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Friday, September 30, 2011

Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Votes Not in Senate To Pass Jobs Bill -
Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) acknowledged the votes were not there at the moment to pass The American Jobs Act proposed by President Obama. TheHill.com has more here.

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It's the Economy,... -
the latest CNN/ORC International Poll shows 90% of Americans feel the condition of the economy is poor. While, this is up 9% from June of this year, 52% blame the previous Republican administration and 32% blame the Obama administration. CNN.com has more here.

In another poll released by Bloomberg, 74% of investors are unhappy with President Obama's economic policies. Overall, 57% of investors view Obama unfavorably, a reversal of 55% in May who viewed his policies favorably. Bloomberg.com has more here.

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Anwar al-Awlaki Killed -
in an air strike in Yemen. The al Qaeda cleric was high on the most wanted list among terrorists. Reuters.com has more here.

BBC News is reporting a U.S. Drone air strike may have been responsible for the death of Awlaki. You can read more here.

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Gingrich Announces New "Contract With America" -
sagging in the Republican presidential hopeful polls and in fund raising, Newt Gingrich laid out his ten points. Politico.com has more here.

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Rumors Persist Christie Will Enter Presidential Race -
pressure from big donors and Republican Party operatives, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is reconsidering a run for President. You can read more here.

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20 House Democrats Ask for Ethics Review of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas -
in a letter to the Judicial Conference of the United States, they are asking for an investigation into his failure to report hundreds of thousands of dollars on annual financial disclosure forms. The Huffington Post has more here.

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Thursday, September 29, 2011

Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Justice Department Asks Supreme Court to Rule on Health Care Act -
the individual mandate being the issue in a 2-1 ruling by 11th Circuit court of appeals that the Affordable Care Act was unconstitutional. The Justice Department is arguing similar charges to legislation on social security, the voting rights act and the civil rights act all failed. You can read more here.

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Voter Turnout Key to 2012 Election -
a new Gallup poll has enthusiasm down in Democrats and up among Republican voters. Gallup.com has more on the poll results here.

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German Parliament Approval Gives Euro Zone Crisis a Boost -
approval of a stronger bail out fund expected to create a rise in financial markets. Reuters.com has more here.

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States Bickering Over Republican Primary Dates -
in the 2008 election, it was the maneuvering by states in the Democratic primary calendar that caused grief with Michigan and Florida initially losing their delegates. This time, Florida is involved again with a move to January for the primary which has upset South Carolina, New Hampshire, Iowa and Nevada. Politico.com has more here.

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Alabama Wins Ruling on State Immigration Law -
Judge Sharon Lovelace Blackburn of Federal District Court in Birmingham upheld most of the state's law which had been challenged by the Obama administration. An appeal is likely paving the way for a Supreme court ruling on the issue. The NY Times has more here.

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Campaign Finance Reform Groups Challenge Tax-Free Status of Non-Profits -
The Campaign Legal Center and Democracy 21 have asked the Internal Revenue Service to review the nonprofit status of several 501 (c) (4) groups such as Crossroads GPS, Priorities USA, and Americans Elect. RollCall.com has more here.

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Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Obama Holds Online Hispanic Forum -
this morning. It will be moderated by Jose Slade, editor in chief for Yahoo. President Obama will be asked questions from readers of Yahoo, MSN Latino, and AOL Latino/Huffington Post Latino Voice. CNN.com has more here.

WhiteHouse.gov will stream live the event at 11:25 AM ET here.

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Trust in Government at 15% -
the lowest, according to a poll released by CNN/ORC. You can read more here.

Not a good sign as the country struggles to rebound from a lingering downturn in the economy.

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Obstructionist Republicans Lead To Budget Uncertainty -
confused voters are wondering why after the ugly partisan battle over the Budget control Act of 2011, why Congress is battling over short term continuing resolutions, the latest being the seven week budget agreement reached to keep funding federal agencies until November 18. Tea Party Republicans continue to hold up budgetary approval as they seek additional cuts in spending. The NY Times has a good editorial here.

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Lack of Transparency By Supercommittee -
remember that 12 member bipartisan committee that has until mid November to come up with 1.2 trillion in cuts? Well, they have not exactly been forthcoming with their deliberations. Politico.com has a good read here.

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Greece Passes Property Tax Increase -
the vote by Parliament to help ease the concerns of debtors and to avoid default. Global stocks closed higher after hearing the news. The Washington Post has more here.

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Challenge to Health Care Law Heading to Supreme Court -
various legal challenges filed against the Health Care bill will likely be heard by the Supreme Court during the early months of next year. Making this a pivotal issue for the 2012 presidential campaign. TheHill.com has more here.

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Gaddafi Remains Elusive -
the National Transitional Council now believe Gaddafi is hiding in the desert near the Algerian border. Meanwhile, the battles for Bani Walid and Sirte continues. Reuters.com has more here.

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Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Senate Leaders Agree on Funding Extension -
yesterday, after Senate Majority Leader Harry reid (D-Nev.) and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) reached an agreement, the Senate voted 79-12 on a compromise to keep federal funding going through November 18. The House is expected vote and pass it. The Washington Post has more here.

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Cities Face Fifth Straight Year of Declining Revenue - in a report from the National League of Cities, the news continues to be bad for local government which depends heavily on property taxes for revenue. Declining property value has led to five straight years of less revenues for cities causing employyee layoffs and delays of infrastructure projects. The NY Times has more here.

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Facebook To Form Political Action Committee - the PAC will back candidates who share their interests in promoting innovation in the economy. TheHill.com has more here.

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Key States Candidate Filing Deadlines Near -
for a Republican presidential candidate to get on the Florida primary ballot, the filing deadline is the end of October. Florida will be one of the swing states in the 2012 election so a Republican candidate will want to participate in their primary. Another pivotal state, South Carolina has a filing deadline of November 1. If, Sarah Palin or New Jersey Governor Chris Cristie are going to enter the contest, they will need to do so soon. TPM.com has more here.

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Redistricting Causing Democrats to Battle -
Republican controlled state legislatures are causing headaches for some Democratic candidates. Changing demographics have rural areas being added to urban areas, creating situations where Democrats will face Democrats for representation of a district. RollCall.com has more here.

