutti (not sure of that spelling) on and he told a very funny story about trying to take boxes of Tastycakes with him from Atlantic City back to Las Vegas. He had some  shows in Canada so while going into Canada the customs agents broke open and confiscated the Tastycakes, saying to him, "You're a musician and there's dope in here."  It was funny when he told them. 
Charlie

While listening to your broadcast about favorite local foods, I overheard one listener comment that she missed Malt-O-Meal. Sounded like you hadn't heard of it before. I love it - and miss it. Malt-o-Meal is a hot breakfast cereal, made in Minneapolis.
Karin

Your second hour was a great time for me to be in the car and driving a distance.
We lived in WONDERFUL SAN ANTONIO for 13 years and discovered Blue Bell Ice Cream
the first week we were there. Luckily we have a daughter in Dallas at this time and the first thing we
do is take the grandchildren and get Blue Bell ice cream upon visiting with them.
My husband, to this day, says it is best ice cream and better than Ben and Jerry's, the only
ice cream he will eat in Maryland.
Jan

Wondering if you, a New England boy, have gotten far enough into
Maine to try Mrs. Dunster's donuts. They usually don't get much south
of Bath, and are sold at Hannaford grocery stores, and sometimes
Shaw's, also the occasional independent small town grocery. But even
people in Maine haven't heard of Mrs Dunster.
They come in bags of 13 or so, small crescents or balls, cake donuts
rolled in sugar or crispy coconut, chocolate, plain or cinnamon. Made
in New Brunswick (Canada).
When I'm down east, I pick up a few bags and keep them in the
freezer. My favorite is a crescent, nuked for one minute,  the outer
layer gets all hot and melty. And they're small, so not as guilt-
inducing.
Martha

Malt-o-Meal is the equal of Cream of Wheat.  But they also have a chocolate flavor and its excellent in the morning.  I have only seen it in the Midwest when I was a kid.
Cassandra

I grew up in Liverpool NY and wonder anyone remembers Bonomo's Turkish Taffy. You would whack the taffy on the pavement and then eat the broken pieces. It was in Vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and banana. My husband, who is the same age as me, a child of the 60's and 70's, doesn't remember it. He's from Ohio, so maybe it was another regional item.  . . . And when you were talking about half-moon cookies, that reminded me of a place in Baldwinsville NY that used to make the best ones. When I moved to NYC, I had to come to terms with the term "Black and White." Now Starbucks in Charles Village sells mini ones. They arrived in Baltimore! . .. . . Friehoffers (chocolate chip cookies) were best!
Julie 

This is Joe in Baltimore.  I was born and raised in Bloomington, IN, moving to Baltimore when I was about 13 years old.  The thing I associate with Indiana summers the most is Vernor's Soda.  As I write this you are discussing this particular beverage.  After only being able to obtain Vernor's when  traveling back home, I was delighted to find it for sale at the Giant supermarket on York Rd in Stoneleigh.  Even though I can now get it here whenever I like, I still make a point of picking some up whenever I am back home again in Indiana. On the other side of that, every time I go back there I cannot leave Baltimore without Utz chips and Yuengling beer.
Also of note, I used to work for a major airline at BWI Airport.  Whoever is responsible for stocking the break room vending machines must be from New England because every single machine was consistently stocked with both Necco Wafers and Sky Bars. 

I don’t know if I’m spelling this right, but I remember a candy called Bonomo (the jingle was Oh, oh, oh, it’s Bonomo).  They called it Turkish taffy, and we would put it in the freezer.  When it was frozen solid, you would smack it on the counter and break it into small bit size pieces.
Harold

I was always wondered why my dad is so in love with Vernor's ginger ale.  He was raised in Detroit, MI but moved to California as a teenager.  He gets this gleam in his eye every time he finds it in the store.  "The only ginger ale I'll drink is Vernor's.
Melissa

The food I missed from Rochester, NY since moving here in 1965 - Zwiegle white hots and Texas red hots - now not a problem, thanks to Wegmans. The Abbott's chocolate walnut custard we still have to travel upstate to get. 
MARY LU

I am a native Baltimorean who has lived his entire life in zone 18 of Baltimore city.  I have been buying "Coffee Time" coffee syrup, made by Autocrat, for the last year or so.  It is readily available at the Superfresh Supermarket on 41st Street in North Baltimore.  It is in the aisle furthers from the front door, in the same section as Hershey's chocolate syrup.  I am addicted to it, so I am afraid that too many people will start buying it, making it difficult for the store to keep it in stock.  Also recommend Vanilla syrup, made by Fox's U-bet, in the same section.
Buy the way, I have always loved Necco wafers, and especially the rolls of only chocolate wafers; a real treasure to find.
Fred

Although only 200 miles away, Williamsport, PA seem sometimes the other side of the world, or at least of the Mason-Dixon Line. Tony’s Deli in Williamsport makes a Ham Loaf, that’s right, Ham.  The same idea as a meat loaf, it is made with ground ham rather than ground beef. Baked with a little brown sugar pineapple glaze it makes a great dinner.  Cube the leftovers in your scrambled eggs the next morning, and if that doesn’t finish it, thin slice the rest with a little mayo or mustard on your favorite bread for a sandwich. Folks around here look sideways at you when you mention it, but it is certainly a home town favorite.  Take the cooler an call Tony, he’ll freeze them for you.
J.C.

I take Old Bay Seasoning with me everywhere I travel.  After experiencing some of the terrible tasting shrimp and crabs from other locales I’ve always packed Old Bay. I’ve even had people in other regions ask, “What is Old BAY seasoning?” I put Old Bay on corn on the cob, salads and popcorn. I’ll even put it on steak and now with Thanksgiving coming up, turkey. I can’t live without it.
Wayne

This year for the holidays my family is bringing:
Bosco Syrup for Egg-Creams from NY, Cheerwine soda from North Carolina, and Nuremburger leibkuchen cookies from Germany. Chocolate Twinkees from California.
And I will be bringing Pepto Bismol!
Tom from Baltimore

As a child living in Maine, one sandwich was king. The Amato's Italian, It was just ham, cheese, lettuce, onion, tomato, pickles (the spears not slices), and salt pepper oil and vinegar. Pure sandwich goodness, a simplicity  I will never forget.
Jeffery

I’m listening to your show at work and unfortunately I cannot call in. I am originally from Scranton PA but currently live in Baltimore. One of the things that I must pick-up when I go home next week is homemade wine made by all the older (grandfather type) Italian men. It’s made with Concord grapes and aged in a secret way. It’s flavor is slightly different depending on the family you get it from, but generally there are two types, sweet and dry. Normally it is very fruity. I prefer the dry with a few ice cubes. It’s a very strong drink and you can feel your face turning red after only one glass. It’s unlike any wine I’ve had in the stores and in fact, due to its higher than normal alcohol content, it is illegal  (shhhh).  Another thing is something pronounced “Super-sada” or “Soupie.” This is a homemade (again by the Italians) pepperoni like treat. It’s encased in a natural pig casing stuffed with a combination of pork , beef, pepper, and a lot of other spices. It’s normally made during the summer time and hung in the coal cellar part of the basement (because it’s naturally cool). It’s cured until just after Halloween (depending on conditions) and it’s a delicious treat. If you ever have a chance to taste either of these items I highly recommend both. In fact if you find yourself with both, grab a sleeve of Ritz crackers and make an evening.
Timothy

I'm from Rochester NY.  The thing I miss most is Abbott's Frozen
Custard.  They have frozen custard at Atlantic City but it is not the
same. Abbott's just melts in your mouth and the vanilla is to die for.
Sue in Baltimore

Philadelphia crusty rolls and bread are what I miss most.  Used to be Philadelphia soft pretzels, but now there’s a bakery in Bel Air Maryland that has come mighty close to reproducing them!  Tastycakes were another treat I missed.  The ones that are shipped are not as good as what I remember except for the Kandy Kakes and they’re very good here and in Philadelphia.
Susan, Maryland resident for 3 years

Kringles!  I grew up in Wisconsin which has THE BEST Danish bakeries.  It is home of the delectable Kringle.  They are rings of flakey buttery pastry with various fillings.  My favorite is almond paste. I also miss Malt-o-Meal – something I’ve not found outside of the Midwest.
Nicole

Every time my boyfriend goes to visit his parents in Buffalo, NY he brings home a case of Weber’s brand mustard, horseradish and relish. He eats it on everything! I think I have at least 3 bottles at my house as gifts! I have to agree Weber’s is pretty awesome.
Catherine

I do not know about New England, but growing up during the 50's in Baltimore, we had NECCO Wafers, Sky Bars and Mallo Cups, and we still do. When I travel I have to take Old Bay with me to spread the word.
Claude
Stewartstown, PA

I am from Easton Pennsylvania.  I miss Shafer bologna and shoo fly pie.  I could make the pie myself, but it wouldn't be the same!
Lynn

I bring Faygo soda (Diet Chocolate Fudge is my favorite) back to Baltimore from Central New York State.  I don't know its origins or its market reach but I cannot find it here.
Thanks for the show!
'Dina

I have some Necco wafers on my desk at work, and I bought them two days ago in Roland Park at Tuxedo Pharmacy.  My 14-year-old, who was with me at the time and who was not raised as a Catholic, as I was, gave me some very funny looks when I told him about the Eucharist/Necco wafers. 
-A loyal listener

 

I was born in Cincinnati and the one of the foods I crave the most is Cincinnati Chili. There are chili parlors all over the city, mainly Skyline Chili and Goldstar Chili. These are the big players. You can buy the spice packets in the grocery stores there and last time I was there, two years ago for Thanksgiving; I bought all the store had. I think it was 21 packets. If you haven’t had it and aren’t going through Cincinnati any time soon I can send you a packet. It is awesome!  And it is really easy to make.
Robb

From my days in Michigan (my dad was career Chrysler), I miss La Michoacana tortillas.  Made in a factory in  the Mexican section of Detroit, they are absolutely the lightest, freshest tortilla ever. I’ve been searching for their equal for the last 30 years to no avail.
Betsy

I moved to Southern California in 1997 before coming back a few years ago.  When I was out there I always looked for two standbys: Tastycakes and Old Bay.  It was easy to find Old Bay in most supermarkets, but Tastycakes were a taller order.  They sold them for a few years in the Vons Supermarket (owned by Safeway).  The Old Bay came in handy when I went with a friend from Richmond to an Asian supermarket near LA to buy a few pounds of blue crabs.  Being from the Chesapeake we both knew how to steam crabs, though some of our California friends were more squeamish.  When they found out we were steaming them alive, one guy actually said, "Couldn't we just set them free?"  Of course, we did not set them free.
John

Can you guess where I'm from?
Fragoza's linguica & chourico, Crown Pilot Crackers, Moxie.
There is nothing more fabulous than dipping buttered Crown Pilot Crackers into clam chowder or kale soup!  I plan to make trutas and suspiros at Christmas.
Gayle -- I grew up on Cape Cod, my family is from Provincetown.

