Don't Look Now....

.....but the local whack jobs are already doing their part to try to bring down Michael Steele.

Well, I suppose you can never expect the fringe left to actually want to debate on the merits of issues, now can you? Especially with the criminal class of leadership they seem to want to foist upon the state and the country these days...

The Most Dangerous Man in America

As the saying goes, there is nothing more dangerous than a man with nothing left to lose. So you have to wonder, now that he has been convicted and removed from office, what does former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich have to lose?

Blagojevich has no political career left to save. He has no legal career to resurrect. He has no job, no state office to preserve, no reputation left to save.

Can you think of anything more dangerous with than a politician in this kind of position?

There is only one thing that Rod Blagojevich needs to worry about anymore, and that is trying to avoid prison time as much as he possibly can. If that is the direction in which he goes, than pretty much anybody who has ever been connected to the Governor may want to consider lawyering up. Because Blagojevich could very well decide to sign like a canary. That means that there are lot of powerful people, all the way up to President Obama, who could get more involved in this mess. But because of how this thing has played out so far doesn't mean that anybody else is going to be indicted just because Blagojevich starts to sign. If this entire endeavor has taught us anything, it's the fact that Rod Blagojevich is delusion and insane. The man seems to be completely bonkers with the "defense" that he launched of these charges. And it wouldn't surprise me one bit if Blago just started making stuff up on the fly.....but that doesn't mean there aren't real skeletons out there waiting to be exposed.

Illinois is a seedy place to practice politics, and Rod Blagojevich is (so far) the seediest of the seedy. With self-preservation as his only resort, we must see a bit more light shined on Chicago-style politics, which truly makes him a danger to the Obama Administration and, perhaps, the most dangerous man in America....

And now, a message from the adults in Annapolis

The State of the State Response, given by my friend House Minority Leader Tony O'Donnell:

Part I:


Part II:

Divorced from Reality

Almost as if in rebuttal to my comments about The Wire, Governor O'Malley mouthed off about it:

O'Malley also answered a question about the HBO television show "The Wire," a gritty crime show that was based on and filmed in Baltimore, mostly while he was mayor. The student asked whether O'Malley believed the show had anything to offer about problems facing big cities.

"I tell you what: I can't stand 'The Wire,'" O'Malley said. "I can't stand 'The Wire.' I can't say that I've ever seen an entire episode of it. I watched enough of it to know that it did not portray the full picture of what Baltimore is all about as a city."

The governor then added that he supposed the show has value as an art form "to the extent that it can make us more sensitive to the sort of carnage and suffering that goes on in so many big American cities, especially around the issue of drugs and drug dealing.

As I noted to the clerk in Seattle, the Governor is right in that The Wire "did not portray the full picture of what Baltimore is." The city is much more violent and much more corrupt than it ever could have been portrayed on television and still be believable to the casual viewer.

(I'm sure that it didn't help his opinion of the show that the character on the show based after O'Malley was elected Mayor and portrayed as a womanizer. Maybe it hit too close to home, I don't know...)

Be that as it may, what really disturbed me is how divorced from reality Martin O'Malley is about life and the human condition in Baltimore City. Yes, it really is that bad and worse. And yet during his time as Mayor and during his time as Governor, O'Malley has done bumpkis to fix it. O'Malley didn't root out corruption. O'Malley didn't address the crime problem. O'Malley didn't work to fix city schools. He merely played the blame game and looked forward to his next promotion, i.e. the Governorship. You could probably argue in reality that Martin O'Malley was, to an extent, an enabler that allowed the conditions portrayed on The Wire to persist.

O'Malley can like the show or not, but The Wire accurately portrayed life in Baltimore. If O'Malley wants to put his head in the sand and complain about the show now that's fine, but in reality he should look in the mirror and ask himself if he has done everything he can do to try and improve the city.......he won't, but that's what he should do.

Easily Predictable

Remember when Governor O'Malley insisted on raising discretionary spending by $500 million back during the 2007 Special Session? Yeah, about that....

The state is putting a halt to a portion of a health care expansion that won praise from advocates when it passed during the 2007 special legislative session but is too expensive to pay for in the current economic climate.

