Parris Glendening

DENVER – Former Gov. Parris Glendening (D) says Democratic speakers at the convention didn’t hit presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain as hard as they should have.

“Personally I would have like to seen even harder,” he told PolitickerMD.com.

He added, however, that Monday’s speakers weren’t the right people to be taking the shots. Instead, he pointed to Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.), Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and former president Bill Clinton as the best figures to throw the punches.

Here is a topic where I not only blame Governor Martin O’Malley (D), but I also blame Robert Ehrlich (R) and Parris Glendening (D).  I am blaming these three governors for the crappy state of public transportation in Maryland, particularly in the Washington and Baltimore Metropolitan Areas. 

In the past decade, this area has grown in leaps and bounds beyond anyone’s expectations.  You would think that with a lot of people criss-crossing between the two cities, the Maryland Department of Transportation would have mastered getting the millions of commuters in an easier, non complex but above all somewhat timely manner.  The only jurisdiction in Maryland that seems to understand this concept is Montgomery County.

Esteemed political analyst Charlie Cook has some advice for Hillary Clinton: 'If you care about your future, don't pull an Ellen Sauerbrey!'

In case you were not within an ear shot of the nation’s capital, Governor Martin O’Malley made a couple of radio runs this past week, where he took ample opportunities to take shots at his predecessor, now-former Governor Robert Ehrlich.

It’s no secret that the current governor’s job approval rating is down from a year ago, way down, in the 30s. His reasoning behind that is because he raised taxes. That was what he told WTOP (103.5FM) political analyst Mark Plotkin, but he added that it was a bit more complicated than that. “We were left a $1.7 billion deficit by our predecessor that red ink came crashing on us. We had to make a lot of cuts and we also had to push a lot of unpopular measures and nobody ever stands up and applauds.”

If I am not mistaken, I believe that Ehrlich (R) left O’Malley (D) with a surplus and it was widely reported that the Governor would not face a deficit in his first year however, one would happen down the road. That was a pretty short road wasn’t it? This time last year we were hearing about deficits ranging from $1.3-1.7 billion. It should also be noted that the last democratic governor that was in office, Parris Glendening, left Ehrlich with a $2 billion deficit.

Former Gov. Parris GlendeningFormer Gov. Parris Glendening, who was selected Saturday by the state Democratic Central Committee as an unpledged ad-on delegate to the Democratic National Convention, discussed his decision to endorse Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) during an interview today with PolitickerMD.com.

“I believe Sen. Obama is the strongest candidate in November and will be a great president,” Glendening said.

Glendening, who initially supported New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, said he has been “very excited and enthusiastic” about the Obama campaign for some time, but decided to “wait until the (delegation) appointment process was over” before endorsing.

Former Gov. Parris Glendening and former Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend were selected by the state Democratic Central Committee as un-pledged add-on delegates to represent Maryland at the Democratic National Convention, this morning.

Despite their titles, Kennedy Townsend and Glendening have endorsed candidates during the primary cycle; Kennedy Townsend has been a vocal supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) for several months, while Glendening endorsed Gov. Bill Richardson (D-N.M.) last December and has not officially endorsed another candidate since Richardson ended his campaign in January. Richardson, himself, endorsed Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) in March.

An additional 15 at-large delegates and another 9 delegates selected from party leaders and elected officials were selected. Of these 24 delegates, which are tied to the state's popular vote, which Obama carried in the Feb. 12 primary by 24 points, 15 are pledged Obama supporters and 9 are pledged Clinton supporters. Four additional pledged at-large alternates, three of which are Obama supporters, were also selected.

Congressional candidate Andy HarrisResponding to accusations leveled against state Sen. Andy Harris (R-Cockeysville) by his opponent in Maryland's First Congressional District, Frank Kratovil (D-Stevensville), Harris campaign manager Chris Meekins said today that his candidate has a history of "reaching across the aisle" to work with Democrats in the legislator.

"(Harris) supported a paper trail for electronic voting machines and he has continuously opposed wasteful spending regardless of whether it is a Democratic or Republican governor," Meekins said to highlight his point.

Speaking in Towson last night, Kratovil said Harris has voted, and will continue to vote "straight party line," and would be "one of the most conservative people in Congress."

He also said the Harris campaign was overplaying the significance of his relationship with Gov. Martin O'Malley (D), calling the governor a "friend," but adding, "We don't agree on everything," namely illegal immigration.

"We don't have to link him to Gov. O'Malley," Meekins told PolitickerMD.com. "He's already done that."

Former Gov. Parris Glendening would hold a special election to fill Maryland’s 4th Congressional District seat if he were in office today, he told PolitickerMD.com.

“It’s not an easy yes or no question,” Glendening, who served as governor from 1995-2003, said. “I don’t envy Governor (Martin) O’Malley on this.”

Despite the fact that a special election could cost the state “several million dollars,” Glendening said, “I wouldn’t want to see the district without representation.”

O’Malley has yet to say if he will hold a special primary and general election to fill the remaining seven months of Rep. Al Wynn’s (D-Mitchellville) term when he resigns in June.

It is expected that Donna Edwards (D-Fort Washington), who defeated Wynn in the Feb. 12 Democratic primary, would win a special election.

Today’s Politicker.com list of the America’s Top 53 Political Sex Scandals has two Maryland members, #35 Charles Boutin and #40 Bob Bauman.

Feel free to add others from our history in the comments.

Ray Glendening, the former Deputy National Field Director for Bill Richardson’s presidential campaign and son of former Parris Glendening, has a new gig: he’s been named Deputy Political Director at the Democratic Governor’s Association.

"Ray brings tremendous experience to the DGA and we are delighted he joined our team, says DGA spokesman Brian Namey.