My rave is backwards from what I Come Home To. It's what I Always Take With:  During the time that I was studying at Exeter University in England, fore-armed with the reputation of the Bland British food (wrongly-deserved, by the way; England is a curry-lover's heaven!)  I took along with me a tin of Old Bay Seasoning to spice up the "Fish &Chips." Curious Brits tried out the colorful, zesty spice and fell in love with Old Bay!  Fellow students, campus professors, pub locals all put in their orders for tins of Old Bay for me to return with from my Christmas vacation, which I did.  They put it on everything they could think of from spaghetti to watercress sandwiches!
Old Bay is missing out on an international market! Jeffery

I am from Tacoma, Washington.  The snack I miss most from home is the Mountain Bar.  This is a candy bar shaped like a mountain.  It has a fondant center, covered with chocolate, and then covered with nuts.  The candy wrapper has a drawing of Mt. Ranier.  It is made by the Brown & Haley candy company in Tacoma.  Brown & Haley also makes Almond Roca which is available widely, but I can only buy Mountain Bars when I go home.  Their motto that I remembered growing up there was "Brown & Haley makes em daily."
Linda in Baltimore

I am going “home” to western Pennsylvania this Thanksgiving and the one “must-get” item is Jim's Hot Dogs in Dravosburg, PA. I’m telling you, they have the all-time best sauce I’ve ever tasted.   Family owned and run since about 1932 it’s a drive-up kind of place, you can eat at one of the outside tables, in your car or take it home.  They laugh at me with my MD plates ordering 20 hot-dogs to go (we freeze ‘em, if they last long enough).
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
Nancy

I'm from a small town in Northern New Mexico.  One thing you can only get in New Mexico (not just my small town, but all of New Mexico) is green chili.  Not same as the chili you can get here or poblanos or anything like that.  There is something special about the climate in New Mexico that this type of chili grows best there.  It is served on everything from eggs to hamburgers to apple pie.  The best smell in the world is green chili roasting in the fall.
Emily  

My hometown in Western NY has great Buffalo wings, but no Berger Cookies. We take several packages of Berger cookies to all my relatives in NY. They're all hooked!
Kimberly

I take Old Bay Seasoning with me everywhere I travel.  After experiencing some of the terrible-tasting shrimp and crabs from other locales I’ve always packed Old Bay. I’ve even had people in other regions ask, “What is Old BAY seasoning?” I put Old Bay on corn on the cob, salads and popcorn. I’ll even put it on steak and now with Thanksgiving coming up, turkey. I can’t live without it.
Wayne

MIDDAY WITH DAN RODRICKS

Listen live on WYPR 88.1 FM or online at wypr.org.  You can call during the show at 410-662-8780 or toll-free at 866-661-9309, or drop us an e-mail with brief comments or questions at midday@wypr.org.

Thursday, November 20
12:00-1:00 pm EST

In 1952, Charles Wilson, the head of General Motors, said, “What’s good for General Motors is good for the country.”  Today the company that once proclaimed itself the heartbeat of America is in need of life support as it seeks a multi-billion dollar taxpayer bailout. My guests this hour have different views on saving the auto industry. Steven Isberg, left, professor of Finance at the University of Baltimore, says the Big Three need a market restructuring instead of a bailout, while Jonathan Cohn, right, senior editor of the New Republic, argues that a bailout is justified because the Big Three had been making progress in vehicle design just as credit vanished and the economy went south. Whether, or how, to keep the American auto industry on the road . . . after the news at noon from NPR.

Hey, that's a great idea Sen. Barbara Mikulski threw into the Big Three Auto Bailout plan -- a tax break on purchases of all new automobiles from now through the end of 2009. She did this at the request of the Maryland Automobile Dealers Association. Here's some of Babs' populist rhetoric: "We’ve helped the sharks and we’ve helped the whales. Now it’s time to help the minnows, the little guy, and the American consumer."

According to Mikulski's office, interest payments on car loans and state sales/excise car would be deductible for new cars purchased between Nov. 12, 2008 and Dec. 31, 2009. It would apply to families making less than $250,000 a year, or individuals making less than $150,000. Mikulski calculates that a family would save about $1,553 on a $25,000 car, and about $2,500 on a $35,000 car.

Tax breaks on $35,000 cars? Is there a $35,000 car that gets more than 20 miles to a gallon?

This is classic Mikulski, moving into a big story to score some points with the little people. It always sounds good. She's still gives great sound bites. Love that minnows 'n sharks bit.

But just remember: Maryland's senior senator wasn't always on the side of such populism. She cast a vote six years ago to give Big Auto a break, essentially a reward for the lack of future-think and arrogance that got them into so much trouble that their overpaid executives needed to fly to Washington in private jets this week to ask for a handout.

In 2002, Mikulski opposed higher fuel-economy standards that would have forced American automakers to nearly double the gas-mileage minimums (to a fleet average of 36 mpg) by 2015, and here's the reason she gave: "American women love their SUVs and minivans." Mikulski warned her Senate colleagues that, if they approved the higher standards, the wrath of "soccer moms" would be heard (more sound bite stuff), the insulting assumption being that soccer moms could neither see the shortcomings of the vehicles they drove nor understand the need to make them more efficient in the future.

Mikulski also argued -- as she always argues -- that her vote was about saving jobs, in this case at the now cleared-for-other-use GM plant on Broening Highway.
But all Babs did was let the auto industry off the hook. (At the time of Mikulski's vote in the Senate, Washington had not raised the fuel efficiency standards since 1975, the year before Mikulski first went to Congress.)
And all her new tax-break does is provide a stimulus for auto sales -- another reward for the American manufactuters who for too many years continued to make vehicles not enough people wanted.

It would have made more sense then -- as it makes sense now -- for GM to have developed more fuel-efficient and reliable vans instead of turning out Astros and Safaris. If anything, Mikulski should have proposed money to subsidize the retooling of the Broening Highway plant for transition to green vehicles attractive to an emerging generation of young, progressive consumers.
But that was never in the plan. Despite Mikulski's appeasement, GM made no effort to save jobs in Baltimore.

At the very least, instead of voting to reward moribundauto manufacturers, Mikulski should have been asking GM why it couldn't produce minivans and SUVs that got 25 to 35 miles to the gallon by 2015. With a 13-year lead time, one or all of the Big Three could have pulled it off. The National Academy of Sciences said it could be done, and Honda proved that cars and SUVs could lose considerable weight with no impact on vehicle safety.

There was none of this from Mikulski in 2002, two years before she had to run for re-election. Republicans opposed increased fuel efficiency. So did Babs. "I'm an industrial-strength environmentalist," she said, chumming for TV coverage with another sound bite.
Paul Sarbanes, who served virtually sound-bite-free in the U.S. Senate from Maryland, voted for the higher standards. The measure failed miserably, 62-38, and here we are . . .

 

MIDDAY WITH DAN RODRICKS

Listen live on WYPR 88.1 FM or online at wypr.org.  You can call during the show at 410-662-8780 or toll-free at 866-661-9309, or drop us an e-mail with brief comments or questions at midday@wypr.org.

Thursday, November 20
1:00-2:00 pm EST

OK, so you're traveling home for Thanksgiving, or expecting your relatives to visit for the big dinner. Whether traveling or expecting, there's something from the ole hometown you want -- some snack, sandwich, dessert or drink you can only get there. (Berger's Cookies and Matthew's Pizza of Baltimore!) Our theme again is Hometown Favorites, those special items still only marketed regionally and hard to get unless you or a relative ship it or stick it in the carry-on bag.

"I'm drooling over the delicious combination of words, Blue Bell Ice Cream," says a Sun colleague who hasn't had this treat since leaving Texas. "One of the few things I remember fondly about Texas was discovering Blue Bell. They make one of the few varieties of vanilla that is better without a topping.  It's the best commercially made ice cream I have ever tasted in my life."

And you can only get it there. Join us Thursday as we discuss the drinks, food items, and other goodies that are still limited to regional markets. We'll talk with manufacturers of such items as Necco wafers, Autocrat Coffee Syrup, Tastykake, Boyer Candies and Blue Bell Ice Cream.

This is our second show on Hometown Favorites. The first, which aired in August, was a hit, and one of our busiest hours in terms of calls and e-mailings. Here's the list the Midday staff compiled, based on listener contributions:

Hometown Favorites
August 19, 2008

Below, you can find a list of the companies that make products our listeners said they missed from back home or savored as a Baltimore-only item.

Hometown Favorites
http://www.hometownfavorites.com/

Natrona Bottling Company
http://www.natronabottlingcompany.com/

Zapp's Potato Chips
http://www.zapps.com/

Moon Pie
http://www.moonpie.com/

Moxie
http://www.moxiecongress.org/ (Fan site)
Wikipedia entry

Berger Cookies
http://www.bergercookies.com/

Old Bay
http://www.oldbay.com/

 

MIDDAY WITH DAN RODRICKS

Listen live on WYPR  88.1 FM  or online at wypr.org.  You can call during the show at 410-662-8780 or toll-free at 866-661-9309, or drop us an e-mail with brief comments or questions at midday@wypr.org.

Wednesday, November 19
Noon-1:00 EST

"Just as Congress is taking up a controversial $25 billion Detroit Three auto bailout," says the Saginaw (Mich.) News, "we learn that Chrysler is paying about 50 of its executives some $30 million in retention bonuses. . . . In fact, six Chrysler officers are getting retention pay well into seven figures. The most -- $1.89 million -- is going to [the] executive vice president of manufacturing. The least is about $200,000." This kind of practice -- and the executive compensation and bad decision-making in companies that have imploded during the latest financial mess -- mark one of the worst economic eras in American history. Alan Greenspan once believed that banks, operating in their own self-interest, would do what was necessary to protect their shareholders and institutions. He called that "a flaw in the model ... that defines how the world works." Today on Midday, a talk with Paul Leiman, left, attorney and professor of business ethics at Johns Hopkins, on corporate ethics and regulation after the big meltdown of 2008. Leiman litigated white-collar banking enforcement matters, including the Charles Keating-Lincoln Savings case, for more than fifteen years for the U.S. government. As a Senior Attorney at the U.S. Treasury Department and the Federal Home Loan Bank Board, Mr. Leiman handled high-profile cases for the Special Trial and Enforcement Divisions in both federal and administrative venues. Previously, he had served as both a trial lawyer and administrative counsel at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Should be a good discussion. Please join us.

1:00-2:00 pm EST: TV critic David Zurawik

A study out of the University of Maryland has Sun TV critic David Zurawik riled up. The study says that unhappy people watch a lot of television -- that the happiest Americans spend less time looking at the flickering screen and more time reading books or chatting with friends (or reading the daily newspaper and listening to public radio!) And the Z, who writes about television for our newspaper and web site, has steam coming out of his ears. (See Z on TV) Not that we needed much to set the Big Z off, but we're going to discuss the study on the radio show today after the NPR news at 1 pm, and we might even get the UM professor behind the study on the line with us. Tune in. This ought to be good.

 

 

MIDDAY WITH DAN RODRICKS

Listen live on WYPR  88.1 FM  or online at wypr.org.  You can call during the show at 410-662-8780 or toll-free at 866-661-9309, or drop us an e-mail with brief comments or questions at midday@wypr.org.

Wednesday, November 19   1:00-2:00 pm EST

A study out of the University of Maryland has Sun TV critic David Zurawik riled up. The study says that unhappy people watch a lot of television -- that the happiest Americans spend less time looking at the flickering screen and more time reading books or chatting with friends (or reading the daily newspaper and listening to public radio!) And the Z, who writes about television for our newspaper and web site, has steam coming out of his ears. (See Z on TV) Not that we needed much to set the Big Z off, but we're going to discuss the study on the radio show today after the NPR news at 1 pm, and we might even get the UM professor behind the study on the line with us. Tune in. This ought to be good.