Gov. Martin O'Malley's $14.4 billion general fund budget leaves intact the expansion of Medicaid to eligible parents with incomes at 116 percent of the federal poverty guidelines — or about $20,000 for a family of three.

That effort to expand coverage to the uninsured, which began July 1, had enrolled 28,000 people as of Wednesday.

But there is no money for expanding coverage to childless adults, John Folkemer, deputy secretary of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, told House and Senate committees this week.

There was no money to cover this cockamamie expansion project back when it passed in November 2007, so it didn't take much to figure that the money was going to run dry and that the project would need to be scaled back in the future. Of course, when the state was already looking at a $1.5 billion deficit at the time of its passage, the Governor and legislative Democrats should have been easily able to figure that out that instead of crossing their fingers and hoping the money would materialize in this economy.

I look forward to the day when competent adults are back in charge of the budget...

Hate to Say I Told You So

Well I am so glad that the rush job of the General Assembly on Friday afternoon was so incredibly productive for all parties:

More than 500 bars in Annapolis and Anne Arundel County were eligible to say open an extra hour on Inauguration Day, but only one did.

The legislation postponing last call for an hour was rushed through the General Assembly last week and was signed into law by the governor Monday.

The owner of ACME Bar and Grill in Annapolis, Kevin Epley, said taking advantage of the change was a "no-brainer." He paid the required $200 fee to the county liquor board so he could stay open until 3 a.m.

Many bar owners, however, said the extra hour wasn't worth the $200 fee. Rams Head Tavern general manager Mark Colberg said he didn't expect man people would be drinking after 2 a.m.

So glad that we hustled this legislation through the process, with all of the extreme benefits the people of Maryland the residents of Anne Arundel County received. Though I think, in reality, the only "no-brainer" in this process was the one where somebody thought such cockamamie legislation was actually a good idea....

Listen...

Be sure to check out the latest Conservative Refuge Podcast if you haven't done so already.

Plus, if you didn't get a chance to check out my interview on WFSI, be sure to check out the entire program here, in which I enter the program about five minutes in.

Take a listen!

Students learn to Make Benefit Glorious Leader

What better time to bring partisan politics into the classroom:

As today's presidential inauguration approached, Donna Schmitz's art students bubbled over with excitement - and paint.

Gripping paint brushes in their tiny, blue-stained fingers, every student at Lothian Elementary School contributed a brush stroke and a signature to their inaugural group project: a larger-than-life image of President Barack Obama painted on a huge cardboard box once used to ship a SMART board to the school.

"It's bringing history into the art classroom," Ms. Schmitz said last week.

I am completely disgusted that my taxpayer dollars were used to fund such an overtly partisan, Orwellian task. This isn't "brining art into the classroom." This is forcing students to show their support for Obama in a frankly Soviet fashion.

It's one thing to discuss the inauguration, watch the inauguration, and discuss its meaning. But to bring this kind of partisanship into the classroom is a bridge way too far...

AWOL

Looks like only 80 members of the House of Delegates showed up for work today.

What are surprise that 61 Delegates are completely ignoring the people's business....

Turning Up the Heat on Peddlers of AGW

Looks like the global warming cult is seeing the tide of public opinion turn against them (H/T Josh Painter):

Al Gore’s side may be coming to power in Washington, but they appear to be losing the battle on the idea that humans are to blame for global warming.

Forty-four percent (44%) of U.S. voters now say long-term planetary trends are the cause of global warming, compared to 41% who blame it on human activity.

Seven percent (7%) attribute global warming to some other reason, and nine percent (9%) are unsure in a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

Fifty-nine percent (59%) of Democrats blame global warming on human activity, compared to 21% percent of Republicans. Two-thirds of GOP voters (67%) see long-term planetary trends as the cause versus 23% of Democrats. Voters not affiliated with either party by eight points put the blame on planetary trends.

That's not all:

With Barack Obama and the new Congress focused heavily on economic recovery, it’s interesting to note that 46% of voters believe there is a conflict between economic growth and environmental protection. Thirty-two percent (32%) see no such conflict, however, and 22% are not sure.

Finally, it looks like all of the preaching and the pushing and the peddling of this nonsense without scientific data is finally starting to be realized, at least by a plurality of the public.

