Republican National Convention

Getty/Fox News

Former Lt. Gov. Michael Steele (R-Prince George's County) was playing defense Sunday when Chris Wallace, the anchor of Fox News Sunday, questioned whether "drill baby drill" was a sufficient energy policy.

"'Drill baby drill' is not meant to be an energy policy," Steele said. "'Drill baby drill' is a way to get our attention focused on the question of how we do energy in this country."

How can a governor say she “championed” earmark “reforms” when she just boasted about requesting 85 separate federal earmarks during her two years in office?

Apparently, Gov. Sarah Palin is like many other Republicans who feel the need to make false claims about their past. John McCain still claims to be a maverick. He was, once. But, that was before he reversed himself on taxes, torture and more to win a GOP nomination.

Now that they’ve lost power congressional Republicans now claim they’ve always hated earmarks. Yet, before they lost control of Congress their annual $20 billion plus pork bills used to make even George Bush blush and that’s not easy to do.

ST. PAUL, Minn. - It's hard for Delphine Peck to get bored at national conventions, even though she has been attending them since 1948.

Peck - an alternate delegate --  pointed to Gov. Linda Lingle (R-Hawaii) as one speaker she found exciting at this years Republican National Convention.

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Gov. Sarah Palin's Wednesday night speech was a defining moment in the campaign, according to Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold.

"Clearly the speech last night energized the country. Not just the convention hall," he told PolitickerMD.com.

Leopold praised Palin's bold attitude, and said he can relate to her politically.

"Having been a legislator for 30 years and now as an executive, I can relate," he said. "She's willing to take on the sacred cows."

ST. PAUL, Minn. - There are three seats open on the Prince George's County Republican Central Committee and the search is on for the right people to fill them, according to Keturah Harley, one of the committee's members.

"Whenever we find the right person who wants to commit...it will be filled," she told PolitickerMD.com.

Harley, who is with the Maryland delegation at the Republican National Convention, said former U.S. Fred Thompson's address on Tuesday really got the convention going.

"He really took the opportunity to tell the truth about John McCain," she said.

ST. PAUL, Minn. - A guest of the Maryland delegation wishes former Gov. Bob Ehrlich (R-Baltimore) would have attended the Republican National Convention.

"I think he's just missing a lot of excitement," said Jeff Parker, who's wife -- Patt Parker --  is an at-large delegate and president of the Maryland Federation of Republican Women .

"He's been one of us. So, on a personal level I miss having him here," he said

Parker had a few thoughts on what it will take for John McCain to deliver an effective speech.

ST. PAUL, Minn. - The chair of the Montgomery County Republican Central Committee is disappointed former Gov. Bob Ehrlich (R-Baltimore) didn't make it to the Republican National Convention. "He's our titular leader," Jim Shalleck told PolitickerMD.com.

But Shalleck seemed enthusiastic about the convention as a whole despite Ehrlich's absence.

"Mike Steele tore the house down last night when he said ‘drill baby drill' and the place started to rock!" said Shalleck.

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Mike Huckabee is ecstatic about John McCain's choice of Gov. Sarah Palin (R-Alaska) as his running mate.

"The dynamics of this election have been turned on their head," said the former governor of Arkansas and presidential candidate.

"She looks like Tina Fey, has the accent of Florence Henderson and kicks tail like Chuck Norris," Huckabee told the Maryland delegation during breakfast on Thursday.

Huckabee claimed he saw fear in U.S. Sen. Joe Biden's (D-Del.) eyes on TV while discussing Palin's Wednesday night speech at the Republican National Convention.

Former Lt. Gov. Michael Steele: Getty Images PhotoST. PAUL, Minn. - Former Lt. Gov. Michael Steele's most memorable line during his 2008 Republican National Convention speech almost got dumped on the ride there.

"Let me make it very clear. Drill baby drill, and drill now," said Steele -- the current chair of GOPAC -- during his address on Wednesday. The line was quickly picked up by the crowd, who began chanting "drill baby drill" almost instantly.

It was Belinda Cook - GOPAC's special assistant to the chairman - who encouraged Steele to leave the line in the speech.