UPDATE: Maryland GOP's website running after crash for 16 hours, kind of

Great news for Republicans trying to win statewide office for a candidate. Their official website works again, MdGOP.com after being down for 16 hours. By the way, there isn't a single living former Republican U.S. Senator from Maryland and the only living former Maryland Republican Governor is Bob Ehrlich (who was the only incumbent governor to lose in 2006). Ehrlich faces Brian Murphy, of Chevy Chase, in the Republican primary for governor. Website problems certainly don't help candidates.

The problem with the State Republican website follows problems with the Montgomery County Republican website, which was down for about a week in early April. The website is run by Moshe Starkman, Republican candidate for State delegate in District 19.

UPDATE #2: Actually, there now appears to be two Republican websites. Obviously, it's not working after all. See MdGOP.org. Who is on the Republican technology committee that would allow such continuous website slop?

UPDATE #3: MdGOP.com is down again! . . . Stay tuned for my information and updates.

Murphy Murphy for Maryland Governor?! Or Ehrlich Ehrlich?!

After reading a post from The Prince of Darkness and the exit of Carmen Amedori, I was thinking about a Murphy Murphy ticket for Republicans for the 2010 Governor contest. That's Brian Murphy and Don Murphy, by the way. It would get a great media kick and would look better than a Ehrlich Kane ticket (with Bob Ehrlich and Mary Kane). Then again, Bob is a nice guy and has many contacts. He could trump Brian Murphy if Bob asks his wife to join the ticket (if it's legal). Then it would be Ehrlich Ehrlich v. Murphy Murphy.

Vovak campaigns for Montgomery County to legalize marijuana

According to The Daily Caller, Montgomery County, Maryland is ranked as the second most liberal county in America; however, if a 38-year-old Republican is elected as County Executive, it will probably surpass San Francisco for the top notch. Daniel "The Whig Man" Vovak, of Bethesda, will run for Montgomery County Executive against Isaiah Leggett, 66, a Democrat in his first controversial term. Vovak, a ghostwriter and screenplay writer, says he wants to legalize marijuana and grow it on county farms and gardens. It's the latest idea proposed to help the county close a $1 billion budget gap in one of America's richest counties, where not a single elected Republican lives.

Public officials are promoting many options to raise revenue, most which involve tax increases and worker furloughs. Leggett (D) has proposed an alcohol tax, more than doubling the energy tax, raising cell phone rates by another dollar a month, an EMS fee, and increasing the gas tax. Confronting that logic, MCGEO President Gino Renne has said Leggett has an "obvious lack of vision." Meanwhile, Montgomery County Planning Chairman Royce Hanson believes Leggett is proposing "bad public policy and management" when trying to consolidate the county's police department with park police, under the bogus claim of saving $2 million a year. Additionally, Councilman Roger Berliner has proposed a carbon tax that will raise millions from only one factory: Mirant. Ironically, Council President Nancy Floreen has not recommended any major tax increases or cuts.

Vovak says, "If Councilman Knapp (D-Germantown) believes Montgomery County will make $2 million a year by opening liquor stores on Sundays, imagine what can be charged for user fees for growing marijuana and reselling it. I am approaching this idea purely because it is a county money-maker, though, as I have no intention of using marijuana after it becomes legal. For the record, I've never used marijuana or any illegal drug and only have used prescription drugs for brief illnesses. In fact, I've never even smoked a cigarette, though I do smoke an occasional cigar or tobacco pipe."

The marijuana topic is currently on the minds of elected officials throughout the country. In April, Maryland Senate Bill 627 to legalize medical marijuana passed in committee, making it the fifteenth State to do so. In Washington, D.C., medical marijuana use was supported with a unanimous vote by the city council just a week ago. In Philadelphia this month, officials made major steps to decriminalize marijuana, believing prosecuting it is a waste of time for policemen and courts. In November, California state-wide voters will decide if recreational marijuana should be legal. Moreover, on April 20, tens of thousands of Americans openly smoked marijuana in public parks.