Some of the many e-mails on Tuesday's column:

And  our parents cooked and ate at home.  Eating out was a treat, not a daily occurrence.  Buy a smoked shoulder, make a boiled dinner, then use the leftovers for ham salad, and use the bone for pea soup.  That's gone from the landscape.  . . . People don't even know how to cook, and they don't know how to shop for food economically. Not enough of them, anyway. If you showed someone a meal for four costing about $8 -- a whole roaster on sale, rice and frozen peas, they'd still go to Appleby's and blow $30 or $40 on the same meal. -- George

I’m a baby boomer and I did listen to my parents when they preached fiscal responsibility. I’ve had a job since I was 16, never spent beyond my means and did okay for myself.  I even have money in a savings account!
I opened credit card accounts only to establish credit, use them only to keep the credit going, and pay them off immediately. I don’t feel sorry for those who spent beyond their means and now want the government to help them, and I certainly don’t feel sorry for the automakers whose union has caused them to spend more than they can afford.
Anyway, just wanted to vent and let you know there are still some responsible people out here who understand the meaning of a dollar and how to save one.
-- Sandy

The article hit home with me. Being raised by parents who lived through the Depression, I practiced all the techniques they taught me for living within my means. This meant being called a Fuddy Duddy and being made fun of. Now what adds insult to injury is the folks who got themselves into this financial mess and want me to bail them out. . . . Check and see how much old geezers are getting on a passbook account. - John Orzechowski

Take a look at the clothing you are wearing. How many of those articlesof clothing are made in America? Go to Wal-Mart. See how many of the items they carry that aremade in America. Where did all those industries go? Where did all those jobs go? Was it worth it? In reality, across many industries, our government may also have to resort to new import quotas to try to revive many industries here. Along these lines, I have written a poem called  “It used to be Made in America.” The poem is about the loss of jobs and the consequences of theoutsourcing of jobs.I have set the poem up on a website at www.itusedtobemadeinamerica.com

Robert Barrows
Burlingame, CA

Hi Dan, How about this? No cell phone, microwave, flat screen TV (I have  one 13" tabletop),home computer (use 'me at JHU and Loyola libraries), word processor (use an Olympia manual)  dishwasher, AC(!), clothes dryer, oven (turned it off during the '72 energy crisis and never turned it back on), SUV (Subaru wagon), health club (ride a bike for both exercise and daytime transportation), no carryout orders and, finally, just one credit card.. Occupy a small, mid-row house, where I keep winter temp. around 65F and turn off lights not being used. Am I your kind of guy, or what!
-- Herman Heyn

 I'm a kind of pre-baby boomer, born in 1943. Everything you wrote in today's column was right, except that my parents never talked about saving; they never talked about money, period. Their basic message might be summed up as "think small," which I suppose leads to a kind of savings. In my earlier days, Household Finance had a jingo that said, "Never borrow money needlessly, but when you must, go to the people you can trust." Even today, borrowing for a vacation seems sinful to me. Just thinking about my money makes me nervous, so making sound judgments about it is difficult. The one way I'm lucky is that I do not feel entitled to nice stuff, so I don't feel deprived when I lack it.
    One sentence in your column stopped me. You wrote, "But in the long term, you have to worry about a culture that asks its worried citizens to spend money, even when it's not prudent."  My reaction was that it ain't just the culture; it's the economic system as well. On the other hand, we had a capitalistic system back when our parents were saving. Of course they put their money in savings and loan associations that paid a pittance to use it. Their prudence made them suckers. Still, they avoided deep financial pits.
    The two big questions to me are whether investors and consumers alike can cut back on the raw greed, having seen what looked so recently like the promised land, and whether capitalism, which has always relied on growth, can survive periods of resource scarcity and ecological turmoil.
    In 1989, Vance Packard wrote a book tilted "Ultra Rich: How Much Is Too Much?" If memory serves, the book notes one study that showed that people of all incomes thought they'd be in good shape if their incomes simply doubled. So maybe that's all we need to do: double everyone's income. Then we can watch the ecological degradation pick up speed.
    Sorry for the rambling. Writing for free, I tend to ramble.
-- Patrick

From our Midday intern Claire Caplan:

Today on the show, Dan and Digital Cafe's Mario Armstrong made brief mention of Twitter, the "service that lets you keep in touch with people through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?"  I am not a member, as I can think of only a few people whose Twitters would actually be interesting, and I do not consider myself to be one of those.

The typical person's Twitter site looks like this, give or take a tweet:

Suzy Q is waking up – 7:04 am November 10
Suzy Q's teeth feel like they've knitted fuzzy sweaters; need to brush them – 7:05 am November 10
Suzy Q thinks that toothpaste tastes mintier these days, doesn't it?? – 7:08 am November 10
Suzy Q is wondering whether anyone at work will notice if she wears navy blue flats with a black suit – 7:32 am November 10
Suzy Q wishes she had more time for breakfast :-( – 7:40 am November 10
Suzy Q hates her commute :-( – 8:06 am November 10
Suzy Q oooh cute bike messenger! – 8:09 am November 10
Suzy Q is reading third quarter reports – 8:42 am November 10
Suzy Q needs to prepare that presentation but she doesn't feel like it!! – 9:18 am November 10
Suzy Q found a run in her stocking, grrr – 11:01 am November 10
Suzy Q thinks that presentation went well, or hopes so, anyway, cross those fingers – 12:34 pm November 10
Suzy Q wishes she had more time for lunch :-( – 1:18 pm November 10
Suzy Q just scheduled that lobotomy :-) – 4:00 pm November 10
 

And this is the glamorous version of her life. She left out stuff that was even more boring (Suzy Q picked her nose – 11:15 am, Suzy Q had an impure thought – 2:28pm).  On weekends, Suzy Q tweets through laundry and toenail clippings, through drinking too many Cosmos and dancing with a dreamy stranger who has a really great relationship with his ex-wives.

All this Twittering is a manifestation of a phenomenon that is highly objectionable, an absurdity in a world that is already beyond absurd: an Internet phenomenon wherein people are encouraged – nay, forced – to refer to themselves in the third person.  Personally, Claire is against this.

 

Posted by Dan Rodricks at 3:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Amazing. Morris Martick took my advice. When I interviewed him about the closing of his famous French restaurant, Morris repeatedly asked me what I thought he should do. I suggested a few things, one of which he's actually doing.

This Just In: Morris Martick is back at the stove for the holidays. You can order a loaf his extraordinary Pâté Parisian, which serves 12 or more (depending how generous you are with the slices), for $40.
Also available is Peach Clafouti, a custard-like bread pudding with brown sugar, butter and cinnamon crust and peaches. Serves 12-14. $20. For orders call 410-752-5155.

Thanks to chef Paul Bartlett of Kitchen Solutions Consulting for letting us know about this.

You go, Morris!

 

MIDDAY WITH DAN RODRICKS

Listen live on WYPR 88.1 FM or online at wypr.org.  You can call during the show at 410-662-8780 or toll-free at 866-661-9309, or drop us an e-mail with brief comments or questions at midday@wypr.org.

Tuesday, November 18 at 1-2 pm Eastern

The campaign of President-elect Barack Obama made history in another way -- it was the most technologically advanced run for national office the country has ever seen.  We'll discuss the cultural and technological advancements made by the Obama campaign with Mario Armstrong, left, NPR contributor and host of WYPR's Digital Café. Mario has a lot to say about the Obama campaign and what it could mean for other groups, particularly non-profits, that need to network for success. What are some lessons learned from Obama's high-tech grass roots campaign? Why are Twitter, Facebook and social networking sites critical factors for success in today's world? And what's Obama going to do without his BlackBerry come Inauguration Day?

MIDDAY WITH DAN RODRICKS

Listen live on WYPR 88.1 FM or online at wypr.org.  You can call during the show at 410-662-8780 or toll-free at 866-661-9309, or drop us an e-mail with brief comments or questions at midday@wypr.org.

 

Tuesday, November 18
Noon-1:00

It's the time when high school seniors are applying to colleges, with some waiting for early decisions. While admission is one challenge, financing a college education is even bigger, especially with the economy in a spin and credit markets tightening. We'll talk about why college costs so much, and what parents and students can do to adapt to the credit crunch on the show today. Our guests are Kim Clark, senior writer who specializes in higher education for U.S. News & World Report, and Robert Bogomolny, president of the University of Baltimore.

1:00-2:00
The campaign of President-elect Barack Obama made history in another way -- it was the most technologically advanced run for national office the country has ever seen.  We'll discuss the cultural and technological advancements made by the Obama campaign and what community organizations and non-profits can learn from them with Mario Armstrong, NPR contributor and host of WYPR's Digital Café.

 

MIDDAY WITH DAN RODRICKS

Listen live on WYPR 88.1 FM or online at wypr.org.  You can call during the show at 410-662-8780 or toll-free at 866-661-9309, or drop us an e-mail with brief comments or questions at midday@wypr.org.

 

Monday, November 17

1:00-2:00 pm

Opponents argue that allowing same-sex couples to wed would threaten traditional marriage while supporters see it as an essential matter of equality. Today on the show -- why marriage matters and what exactly it is -- a look at the historical and political development of the institution over the centuries. Our guest is Susan Squire. She's written what she calls a Contrarian History of Marriage, and tells how and why Western society became organized into licensed male-female couples. The raging debate over same-sex marriage boils down to an argument over definition -- cultural tradition, religious sacrament or civil contract over property rights: what is marriage after all?

MIDDAY WITH DAN RODRICKS

Listen live on WYPR 88.1 FM or online at wypr.org.  You can call during the show at 410-662-8780 or toll-free at 866-661-9309, or drop us an e-mail with brief comments or questions at midday@wypr.org.

 

Monday, November 17
Noon-1:00

Should U.S. taxpayers bail out the Big Three auto makers and, closer to home, should Marylanders continue to fund a new highway? The multibillion-dollar InterCounty Connector already is under construction, yet long-time opponents have not given up the fight, arguing that the highway connecting I-95 near Laurel with I-270 near Gaithersburg does not make sense as the state and country move toward a greener future. Long-time supporters say there's no turning back and that the ICC is vital to relieving Capital Beltway congestion . . . Opponents say they will take their case to the state legislature one more time. Supporters say it's too late to stop it. The ICC, the green movement and the future of transportation, today on Midday . . .

1:00-2:00

Opponents argue that allowing same-sex couples to wed would threaten traditional marriage while supporters see it as essential matter of equality. Today on the show -- why marriage matters and what exactly it is -- a look at the historical and political development of the institution over the centuries. Our guest is Susan Squire. She's written what she calls a Contrarian History of Marriage, and tells how and why Western society became organized into licensed couples. The raging debate over same-sex marriage boils down to an argument over definition --religious sacrament or civil contract over property rights, what is marriage after all?

CONVERSATION WITH JAMES EMORY BOND

You can hear excerpts of the 1964 program, "Conversation with James Emory Bond," the subject of my Sunday column, by visiting the WYPR web site and listening to the first-hour of Midday, my interview with Syd King and Frank Bond, Sr.  wypr.org The program aired Wednesday, Nov. 12

One Night in ’64: African American
Voices and Television in the Civil Rights Era, a new exhibit at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture

In 1964, Baltimore television was still mainly black-and-white, and far more white than black. One night, after watching a program about the rising crime rate in the city, a 75-year old retired government truck driver named James Emory Bond took his opinions on the subject to the Television Hill studio of WBAL-TV. Bond, the grandson of a slave, found himself and his voice broadcast to all of Baltimore, bringing an authentic African-American perspective to television screens. Bond, who had been born in a log cabin in Baltimore County in the 1880s, told of his faith, of his experiences as a young black man growing up in a segregated and angry world, and he cried and laughed as he spoke. WBAL's station managers giving him an unprecedented one hour of air time, without commercial interruption. We have the film of the interview, which received national recognition and won an Emmy. It is now an exhibition at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture.

Who knew? Pulitzer Prize-winning civil rights historian Taylor Branch (America In The King Years), left, is an ole rocker. He and two college buddies, who once sang as The Zookeepers, reunited for a Beatles cover CD called The Blue Album. I just heard it, and it's great sing-along fun. Branch, who lives in Baltimore, Bill Guy and John Yelverton sound like teens. This is the group's second CD. "If you ever need giddy fun or relief after a profound election, this is it," Branch writes.

To hear audio clips, click here. 

 

 

Tell us how you feel: The Maryland Commission on Capital Punishment recommended an end to executions in the state, finding that the death penalty carries the "real possibility" of executing innocent people and may be biased against blacks. After years of debates and reports, the commission's vote is bound to set the stage for another effort to repeal Maryland's death penalty in the General Assembly. Tell us how you feel about that. We're tackling this from noon until 1.

MIDDAY WITH DAN RODRICKS

Listen live on WYPR 88.1 FM or online at wypr.org.  You can call during the show at 410-662-8780 or toll-free at 866-661-9309, or drop us an e-mail with brief comments or questions at midday@wypr.org.

MIDDAY WITH DAN RODRICKS

Listen live on WYPR 88.1 FM or online at wypr.org.  You can call during the show at 410-662-8780 or toll-free at 866-661-9309, or drop us an e-mail with brief comments or questions at midday@wypr.org.

 

Thursday, November 13

1:00-2:00
With only $25 and the clothes on his back, our guest, Adam Shepard, set out in search of the American Dream, and he started from scratch on the streets of a southern U.S. city. He gave himself a year to earn $2,500, buy a car, and rent a place to live. Shepard's quest is chronicled in the book Scratch Beginnings: Me, $25, and the Search for the American Dream.