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Truce Talks Underway in Battle For Sirte -
the Libyan National Transition council continues to battle several towns loyal to Gaddafi with truce talks from one Gaddafi loyal tribe underway in the town of Sirte. Reuters.com has more here.

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Monday, September 26, 2011

Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Obama Heads West For Fund Raising -
seven campaign fundraisers will take place over a several day period. Yesterday, supporters paid $35,800 per couple. The campaign is expected to raise several million combined with the events scheduled. Reuters.com has more here.

The NY Times has a good read here on how small donors are not contributing at the same level as they did in the 2008 election you can read here.

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Senate To Vote On Continuing Resolution Today -
needed to keep the government running from October 1 through mid November. Not surprisingly, major differences exist between the Democratic controlled Senate and the Republican dominated House on this extension. TPM.com has more here.

Meanwhile, the partisan bickering continues with no signs of compromise emerging. CNN.com has a good read here.

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Will A Third Party candidate Emerge in 2012? -
a good question and one many are asking considering the gridlock in Washington. Matt Miller has a good read in The Washington Post here.

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States Angle For GOP 2012 Primary Dates -
October 1 is the deadline for state to set their primaries with the Republican National Committee and the usual maneuvering is taking place as states battle for position of importance in the Republican primary calendar. Politico.com has more here.

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Democratic Leaders Oppose Pending Trade Deals -
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calf.) will oppose trade deals with Panama, Colombia and South Korea. Even though President Obama is in favor of passing the stalled trade agreements. TheHill.com has more here.

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Sunday, September 25, 2011

Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Obama - Clinton Play Golf -
Yesterday, they play a round at Andrews Air Force Base. This comes days after former president Clinton in an interview stated he was not in favor of raising taxes on the wealthy at this time.

Clinton has a book being released in November which he believes will show his support for President Obama and the importance of government spending on infrastructure, technology and green energy. TheHill.com can read more here.

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Obama Speaks to Congressional Black Caucus -
in a speech last night, President Obama highlighted his legislative initiatives which benefit African Americans such as middle class tax breaks, summer jobs programs and college education funds.

Obama also acknowledged progress takes time, but that the effort should continue. Politico.com has more here.

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Cain Wins Florida Straw Poll -
Herman Cain upset Texas Governor Rick Perry, winning with 37.11% to 15.43% for Perry. This comes after a disappointing performance by Perry in the last Republican presidential candidate debate. TPM.com has more here.

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Romney Wins Michigan Straw Poll -
Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney won with 51% and Texas governor Rick Perry had 16.8%. CNN.com has more here.

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"Quartet" Middle East Peace Plan Under Review -
The United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia have submitted a proposal which is being reviewed by Palestine Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The Washington Post has more here.

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Saudia Arabia Moves to Allow Women To Vote -
reports indicate King Abdullah has given women the right to vote beginning in 2015. You can read more here.

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Saturday, September 24, 2011

Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Sunday Morning "Talking Heads" Lineup -
Senior White House Adviser David Plouffe will appear on three of the morning shows. Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.), Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn), Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg are among the other guests. Politico.com has more below.



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Senate To Vote Monday on Stopgap Funding Bill -
more of the same partisan action on the Hill over extending federal funding from September 30 to the middle of November. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) says the Senate will not pass the House version which ties cuts to several successful programs to disaster aid. President Obama has indicated if an agreement is not reached, he will call the House back into session. TPM.com has more here.

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Putin To Return As President of Russia -
current President Dmitry Medvedev has said he will not run for another term and has asked Vladimir Putin to run. The Washington post has more on this development here.

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Palestine Urges Swift UN Security Council Action on Statehood -
The Security Council will meet Monday to begin deliberation on the statehood request. Palestine is hoping for a decision within two weeks. Reuters.com has more here.

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Obama Weekly Address

George Wenschhof

President Obama continues to push for passage of The American Jobs Act and also discusses the importance of education standards in meeting the economic challenges ahead.

Obama points out the Jobs Act would modernize 35,000 schools. He also discusses his ideas of reforming the "No Child Left Behind" law.



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Republican Weekly Address

George Wenschhof

Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) says a time out is needed on government regulations. She believes this will aid the U.S. economy. Maine believes businesses are reluctant to add jobs with onerous regulations hanging over them.



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Friday, September 23, 2011

Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Republican Debate More of The Same -
Mark Halperin of ThePage.com had Mitt Romney easily winning this debate. You can read his analysis of the candidates here.

In case you missed the debate, TPM.com has a live update posting of comments throughout the debate here.

And, CNN.com has their take here.

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House Passes Revised Stopgap Bill -
the bill passed the House by a vote of 219-203. Senate Democrats are saying not so fast as they are not happy with offsets which include cuts to a clean car program and cuts to an Energy department loan program in the House bill to pay for disaster relief funding. Politico.com has more here.

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Will Abbas Ask For Palestinian Statehood Today? -
all indications are he will, in spite of intense lobbying by the U.S. and other countries. The U.S. has threatened to veto the request, even though the U.S. favors a two state solution between Israel and Palestine. Hopes were agreement could be reach between the two to begin immediate peace negotiations. Reuters.com has more here. The NY Times has a editorial on the issue here.

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"No Child Left Behind" Changes Underway -
the controversial national education program is likely to undergo changes as today President Obama will announce a review of applications from states for waivers to the program. States will need to provide ways to close achievement gaps. CNN.com has more here.

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Thursday, September 22, 2011

Hagen Accused of Ethics Law Violation

George Wenschhof

In a development that could hardly be called a surprise, an ethics complaint has been filed against former Frederick County Commissioner Kai Hagen.

Walter Mills of Frederick in a letter to the Frederick County Government Ethics Commission alleges Hagen has violated Section 1-7.1-4 (G) of the Frederick County, Maryland ethics ordinance which prohibits a former county employee or official from dealing with the county as a compensated representative of another during the first year after leaving office.

Mr. Mills has a long history of opposing local government intervention when it comes to land management and zoning issues, previously heading up an organization entitled Defenders of Citizens Rights.