However, that is one thing that is so damnably frustrating about this poll. The same public who sees the folly of the AGW argument elected for Barack Obama, the most notoriously ecofriendly Presidential Candidate this side of Al Gore. Obama is going to pursue programs that address this problem. Obama is going to pursue policies that harm our economy in the name of environmental justice. In essence, a decent percentage of these people voted for Obama and by doing so contradicted their own beliefs and their self-interest in being opposed to these global warming arguments (perhaps speaking, again, to the relative weakness of the Republican brand in the 2008 election).

Opposition to self-interest aside, it's good to see that critical consideration of global warming arguments is continuing....

The Brian Griffiths Minute: 01-19-2009

The Democrats and their Hypocrisy

Sometimes hypocrisy knows no bounds....

The price tag for President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration gala is expected to break records, with some estimates reaching as high as $150 million. Despite the bleak economy, however, Democrats who called on President George W. Bush to be frugal four years ago are issuing no such demands now that an inaugural weekend of rock concerts and star-studded parties has begun....

...In 2005, Reps. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., and Jim McDermott, D-Wash., asked Bush to show a little less pomp and be a little more circumspect at his party.

"President Roosevelt held his 1945 inaugural at the White House, making a short speech and serving guests cold chicken salad and plain pound cake," the two lawmakers wrote in a letter. "During World War I, President Wilson did not have any parties at his 1917 inaugural, saying that such festivities would be undignified."

The thinking was that, with the nation at war, excessive celebration was inappropriate. Four years later, the nation is still at war. Unemployment has risen sharply. And Obama pressed Congress to release the second half of a $700 billion bailout package in hopes of rescuing a faltering banking industry.

Obama's inauguration committee says it is mindful of the times and is not worried people will see the four days of festivities as excessive.

"That is probably not the way the country is going to be looking at it," said committee spokeswoman Linda Douglass. "It is not a celebration of an election. It is a celebration of our common values."

Of course, the total price tag of the inauguration is going to cost in excess of $160 million. But apparently, excessive spending to celebrate the ascendancy of the The One is perfectly acceptable to this hypocritical Democrats. Once again, the country is suffering, and the Democrats are perfectly willing to flaunt that fact while they live it up in Washington, D.C. Obama asks the American people to sacrifice, but is perfectly unwilling to sacrifice even the smallest morsel of his coronation.

The American people should look at the Democrats spending on the inauguration, take a step back, and realize that Democrats and their supports are in it for themselves and not for America's middle and working class families. Because no party should waste this much cash while families (you know, the people Democrats claim they are working day and night far) are suffering so much.

Cheapskate

Well, I'm so glad that Baltimore City Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake kept her raise so she could "do more charitable giving than usual." Because nothing screams charity and giving like this:

The usual ceremonial bet was off, what with Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl apparently shy about wagering on today's AFC championship game with his just-indicted counterpart in Baltimore. City Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake saw the hole and rushed through it, making a bet of her own with Pittsburgh Council President Doug Shields. The pol whose team loses will have to fork over $25 to two charities, St. Vincent De Paul in Baltimore and the Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.

Wow. $50. I feel so inspired by her giving, and giving only if the Ravens lose.

I wish that liberal politicians, cheapskates with their own money, would be so frugal with the taxpayer's money...

A Bad Move

Somebody needs to explain to me the grand importance of keeping bars open late on January 20th. Because apparently, it's really really important to some people:

Maryland lawmakers said "Cheers!" yesterday to allowing bars to stay open an extra hour in Anne Arundel County on Inauguration Day, moving with unusual speed to approve the first bill in the General Assembly's three-day-old session.

Gov. Martin O'Malley intends to sign the expedited measure, a spokesman said.

Del. James J. King, a Republican who owns an Annapolis bar, said he hoped the measure would boost an industry that's feeling the effects of the nation's recession at a time when thousands are coming to the area for the inauguration.

"They're in a celebratory mood, so hopefully they'll take advantage of it, and I think it's going to be a great thing for the county, for the state and for the industry," said King.