The live chat beings after NPR news at 1 pm

 

A Vietnam veteran who attended a Veterans Day ceremony yesterday in Maryland, and who read my column on the senseless death in senseless combat in a senseless war of Henry Gunther, had this to say in an e-mail, asking not to be quoted by name:

The more of these things I attend, I keep thinking that all we do by "remembering" the dead vets is to ensure that there'll always be more of them. I wonder if we wouldn't do better to blow up all of these memorials and bring an end to war. The more that we commemorate them, it just serves to glorify it for our star-struck young people, and on it goes. I see no end in sight. The same is true for all of our museums. The first 15 minutes that I'm in one, I think how great they are, and then I recall that it all is for just one thing: the deaths of many people. Very sad. Most of our "history" is about war, death, and killing.

 

According to the Associated Press, a monument honoring the last soldier to die in World War I -- Henry Gunther of Baltimore -- has been erected in France. It was unveiled in Chaumont-devant-Damvillers in the Meuse before Tuesday's 90th anniversary of the Nov. 11, 1918 armistice. Gunther died just a minute before the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, and he was recognized officially by Gen. John Pershing as the last victim of the war. As reported in yesterday's column, Gunther was killed in a last-minute charge of a German machine gun nest. The village's mayor, Pierre Lenhard, said Gunther was largely forgotten by French historians and told the AP that he "found the reference (to Gunther) when I was looking through the archives.”

A Sun reader named Douglas McWilliam wrote last night to say: "The body of Gunther was repatriated in 1923 and was buried in his family's plot in the Holy Redeemer Cemetery at Belair and Moravia Roads in Baltimore City. . . . Just before 1100 hrs today, I placed an American Flag at his headstone in his honor. The story of Gunther, as you stated, was "once legend" and unfortunately has become an anecdotal footnote of history.  Thank you for remembering Henry Nicholas Gunther and all the others of that generation who served in that 'war to end all wars.'"

Here is a photo of the Gunther memorial that we discovered on a web site about World War I:

 

 

 

We're talking about this during the second hour of my radio show today. Do you think this is a good idea for Baltimore?  We have heard -- on the air and by e-mail -- from people who live in the suburbs and exurbs of Maryland that they think slots is a good idea for the state -- and obviously a lot of voters agree with that -- but what of putting one in the city?
We would particularly like to hear from Baltimoreans.
Is there going to be a fight over this, or have slots opponents given up and is Baltimore going to have a casino without the kind of community brawls they're seeing in Philadelphia?

MIDDAY WITH DAN RODRICKS

Listen live on WYPR 88.1 FM or online at wypr.org.  You can call during the show at 410-662-8780 or toll-free at 866-661-9309, or drop us an e-mail with brief comments or questions at midday@wypr.org.

From a previous blog post:

The mayor of Baltimore, Sheila Dixon, and the former mayor, Gov. Martin O'Malley, seem to have no shame about establishing a casino in Baltimore with slot machines, knowing full well that a disproportionate number of the city's poorest citizens are likely to waste their money there, particularly if we're still in a recession as the slots get up and running.

The slots, like the state lotteries before them, constitute a de facto tax on low-income people, and to put slots in the Maryland city with the highest concentration of poverty to balance the books for the fourth-wealthiest state in the country is stunningly reprehensible.

This has to be one of the most cynical moves ever by politicians in this city and state. There is no question that Maryland's poor and minority communities are likely to bear the heaviest burden when it comes to slots. They already do with other forms of state-sponsored gambling here.

Low-income people play the lottery -- and many of them voted last Tuesday to allow slots -- because they believe that it could be their ticket out of poverty.

Tina, a listener to my Midday show, wrote an e-mail yesterday wondering why all this outrage.
"Am I missing some compelling data that shows that poor people are more likely to go to slots/casinos than non-poor people?" she asked. "Not sure why Dan is so afraid that poor people of Baltimore City will be unable to resist the siren call of the slots at a higher rate than any other group of people, and why that means we shouldn't put a slots parlor in Baltimore."

Tina lives in Lauraville -- not one of the areas designated for a slots parlor -- and she has missed the news -- repeated countless times over the 40 or so years there have been state lotteries -- that lotteries and slots are regressive de facto taxes on the poor. Study after study, many of them by newspapers, have shown that low-income adults spend more money on lotteries, as a percentage of their income, than do middle-class or affluent Americans.

Years ago, a Duke University study found that 5 percent of lottery players account for 50 percent of ticket sales. The states count on these players, and most often they are people who can least afford to play a game that they are structured to lose.

In Frederick recently, a reporter for the News-Post, Justin Palk, took a look at who most frequently patronizes lottery outlets in that part of the state and found that money raised by the lottery in Frederick County comes disproportionately from low-income areas.
"For the 2008-2009 school year, half the county's elementary school districts -- 17 out of 34 -- report having 20 percent or more of their students in the federal Free and Reduced Price Meals program," Palk reported. "But districts with 20 percent or greater participation in the FARM program account for 11 of the 13 districts -- 84 percent -- where lottery retailers reported total lottery sales of $2 million or more between fiscal years 2005 and 2007. All nine schools in districts where lottery retailers reported more than $3 million in sales reported FARM participation rates of 24 percent or higher."

• A 1999 study of lottery spending among households in Atlanta showed that poor families spent five times as much of their income on the lottery than did middle- or upper-income families.
• In Lexington, Kentucky, nearly 80 percent of the money spent on lottery tickets in 1997 was spent in zip codes where the residents’ per capita income was below the $20,274 county average, according to a report in the Lexington Herald-Leader.
• In 1998, the Washington Post reported that 47 percent of Maryland’s most frequent lottery players come from households earning less than $20,000 a year.
• When the Atlanta Journal-Constitution looked at this, reporters found that per capita lottery sales in Georgia were twice as high in majority African-American neighborhoods than in neighborhoods that were at least 90 percent white.
• In 1991, The Sun reported that a disproportionate share of lottery revenue -- $192 million a year -- is generated in Baltimore, home of most of Maryland's poor.
• A few years ago, a study by researchers at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York, found that the rate of problem and pathological gambling among poor people is more than three times that of the most affluent segments of society. Here are some highlights from the Sun's report on the Buffalo study:
  
• Problem gambling among the poor has spread along with the
  rapid expansion of casino-style gambling into new venues around the country.
• In 1975, studies found gambling was more concentrated among young, white, affluent males, said John W. Welte, a senior research associate at the university and one of the study's authors. But that has changed markedly. "Gambling participation has particularly grown among the elderly and lower socioeconomic groups," the study stated. "It appears that the increased
  availability of gambling opportunities in our society has led to the
  `democratization' of gambling."
• Minorities who gamble tend to develop more problems with compulsive gambling behavior. Welte said the poor are likely to be less sophisticated about financial matters and don't necessarily understand how "the odds of gambling will grind you down." Moreover, Welte said, people in desperate circumstances might see placing a bet as one of the few ways to possibly solve an immediate financial dilemma. "It's a regressive source of government revenue," Welte said. "It comes disproportionately from poor people."
• Welte said that new research his group is doing found that pathological gambling rates are twice as high for people who live within 10 miles of a casino compared to those who live farther away.

Most of the revenue from slots is likely to come from the pockets of Marylanders who live near the slots parlors. That means, in the case of a slots casino in Baltimore, Baltimoreans -- and we're sure Mayor Dixon and Gov. O'Malley will get the MTA to place a bus stop right outside.

  

 

MIDDAY WITH DAN RODRICKS

Listen live on WYPR 88.1 FM or online at wypr.org.  You can call during the show at 410-662-8780 or toll-free at 866-661-9309, or drop us an e-mail with brief comments or questions at midday@wypr.org.

1-2 pm today

Last week Maryland voters finally voted a big “yes” for slots in Maryland, but local battles over where to deploy 15,000 slot machines in the state are still expected. While Baltimore's mayor has been bullish on a slots emporium here and the city already has bought land for one, some in the city of Philadelphia is far less excited about the prospects of a casino there. While the commonwealth of Pennsylvania legalized slots in 2004, there’s a citizen uprising against establishing slots within city limits. We’ll look at the issue and see what it could mean for Maryland with Jeff Shields, City Hall Reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer and Paul Boni, an Attorney for Casino Free Philly.

"Stick to truth, stick to decency, stick to honesty, stick to issues."

-- Rep. Wayne Gilchrest, upon his election in 1990, explaining his formula for victory

What we have here is the stuff of political science classes: How Republicans lost what would have been a perfectly safe seat in the U.S. House of Representatives despite a national tide favoring Democrats in the Year of Obama. It was one of only two seats held by the GOP in Maryland and it was in a district redrawn a few years ago to favor Republicans even more. 

Wayne Gilchrest, the decent, honest, moderate Republican from the Eastern Shore who held the seat for 18 years, did not survive the February primary challenge of two GOP opponents -- Andy Harris, a conservative's conservative who lives in Baltimore County, far from the heart of the 1st District, and E.J. Pipkin, the former junk bond millionaire who, like Harris, serves in the Maryland Senate. Pipkin won election to the state Senate from the Eastern Shore in 2002. Two years later, he ran for U.S. Senate, losing to Barbara Mikulski by a 2-1 margin.

The ambitious Pipkin put a million bucks into his primary campaign this year and took 20 percent, slicing off a big piece of the Eastern Shore vote that normally would have gone to Gilchrest.

Harris, meanwhile, got 43 percent in the primary, trouncing the incumbent Gilchrest, who ended up with 33 percent. It was a bitter primary, with Harris employing the same negative campaign messages that won him a state Senate seat over Vernon Boozer 10 years earlier. Boozer had declined to make the standard concession phone call to Harris. A decade later, so did Gilchrest, who said, "A concession amounts to rewarding unseemly behavior. I'm not bitter, but my God, what's happened to democracy? It's a clear sign the party is split between dogma and tolerance."

Harris took the same negative approach into the general campaign against Democrat Frank Kratovil, the state's attorney in Queen Anne's County who fired back with some negative ads of his own.

The general election was Harris's to lose -- and he did. Harris, endorsed by former Gov. Bob Ehrlich, won the hearts of more than 33,000 voters in the February primary while Kratovil came away with 28,000 and 40 percent of the Democratic primary vote. Harris had made a big splash with the Gilchrest upset, and he had nice chunks of money coming in from an anti-tax group and "pro-life, pro-family" conservatives. This might have worked in 2004 -- it's what got George Bush re-elected that year, after all -- but not in 2008.

All along, Harris was of the belief that what 1st District voters really wanted wasn't Wayne Gilchrest, the Chesapeake Bay champion and modest former school teacher they'd sent to Congress for 18 years. Harris knew better. What they really wanted, he thought, was a bare-knuckles conservative's conservative from Baltimore County with a terrible voting record on the environment. Looks like he was wrong about that. Not by much. But wrong enough. And now a Democrat from the Eastern Shore, endorsed by Wayne Gilchrest, gets the seat. Good work.

Harris says in The Sun today that he thinks the pendulum will swing back the other way -- heavy to the right -- in two years. That's wishful thinking. If Harris wants to win the seat it's Harris who has to do the swinging, and toward the middle. It might also help if, as a state senator, he voted for a couple of measures that showed a little progressive thinking about the bay and the environment.

MIDDAY WITH DAN RODRICKS

Listen live on WYPR 88.1 FM or online at wypr.org.  You can call during the show at 410-662-8780 or toll-free at 866-661-9309, or drop us an e-mail with brief comments or questions at midday@wypr.org.

 

Tuesday, November 11
Noon-1:00
Our guests in Studio A this hour are Maryland Senators Jim Rosapepe (D-Dist. 21) and E.J. Pipkin (R-Dist. 36) who will discuss their proposal that the state use its power to approve or disapprove the bailout of Constellation Energy and to scrap the deregulation of electric rates that have been so expensive for Baltimore area consumers.