In a telephone interview, Mr. Mills said Defenders of Citizens Rights operated from 2001 through 2006 and opposed efforts by Frederick County Commissioners, led by Republican John "Lenny" Thompson, to down zone properties adjacent to Route 15 North.

In colorful language, Mr. Mills expressed his disdain for former Commissioners Thompson, Jan Gardner, and Kai Hagen along with current Commissioner David Gray.

Mills is also angry at the down zoning which was done by the last board of county commissioners (BoCC), on which Kai Hagen served as a member. The current BoCC, led by President Blaine Young is presently reviewing the down zoning which took place, allowing landowners to petition to restore property rights.

It is testimony by Kai Hagen, Executive Director of Envision Frederick County, at BoCC meetings and Planning and Zoning Board meetings on this and other issues, which has Mills believing Hagen has violated the Frederick County Ethics Law. Envision Frederick County is a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) organization.

This charge is hardly a surprise as current BoCC president Blaine Young publicly stated weeks ago; he believed Hagen was in violation of the Ethics Law after Hagen questioned Young serving as honorary chair with a 501 (c) (4) non-profit entitled We The People of Maryland. Walter Mills was the initial resident agent and is one of four directors of We The People of Maryland.

In several conversations I had with Young, he asserted he had reviewed with the county attorney his involvement with We The People of Maryland and he was not breaking any law.

After following the exchange unfold between Hagen and Young, I asked Frederick County Attorney Linda Thall, what part of the Ethics Law pertained to this issue and she emailed me in part, the following:

The Ethics Ordinance’s restriction on employment is found in Section 1-7.1-4(G). This restricts the ability of County officials and employees from acting as compensated representatives of another in dealing with the County on specific matters in which they participated substantially as a County official or employee. The restriction applies for one year following the termination of their employment.


The County’s Lobbying Ordinance is contained in Chapter 1-7.2 of the County Code. (Both the Ethics and Lobbying Ordinances can be found on the County’s website by clicking on the links to government, then boards and commissions and then ethics commission. Certain types of non-profit entities are addressed in Section 1-7.2-2(B). Prohibited conduct is described in Section 1-7.2-9. The prohibited conduct restrictions apply to both for-profit entities and non-profit entities.

She also included a link to the county ethics ordinance.

A violation is subject to punishment of a fine up to $1,000.00 and/or imprisonment of up to six months.

I also met with the Aaron Valentino, chair of the board of directors of Envision Frederick County to discuss several issues, including the ethics accusation by Board President Blaine Young in regard to Kai Hagen.

Valentino, a well intentioned and thoughtful man, did not seem to believe there were any problems with Hagen's actions to date, but indicated he would certainly look into it.

In subsequent email exchanges, I also brought up the county ethics ordinance and asked how much compensation Hagen had received from Envision Frederick County. A question Valentino deferred to the full Board of Directors for an answer. I have yet to receive an answer from him.

Valentino brought up the notion of Hagen registering as a Lobbyist and I mentioned I wondered if that would violate the 501 (c) (3) non-profit status filed by Envision Frederick County.

Later, I contacted local attorney David Severn of the law firm Severn, O'Conner and Kresslein, P.A. and he sent me the following from the IRS Code in regard to lobbying efforts conducted by 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporations:

In a 501 ( c ) (3) charitable purpose no substantial part of the activities of the organization can be promoting propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation or participating in a political campaign. A 501 ( c ) (3) should not take part in a partisan political campaign for or against any candidate running for public office. Violation risks loss of tax-exempt status.


A “substantial part” of the organization’s activities cannot be to influence legislation including contacting or urging the public or members of a legislative body to support or oppose legislation , directly advocating for the adoption or rejection of legislation or having the enactment of certain legislation as a goal.


A 501 ( c ) (3) can undertake some lobbying on legislation so long as it does not exceed 5% of all its expenditures.

Whether or not, Mr. Hagen as Executive Director of Envision Frederick County, has violated either the Frederick County Maryland Ethics Ordinance or the IRS code, remains to be seen.

A ruling on either will not take place unless a complaint is filed. With the complaint being filed by Walter Mills, the Frederick County Ethics Commission will decide if the ethics complaint has merit and if so, render a decision after deliberation.

There certainly does not appear to be any intent by former commissioner Kai Hagen or the Board of Directors of Envision Frederick County to violate a law. Instead, both Hagen and Valentino exhibit a genuine interest in the future of Frederick County and have strong positions on issues of importance to them.

Unfortunately, this latest dust up on the legality of actions by both Hagen and Young is a continuation of the long standing "growth" versus "no-growth" debate expressed by two very vocal, passionate and well organized factions which exist in Frederick County.

I trust Envision Frederick County will review their current corporate status and allowable activities permitted under county and federal law and if necessary, make the changes needed for compliance.

Of more importance, is the need to elect reasonable, fair, and effective county elected officials in the future.

Frederick County residents deserve better than this long standing Hatfield-McCoy like feud over growth policy.

More balance is needed from county elected leaders as the back and forth pendulum swing over the last twenty plus years has been harmful to the community.

Decisions which are long lasting are desperately needed for present and future residents. The business sector and future job creation is also dependent on more stability.

Bringing people together and building consensus on an issue as important as growth is not an easy task, but one that must be undertaken.

Stay Tuned...

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Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Republican Presidential Debate Tonight -
in the crucial state of Florida expect more hammering on Texas Governor Rick Perry and his position on social security. Mitt Romney has closed the gap between himself and Rick Perry in recent polls while all of the remaining six candidates have fallen to single digit approval ratings. You can read more here.

TPM.com and Politico.com have 5 Things to look for here and here.

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Stopgap Funding Bill Fails To Pass House -
a major blow to the leadership of Republican House Speaker John Boehner (Ohio). The vote was 230-195 with Democrats and Tea Party Republicans opposed. The bill would provide funding for federal agencies through mid November. Existing funding expires September 30. Look to see a quick compromise reached as neither side wants to be accused of a government shutdown in the middle of a recession. The Washington Post has more here.

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Global Markets Down -
concern continues in the euro zone amidst the financial woes of Greece and now Italy. The U.S. Dow Jones was down 227 yesterday after the Federal Reserve announced they were investing in long term bonds. Bloomberg.com has more here.