Vovak says, "It is inevitable that many jurisdictions within the United States will legalize marijuana. If our county is ahead of the curve on legalization, then we will also be ahead of the financial curve on making a profit for our county government. I want the headquarters of America's largest marijuana businesses to be in Montgomery County, Maryland, like the equivalent of Phillip Morris and R. J. Reynolds. New county funding sources will come from selling permits to marijuana farmers then taxing county-authorized resellers and establishing a national distribution chain."

Vovak added, "In 1992, when then-Governor Bill Clinton declared he experimented with marijuana, it ended a taboo for candidates. Nearly two decades later, I'm proposing this idea because Montgomery County's Republicans and Democrats are educated enough to know legalizing marijuana is smart fiscal politics, especially when our county is a billion in debt and furloughing 6,000 county workers for two-week intervals."

Vovak is open to voter commentary, believing marijuana should be regulated under the Department of Liquor Control and parents should self-impose marijuana rules for their children. An avid gardener, Vovak says he will require a permit for growing marijuana for household use and an expensive permit for resale use. To build state-wide agricultural support, Vovak says he will contact the highest ranking elected official in each county and begin a task force to grow marijuana as a legal herb in Maryland.

Maryland's nickname, the "Free State," was created by Hamilton Owens, editor of the Baltimore Sun. In 1923, Congressman William Upshaw, a Prohibition supporter, denounced Maryland as a traitor to the Union for its defiant -- and continued -- support of alcohol. Owens wrote an editorial entitled "The Maryland Free State," arguing it was worthy of Maryland to secede from the Union rather than prohibit the sale of liquor. Vovak believes Maryland's historic national leadership for encouraging alcohol sales proves the State's population is full of national leaders -- rather than followers -- on new ideas.

"What are Leggett and Council's stances on marijuana?" asks Vovak.

Contact Vovak at 202-367-4835, DanielVovak@gmail.com or campaign website: BuildMontgomery.com.

Ruth Melson at Maryland Federation of Republican Women Conference in Gaithersburg

Last Friday through Saturday, the Maryland Federation of Republican Women held their semi-annual conference at a Holiday Inn in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Ruth Melson is the president of one of the Montgomery County clubs. Maybe 75 candidates attended the event.

Ben Stein asks Steele to resign

Every single day, including Saturdays and Sundays, the phone rings at the Ben Stein household. On the line is a man or woman raising money for the Republicans: Republicans running for the Senate. Republicans running for the House of Representatives. The California Republican Party. And, above all, the Republican National Committee. Every single day.

We very often write checks, and we do it because we have a long history with the party. But we also give because we have a lingering belief (and a hope) that the GOP is the party of small town, all-American virtues and verities. I suspect millions of others get these fundraising calls from the GOP and write those checks for the same reason. I'd like to keep sending in that money, but I really can't with the current Chairman of the RNC in office.
Watch CBS News Videos Online

Whig Man to win 'the' for county executive, but will MSBE give him 'h'?

Whig Man to win 'the' for county executive, but will MSBE give him 'h'? ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND – Before Daniel "The Whig Man" Vovak files to run for Montgomery County Executive, he will have to speak before the Maryland State Board of Elections about an unsettled matter regarding a definite article. In 2006, Vovak filed a non-financial lawsuit against the Maryland State Board of Elections when his legal, filed, and certified nickname was mysteriously changed from "The Wig Man" to just "Wig Man." According to The Washington Post, Vovak argued in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court that "the" was not a title, as was claimed by the MSBE, but merely part of his nickname.

Vovak, 37, will formally appear before the Maryland State Board of Elections on Thursday, March 25 (Maryland Day), from 2:30 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. The Board is located at 151 West Street, on the second floor in Annapolis. Vovak will stand before the 5-person Board and argue that the MSBE should follow Judge Silkworth's order from his 2006 opinion on Vovak's lawsuit. Silkworth wrote, "We, like the trial court, are not persuaded that adding 'the' to 'Wig Man' converts a nickname or recognizable name to a title, which is not allowed. 'The' refers to a particular person, nothing more."

