Free State Politics - Recent Comments

McCain: Youth You Can Believe In

Isaac Smith — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 15:11:56 GMT

OK, I stole that from Jonathan Rauch, but it's still hilarious:

"If you believe what the textbooks say, we're the incumbent party. We've held the White House for the past eight years. We've held Congress for most of that time. So what does that make us? The party of change!
"And you know how we prove that? By offering all the same policies as President Bush. Apart from global warming, we're the same on every major issue. That's how we're going to shake up Washington. Just by being us. 'John McCain is the change. Vote for him and change will come.' That's our message. Of course, when Obama says, 'I am the change,' we say it's messianic. But when you say it, we're campaigning on your biography.

McCain Ad

Roadblockk — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:40:58 GMT

It's about time they started attacking him and not Palin. I mean it really is between Obama and McCain.

Trans law

danabeyer — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 19:36:49 GMT

Thanks, Eric!

You're absolutely correct. They awakened people to consider issues of human sexuality which had never crossed their minds before, so they ended up doing us a big favor. Their negative campaign highlighted themselves as the poster children of discrimination, and made our job that much easier.

Franchot's on-the-job abilities

MurlandGuy — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 23:05:40 GMT

Not that I was paying real close attention at the time, but from here in PG county, Franchot looked pretty competent as a MoCo delegate to the Statehouse. Is there any consensus about whether he is growing in the current job, and whether a number of his "mistakes" are perhaps those of someone unaccustomed to exercising the skills required in an administrative position? Or is there a consensus that "he simply ain't got it" for this job? Or is the financial crisis so crushing that no mere mortal could do the Comptroller's job in the current environment without ruffling a lot of feathers?

The question is more than academic for me as a voter, e.g., if former delegate Rushern Baker chooses to have another go for Jack Johnson's job. While I think damn near anyone would be an improvement over the sleazebag currently running our county, and Mr. Baker seems like a good guy, I am always on the lookout for "lessons learned" from folks who have entered jobs requiring skill sets they perhaps don't have, or have not exercised in a long time.

Franchot/Miller

Sasha — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 20:39:29 GMT

Accusing Franchot of being an amateur is an insult to amateurs. The man has no business going beyond his back yard. I'll never understand how he and his smarmy smile ended up in Annapolis. Preening for the press? Yes. But Miller has chops; Franchot, not so much.

Important in one respect

Isaac Smith — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 16:18:40 GMT

Miller's longtime status as the top dog in Annapolis, wielding even more power and influence than the Governor, is coming under threat from Franchot, who clearly wants that title for himself. This is why I've been skeptical of rumors that Franchot is setting himself up for a primary challenge to Gov. O'Malley in 2010: Besides being political suicide, Franchot is clearly more interested in having the informal power to shape the policy debate that Miller has enjoyed for years. So it's best, I think, to view this spat as part of a glorified turf battle.

As for the policy differences, I would be more sympathetic to Franchot's argument against slots and the special session budget if he presented a coherent alternative, and I haven't seen that from him yet. If anybody has, please post a link.

This has nothing to do with slots, but . . .

justupthepike — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 16:15:44 GMT

I feel like voters west of Frederick would resemble Dundalk Democrats more than their upper-middle-class counterparts along I-270. Nonetheless, I like O'Malley's characterization of Maryland as a state with a white coating around a rich, diverse nougaty center. It's a candy bar I'd be happy to gobble down.

-Dan Reed
www.justupthepike.com

This is a good thing...

ScottGoldberg — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 12:33:38 GMT

Two alpha dogs in one cage sure rattles things up. Miller has had free reign as the schoolyard bully for a long time and it appears that he feels somewhat threatened by Franchot, who he can't fully control.

Instead of dueling or a fistfight on lawyer's mall, why can't this be settled with a video blackjack contest?

Too bad...

PMF — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 12:18:32 GMT

Is that your final answer? Best wishes to you too

After reflection, Paul, I have made a final decision

Bruce Godfrey — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 05:24:16 GMT

not to engage any part of your work here any more. I don't think it would be productive.

Best wishes to you.