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Palestine Determined to Press For Statehood -
In spite of frantic negotiations, in all likelihood Palestine will formally request statehood status from the United Nations tomorrow. President Obama's speech yesterday highlighted there were no short cuts to peace while recognizing the goal of statehood for Palestine. Privately, he informed Palestine Authority President Mahmoud Abbas the U.S. would veto the request. Reuters.com has more here.

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Jackson Upset Over Illinois Redistricting - Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. and two other Democratic Representatives are questioning the redistricting that has been proposed. Their concerns are whether the proposed changes violate the Voting Rights Act. RollCall.com has more here.

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Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Non Partisan Elections For City of Frederick?

George Wenschhof

Once again, the discussion of changing to a non partisan election in The City of Frederick, Maryland is about to take place. Republicans, who hold a voter registration majority in Frederick County, but trail in voter registration in the city to Democrats, have long sought a change to non partisan elections in the city.

This time, it is Gary Brooks who in a email sent to five former mayors of The City of Frederick, says "I am writing you today to ask for your support to help change Frederick City Elections to a Non-Partisan Election occurring on the same cycle as the presidential election. Along those same line, requesting your support for a re-call provision".

He adds further "The goal is to hold a press conference in October, prior to the Mayor and Board of Alderman’s meeting to put forth the idea of Non-Partisan Elections to be held on the Presidential Election cycle along with the Re-call Provision". You can read the full email from Gary Brooks here.

The email was sent Monday to former mayors Ron Young, Paul Gordon, Jennifer Dougherty, James Grimes and Jeff Holtzinger.

The only response I have received to date is from state senator and former mayor Ron Young who says in part "I can support moving the general election to the presidential cycle but you are eliminating half the savings by having a seperate primary".

Young adds "By the way, with the presidential election going on there will probably be less attention paid to the city election by the media and by the city residents. This is not good. You claim you want a larger turnout but non partisan elections decrease the turnout. The largest turnouts are in cities with partisan elections".

Young concludes with asking Brooks "I am curious! Have you asked for non partisan elections in the county or do you like partisan elections there where everyone is from the same party ( your party )?". The full email response from state senator and former mayor Ron Young is here.

Increasing the anemic voter turnout in The City of Frederick should be a goal supported by all. I have long advocated changing the election to coincide with the presidential election cycle which will ensure almost tripling the voter turnout of the last city election.

An added benefit is a reduction in the cost to the city in holding a separate election. Also, polling locations in schools could be used, eliminating the confusing alternative city election polling locations instituted in the last city election.

However, adding a discussion on changing to non partisan elections which reduces voter turnout and adding discussion on a recall election provision only serves to confuse the issue of increasing voter turnout.

Stay Tuned...

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Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Obama Addresses UN This Morning -
a busy day for the President as he also attempts some one on one talks with Palestine Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Obama wants to avert the statehood bid by Palestine set for Friday. If Palestine moves forward, the U.S. will veto the effort, causing even more confusion to a already difficult Middle East situation. The BBC.com has more here.

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Solyndra Executives To Use Fifth Amendment Rights -
when appearing today in front of a House committee investigating the failed company's receipt of 500 million in federal loans. Stay tuned as this may easily become a 2012 campaign issue. The Washington Post has more here.

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Eyes on The Federal Reserve -
as they meet for the next two days to discuss U.S. monetary policy. Several Republican leaders have sent a letter asking that no further action be taken at this time, fearing inflation would be the result. Indications are Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke will announce a shift in U.S. investment strategy aimed at furthering lowering interest rates. Meanwhile, economists are saying the odds of the U.S. slipping into another recession is one in three. TheHill.com has more here.

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U.S. Hikers Freed in Iran -
held for the last two years and charged with espionage, they were freed on bail estimated to be $500,000 to $1,000,000. You can read more here.

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Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Budget Battle Engaged - Who Wins? -
liberal Democrats are happy President Obama went big with his 3.6-4 Trillion deficit reduction plan which includes raising taxes on the very rich. A position favored by a majority of Americans in recent polling. Republican leaders counter with charges of class warfare and a promise they will not agree to new taxes.

Meanwhile, Americans are becoming confused as so many budget plans are floating around, it's hard to keep track without a scorecard.

The super twelve member bipartisan committee has been charged with presenting a plan by the end of November to reduce the national deficit by 1.2 to 1.5 Trillion.

President Obama has a 447 million jobs plan and now a 3.6-4 Trillion deficit reduction plan of his own. Taking us back to the "grand plan" attempt which failed between the President and House Speaker John Boehner just weeks ago.

To all of the above, federal spending approval runs out September 30, so some sort of extension or continuing resolution or Omnibus bill will need to be passed.

And, one wonders why Americans have such a low approval of Congress.

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Bachmann Drops To Fifth Place -
in the latest USA Today/Gallup poll of Republican presidential contenders. Not a good sign for the Minnesota Representative who only received 5% in the poll. Rick Perry leads with 31%, Romney - 24%, with Paul and Palin at 13%. USA Today has more here.

Former campaign manager for Michelle Bachmann Ed Rollins says, she does not have the financial resources to compete past Iowa if she does not win the state caucuses. You can read more here.

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Gingrich To Unveil New "Contract With America" -
or as some Democrats would say "Contract On America". Newt says this version will be deeper and more comprehensive than in 1994. He expects to give the details in a speech in Iowa next week. Gingrich is tied for fifth place with Michele Bachmann (5%) among Republican presidential contenders in the latest USA Today/Gallup Poll. You can read more here.

It is unlikely this speech will help out the fading Gingrich campaign.

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Department of Justice kicks Out Texas Redistricting -
on the grounds it violated the Voting Rights Act. Texas received 4 additional congressional seats due to census reporting and Governor Perry signed into law redistricting which the Justice Department has said violates the Civil Rights Act. Stay tuned as this will be another main focus of the Perry-Obama competition. TPM.com has more here.