Vovak, of Bethesda, will run for Montgomery County Executive against Ike "The Bathroom" Leggett, following Leggett's bizarre declaration that his security detail claimed his short walk to the bathroom exposed him to harm from county workers in the administrative offices. Vovak says, "Leggett has a distinguished Vietnam history and has usually served honorably in his elected position, yet the truth is Montgomery County is almost $800 million in deficit on his watch. I have no doubt Leggett will soon become the 'fall guy' for Governor O'Malley and the Maryland Democratic Party. In the past, it was Baltimore's finances that hurt Maryland; now, it's Montgomery County that drains Maryland's coffers. It's not Leggett's personality that will make him lose; it's just that families can't afford more taxes."

Vovak was listed correctly as "The Whig Man," by Laura Vozzella of Baltimore Sun in 2009. When John DiStaso, Senior Political Reporter of the (Manchester) Union Leader told WBAL that he originally gave Vovak his nickname, what he didn't tell WBAL is that he had a typo when he spelled Vovak's nickname as "wig" instead of "Whig." This week, Jared DeMarinis called Vovak and said Vovak will probably finally win his "the" case, though now the MSBE may challenge the letter 'h.' Thus, Vovak now must plead that he is "The Whig Man" and not "The Wig Man." Against Vovak, Assistant Attorney General Jeff Darcie will defend the Board of Elections, which he is obligated to do.

Vovak says, "I've always been The 'Whig' Man because of my political beliefs that Republicans should be culturally neutral and fiscally conservative, which is what the Whigs believed. Just as some Democrats identify themselves as 'Progressive Democrats' or others as 'Blue Dog Democrats' I am a 'Whig Republican.' In the same way that the tea party now has people all over America wearing wigs, I am the original tea party conservative who coined the term. It is absolutely right that I have the Whig spelling. I never wore the wig as a fashion statement, but always as a political statement."

Vovak says he will have tepid Republican Party support in his election for Montgomery County Executive. He says, "Following protocol, I spoke with Louis Pope, Joyce Terhes, and Connie Morella and I will have their support, though they don't want me using my wig. In fact, Joyce told me I was handsome enough to win without the wig, which made me blush. Regardless, I'm still open to using my wig, though only as a secret campaign weapon, should I need one."

Once elected, Vovak admits one of his first phone calls will be to former Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan. Vovak says, "Doug and I have always had mutual respect for each other, that crossed party lines. In 2006 he reached out to me on his governor-to-be website, devoting an entire question to me. Then I reached out to him, floating a possible endorsement. Even years later, as a movie producer for The Blue Dress, I held a casting event at AFI in Silver Spring, where I thanked Doug because it was his genuine leadership that brought the American Film Institute to Maryland."

A ghostwriter, Vovak's career accomplishments including signing the famous Paula Jones to a movie deal and now writing her biography. He has also been contacted by former Congressman Jim Traficant to potentially write his life story. Vovak graduated from Baldwin-Wallace College at age 20, with 3 majors (business, psychology and communications). Politically, Vovak leans pro-choice and is definitely anti-tax. He adds, "Wig or no wig, I agree with Maryland Politics Watch, that Ike Leggett is vulnerable and will lose in November. Though I do not have any anger against Leggett, the county executive position is definitely above his head. He just isn't the right guy in that job."

In spite of having been just 31 years-old (and constitutionally not eligible to run for President), Vovak first wore the wig when he opposed George W. Bush in 2003 for the Republican nomination, disagreeing with Bush's war aggression. His debut appearance with the wig was during his Iowa book launch for Will You Run for President? when Vovak was the keynote speaker at the annual Big Ten Leadership Conference. He also wore the wig when he opposed Michael Steele in 2006 for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, believing Steele was too haughty for Maryland.

Vovak can be contacted at 202-367-4835 or DanielVovak@gmail.com.