1:00-2:00
Today is Veterans Day, the nation's annual honoring and remembrance of Americans who have served in the United States military. Originally, Veterans Day was known as Armistice Day, dating to Nov. 11, 1918, the day World War I ended after a horrific conflict of four years. A young man from Baltimore, Henry Gunther, was the last man to die in World War I, perishing with one minute to go before the designated ceasefire -- at the 11th hour of the 11th Day of the 11th month. We'll discuss this tragic and little-known footnote from the First World War with Ric Cottom, Maryland historian and WYPR contributor, and look at Maryland's military history in this century and last...when Midday continues after the news from NPR.

More More on the subject of today's column: Henry Gunther, the young man from Baltimore who was officially listed -- by General Pershing's order of the day -- as the last soldier to be killed in World War I. Historian Joseph Persico notes that Gunther died 3,775 miles away from his hometown, on one of the farthest reaches of the Western Front. The Germans were in general retreat, but still trying to hold ground so that retreating units could do so relatively safely. Word reached Gunther's 313th Regiment -- "Baltimore's Own" -- between 30 and 15 minutes before the 11 am armistice on Nov. 11. Persico writes in his book on the war's bloody climax that the regiment commander ordered that "there would be 'absolutely no let-up' until 11 a.m." The German machine gunners "eyed the advancing Americans with mingled disbelief and wariness." Gunther's buddy, Sgt. Ernest Powell of Baltimore, told The Sun 40 years ago that German fire kept his company from advancing through the fog toward the town of Ville-devant-Chaumont (see map) and the ridge of the Cote Romagne. They knew the ceasefire was coming. Powell never understood why Gunther stood and charged the enemy with less than two minutes to go in the war.

Henry Gunther was one of 29,800,700 battle casualties on all fronts in the four-year war. According to Persico's 11th Month, 11th Day, 11th Hour, military deaths conservatively totaled 8,364,700, and of the more than 21 million wounded, a third were permanently maimed. Add to that 6,276,000 civilian deaths attributable to one of modern man's great insanities, the so-called "Great War."

Here's an amazing passage from Persico's book that will help the reader appreciate the losses:

"If one were to stand on a street corner at 9 a.m. and watch the spirits of the British dead march by four abreast, the column would be 97 miles long and would take 20 hours, or until five the next morning, to pass. The French dead would take an additional 51 hours and the Germans another 59 hours. Considering all the dead on the Western Front, this parade would last from 9 a.m. Monday to 4 p.m. Saturday and stretch 386 miles, roughly the distance from Paris halfway through Switzerland or from New York to Cleveland."

 

 

MIDDAY WITH DAN RODRICKS

Listen live on WYPR 88.1 FM or online at wypr.org.  You can call during the show at 410-662-8780 or toll-free at 866-661-9309, or drop us an e-mail with brief comments or questions at midday@wypr.org.

 

Monday, November 10
Noon-1:00
Having trouble coming down from Campaign 2008 and last week's election high? We'll talk some politics today -- the apparent victory of Frank Kratovil in Maryland's First District congressional battle against Republican Andy Harris, the first days of President-elect Barack Obama's transition and the economic mess he'll be facing -- with Herb Smith, McDaniel College political science professor and polling expert, and Brian Morton, the "Political Animal" columnist for the Baltimore City Paper and author of the new collection of columns, I'd Rather Have A Better Country.

1:00-2:00
In an election that will send the first African-American to the White House, Marylanders cast a record 2.6 million ballots.  Pastors of churches with primarily black congregations were key voices in the effort to get out the vote.  Now that Barack Obama is the president-elect, we'll talk with three Maryland ministers about their first post-election sermons and what an Obama presidency means to their churches. Our guests include the Rev. Alvin C. Hathaway of Union Baptist Church of Baltimore, the Rev. Emmett C. Burns, Jr. of Rising Sun First Baptist Church in Baltimore County, and the Rev. Frank M. Reid III of Bethel AME.

 

I just got home from a trip to New Jersey -- didn't have a laptop with me, and the Marriott in Bridgewater still charges for Internet use -- so I just checked e-mail on today's column, and there's a bunch already. Thanks. Coming Tuesday: A special column on the 90th anniversary of the armistice of World War I and Baltimore's ironic and tragic connection to the war's final minutes.

What we hear:

That since his Olympian feats, people have been stopping by the North Baltimore Aquatic Club in Baltimore to ask if they can bottle up some of the water from the pool where the Greatest-Ever swam.

That people have inquired if Phelps will be teaching a learn-to-swim class at Meadowbrook.

That a ton of mail has arrived from around the world, some of it simply addressed: "Michael Phelps USA"

Barack Obama used the word sacrifice in his victory speech the other night. Most Americans, even those who did not vote for Obama, understand that the nation is facing huge problems that call for sacrifice and a return to the we're-all-in-this-together spirit that got us through tough times before.
Contrast the high-mindedness of that Democrat's message with the one we got here in Maryland from Martin O'Malley, the governor, and Sheila Dixon, the mayor of Baltimore -- let's have more gambling, and in Baltimore City, in particular.

Obama wants to raise taxes on the well-to-do and give the middle class a break, while O'Malley and Dixon, supported by nearly 60 percent approval of Question 2 on Election Day, will use slot machines to disproportionately tax the poor to help balance the budget in the four-wealthiest state in the country. It keeps O'Malley politically viable, helping him to recover from the approval-rating toll he took after raising the sales tax, and it gives Dixon a way to say she lowered property taxes by the next election. Meanwhile, we're going to set up a slots parlor accessible to the poorest population in the state to make it all happen.

Obama and hope, O'Malley and slots.
I guess you can't have everything.

"Using predatory slot machines to take hundreds of millions of dollars from the elderly, the desperate and those with addictive disorders as the preferred way to fund government completely contradicts the message of both candidates [for president]," wrote Les Bernal, executive director of StopPredatoryGambling.org. "We are a nation of strong families and communities…not a collection of selfish individuals who prey on the weaknesses of our neighbors for profit."
Here's more from Bernal:
"Why don’t the owners and promoters of slots, including public officials, often use slots? Because they know it is a near total waste of their money. They know the odds of winning are truly near impossible and they also know the way a person advances in America is by working hard, saving money and investing over the long-term.
"The truth is slots are government’s version of sub prime lending, best described as predatory gambling. AIG and Lehman Brothers executives were all part of what’s been called casino capitalism – using predatory practices and financial gimmicks to promote an illusion of free money, all at the expense of unsuspecting Americans.
"Among many well-intentioned people who presently advocate for slots, there is a complete lack of understanding about the design, technology and marketing behind the machines. If they did understand how predatory the machines are, there is no question that most would strongly oppose them.
"Every feature of the machine -- the mathematical structure, visual graphics, sound dynamics, seating and screen ergonomics -- is geared, in the language of the predatory gambling trade, to get gamblers to 'play to extinction,' which means until their money is gone.
"MIT Professor Natasha Schull has called the machines a 'high-tech version of loaded dice.' For those unfamiliar with the term, using loaded dice is cheating.
"One of America’s most sacred founding principles was: 'No taxation without representation.' It’s time the principle of  'No taxation by exploitation'  was added right beneath it."

 

E-mail from a Midday listener and Sun reader named Birdie:

I wonder how many people would have voted in favor of slots, if they had been aware that the city would move so quickly to purchase land for slot development? . . . It is appalling to me that Sheila Dixon would push through such an action considering the current economic issues facing Baltimore City. . . . Firstly, paying substantially above market price for real estate, in the midst of a real estate melt down does not demonstrate rational thinking, much less any concern for those Baltimore citizens who are having major challenges attempting to avoid bankruptcy from the real estate problems.  This wreaks of more BDC, Dixon and O'Malley back room activities.
Secondly, the $ 4 million could be better utilized to address education needs, homelessness, police/fire department needs, other city services or maybe even decreasing the outrageous city real estate taxes. . . . Thirdly, if this real estate is presently used for stadium parking, what is the "new" parking location?  Parking is already a nightmare in the neighborhoods surrounding the stadiums. . . .  Lastly,  I find it amazing that our city is able to do such extensive advanced planning and move so quickly on the land purchase -- a quality we Baltimore citizens would enjoy seeing employed in other city activities. I voted yes and today am regretting that vote.

MIDDAY WITH DAN RODRICKS

Listen live on WYPR 88.1 FM or online at wypr.org.  You can call during the show at 410-662-8780 or toll-free at 866-661-9309, or drop us an e-mail with brief comments or questions at midday@wypr.org.

Thursday, November 6
Noon-1:00

Wasting no time, the Baltimore Board of Estimates, led by Mayor Sheila Dixon, yesterday voted 4 to 1 to pay $4.1 million for land for a slots casino near the football stadium where the Ravens play. The vote to buy the land at a $400,000 premium came just 13 hours after Marylanders voted to legalize slot-machine gambling. Based on the percentages in Tuesday's election results, citizens of the Free State like the idea of slots here as much as they like Barack Obama. But now comes the local battles -- where to place 15,000 slot machines where they'll be accepted by nearby residents and businesses. We'll discuss the what-now? of video gambling with two reporters who've been on the slots beat -- Tom LoBianco of the Washington Times and Gadi Dechter of The Sun.

1:00-2:00 pm

After surviving skin cancer, Roger Martin, a former president at Randolph-Macon College, decided to become a student again. He'll join us in Studio A today to talk about what he learned as a 61-year-old freshman at St. John's College in Annapolis, where he studied the classics, joined the crew team and figured out how to connect with his 18-year-old classmates. Martin recounts his experiences in a memoir, Racing Odysseus (University of California Press, 2008), and he has a lot to say about the value of the liberal arts and sciences as an effective preparation for life and multiple careers.

 

MIDDAY WITH DAN RODRICKS

Listen live on WYPR 88.1 FM or online at wypr.org.  You can call during the show at 410-662-8780 or toll-free at 866-661-9309, or drop us an e-mail with brief comments or questions at midday@wypr.org.

1:00-2:00 pm

After surviving skin cancer, Roger Martin, a former president at Randolph-Macon College, decided to become a student again. He'll join us in Studio A today to talk about what he learned as a 61-year-old freshman at St. John's College in Annapolis, where he studied the classics, joined the crew team and figured out how to connect with his 18-year-old classmates. Martin recounts his experiences in a memoir, Racing Odysseus (University of California Press, 2008), and he has a lot to say about the value of the liberal arts and sciences as an effective preparation for life and multiple careers.

 

I wrote about this Election Night -- the phenomenon of so many hand-made Obama signs in East Baltimore and West Baltimore. I've never seen anything like it. It certainly reflects the level of enthusiasm for Obama, and it speaks to the high demand for the campaign-issued blue signs commonly seen elsewhere. I saw plenty of lawns with the latter in Baltimore and neighboring counties. Some homes had three and even four Obama signs while obviously some places in the city went begging for one. Obviously, the Obama campaigned should have spread its wealth of signage around. (Though it was great to see the homemade ones.)

 

More Midday listener comments, delivered by e-mail during today's show. More comments welcome.

Chip:
I was a little surprised at your caller comment that she had not been proud to be an American for some time. Just 'cause we've had a stubborn, narrow thinking leader for some time now wouldn't make me lose faith in the country-only him. But regarding our "knee jerk" reaction to the slaughter of innocents on 9/11, I can only say: "Spoken by a true non-participant."

Brian:
I listen to your station for a lot of its insight. I consider myself a fierce independent. The issue and question I have is why was there not more coverage on the suspicious associations Barack Obama had with various figures in his far and most recent past? I feel that, generally speaking, the media has done a disservice to the public during this campaign, painting Obama as the great white hope (well at least a 40-50-some percent great white hope) and not digging deeper as journalists should. Comparatively, The McCain/Palin ticket have been skewered along the trail on seemingly trivial items. And, unfortunately the public buys into this gross rag journalism. May we see, in the future, a truly more unbiased approach to news coverage and a truly equal approach to the races that inhabit this great country. Why do we pander to people that continue to destroy our cities and the general quality of life?
Sincerely,
Deeply frustrated

Marc:
The problems with Palin were indicative of the Republican view of youth/pop-culture.  They believed, wrongly, that support for Obama was based on some kind of pop celebrity model.  They ignored the fact that Obama's message was content-driven.  Palin was chosen and put forward as a celebrity, but there was no content to drive her message.  The Republicans bought into their own misconceptions about Obama.