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DCCC Out Raises RCCC in August -
the dueling congressional committees released fund raising totals for the month with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee reporting 3.6 million. The Republican Congressional Campaign Committee raised 3.0 million. However, in the all important cash on hand, the RCCC had 11.7 million to 7.8 million for the DCCC. RollCall.com has more here.

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Monday, September 19, 2011

Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Obama To New York -
President Obama will attend and speak at the Clinton Global Initiative Conference where former president Bill Clinton is expected to urge support of The American Jobs Act. You can read more here.

Obama will then attend meetings of the General Assembly of the United Nations. Last minute negotiations are taking place to attempt to avoid a veto by the U.S. on statehood recognition for Palestine. Reuters.com has more here.

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Obama To Propose 3 Trillion deficit reduction Plan -
This morning, President Obama will release his deficit reduction plan which includes raising taxes on the wealthy. The White House also released a statement saying any plan which cuts medicare without raising taxes on the wealthy will be vetoed by Obama.

Overall, 3 trillion in reduction over a ten year period will be proposed along with 1.5 Trillion in new revenues.

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Greece Financial Problems Continue -
stocks overseas took a dive and U.S. stock are expected to drop as Greece continues to struggle. You can read more here.

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Will Rubio Be The GOP Vice President Choice? -
Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) is the odds on favorite to be chosen by whoever wins the Republican Party nomination. TheHill.com has more here.

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Don't Ask, Don't Tell To End Tomorrow -
after 17 years, the policy on gays and lesbians serving in the U.S. military will end. Politico.com has more here.

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Pennsylvania Presidential Electoral System Under Review -
all, but two states award their electoral votes to the presidential candidate who wins the statewide popular vote. Pennsylvania is considering joining Nebraska and Maine who award their electoral votes by congressional district. President Obama won 55% of the vote in Pennsylvania in the 2008 election and all of their electoral votes. The NY Times has more here.

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Sunday, September 18, 2011

Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Millionaire Tax - Round Two -
President Obama will present his deficit reduction plan tomorrow and included will be the "Buffet Rule". The "Buffet Rule" named after billionaire friend Warren Buffet will increase taxes on the wealthy to help reduce the deficit. TheHill.com has more here.

The President will deliver his deficit reduction speech tomorrow from the White House Rose garden at 10:30 Am ET.

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Obama Needs To Get Stronger on Economy -
according to an editorial in The NY Times today. They point out a recent poll showed Americans were supportive of increasing taxes on the wealthy to help reduce the deficit and that long standing Republican Party positions of less spending and less government are not held by a majority of Americans.

In addition, they praise the President for his Stimulus Plan, which had it's impact diluted by Republican opposition which resulted in a lower amount of funds than what was needed to jump start the economy. You can read their editorial here.

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Suskind Book Details Conflicted Obama Administration -
“Confidence Men: Wall Street, Washington, and the Education of a President”, written by Ron Suskind is hard on the internal decision making process in the Obama administration. The book is set for release this week and comes as President Obama is facing low reelect numbers. The White House is already responding with defense against the accusations depicted in the book. Politico.com has more here.


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Palestinian Bid For Statehood Puts U.S. in Delicate Position -
the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have been broken down for over a year, with some arguing they never got started in spite of the best efforts of u.S. Middle East Envoy George Mitchell.

The U.S. brokered proximity talks turned out to be a wasted effort and now the U.S. is forced with voting against the UN recognition of Palestine as a nation, even though they support it. You can read more here.

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Battle For Gaddafi Strongholds Continues - The National Transitional Council is trying to dislodge Gaddafi loyalist from the towns of Sirte and Bani Walid, but are meeting strong resistance. Control of these towns is critical before moving forward with establishing a democratic form of government in Libya. Reuters.com has more here.

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Saturday, September 17, 2011

Sunday Morning "Talking Heads" Lineup

George Wenschhof

Former President Bill Clinton is the headliner on three of the morning shows. He will be discussing his upcoming Clinton Global Initiative Conference, which will mark their seventh year. He is sure to weigh in on the 2012 election and the current political climate on capitol hill. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ill.), former Vice-President Dick Cheney, and Britain Middle East Envoy Tony Blair are among the guests who will be appearing tomorrow. Politico.com has an update below.



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Obama Weekly Address

George Wenschhof

President Obama continues to make his case for Congress to pass The American Jobs Act. He urged people to read the bill which can be accessed here and to contact their Congressman asking them to pass this bill now.



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Republican Weekly Address

George Wenschhof

Representative Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) criticizes excessive federal regulations as barriers to job creation and urges President Obama to end them.



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Friday, September 16, 2011

Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Clinton For President? -
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton continues to say she is not running for president in 2012. However, with President Obama looking vulnerable, a new Bloomberg poll with add to the speculation.

The poll released today shows two-thirds of Americans have a favorable view of Clinton with one-third believing the U.S. would be better off today had she been president. Bloomberg.com has more here.

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Only 12% Approve of Congress Handling of the Issues -
the latest poll by The New York Times/CBS News ties the lowest approval rating Congress has received. The NY Times has more here.

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Senate Passes FEMA, FAA, Highway Funding Bills -
clearing the deck for a vote on The American Jobs Act. FAA receives funding through January 2012, and federal highway funding through March 2012. These bills are ready for the president's signature. TheHill.com has more here.

FEMA funding amount differs in Senate and House bills so reconciliation is needed.

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Oregon 1st District Next Special Election -
to replace Democrat David Wu who resigned after erratic behavior. This is another solid Democratic voter registration district but after Republicans won the NY special election, it is not being taken for granted. The special election will be held January 31, 2012. RollCall.com has more here.

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More on The Solyndra Scandal -
the 535 million government investment gone bad has many looking into what led up to the approval of funds to the company. Politico.com has their take here.

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Libyan Forces Move Against Last Two Gaddafi Strongholds -
Assaults on Bani Walid and Sirte take place after the leaders of France and Britain visited Tripoli and pledged continued aid to the transitional government. Reuters.com has more here.

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and

3-2 Vote Gives Keys Ten Year Lease

George Wenschhof

"Ugly, and painful to watch" was the description given to me by one who watched The City of Frederick, Maryland mayor and board meeting last night.