Seriously? The General Assembly convenes and passages an "Emergency Bill" (AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act is an emergency measure, is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health or safety) at warp speed to allow bars to stay open one hour later for one night in one county, one relatively farther away from the Inaugural Proceedings than other counties. Was this really the most efficient use of anyone's time?

If this were a bill dealing with extending the time bars that can be open in general (even in just one county), that would be more logical. If this were a bill dealing with extending the time bars can be open throughout Maryland or the Metro Area on Inauguration Day, that would be more logical. This bill though seems a little bit more about connections and helping out one's supporters than it does it helping all local businesses and good government.

Reminder

Just to clarify this, my radio appearance will run on both WBGR and WBMD today:

• On 860AM WBGR at 5:00 am, 12:00 pm, and 5:00 pm; and,
• On 750 AM WBMD at 7:30 am and 1:00 pm

Back on the Radio

You'll have a few chances to hear me talk about the General Assembly session in the next few days:

• Annapolis/DC/Eastern Shore: Three times a day from Thursday January 14th through Wednesday January 21st, listen to 50,000 watt 107.9 FM WFSI at 4:00 am, 12:04 pm, or 5:04 pm each day to hear me discuss the session as part of the station's "Community Involvement" program. This will be five five-minute sections of the interview.
  
• Baltimore: Listen to the full interview as part of the "Perspectives" program. The first five minutes of the show will be Jerry Norton "instrumental in the passage if"Jessica's Law") discussing HB9, a bill that would make possession of child pornography a felony. The rest of the program is my full interview. Listen to the full program:
• On 860AM WBGR at 5:00 am, 12:00 pm, and 5:00 pm; and,
• On 750 AM WBMD at 7:30 am and 1:00 pm

Remember This

"I said, you know they are riding high right now but what's going to happen is we're going to come together and we're going to shoot 'em down. We're going to shoot 'em down and we're going to bury them face down, deep and far. So deep and far it's going to take 20 years for them to come out the other side. They'll see China from there. But I was wrong. It's going to take 40 years for them to recover from what we did to them in 2008."
- Senate President Mike Miller

This is the attitude that we're up against. Let's all get ready to do the work to make Miller eat his words in 2010....

Making my Point

I talked yesterday about the costs of the inauguration. Today, we find out the cost is $11 million just for the state of Maryland. $75 million for the metropolitan area.

Can somebody tell me what benefit there is for the taxpayers burdened with these costs?

Why the Inaguration Festivites Should be Cancelled

Obviously I wasn't happy with the result of the Presidential Election, but regardless of that fact, Barack Obama will by law become President at 12 Noon on January 20th. But what is not required, by law, is for the Washington, D.C. Metro Area to be in a near multi-day lockdown situation in celebration of The One.

Take a look around. People are out of work. People are trying to make ends meet. The economy is in the tank. The Government (rightly of wrongly....mostly wrongly) is committing billions of dollars to economic recovery programs. So really.....what do we have to celebrate?

So instead of going immediately to work for the American People, we are going to have a long parade. And several inaugural balls. And millions of people descending upon the Metropolitan Area. This is going to send the D.C. area into virtual gridlock due to street closures (take a look at the long, long list of bridges and roads closed and note that Virginia is nearly cut off from the North). This means that downtown businesses are going to be virtually unable to conduct business on January 20th. And this does not merely impact white-collar businesses, but also restaurants, street vendors, and service employees who will not be able to do their jobs, or may not be able to get to their jobs. In some sectors of the service economy, workers are being encouraged to sleep at work instead of going home to their families.

The impact on public safety may be just as severe. So many police officers will be tied up in Inaugural Security as opposed to regular police work in the already violent District of Columbia. Fire and EMS personnel may find it difficult to provide service to certain areas due to traffic caused by Inaugural Crowds. And that is to say nothing of public safety personnel, as well as medical personnel, who may also find it extremely difficult to get to their jobs.

Is this any way to treat the people of the Washington, D.C. area already suffering from an economic funk?

On top of that, one can only imagine the tax burden the people of our state, as well as D.C. and Virginia, are going to have to endure due to extra police overtime, extra Department of Transportation crews on the street, etc. and so forth. And that is to so nothing of the Federal Burden due to security and logistics.