Klaus:
In my 58 years of life (maybe 43 of which was as a political animal) I can recall only one event with similar weight as Obama's victory last night (aside from the death of JF and Robert Kennedy, events in the "negative column"). It was back in Germany when Willy Brandt (later Peace Nobel Price winner) was elected as chancellor and ended 18 years of conservative power.
I feel outright exuberant today and felt through the reaction at the MD Democratic Party last night the weight that this event lifted from the minds of so many of us, especially in the African American community.
It is a new day and we need to get to work on the "steep climb" towards recovery.

Tristin:
I am a 25 year old Black male.
There are two ideas that people I have looked up to for guidance have
instilled in me over my lifetime:
1. Education is the only way to get ahead in life
2. There have been sacrifices made by people of all backgrounds who have
come before me that ensured the opportunities I have available to me
today. I should do the same for those who come after me.
Over the past 8 years, I've seen politicians show utter disdain for both
of these premises, whether it's dismissing those with an "ivory" tower
background, identifying people who attempt to compromise with the world
"weak", or rewarding multi-millionaires at the expense of future
generations who will have to service a 50 billion dollar Medicare debt.
The reasons I supported, and continue to support Barack Obama, is
because his campaign platforms do more than endorse the above two
premises; they offer ways to put them into practice.
The fact that he is Black is noteworthy to me on a personal level, but
Alan Keys is Black...and I would have never voted for him.

Howard, in Phoenix:
I'm a registered Republican and have been so since 1988. All Americans are justifiably proud of President-elect Obama's accomplishment, and what it says about how far we've come as a nation. Nevertheless, I think the pundits are missing half the story. Republicans came into this election highly demoralized, with declining registrations, an unpopular President, an equally unpopular war, and an economy in severe recession, and flat-out broke. Democrats had every advantage, and every major story through the election broke their way. Nevertheless, we managed to salvage 44 Senate seats, and may ultimately hold 46 seats when Alaska and Minnesota are settled (a net loss of only 3). We garnered 46% of the popular vote, which is far better than projected. The Republican brand, though tarnished, remains popular with many, and the party retains a sizeable base. This is not the "major national realignment" promised by the media. Democrats will have to lead, and if they fail to govern from the center this will break to the benefit of the GOP. Moreover, I suspect Republicans have learned a thing or two from the spectacular fundraising success of the Obama machine, and that Democrats won't enjoy the same cash advantage next time around. Finally, the Democrats in Congress are an unruly bunch, and President Obama will have difficulty managing Pelosi and Reed.  Democrat Congressmen received most of their late cash support from Pelosi and the DNC, not Obama, and will owe their allegiance to her, not the next President.  Democrats have good reason to enjoy their victory, but so do Republicans, who have survived the high water mark of the Democratic Party with very good prospects for a Republican renewal.

Alyson in Towson
I am elated that Obama won the election.
One theme that recurs in media discussions of his win is as a victory for "them," meaning African-Americans.  It certainly is a monumental accomplishment, given how deeply embedded racism has been in American society.  However, that an African American will be president is a victory for all of us of all colors.  Many of us, black and white, wondered if this country were ready for an African American president.  We are, unequivocally!!!  His supporters are all colors and ethnicities.  His presidency presents an opportunity for our country to move beyond the "us and them" framework that divides us.  I hope public conversations will help us get there.

Walter:
I'm a native Washingtonian who grew up on Capitol Hill and worked on the a Subcommittee for a few years. Growing up in a predominantly black neighborhood with family members who were remnants of racial discrimination and the surge of the "Black Power Movement" we would dream of and toy with the idea of a Black President. However we never believed it could happen, because our heads and hearts were filled with images of white supremacy and Kennedy assassination footage. Never the less we still flipped a coin and played the game of "If you had the power what would you do?" Most of us said, put a black president in the White house and create a world of peace. Today the kids from 15th Street N.E. touched a dream, the hope of world peace feels much closer.

Thomas:
We have had a leadership in Washington for the past 8 years that has come into power using fear and maintained power through fear, HOPE has won out this time but if you believe fear has left the nation tune into Fox news and Rush Limbaugh or attend a gun show or an evangelical service over the weekend. There will be a backlash, the old divide and conquer tactics did not work this time, if you really believe the conservative movement is dead or dying, look at the percentage of people who voted FOR McCain and PALIN maybe more for Palin than McCain. Enjoy the moment. Fear has not left the American way of doing politics. Thank the Republican ouster of Tom Daichle for without the demise of Dachle  Barack Obama's star would never have risen. Thank you George W. Bush , thank you Newt Gingrich,and a special thanks to KARL ROVE AND DICK CHENEY for without your fear dominating tactics Hope would not had opportunity to rise.

Chris:
Over the past eight years the destructiveness of an imperial presidency. I voted for Barack Obama and support much of his agenda; however, if he abuses the his presidential power and violates the constitution in order to pass get his through, I hope Congress, Democrats and Republicans, have 
the impeachment. I came to this conclusion after reading John Nichols book, The Genius of
Impeachment.

Susan, a "boomer" who remembers the desegregation of schools and all that happened -- and did not happen -- since:
As we watched last night and my friends became increasingly confident, I still would not believe what was happening.  The reports of the "projected winner" of 2000 was still fresh in my mind (and my gut) and then there was all the potential voting legality challenges.  But when McCain said, "We have come to the end . . .,"  I lost it.  At that moment, I knew what we had accomplished, how people of all colors and ethnicities, age groups, religions, genders, political affiliations, income and education levels, and geographic areas had come together to make history in our resolve to right a nation that had lost its moral, economic, military, diplomatic and political bearings. . . . It's going to be a difficult road, but we have taken the first step by electing intelligent, compassionate leadership.  And we have hope.

Cait at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore:
I am glad that one of your commentators brought up Roosevelt's fireside chats, because I'll admit that I was reminder of that myself. I think that it is imperative for a president to be not oly a familiar figure, but a familial one in whom the ordinary American can trust. Barack Obama's email that was sent out last night to supporters is sort of a 21st century version of the personalized communication that Roosevelt had with the American public. I hope that he continues to use this electronic infrastructure in order to get people involved in the changes that will transform our communities.

Don in Bel Air:
Gee, do you think that Barack Obama's experience as a "Community Organizer" had anything to do with how incredibly well his campaign was run?  You bet your sweet patoot!  So much for sneering derision!  This was the ultimate community organizing effort, done masterfully on a national scale.

Lorene in Towson
After all of the calling, emailing, walking, talking and driving for Obama.
This feels so good. I can say that I've never felt this good after an
election. The only thing that I can say is, "Maybe, THIS is what hope feels
like!" I'm so proud of our new President-Elect.
Peace.

ELECTION COVERAGE ON MIDDAY WITH DAN RODRICKS

Listen live on WYPR 88.1 FM or online at wypr.org.  You can call during the show at 410-662-8780 or toll-free at 866-661-9309, or drop us an e-mail with brief comments or questions at midday@wypr.org.

 

Wednesday, November 5
Noon-2:00 pm
We'll discuss the results of the historic election of Barack Obama with Matt Crenson, Johns Hopkins political science professor emeritus, and author of several books including, Presidential Power: Unchecked & Unbalanced; Michael Cryor, chairman of the Maryland Democratic Party, talks about the Obama campaign; David Nitkin, national correspondent for the Sun, describes the scope of the Obama victory; C. Fraser Smith, WYPR's senior news analyst, looks at the results of Maryland exit polling conducted by Edison Media Research for The Baltimore Sun and WYPR; Karen Hosler, WYPR contributing reporter, talks about the voting on the Eastern Shore and the hotly contested Kratovil-Harris congressional race in Maryland's First District, and U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland talks about what the next Congress will look like and the fter all the dust settles on Election 2008.

From Tuesday's Midday e-mail box: Listeners comment on their Election Day experiences

Steve, in Rodgers Forge:
Voted at Dumbarton about 12:40, dense area, but total time to vote was less than 15 minutes. Poll workers very efficient, people very, very excited about voting at my polling location. Note: I work and socialize in a very conservative circles, and though I am politically moderate liberal, I get a lot of e mail from people who assume I am conservative. The tone of the e mails I receive is decidedly fearful --as if Obama is almost a candidate with a harmful, hidden agenda.  That said my greetings to Dr. Herb Smith (guest on Tuesday's show), a former professor of mine from more than 2 decades ago!    

James in Dorchester County:
THE TURNOUT ON THE SHORE IN DORCHESTER COUNTY HAS BEEN STEADY BUT SMOOTH. I WAS ABLE TO GET IN AND OUT IN 15 MINUTES. I VOTED FOR OBAMA, KRATOVIL, NO SLOTS, AND FOR EARLY VOTING.

Maureen in Catonsville
I'm heading out to Obama's Grassroots Campaign office in Columbia for the fourth day in a row to participate in Get Out the Vote efforts in swing states. Marylanders of all ages and races have been very active in  supporting Obama in other states by canvassing and making phone calls.

Sam in Charles Village:
I voted at the Waverly Public Library at 33rd and Greenmount this morning around 9 and there was barely anybody in line. If you live in that precinct and think you can't make it in and out in time, please go try!

Tim:
Just a quick comment about Obama's '50-state' strategy:  Should he win, I believe it will give him some goodwill to govern effectively as a president of *all* the united states, not just the swing states.  It shows he cares about more than just winning, and truly is trying to "put country first."  McCain, on the other hand, seems to be banking on the hopes of dividing Pennsylvania.

Sean in Towson:
I arrived at 9:10am and got out at a little past noon. At Randallstown High School, there is a lot of confusion, because the 14th and 17th precincts both poll there; and the line for the 14th is always longer. There were a lot of people waiting in the wrong line, for hours, just to be put back into the other line. I personally voted For Question 1, Against Question 2 . Bob Barr for President and Lorenzo Gaztanaga for Congress.

Art:
My polling location, the Woodholme Elementary School at 300 Mount Wilson lane, serves two precincts in the third congressional district - the 11th and 14th.  There was only a two minute wait for precinct 14 and an hour and a quarter for mine, precinct 11.
Although my precinct had 16 voting machines (all operating), at least six (38%) were idle at all times.  Often as many as eight were idle.  The bottleneck was at the desk where credentials were validated - there were only four electronic registration "books" allocated for the precinct, clearly insufficient to allow full use of the voting machines available.  The precinct's Chief Election Judge mentioned that he had requested six registration "books", but his request was denied.

Steve:
Saw Andy Harris and family at 7 Am, Ch13 and  Ch45 and Sun and PPC present, greeted him and shook hands. Wished him best of luck, although I was fully decked in Kratovil regalia.
I was the only poll worker for either side, and no Obama or McCain people present.
Warren has two polls at the school, Dutch's District 2 and the Harris-Kratovil District 1. The line was enormous for Dutch's district, obviously the Obama-McCain thing, and NO Line at District 1.  Eventually the line dissipated and when I left at 12 noon both polls were less than 3 minutes waiting.

Tom in Baltimore:
I don't trust the Diebold machines and so for the past few elections
have voted using paper ballots.  I just returned from voting and was
told by the election official that my paper ballot--which he referred
to as a "provisional ballot"--likely would not get counted because the
Board of Elections "stops counting" them once they reach a certain
threshold of ballots.
Is that accurate?  Do all paper ballots get treated as "provisional"
ballots, and is it possible that the Board of Elections simply ignores
some of them?  I reluctantly ended up voting using the Diebold machines.
Whether what I was told was accurate, I'm deeply troubled that an
election official suggested my vote would not count if I chose not use
a voting system I do not trust.

Norma in Mt. Washington:
Voting was very smooth and easy this morning in Mt. Washington. I know that many people voted absentee for one reason or another. Although that might have helped make voting easier for those of us who went to the polls, I feel sorry for the people who mailed in their ballot and didn't have the joy of going to the polls and actually casting their vote and getting that silly "I voted" sticker. For the first time in a while, voting was fun….and the champagne is chilling in the hopes that my guy wins today.