In an embarrassing display, which made the "Bad News Bears" baseball team from movie lore look good,The City of Frederick Aldermen voted 3-2 to approve a ten year stadium lease with the Frederick Keys.

The vote, mirroring the feelings of the aldermen prior to Mayor Randy McClement issuing a Request For Proposals (RFP) back in February of this year.

A motion made by Alderman Karen Young to start the process over due to the flawed RFP process which was seconded by Aldermen Shelley Aloi, failed by a 2-3 vote.

Along the way, Aldermen Aloi brought up email communication she had as a result of the recent public information requests made by the two local newspapers.

Aloi indicated she had several emails which showed The Frederick Keys had communicated with one of the Aldermen during the RFP process. This appeared to be a clear violation of the prohibition on communication with city elected officials or staff placed on respondents to the RFP. At the very least, Aldermen Aloi felt the alderman in question should recluse themselves from the vote.

This led to a discussion as to what was the time frame when the respondents to the RFP were not allowed to communicate.

When asked if this negated the RFP award process, city attorney Sandra Nichols appeared confused and asked for a ten minute recess to discuss, which was granted by the mayor.

Thirty minutes later, the mayor and board returned and Sandra Nichols stated the mayor had decided to move on with the vote.

Apparently, the mayor indicated he believed the prohibition on communication extended from the time the RFP was issued and the date a contract was signed.

An interesting reasoning by the mayor, when the city sent a letter to Frederick Atlantic LLC, informing them they had not been awarded the bid after the review committee made their decision months ago.

In addition, evidently based on information released by the freedom of information requests, the mayor said both respondents to the RFP had numerous communications with the city.

One would think, whether one or both violated the prohibition on communicating, the action would have negated the process. With the mayor's reasoning, two wrongs do make a right.

And move on they did; to a discussion of The Keys lease.

Various items in the lease were discussed with maintenance requirements to the city of the stadium scoreboard being among items which prohibited Aldermen Aloi from voting for the lease.

Prior to the vote, the three aldermen who voted for the lease; Carol Krimm, Michael O'Connor and Kelly Russell all defended their vote. Krimm and O'Connor defending the city staff who rated the proposal with Krimm pointing out she went and questioned each staff member of the RFP review committee, saying other Aldermen could have done the same.

Krimm also pointed out the mayor unilaterally decided to issue a RFP for use of the stadium. As if, that made a difference on how the award process unfolded.

An indignant Alderman O'Connor even stating the stadium lease was not the most important decision for The City of Frederick. Hardly, an excuse for an inept approval process.

The important part Krimm missed is discussion with review committee members should have been part of the public process and done in the open for all city voters to see and hear. Something, I called for repeatedly during the sloppy award process.

Young and Aloi repeated their assumption the city did not break even with the lease and the award process had been flawed.

After Alderman comments concluded, Mayor McClement called for the vote, with the resulting 3-2 vote, hardly a surprise.

Congratulations go to the Keys along with best wishes as they hold a two game to one lead over the Kinston Indians in the league championship series. One more win would earn The Keys the Carolina League Championship.

Let's hope how this stadium lease extension played out is not an indication of what the future bodes with the current mayor and board. City residents deserve better.

Stay tuned...

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Thursday, September 15, 2011

Delay Needed On Harry Grove Stadium Lease Vote

George Wenschhof

The awkward process by The City of Frederick to lease Harry Grove Stadium should cause pause by a majority of the Aldermen when they consider voting tonight on the proposed lease with The Frederick Keys.

Instead of voting to approve the proposed lease, they should consider ways to ensure the process utilized to award the bid was done in a fair manner.

In a previous column originally published on August 21, 2011, I made an attempt to suggest a series of steps, which if taken, were intended to lead to a fair resolution to the use of Harry Grove Stadium.

I suggested first determining the annual financial cost of the stadium to the city so a comparison could be made to the proposals received.

Second, I suggested the mayor and board decide on what, if any, additional revenue streams from the use of the stadium (parking, naming rights,billboard advertising, etc.) were acceptable to the city.

Third, instruct the Request for Proposal (RFP) review committee to receive oral presentations from both respondents to the RFP. This would serve to clarify the proposed revenue from any of the additional revenue streams agreed upon by the city and to ensure an "apple to apples" comparison of the two proposals took place.

Fourth and last, the review committee should present in a mayor and board workshop, their analysis of the two proposals and their recommendation. This would allow for the mayor and aldermen to ask questions and receive answers to questions pertaining to the two proposals.

This transparent process would be of benefit to the city.

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Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

Boehner To Give Jobs Speech Today -
Republican House Speaker John Boehner will give his response to the Obama American jobs Act with proposals of his own at 1:00 PM ET. He is expected to call for closing loopholes in the tax code, lower capital gains tax and entitlement reform. He will oppose raising tax rates on the wealthy. TheHill.com has more here.

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Some Democrats Cool To American Jobs Act -
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has the Jobs Act scheduled for a vote after, a disaster aid vote, a short term spending bill, and a FAA extension.

In addition, many liberal Democrats are worrying about the impact of the Obama Jobs Act on social security. They are concerned an extension of the amount of tax is paid into the program will have an adverse effect on an already cash starved program. The NY Times has more here.

I have long called for the federal funding of a public service employment program which would put the unemployed to work immediately in jobs with non-profits, state and local governments. hard to comprehend why this is not being done while it serves the economic purpose of keeping money circulating in a moribund economy while putting people to work performing necessary jobs.

Stay Tuned..

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Bloomberg Poll Shows Romney Closes Gap with Perry -
While Texas Governor Rick Perry leads Mitt Romney 26%-22%, the poll exposes the many flaws in the Perry campaign. The third place finisher in the poll was Michele Bachmann with 10% who has faded fast since Perry entered the presidential race for the Republican Party nomination.

Obama beats beat 49%-40% and also beats Romney 48%-43%. in a match up of likely voters, Romney beats Obama 48%-45%. You can read the full results here.

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James Carville Wants Obama To Change Staff -
the former President Clinton adviser says it is time for a major shake up at the White House. Politico.com has more here.

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Emily's List Supports Warren -
as expected, the endorsement comes less than a day after Democrat Elizabeth Warren announced she is running for U.S. Senate in Massachusetts. RollCall.com has more here.