If Barack Obama really wanted to do something beneficial to the American people, he would take the Oath of Office in a small ceremony, and immediately do his job. Free the people of the D.C. Area from the unnecessary burden of outsiders, eliminate gridlock from the streets, and actually go forth and try to help the economy from day one as opposed to spending the day on formalities, pomp and circumstances.

Obama could have solved area gridlock, eliminated the negative impact on area businesses, and reduce the tax burden on the people of this area. Obama could have led by example. But the President who more than any before believes his own press clippings won't. Even he wants to properly glorify The One...

This is not what we call Responsible Budgeting

Catching up from Friday, take a look as to how the Democrats may try and cover the deficit:

State officials are considering a $366 million budget fix that could spare difficult spending cuts by transferring money in an unused reserve fund kept by the Maryland comptroller's office.

The fund is maintained for accounting purposes and could go a long way to reducing a $1.9 billion shortfall that Gov. Martin O'Malley and state lawmakers must close to balance the next annual budget....

....The so-called local income tax reserve fund has been eyed during previous budget crises but has never been tapped. The money is set aside every year to show that the state can cover what it owes taxpayers for refunds. But the refunds are paid out of incoming tax receipts, and the reserve fund has never been used.

That's right, Maryland Democrats are perfectly willing and able to sacrifice your tax dollars, money that rightfully belongs to you the taxpayer, in order to not take any political heat from needed and necessary reductions in discretionary spending.

Of course, the real gold standard for Maryland Fiscal Policy is the maintenance of the AAA bond rating, something Democrats loved to rail on Bob Ehrlich about when he, in their minds, risked the integrity of our bond rating. Martin O'Malley even talked about the importance of the bond rating during one of the gubernatorial debates in 2006. But now this move may throw that idea right out the window:

The hangup: A simple transfer might not be so easy. State officials say they would have to weigh how bond-rating agencies would view the budgeting maneuver. Maryland is one of a few states that holds a coveted AAA bond rating, which enables the state to obtain lower interest rates and therefore save taxpayers money. The top rating is based in part on the state's ability to cover its liabilities.

Shapiro said that the comptroller's office had an "internal debate" over the implications of the fund transfer and concluded that it was unlikely it would affect the state's bond rating.

I find it highly doubtful that the state spending money out of a reserve fund used to cover its liabilities would be "unlikely" to affect the bond rating. Of course it will affect the bond rating. It may not necessarily downgrade the bond rating from that of a AAA bond, but when you start shifting money around to cover costs instead of responsibly cutting spending, I highly doubt that will give a warm and fuzzy feeling to the Bond Houses in New York. Especially when the Gazette points out that shifting the money in this manner does nothing in the long term but....create a new shortfall:

Using the money would mean the state's financial records would show a $367 million unfunded liability, but one that would be replenished with the start of the next calendar year.

The reserve acts something like an escrow account. Tax receipts are deposited into the account, and a portion is saved to cover state income tax refunds that would be paid out as part of the local income tax.

But taxes are collected over a calendar year, and the state budgets on a fiscal year, so taxes collected from Jan. 1 to June 30 get refunds starting July 1, which marks the start of the next fiscal year. The refunds end up being paid through different funds, leaving the refund reserve alone.

So in essence, we're not really talking about a "reserve fund" per se. We're not talking about a rainy day fund. We're not talking about the $1.2 billion budget surplus Governor Ehrlich left office with. We're talking about a fund designed to make sure that you the taxpayer gets a refund instead of an IOU like they are getting in California. This isn't responsible spending: it's a shell game.

What the General Assembly really needs to do is to not play games with the money and really start shutting down unnecessary program. The work of Governor O'Malley and Legislative Leadership in trying to be cute instead of be leaders may in fact help our chances at the ballot box in 2010, but realistically no conservative wants to see these Democrats continue to screw working and middle class Maryland families like this with their continue irresponsibility and fiscal recklessness.

Proving My Point

I'm pretty sure I told this story on RedMaryland Radio at one point, but never here on the blogs. Last year I was in the gift shop of the Space Needle in Seattle, buying some swag, and I go to pay by Credit Card. The cashier needs to see ID, so I provide my Maryland Driver's License. She asks if I was from Baltimore and said that I was from right outside of it. She then ask's me: "Is Baltimore really like it is on The Wire?"