Holly in Ellicott City:
I voted in Ellicott City, Howard County at 8:15 am this morning.  Normally there is no line at all.  I have voted here for 25 years.  Today I waited for a half hour and by the time I left the line ran down the hall and out the door.  There were more young people and far more ethnic diversity than I have ever seen. It was very exciting. I am having an election party tonight with champagne if Obama wins, and maps of Canada if he loses.
I would also like to report that my son has been working 16 hour days for Progressive Future, a non-profit campaigning for Obama.  He has traveled all over the country and has been in Hobbes, New Mexico for the last few weeks.  He and his co-workers never received their absentee ballots there.  Howard County Board of Elections called us today and told us they received my son's absentee ballot back, marked "returned to sender, unable to deliver."  My son is not going to get to vote after all his hard work. He is devasted and just texted me that "I have never wanted anything more than this, " meaning a win for Obama.  He is white and 23 years old.

Glenn:
Forgive me if I paraphrased your comment incorrectly, Dan, I believe I heard you say today that you liked the touch screen voting experience and didn't see why there is a problem. Unfortunately the voter cannot see the problem, which has to do with the transfer of tallied votes to a server. In Ohio, for instance, tests of these e-voting systems showed that votes that were upoaded did not match totals from the polls. Unless there is a paper trail there is no way to verify accuracy of vote totals.

Cathy:
I went to Cockeysville Middle School to vote at around 12:15, and the whole process took only 10 minutes!  There were no campaign workers near the school at all, just Girl Scouts selling cookies!

Michael in Ellicott City:
I live in Ellicott City
voted 8:00 AM at Burleigh Manor MS
one person in line in front of me
I waited 30 sec, tops
in and out in 5 min
[but that might be because it was an easy choice and only few races]
my precinct (# 15 ?) went Kerry in 2004 by a slight margin, as I recollect

Jane:
Having just cast my vote at Cross Country Elementary School in Balto City, I am so moved by the huge number of elderly people arriving in the rain in wheelchairs, with walkers, on oxygen... an amazing turnout and testimony to our precious freedoms and rights as Americans.

Melanie in Mt. Vernon:
I live in Baltimore City and vote in the 11th Election District, in Precinct 6.
Maryland is a solidly Democratic state.  The scale is so tipped that there is no way the Barack Obama will not capture all of Maryland's electoral votes.  Therefore, a vote for Mr. Obama or Mr. McCain is, in my opinion, a wasted vote.
While I am an Obama supporter, I am dismayed that the electoral system has made my vote inconsequential by virtue of the fact that I vote in a state that is heavily weighed toward one party.  Further, it disturbs me that Maryland awards all of its electoral votes to the winner of the popular vote winner in the state, rather than apportioning the electoral votes according to the state's popular vote.
Because of these factors, I chose to make my vote matter by voting for a 3rd party presidential candidate (Cynthia McKinney - Green Party).  I believe that my vote for the 3rd party candidate will not endanger Mr. Obama's Maryland electoral votes.  However, I hope to ease the way toward 3rd party ballot access in this state, and I hope that greater ballot access will enrich our political discussion and debate.
(Of note, in 2007 the General Assembly made Maryland the first state to join a compact that, when effective, will award all electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote.  I look forward to the compact taking effect.)

Sally in St. Michaels:
My son and I voted about 9:15 this morning at St. Michaels High School in St. Michaels, MD.  No lines.  4 empty voting stations out of about 15 when we went in.  Very smooth.  No one campaigning outside.  Awesome!

Elliott in Rossville:
I voted at Living Water Evangelical Lutheran Church on Philadelphia Road in Rossville at about 10:30 this morning.
Both the front and rear parking lots were pretty full, although volunteers directing traffic were handling both the influx and exodus efficiently.
The line, such as it was, overwhelmed me with 5 voters between me and the intake workers.  ;-)  The intake table handled its tasks efficiently.  I was sent to the voting machines within five minutes of walking in the door, and there met my first significant surprise.  Every voting machine was occupied!
I was first in line at this point, and I had to wait three minutes for a voting machine!  This is a first for me at this polling site.
I came prepared with a printout of all the candidates and issues, so voting took me about two minutes, most of which was spent proofreading the summary just before casting my ballot.
Altogether an exhilarating experience!

Nick in Glyndon:
I'm not sure how to say this and have it taken the right way.  I vote at Chatsworth School in Reisterstown.  I got there about 6:50 a.m. and was at least 100 back in line, but was out by 7:40.  I didn't think that was bad.  My comment though is that there were many, many more black people voting this morning than I've ever seen.  I was glad because I voted for Obama and I'll make the assumption that most blacks will be voting for Obama.

Melissa:
I voted at precinct 65 (Cross Country Elem) in Baltimore City.  My husband and I had requested absentee ballots, but did not send them because we stayed in town.
At the polling place we were given provisional ballots, which contained only 2 of the 4 pages.  Poll workers insisted that was the entire ballot (they ended with question D rather than P). We would not get up to leave until given the entire ballot. They insisted that we had to go to the Elections Board downtown if we thought we had a problem.  Not until I called the ACLU did they truly search for the rest of the ballot.  Others had voted provisionally before us.  Poll workers did not seem to care that others were disenfranchised.

Mac in Mt. Washington:
As I entered my polling place in Mt. Washington I was handed a card from StopSlotsMaryland that features a picture of Barack Obama and the quote "The moral and social cost of gambling, particularly in low income communities, could be devastating. Please vote NO on Question 2."
I was also handed one by the State Dem Committee that had the straight Democratic ticket and encouraged a yes on Question 2.
I voted NO on slots.

Chris:
We moved between the 2004 and 2008 election and couldn't find any record online of my wife's registration.  I called the Frederick County Elections Board this morning and was told that voters MUST vote where they reside or their votes WILL NOT COUNT.  I am hoping my wife will be able to vote in Woodsboro where we currently live.  That is where she is headed now.  Why is it so difficult to get accurate information about voting in Maryland?

a follow-up from Chris:
Luckily, my wife was in the system in Woodsboro.  BUT - why can't we work on a system of on-line voting?  Or why can't people elect to vote where they work OR where they live?  I admit that in areas like this one where people live and work in different states, that could make tallying the results difficult, but it would seem that in this age of computers we should be able to make this process as relatively painless as possible for the American public.

 

Elizabeth in Baltimore:
I just finished voting and heard you mention (re: today's election) that Maryland is a foregone conclusion, but that many people are voting because they want to be part of an historic moment in our history (paraphrase). I would submit that Maryland is a foregone conclusion right up to the moment when Maryland /isn't/ a foregone conclusion. I voted because I fervently believe that my vote is essential to getting my favorite candidate elected - even though I am in the "foregone" category. If pockets of Maryland where voters are anxious to see Mr. McCain elected (they do exist) make a concerted effort to get out the vote for him, and the rest of us think it is in the bag, we (and our favorite candidate) could be in for nasty surprise. This has certainly happened before. Dewey. Tortoise and hare. It also seems to me that such musings on the air might justify to someone who is worried about being late to work or who has a number of other pressing commitments today decide that it would be okay if s/he don't show up at the polls - just this once. This, by the way, was the justification that one of my college students used yesterday when she told me that the lines for her to register to vote on campus were always too long and that - because she was always so busy - she had missed her chance and would not be at the polls today. But, she was sure it wouldn't matter.

Holly in Ellicott City
I voted in Ellicott City, Howard County at 8:15 am this morning.  Normally there is no line at all.  I have voted here for 25 years.  Today I waited for a half hour and by the time I left the line ran down the hall and out the door.  There were more young people and far more ethnic diversity than I have ever seen. It was very exciting. I am having an election party tonight with champagne if Obama wins, and maps of Canada if he loses.... I would also like to report that my son has been working 16 hour days for Progressive Future, a non-profit campaign for Obama.  He has traveled all over the country and has been in Hobbes, New Mexico for the last few weeks.  He and his co-workers never received their absentee ballots there.  Howard County Board of Elections called us today and told us they received my son's absentee ballot back, marked "returned to sender, unable to deliver."  My son is not going to get to vote after all his hard work. He is devasted and just texted me that "I have never wanted anything more than this, " meaning a win for Obama.  He is white and 23 years old.

Bob in Timonium:
The line to vote at Timonium Elementary at noon was only two minutes but the line at the Starbucks for the free coffee went out the door.

Katie in Mt. Washington:
Your recent caller indicated that he was told to vote in his old precinct in Cockeysville, instead of where he currently lived.  My husband was told the same thing in Mt. Washington, but after a long discussion, we figured out that this was incorrect.  Unless you moved within a very short time before the election, you should vote provisionally where you currently reside.  Otherwise, your provisional ballot will not count.  There appears to be a lot of confusion on this issue, but voters need to know their rights.

Kirk:
I voted this morning around 10:15 at Stoneleigh Elementary School (near Towson).  I took 15 to 20 minutes in line but as I was leaving the line was twice as long as when I got there.  I have voted here many times and this looked like double the normal turnout.

Charlie in Baltimore:
When I dropped my kiddos off this AM, I passed the polling place at Roland Park Elem/Middle School just before 8 and noticed there was no line, though there was a Channel 11 microwave truck outside.  I had not planned to vote until later, but I went straight to my voting place at the Keswick Center on 40th Street. I walked right up to the check-in table, straight to the voting booth, and was done in 5 minutes.

Nancy in Laurel:
I voted in Laurel, MD this morning.  Got in line at 6:30 a.m. and was done at 7:45 a.m.   It was a quietly cheerful crowd, everyone seemed hyper-aware of what a big deal this election is, for both parties.  I am just happy to see such a terrific turnout and all this excitement is truly gratifying.

Asylynne in Hampden:
I vote at Robert Poole Middle School in Hampden.  I arrived at the polls at 6:45 a.m. and the line was pretty long.  I was able to vote and leave by 7:40 and the line was just as long as when I went in.

Arnot in Highlandtown:
I just voted in Highlandtown and was surprised to see an endorsement pamphlet for Question 2 on the table where I checked in to vote.  It was right in front of the election official.  Furthermore, it had a photo of Obama on it, as if Obama endorses slots in Maryland.  Is it legal for the proponents of Question 2 to suggest that Obama/Biden support it?  Their signs and pamphlets are littered throughout the neighborhood.
Question 2 proponents should not be allowed to use the image of Obama.  Their literature and signage should not be inside the polling place much less on the check-in desk.

MIDDAY ELECTION COVERAGE WITH DAN RODRICKS

Listen live on WYPR 88.1 FM or online at wypr.org.  You can call during the show at 410-662-8780 or toll-free at 866-661-9309, or drop us an e-mail with brief comments or questions at midday@wypr.org. If you live in Maryland, or anywhere voting happens today, give us a call. We welcome listener reports from polls across Maryland and across the country.

Tuesday, November 4
Noon-2:00 pm Eastern
We're looking at the election in our home state and in the battleground states with Herb Smith, McDaniel College political science professor and polling expert; Brian Morton, "Political Animal" columnist for the Baltimore City Paper and author of the new collection of columns, I'd Rather Have A Better Country; Jessica Jones, of North Carolina Public Radio; Bob Collins, online news senior editor for Minnesota Public Radio; and Matt Zencey, editorial page editor for the Anchorage Daily News, which endorsed Barack Obama for president.
 

MIDDAY WITH DAN RODRICKS

Listen live on WYPR 88.1 FM or online at wypr.org.  You can call during the show at 410-662-8780 or toll-free at 866-661-9309, or drop us an e-mail with brief comments or questions at midday@wypr.org.

 

Marylanders will finally vote on the long-debated slot machine referendum at the polls tomorrow. Peter Franchot, the outspoken Maryland State Comptroller and an opponent of slots, answers the tough question, "Why not slots?" With the state facing an estimated budget shortfall of up to a billion dollars in the next year, why shouldn't Marylanders opt for the revenue promise that slot machines would bring? If the measure fails, there will likely be budget battles in Annapolis brought on by the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in slots proceeds. And the warnings about the demise of thoroughbred racing will persist.