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Cameron and Sarkozy in Libya -
the French and British leaders there to meet with the Transitional Council in Libya. British Prime Minister David Cameron promised to help hunt Gaddafi. Reuters.com has more here.


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Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

GOP Win Both Special Elections -
in bad news for Democrats, a New York legislative district with a 3-1 voter registration edge, now has a Republican as their Representative. Republican Bob Turner easily beat Democrat David Weprin to fill the vacant seat previously held by disgraced Anthony Weiner. President Obama won this district in the 2008 election by 11 points over senator John McCain. You can read more here.

In Nevada, Mark Amodei beat Democrat Kate Marshall by 20 points. More on that contest here.

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Majority of Americans Do Not Believe Obama Jobs Plan Will Help -
a Bloomberg poll released today shows 62% disapprove of the way Obama is handling the economy. Only 36% approve of his efforts to create jobs, 30% approve of the way he has handled the deficit, and 39% approve of his handling of health care.

The overall approval of Obama remains at a low of 45%. Bloomberg.com has more here.

In more bad news for President Obama, his approval rating in the state of California fell to 49%. Reuters.com has more here.

Can anyone say, Hillary Clinton for President?

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More Trust Obama Over Congressional Republicans on Economy -
in a CNN/ORC International poll released today. In good new for President Obama, 43-35% approve of the economic policies set forth by obama last week. However 22% did not have an opinion of the jobs bill at all. CNN.com has more here.

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Moody's Downgrades French Banks -
Societe Generale and Credit Agricole were two banks downgraded by Moodys due to their degree of exposure to Greek debt. Asian markets took an initial dip as the news became public. Time.com has more here.

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Deficit Committee Meets -
mostly political posturing took place as the committee begins work to determine the 1.2 to 1.5 Trillion in cuts to propose. An economic analyst from the Congressional Budget Office spoke to the committee laying out the obvious; if no revenue increases take place what programs will see reductions in spending. TPM.com has more here.

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Warren Makes it official -
Elizabeth Warren, the darling of the far left Democrats, will run against Scott Brown for the U.S. Senate seat in 2012. The seat long held by the late Edward Kennedy was lost by Democrats in the special election to fill the vacant seat.

Warren is a long time advocate for consumer rights and championed the creation of the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau. She will need to do better than Martha Coakley did against Brown or she will suffer a similar fate. TheHill.com has more here.

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Slim Majority Favor Same Sex Marriage -
according to a AP/National Constitution Center poll released today. 53% support legal recognition and 44% oppose it, about the same results from one year ago. You can read more here.

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RNC raises 8.17 Million Last Month -
the Republican National Committee out-raised their Democratic counterpart by 2.67 million for the month of August. RollCall.com has more here.

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Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

GOP Debate More of The Same -
Once again, it was Mitt Romney who won by default, followed by Rick Perry who was hammered by most of the other Republican presidential candidates on the HPV vacine, immigration, his jobs record and social security, yet held his own.

Fading fast was Michele Bachmann and the rest of the candidates are already toast.

TPM.com has a quick 100 second debate highlight here.

and Mark Halperin of ThePage.com has his take here.


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Tax Rich To Pay For Jobs Proposal -
as expected, President Obama's American Jobs Act is to be paid by increased taxes by wealthy taxpayers. It would be an increase of taxes to those individual making $200,000 or more and families earning more than $250,000.

The extension of the reduced payroll tax is also causing some concern from those concerned about the stability of social security. It is the tax that goes into social security which has been reduced. TheHill.com has more here.

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Boehner Wants CBO Assessment of Jobs Bill -
House Speaker John Boehner (R) wants the Congressional budget Office to score the proposal first before the House takes it up for consideration. Politico.com has more here.

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Concerns Rise on Euro Zone -
as Greece teeters on the edge of default, fears rise the 17 country currency area could experience a domino effect. Reuters.com has more here.

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NY and Nevada Special Elections Today -
Republicans are looking to score two wins today. A win in New York would give them plenty to crow about heading into the 2012 election. The NY Times has a good read on the NY race here.

RollCall.com has their take on the NY 9th district election here and the Nevada district 2 election here.
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Iran to Release Two U.S. Hikers -
Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said he will release the two hikers held for two years on charges of espionage and give them a pardon. The Washington Post has more here.

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Monday, September 12, 2011

Daily Political Wire

George Wenschhof

GOP Presidential Debate Tonight -
the Tea Party Republican debate from Tampa, Florida will be broadcast live beginning at 8:00 PM ET on CNN. You can read more here.

Look to see Michelle Bachmann try hard to be a player - she has dropped like a stone since the announcement of Rick Perry.

Otherwise, it will be humorous to watch Republicans spare over the importance of Social Security; a program they have long wanted to "fix". Watch this exchange closely after Perry stepped in it during the last debate. Keep in mind this debate is in Florida where issues such as medicare and social security are paramount.

Politico.com has their 6 things to watch in tonight's debate here.

A poll released by CNN today shows Perry is maintaining his lead among republican presidential candidates with 30%, followed by Romney with 18%. Sarah Palin who has not even announced she is running, comes in third at 15%. CNN.com has more here.

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Pawlenty Endorses Romney -
the former Minnesota Governor who dropped out of the Republican race for the presidential nomination has joined the Romney campaign as co-chair. TPM.com has more here.

Jumping on the anti-Perry platform Pawlenty said “Gov. Romney wants to fix Social Security. He doesn’t want to abolish it or end it,” Pawlenty said. “Gov. Perry has said in the past that he thought it was ‘failed."

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European debt Woes Drive Market Down -
stock markets were falling across Europe this morning as fears continue Greece will not be able to avoid a default. Rumors persist three of the largest banks in France are about to be downgraded by a major credit agency this week. The Washington Post has more here.

This is sure to impact U.S. markets. Stay tuned...

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It's Obama's Economy Now -
a Hill.com poll show that 50% of most likely voters believe President Obama's policies have hurt the economy. Only 35% feel his policies have helped.

Among Independents, a key group to the 2012 election outcome, 52% believe Obama has hurt the economy and only 27% believe his policies have helped. TheHill.com has more here.

