Scrubs Delivery Rally Hits D.C.

By Michael Swartz | 09/24/09

Sometimes I follow the news and sometimes the news follows me. On a perfectly innocent trip to our nation's capital to take in the sights (and the ballgames) what should I wander into but this affair, dubbed the "Scrubs Delivery Rally": The idea was to send thousands of medical smocks from various parts of the country to show support for Obamacare. Each of them was supposed to tell its own story. We will not deduct for... read more »

Weekend Assignment

By Michael Swartz | 09/19/09

Well, you can do this Monday too but it is time-sensitive! On Monday the public comment period for the Five-Year Program by the U.S. Minerals Management Service for offshore drilling comes to a close, and your comments can help keep those options open. I wrote a comment to Renee Orr this morning through the YourEnergyOpinion website - it's definitely easier than doing it via the federal one! The YourEnergyOpinion site has a generic message but... read more »

What I want in a MDGOP Chair

By Michael Swartz | 09/17/09

The reason this post may seem a little disjointed and out of context is because it's in response to a post by Joe Steffen at his Darkness Rising blog. I wouldn't say he was ecstatic about Jim Pelura resigning as party head but he certainly wasn't too far from the front of the victory parade - right up there with the state party insiders, certain members of the General Assembly, and most of the other Red Maryland writers. I... read more »

GOP State Chair Pelura to step down in November

By Michael Swartz | 09/15/09

In a move timed to coincide with the Maryland Republican Party's fall convention, Party Chair Jim Pelura announced yesterday that he would step down as of November 14. The press release follows: Dr. James Pelura, Chairman of the Maryland Republican Party, has submitted his resignation effective November 14, 2009.   In accordance with the Maryland Republican Party Bylaws, First Vice Chairman Chris Cavey will facilitate the transition... read more »

"Contract with Maryland" - an update

By Michael Swartz | 09/05/09

The story has an update - see below. Obviously Jim Pelura either reads my site or does a daily Google search for his name. (I think it's the former.) Regardless, he was kind enough to send along some of his correspondence telling his intention for the Contract With Maryland, portions of which I'll excerpt today. From Pelura's original e-mail to Senator Allan Kittleman and Delegate Tony O'Donnell, dated July 30th: Outlined in my 2007... read more »

Are we at it AGAIN?

By Michael Swartz | 09/05/09

Slowly percolating over this summer "silly season" of politics is yet another bid to damage the leadership of Maryland GOP Chair Jim Pelura. The latest installment of the saga concerns Pelura's idea to come up with a "Contract With Maryland" for the 2010 elections. Based on the 1994 "Contract With America", the idea was to develop a list of principles Republicans in the General Assembly could push in the next... read more »

The deep roots of Astroturf

By Michael Swartz | 09/05/09

I really got a kick out of this posting by photojournalist "El Marco" detailing the healthcare show Obama allies put on in Denver. It looks like they've taken a few pointers from the "real" grassroots but mixed in a heaping helping of muscle and deceit to accomplish their goal of slick marketing and packaging. Obviously the stakes are pretty high - hey it's only 1/6th of our economy we're talking about here. And the... read more »

A growing prosperity

By Michael Swartz | 08/26/09

The current incarnation of Americans for Prosperity has a problem most groups would like to have - more people coming to their meetings than they have room for. It's almost surprising that the fire marshal wasn't called in once the people rolled into the crowded back room of Adam's Ribs. Better still, about 1/4 to 1/3 of the people were new to the group. Nick Loffer, representing the state AFP organization, began the proceedings by... read more »

Wicomico County Republican Club meeting - August 2009

By Michael Swartz | 08/25/09

After a month's hiatus, the Wicomico County Republican Club came back without missing a beat for its meeting this evening. We even had another candidate seeking to unseat longtime Senator Barbara Mikulski in Dr. Eric Wargotz. First, though, we had to take care of our usual business, which was pretty much standard per previous meetings. Having dispensed with that brief introduction we got a quick Young Republican report from... read more »

The Blue Dog Dilemma

By Michael Swartz | 08/22/09

While nothing is ever cast in stone within the Beltway, a deal struck between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a group of fiscally conservative Democrats billing themselves as Blue Dogs put off a critical House vote on health care reform until after Congress takes its summer recess. But much as many conservative Republicans chafed at some of the big-government excess proposed by President Bush during his eight years in office, the opening months... read more »