1:00-2:00
On the eve of the election we'll look at the race for the presidency, voter registration, early-voting trends and key congressional match-ups with an array of guests: Linda Lamone, the State Board of Elections Supervisor on registration and the early-voting question on Tuesday's ballot; James Pelura, the Maryland GOP Party Chairman on his party's uphill battle in this blue state, Michael Cryor, Chairman of the Maryland Democratic Party on the volunteer effort for the Obama campaign , and Paul West, Sun Washington Bureau Chief, takes a look at the nation's electoral map going into Election Day.

Posted by Dan Rodricks at 10:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

I have had a couple of great radio chats with Paul Payack, the man who monitors the English language and predicts we'll hit a million words sometime soon. Now, on the eve of the election, Payack's  Global Language Monitor has revealed the "top ten things the presidential campaign’s political buzzwords reveal to us about the upcoming vote." He's been tracking the language of politics, and the usage of key words and phrases over the last 18 months, and reached these findings:  

1.     The electorate appears to be more advanced in its thinking than either party (or platform).  Taken as a whole, their concerns center upon uncontrollable, cataclysmic events such as climate change, while raising taxes or cutting taxes are lesser (though still important) concerns.

2.     ‘Change’ is, without question, the top buzz word of this campaign.  Though change from what to what remains a good question.   Both candidates are benefitting from the mantra; however Obama holds a 3:2 edge over McCain in this regard.  

3.     The second-most discussed term of the campaign barely surfaces in most media reports, and this is the combination of ‘Climate Change’ and/or ‘Global Warming.’

4.     Terms in reference to various aspects of the global financial meltdown can be found throughout the list.  These include recession at No 4, Subprime at No. 7, and Wall Street Bailout at No. 19.  The phrase ‘Financial Meltdown’ itself has broken into the Top 20 in usage over the last month to No. 18.

5.     Experience (No. 5) counts -- epecially, if that experience can serve as a guide through the current series of cataclysmic events.  McCain edges Obama 4:3 in the experience category. But Obama is given significant credit as a quick (and judicious) study.

6.     Everyone is talking about race (No. 16) except, apparently, the electorate.  It is a Top 20 issue, but it’s nestled between Joe the Plumber and Obama’s smoking. 

7.     Iraq is now a non-issue.  The Surge (No. 8) and its apparent success has apparently settled the argument, so it is no longer a question of victory or defeat.  Even Al Qaeda has lost its grip on the electorate, falling some 11 spots on the usage list two weeks.

8.     Palin (Nos. 14 and 21) is a ‘go-to’ subject for the media and campaigns alike, with both sides thinking they gain tremendous leverage in her disparagement or apotheosis. 

9.     Tony Rezko (No. 23), Acorn (No. 24) and Jeremiah Wright (No. 26) are indeed issues, but are viewed as minor, settled or both for the Obama campaign.

10.  The word "aloof," as related to Obama, is no longer on the list.  At the end of the Primary season in June, it was No 14 and a major concern of the Obama campaign.  Obama has apparently overcome this sense of aloofness. 

The ranking is determined by GLM’s PQI Index, a proprietary algorithm that scours the global print and electronic media, the Internet, and blogosphere for ‘hot’ political buzzwords and then ranks them according to year-over-year change, acceleration and directional momentum. 

The ranking of Top Election Buzzwords of the 2008 Presidential Campaign and commentary follow.

	Presidential Campaign PQI 11.2.08	Comment
Rank
1	Change	Obama has a 3:2 Edge over McCain with Change
2	Climate Change	Global warming within 1/2 of 1% for the overall lead
3	Gasoline	Up 2 this week as prices fall
4	Recession	Does a global financial meltdown count as a recession?
5	Experience	Down 2; McCain has 4:3 Edge Here
6	Obama Muslim	A continued presence in Cyberspace
7	Subprime	How we got into this mess in the first place
8	Surge	One of the Top Words from '07 now taking a victory lap
9	"That one"	Has spurred the Obama base with 'I'm for That One' slogans
10	"Just Words"	Oh Hillary, what hath thou wrought?
11	Gender	Up dramatically since fall campaign though down for week
12	Working Class Whites	Still the object of much affection AND derision
13	Price of oil	More discussion as price declines; up 5
14	Palin Swimsuit	On SNL Alec Baldwin claimed Balin's 'way hotter in person'
15	Joe the Plumber	Now making appearances with McCain; up 5
16	Racism (election)	Belies all the media buzz; now in top 20
17	Obama smoking	Down 5 but still in Top Twenty
18	Financial meltdown	Now buzzworthy, indeed.
19	Wall Street Bailout	As reality of global financial meltdown sets in, down 6
20	Internet fundraising	Hangs in there as a hot buzzword at 20
21	Lipstick	Drops dramatically over the last survey; down 10
22	Raise taxes	Raise Taxes No 22; cut taxes No. 27.  Ho Hum.
23	Rezko	Obama's relationship with Tony Rezko gains one
24	Acorn Voter Reg	Loses a couple as interest apparently wanes
25	Al Qaeda election	Lurking beneath the surface but falls out of Top Twenty
26	Jeremiah Wright	Dr. Wright remains on the radar though falling five more spots
27	Cut taxes	Raise Taxes No 22; cut taxes No. 27.  Ho Hum.
28	Hockey Mom	Causes headlines but not a top issue
29	Nuclear Iran	Drops one more spot since last survey
30	Wash Talking Heads	Not a good week for the Cognoscenti; down 15

 

Back Tracks:

The Top Political Buzzwords for the 2006 Midterm Elections included:  Throes, Quagmire, Credibility, Global Warming, and Insurgency.

The Top Political Buzzwords from the 2004 Campaign included:  Swift Boats, Flip Flop, Quagmire, Fahrenheit 911, Misleader, and Liar!

Pardon me while I have a musical interlude . . .

Yesterday I was a guest on Dante Liberatore's Italian Hour radio show on WVIE-AM in Baltimore (in a studio down a hallway adorned with the photos of Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh!). I hadn't been to such a show in years, since my old friend and honorary fratello, Elia Mannetta, hosted one on a Towson station in the 1980s.  . . .  During yesterday's show, Liberatore, who is a live-wire act as a part-time radio host and full-time restaurateur, played some Italian tunes. I told him about one called, "Grazie Roma," heard once upon a time, maybe 25 years ago, when the Today show or GMA broadcast live from Italy. The singer -- I could not remember his name -- performed at a piano. It's a pleasant, catchy, sentimental tune. Dante never heard of it. Neither had his Uncle Danny, who was co-hosting, nor had Carmine Mistichelli, who came by to do the weekly Italian soccer report. Last night I hunted it up on YouTube and found it, of course. The song is by Antonello Venditti, written and recorded, it so happens, as a tribute to his favorite soccer team in the 1980s, and again about seven years ago. Listen and you'll see why I like it.

GRAZIE ROMA

Here's the sing-along version

MAPLight, a public-interest research group that looks at the connections between money and politics, says that most of the money donated to members of Congress comes from Washington or DC-area zip codes. What does that mean? It means PACs and lobbyists -- and not their constituents -- are financing the bulk of the re-election campaigns of members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Close to 80 percent of all donations came from outside the districts that the candidates represent, according to MAPLight's findings. The organization looked at donations over a three-year period through the end of last year.

Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the House Majority leader, led the delegation, with 94 percent of his donations received from out-of-district donors. Elijah Cummings, who represents Baltimore, got 88 percent of his donations from outside his district, as did Dutch Ruppersberger. Three-quarters of Roscoe Bartlett's came from outside his district, 72 percent of John Sarbanes' and 48 percent of Chris Van Hollen's. Wayne Gilchrest didn't even make MAPLight's list.

"The research reveals that representatives raised $700 million in campaign funds from January 2005 to December 2007," the organization reported. "Some $551 million of these funds, or 79%, came from out-of-district."

"Instead of a voting democracy, we have a dollar democracy--may the biggest-spending special-interest win," said Daniel Newman, MAPLight.org's co-founder and executive director. "To win an election, a House candidate has to raise an average of $1.3 million in campaign funds. That's $2,500 every working day for an entire two-year term. With such a herculean fundraising effort required, what time and attention do Representatives have left to address the interests of the voters they represent? We, as citizens, pay House members' salaries, we pay to run elections and we pay for all their spending decisions. However, we, as citizens, have handed special-interests the remote control, forcing our potential leaders to grovel before PAC leaders and lobbyists to raise the funds needed to win elections."

MAPLight.org's research team analyzed contributions to all legislators from each state and from Washington. DC is the top location for contributors; it is the source of $146,807,711, which is 21% of all contributions. Washington and its surrounding areas, of course, are home to scores of lobbying firms and political action committees. Of the top 20 Zip codes contributing to U.S. House members, 15 are in Washington and its surrounding areas. For nearly all House members (418 out of 421), Washington was among their top 5 contributing states.

"With out-of-district fundraising at a staggering 80%, the problem is not with a few individual House members," said Newman. "This report shows that our campaign finance system is broken. This remote control system works well for big oil and Wall Street, but not for voters. We as citizens need to grab the remote control back from the hands of big-money interest groups. We need to reform our broken system so that representatives can focus on voters, not dialing long-distance for dollars."

Funds Raised from Out-of-District:

Almost all House members, 97%, raised more than half of their funds from outside their congressional districts.

Five House members raised 99% or more of their funds from outside their congressional districts.

Only 13 House members, or 3%, raised most of their funds from within the district where their voters live.

Top Contributing Zip Codes:

Rank	Zip Code	Contributions ($)	% of Total
#1	Washington, DC 20005	28,851,410	4.14%
#2	Washington, DC 20001	27,501,614	3.95%
#3	Washington, DC 20036	27,498,273	3.95%
#4	Washington, DC 20006	21,832,335	3.13%
#5	Washington, DC 20004	17,821,677	2.56%
#6	Alexandria, VA 22314	12,152,407	1.74%
#7	Washington, DC 20007	5,824,832	0.84%
#8	Chicago, IL 60611	5,344,990	0.77%
#9	Mc Lean, VA 22102	5,236,354	0.75%
#10	Arlington, VA 22209	5,160,618	0.74%
#11	Washington, DC 20003	4,322,563	0.62%
#12	Arlington, VA 22202	4,143,208	0.59%
#13	Arlington, VA 22203	3,622,991	0.52%
#14	San Antonio, TX 78205	3,563,309	0.51%
#15	Washington, DC 20002	3,455,842	0.50%
#16	Washington, DC 20016	3,077,862	0.44%
#17	Falls Church, VA 22042	2,829,696	0.41%
#18	New York, NY 10019	2,707,463	0.39%
#19	Atlanta, GA 30328	2,682,019	0.38%
#20	New York, NY 10021	2,523,789	0.36%

For a list of the top 100 Zip codes and their contribution amounts, see Table 2 of the report, Remote Control.

To read the report cited in today's column from the Maryland Institute for Policy Analysis and Research at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, click here. This is a pdf of 30 pages.

 

Sarah Palin and Rudy Giuliani ridiculed Barack Obama's experience as a "community organizer" at the Republican National Convention, and other 'Bama Bashers have done the same, as if this were odd, vague or less than substantive work. But there are a lot of community organizers in this country, and one of the things they do at election time is pour their efforts into political campaigns of their chosen candidates. That is a lot of human energy -- a whole network of it -- that should not be dismissed as a force in any campaign. By the looks of things, the Republicans could probably use the help of some "community organizers."

(And, as the Daily Show pointed out the other night, such organizers are not all wild-eyed liberals, but mainstream conservatives with a mission.)

Ralph E. Moore has been a "community organizer" for as long as I've known him -- close to 30 years -- and then some. He's been particularly active on the east side of Baltimore, and this year he's been all over the place campaigning for Obama. Last night he got a phone call from the candidate:

"Working" and "The Good War" were two of my favorite books, filled with rich narratives based on Terkel's interviews with average Americans. Terkel was one of the country's greatest story tellers. Peter Rothberg, of The Nation, called him "oral historian, rabble-rouser and grand old man of the American left. . . . From Robert LaFollette to Barack Obama, he never pulled his punches through the chronicling of five generations of American history."

Nation appreciations include John Nichols' essay and Dennis Kucinich's eulogy. You can also read Calvin Trillin's tribute to "America's pre-eminent listener" on Terkel's 95th birthday last year.