I told her "No, it's much more violent and much more corrupt than that."

Thanks Mayor Dixon for helping reinforce the point...

Gov. Palin in her words

Watch the whole thing, and read this for additional background:

The End of the Innocence

Not to get all Don Henley on everybody, but is the fringe left finally starting to grow up on the issue of global warming? Because a long article basically debunking the idea, debunking Al Gore, and shooting down a bunch of other global warming strawmen appear on.....The Huffington Post.

You are probably wondering whether President-elect Obama owes the world an apology for his actions regarding global warming. The answer is, not yet. There is one person, however, who does. You have probably guessed his name: Al Gore.

Mr. Gore has stated, regarding climate change, that "the science is in." Well, he is absolutely right about that, except for one tiny thing. It is the biggest whopper ever sold to the public in the history of humankind.

And it (surprisingly) goes on line this, noting that:

1. The phrase "Climate change" is redundant;
2. Al Gore and company are "flat-earthers" for knowingly misinterpreting the relationship between climate change and the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
   
3. Record sea-ice growth in Antarctica.

Author Harold Ambler closes with this:

To be told, as I have been, by Mr. Gore, again and again, that carbon dioxide is a grave threat to humankind is not just annoying, by the way, although it is that! To re-tool our economies in an effort to suppress carbon dioxide and its imaginary effect on climate, when other, graver problems exist is, simply put, wrong. Particulate pollution, such as that causing the Asian brown cloud, is a real problem. Two billion people on Earth living without electricity, in darkened huts and hovels polluted by charcoal smoke, is a real problem.

So, let us indeed start a Manhattan Project-like mission to create alternative sources of energy. And, in the meantime, let us neither cripple our own economy by mislabeling carbon dioxide a pollutant nor discourage development in the Third World, where suffering continues unabated, day after day.

Now, there is a lot to find interesting here, not the least of which is that somebody on one of the left's largest "news-sources" finally is starting to agree with people like me and Mark Newgent on the fallacy that is global warming. And it is also interesting that such an idea being floated by somebody on the left didn't bubble up until long after the hysteria was used as one way of helping to propel Barack Obama to the White House.

What is most interesting to me is the fact that this may be the beginning of the end of the loony left, at least in it's most vocal form.

When you think back to the 1960's, 60's radicalism as we remember it really didn't start getting moving until the escalation in Vietnam in 1965. At that point, things in America were still relatively good. Obviously, it wasn't good for everybody (race relations being the most obvious of these examples) but it was relatively easy to protest the war and protest against the government when the preponderance of society had food and shelter. The Sixties as a movement reached their cultural apex in 1969 with Woodstock and their political apex in 1972 with the nomination of George McGovern.

But what really killed the Sixties zeitgeist? Sure, McGovern's defeat helped. But look at what was going on in 1973. Gas shortages. Economic troubles. U.S. withdrawal in Vietnam. Once the protesters and rabblerousers began to worry about their own backyard, they didn't seem to worry too much about protesting the war and the government anymore. Perhaps the combination of victory in Iraq, the election of Obama, and the downward spiral of the economy is brining the so-called "reality based community" back to an actual reality for once, and beginning to question thing such as global warming hysteria. When folks realize that proposed global warming "solutions" may unnecessarily inflict further harm upon an already beaten down economy, those ideas really don't look like such a great solution anymore.

Speculation about the reasons for the stand down on global warming policy aside (and I think there may be other reasons out there that I did not necessarily touch on) I find it somewhat comforting that people on the left side of the aisle are finally starting to look critically at so called arguments for global warming policy change, and are starting to take the more reasoned position that a lot of us took some time ago...

WaPo sees the future

If you read the Washington Post this morning, you'd have thought that the 2010 Gubernatorial Election is over and that we lost:

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley began last year at the nadir of his popularity, having just raised taxes. At year's end, he was weighing deep budget cuts likely to strain relations with key constituencies.

But along the way, O'Malley managed to rack up several political victories, in Maryland and beyond its borders, that appear to strengthen his hand heading into a widely expected reelection bid next year.