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GOP Favored to Win Both Special Elections Tomorrow -
Republican Bob Turner is ahead by 6 points over Democrat David Weprin. The district 9 seat in New York became open when Democrat Anthony Weiner resigned.

In Nevada's 2nd district, Republican Mark Amodei is ahead by 13 points over Democrat Kate Marshall. RollCall.com has more here.

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No Leaks Reported at France Nuclear Site Explosion -
a nuclear waste treatment facility located in southern France experienced an explosion which reports indicate killed one person and seriously injured another. The site does not have a nuclear reactor. Reuters.com has more here.

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City Hall Buzz

George Wenschhof

Last Friday was my first official press meeting with The City of Frederick, Maryland executive assistant Josh Russin and public information coordinator Susan Harding. The once a month meetings a outcome of a previous conversation I had with Russin. Russin and Harding will also be meeting once a month with Patti Borda of The Frederick News Post and Katherine Heerbrandt of The Frederick Gazette.

This comes as Russin has also instituted regularly scheduled meetings between the mayor and members of the board of aldermen.

It turned out to be a free flowing conversation with Russin discussing some areas he wished to mention and with me asking questions as we discussed the politics of city hall.

While, I commend them for having the regularly scheduled conversations with local press and aldermen, I was disappointed in their answer to my question as to when Mayor Randy McClement would begin meeting regularly with the press - their answer was "We are working on it".

McClement certainly does not need to mimic the once a week press conferences held by former mayor Jennifer Dougherty; who believed in open government, but once a month would be a good start.

Interestingly, the Harry Grove Stadium lease was never brought up by Russin and after repeatedly bashing the city for their inept Request For Proposal (RFP) process in numerous columns, I also let it pass in this conversation.

However, I will add the latest news in regard to the stadium lease is both Katherine Heerbrandt (first) and then Patti Borda filed public information requests with the city to obtain email/correspondence between the aldermen and John Lavoie (Managing Member of Frederick Atlantic LLC) and ( General Manager Dave Ziedelis of The Frederick Keys).

Heerbrandt requested correspondence from aldermen between the dates August 1, 2010 and February 28, 2011.

Borda requested any correspondence between city officials and staff between the dates of February 16, 2011 and September 2, 2011.

The RFP which was issued on February 16, 2011 spelled out the respondents and city elected officials and staff were not to be in contact during the review and award process.

It will be interesting to see what a review of the correspondence shows and if a predisposed position becomes apparent by any of the aldermen as to their position in regard to the lease of the stadium.


What would also be interesting is if a request will be made for the correspondence that took place between Mayor McClement, former city administrator Rick Weldon, Ziedelis and Lavoie. The extension of the current lease with The Keys broke down when Weldon was city administrator.


Meanwhile, the vote to ratify the lease is scheduled for Thursday at the mayor and board meeting.

I will now return to my discussion with Russin and Harding - Below are some of the topics discussed:

Fraternal Order of police (FOP) Contract - Russin stated Mayor McClement and city attorney Sandra Nichols were handling this and he was not involved in the negotiations so he was unable to answer specific questions I asked in regard to what had been holding up the agreement. However, Russin added he believed they were close to resolution. I took that to mean an announcement will take place this week.

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City reached agreement with State Police on a lease for use of a Hanger at Airport. Previous lease had been free - new lease in the $21,000 range. FAA requiring city to own and have leased hanger space before future airport expansion money to be released. City also met in closed session to agree to buy back from Frederick County Government a hanger which the city already has tenants in line at market rate.

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15 member Golden Mile Alliance Board set to be announced this week. Modeled after the successful Downtown Frederick Partnership. I suggested using resources from Maryland Municipal League to see how other similar sized communities around the country were handling the redevelopment of areas which had experienced a decline.

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Requests for letters of interest to serve on a ad hoc Task Force appointed by the mayor on the issue of "Blighted and Neglected Properties" will be announced. The committee will be tasked with coming up with suggestions over a three phased period of 100 days each. Examining land value tax will be part of the discussion.

Land Value Tax was promoted by Ken Berlin in his unsuccessful bid for city aldermen two elections ago and local activist Alan Feinberg has also long promoted the use of a Land Value Tax.

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Payment plan for water and sewer impact fees in the works to hopefully spur business expansion by reducing the up front costs. The devil will be in the details as the city looks at how they can secure a guarantee for payment.

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Hargett farm for use as city park was brought up briefly. Appears mayor and aldermen have reached an agreement on portions of the land for a future school, aquatic center and open space. Remaining land could still be sold - the city can control zoning and a most likely scenario would be commercial. Interestingly, former owner; Developer Donald Pleasants, retains a first option if the city would decide to sell the twenty acre parcel.

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City Lease/Sale Policy - has been circulated for comments several times among city staff and aldermen - is now close to being presented at mayor and board meeting for a vote.

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In closing our conversation, I asked if a system was in place to track issues which had been brought up for consideration at city mayor and board workshops.

My concern is voters should know if the mayor has decided against moving an issue forward and why.

I pointed out obviously the mayor controls the agenda and it would be interesting to see what issues had been brought forward in workshops since McClement took office and the disposition of each at the present time.

I referenced the charter rewrite committee the mayor had chaired under the former Jeff Holtzinger administration and wondered why their recommendations had never been presented at a mayor and board meeting for a vote.

In addition, I asked about the status of the suggested move of the city election date to coincide with the presidential election, which I have promoted for several years.

Both Josh and Susan felt it was a good suggestion to have a tracking system in place and indicated they would pursue implementing it.

Time did not permit me to ask about progress toward a sustainable City of Frederick, shared use pathways, funding availability for capitol improvements and more.

All in all, a good first meeting. As is often the case in politics, questions and conversations lead to more questions.

What remains missing in the Mayor McClement administration is a over arching vision or the existence of goals he wishes to achieve for the City of Frederick.

This week will be a busy week for Russin and Harding. Russin will be getting married and Harding is off to Italy for a well deserved vacation.

No wonder there are so many items scheduled on the mayor and board meeting agenda for Thursday.

Stay tuned...

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