By substantial margins, Maryland voters approved two ballot measures in November backed by the governor, one legalizing five slot machine gambling sites and the other authorizing early voting in the next election. Voters' rejection of slots would have been a significant setback for O'Malley (D), and early voting should disproportionately help Democrats in a state where they enjoy a 2-to-1 advantage in party registration.

Both ballot measures were opposed by former governor and current radio host Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R), whose boosters would like to see a 2010 rematch with O'Malley.

The story also goes on to (rightly) note that O'Malley was bolstered by Frank Kratovil's election in the First District, something that also was bound to hurt Governor Ehrlich due to his ill-conceived strong embrace of Andy Harris.

Be that as it may, I think that it's hard to say that all of these things point to Martin O'Malley winning or losing in 2010:

• The slot machine question had little to do with the battle between O'Malley and Ehrlich. Yes, both men had their opinions and were in respective corners for the battle, bat it was hardy a matter of Democrats vs Republicans when you considered Peter Franchot's role in the anti-slots campaign, as well as the fierce opposition to slots by a number of liberal legislators and far left interest groups. Using the Post's logic, the defeat of slots could just as much be a repudiation of the far left as it is a leg up for O'Malley.
• Continuing with the similar theme, the overwhelming passage of Question 2 hardly counts for anything. There was very little, if any, organized campaigning for or against early voting, and quite frankly I think there wasn't much oxygen left for the issue to breath once you got passed slots and the Presidential election.
  
• With Kratovil, it's hard to say that his election will have any impact whatsoever on O'Malley. I think I have detailed my thoughts about the abominable campaign Harris ran enough, but when you consider this perfect storm, how does any of this help O'Malley in 2010?:
• A young Democratic Candidate who was easily packaged as a moderate; and
  
• Wayne Gilchrest's defeat in the Republican Primary; by
• The worst possible Republican candidate (Western Shore, very unlikeable) who ran a historically bad campaign; with
• Higher African-American turnout on the lower shore due to Obama.
  

At the same time, we still have an economy that is in free fall, partially due to the national recession and partially due to O'Malley's reckless and irresponsible spending and tax increases. And O'Malley and Company are still going to have to deal with that starting next week, and they are either going to wind up angering their rabid base through cutting spending, or angering everybody else in the state with even more tax hikes.

O'Malley had a reasonably successful 2008 at the Ballot Box, but projecting his victory in 2010 would be like predicting Maryland winning the ACC title in 2009 due to their Humanitarian Bowl win; completely meaningless and based on false premises.

I still think O'Malley is in trouble for re-election, whether or not he is primaried by Peter Franchot...

Delaware Makes their Move

It was only a matter of time after we passed the slots amendment here in Maryland that Delaware upped the ante:

Before Maryland sees a penny from slot machines, Delaware may up the ante in the regional race for gaming revenues by approving sports betting at its three racinos as soon as this year.

That could mean less money than anticipated for education, the thoroughbred industry and other beneficiaries of legalized gambling in Maryland, prompting fresh criticism of slots, which voters approved in November.

I've said for a long time that expecting slots machines to be the panacea for all of our fiscal woes was not a very convincing argument, and that the expansion of slot machine gambling into Maryland was merely going to further divide and existing pie than create new revenue for Maryland; and even bigger problem now that we have seen the downturn in the national economy. Since Maryland's slots revenue was clearly going to crimp upon Delaware's revenue, it was only a logical and natural extension to expect them to go in a different direction, and they wisely went in a direction (sports gambling) that other states are prohibited to exploit.

Obviously, Governor O'Malley and his cabal of slots supporters clearly overstated, exaggerated, or lied (depending on your perspective) the economic impact that slot machines were going to have here in Maryland. That is the only way that they were able to convince so many Maryland voters to adopt this cockamamie, poorly conceived policy. Unfortunately, now that the slots legislation has been ensconced in our State Constitution, we have little recourse in correcting this bad decision, so it will be left to Governor O'Malley and the leadership of the General Assembly to responsibly manage our state's finances for once...

The Brian Griffiths Minute: 01-01-2009

The special New Year's Edition....

Happy New Year

And yes that musical interludes comes to you from Die Toten Hosen...