Meyer Marks hosts announcement party on 3/25 opposing Frosh

BETHESDA, MARYLAND – Maryland's #1 advocate against guns and Jessica's Law now has a Republican challenger. In Maryland's District 16, Meyer Marks, a government affairs consultant for health care and tort reform, will file with the Board of Elections to run against a personal injury lawyer. As a State Senator, Marks' goal is to create a more conducive environment for businesses with greater fiscal accountability and government transparency. Marks is also concerned that Maryland ranks as a violent haven for criminals in the United States.

"Frosh has grown seriously out of touch with the needs of the voters," says Marks. "Probably because of being a personal injury lawyer, he has not adequately addressed crime issues in Maryland, either. Frosh seems more interested in protecting criminals than he is protecting victims of crime."

Frosh has been in the General Assembly since 1994 and has opposed broadly-supported legislation to tighten restrictions on criminals with Jessica's Law, a bill that strengthened sentences for sexual crimes committed against children. For instance, during a hearing on the bill by the Senate Judicial Committee, chaired by Frosh, advocates of the bill were treated so poorly that the President of the Maryland Senate later apologized. When the bill came to a vote by the entire Senate, Frosh was one of only three people to vote against strengthening the sentences. In the Maryland House, the bill was adopted unanimously. In addition, Frosh is an ardent supporter of gun control laws, declaring that anyone who wishes to carry a gun (other than police) is "nuts."

Meyer Marks was raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he received a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Central Arkansas. In addition, he is pursuing a Master's Degree in European Studies from Georgetown University. In 1988, he founded Marks and Associates, a government relations firm that specializes in health care and educational issues. He is also the caregiver for his mother, who has Alzheimer's Disease, sensitizing him to the illness. In 2008, Marks was a candidate for U.S. Congress in Maryland’s Eighth District. For over 25 years, Marks has worked to craft public policy on the state and federal levels. He resides in Bethesda, Maryland.

Marks' event will be on Maryland Day, Thursday, March 25 from 7 to 9 p.m. at 4242 East-West Highway in Chevy Chase. Street parking and public parking is limited. Contact him at 240-476-5533 or meyer@marksformaryland.org or www.MarksForMaryland.org.

OPINION: 17 reasons Bob Ehrlich is out for governor; Ripken in?

MARYLAND - In 2006, now-Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley's top counties/cities for votes were Montgomery County (190,873), Prince George's County (162,899), Baltimore County (135,567), and Baltimore City (115,136). Then-Governor Bob Ehrlich's top counties for votes were Baltimore County (143,870), followed by Montgomery County (112,071), Anne Arundel County (106,897), and then a giant drop-off to Harford County (57,882). In all, Ehrlich lost in 2006 by almost 117,000 votes. The following is a list of reasons why former-Governor Bob Ehrlich is not running for governor in 2010:

1. Bob Ehrlich has not signed the papers to enter the governor game. Since July 6, 2010 is the filing deadline, he remarkably sit on the bench for 16 more weeks, waiting for the weather to change to win.

2. Ehrlich has not started Spring training to declare he is running for governor.

3. Ehrlich is 100% undecided about playing the governor position in 2010. This explains why Ehrlich is so confessional in public about his reluctance to reenter public service. Further, he has plausible deniability that he ever was running for governor in the first place because he has always always always said he was undecided.

4. Ehrlich is an excellent switch-hitter, and not a one-dimensional person. He is a lawyer, a current talk show host on WBAL, a Princeton graduate (and captain of Princeton's football team), a loyal husband, an energetic father, and a former governor.

5. Ehrlich (along with most other players) wants a nearly-guaranteed win. Otherwise it is not worth the personal sacrifice to lose and be forever rejected by state and national political teams.

6. Ehrlich's support from Maryland voters is shallow, because the State's Republican bench is weak. Since he had almost 60% approval entering Election Day 2006 and somehow lost, even some people who like Ehrlich don't vote for him.

7. Ehrlich doesn't have the cash to recruit a winning roster. This is especially difficult since there is a recession, and the fans can't pay for enough tickets to start a financial wave.

8. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend is (thankfully) off the roster. In 2002, Bob Ehrlich's top counties were Baltimore County (170,920), Anne Arundel County (113,968), Montgomery County (113,680), and Harford County (63,553). Kennedy's top counties/cities were Montgomery County (180,576), Prince George's County (150,927), Baltimore City (120,070), and Baltimore County (106,195). In the good 'ole days, Ehrlich won by 66,170.

9. Montgomery County's Executive is O'Malley's perfect scapegoat to watch during a rain delay. In a state run with a Democrat monopoly (and in the midst of facing massive budget problems), some Democrat must be the fall-guy caught sitting on the toilet. In 2010, the witch hunt will not be Baltimore City's problems, but Montgomery County! Facing a current (and growing) budget shortfall of $762,000,000, Ike "The Bathroom" Leggett is no political ally of O'Malley. Besides, Leggett says he can't go to his office bathroom in Montgomery County without needing a policeman to hold his hand! According to The Washington Post: "Leggett's aides said yesterday that his security detail did not want him using the public restroom because walking to and from the facility could expose him to harm. The shower was included [with the $65,000 bathroom and sitting room], an aide said, because Leggett lives about 40 minutes away from the Rockville office and regularly attends evening events without having time to freshen up at home."

10. Governor O'Malley has not given Ehrlich a major issue to rally around. (The budget is not enough).

11. President Obama can help from Maryland's AAA farm team (Washington, D.C.). A rally in Prince George's County can be planned spontaneously by the Commander in Chief. A rally at Navy headquarters is also possible. A rally at Camden Yards will never happen!

12. Tea is not one of Ehrlich's concessions. Ehrlich seems to me more like a coffee or beer man.

13. Candidates on the DL did not have proprietary information. Mike Pappas, Pat McDonough, and Larry Hogan, when they exited the Republican Primary for governor, did not have private declarations from Ehrlich. The bizarre (and false) theory is that they would not have exited the primary contest unless they knew Ehrlich was running. Politics does not always work this way, though it normally does. Sometimes wild pitches and passed balls happen.

14. The coaches should know the facts, not the media. It is out of a genuine respect for Ehrlich that people do not badger him with follow-up questions about his forever-delayed entry. (For instance, his radio contract with WBAL allows him to easily exit, should he desire to do so.) Interestingly, Republicans and reporters allow him to stand behind that (understood) veil of respect. Then again, it is not a reporter's job to push Bob to declare that he is not running. Instead, that job is exclusively part of the job description of party leaders like RNC Chairman Michael Steele and Maryland Republican Chairman Audrey Scott.

15. Ehrlich can respectfully ask for a pinch hitter. What will be Bob's excuse when he decides not to run for governor? My guess is some version of this (which is the truth): "After reviewing my 2002 and 2006 campaign numbers and comparing them to trends within Maryland's borders, I have decided Maryland is essentially the same state that elected Martin O'Malley in 2006." Then, he will politely thank everyone who has asked him to run and wish Republicans luck in 2010. That's probably when he will say that he loves his wife and kids (which he does). Yes, some inside-Republicans will be hurt, but in 2012 or 2014, or in 2022 (when he is 64), most Republicans will forgive him, even begging him (again) to return to the game. The reason is that Bob Ehrlich is one of only a handful of All-stars of the Maryland Republican Party. (God, I miss Connie Morella; and Roscoe Bartlett won't quit the game until death retires him!) Let me throw in some inside-politics trivia that (injured-prone) Jim Pelura made painfully obvious. Pelura whispered the truth to nearly-deaf listeners: In 2006, Bob Ehrlich was the only incumbent governor in America who lost reelection. For that comment, Pelura was ejected for good. Then on his way out, he even had the gall to babble that Ehrlich even lost Baltimore County in 2006. For that, Pelura's name is now cursed, as he will only be a legend if Ehrlich actually (temporarily) retires.

16. Just because there is a stadium, doesn't mean there is a player in it. Didn't Indiana's Republicans learn a great (and ironic) lesson when Senator Evan Bayh from Indianapolis taught them that filing for office is all that matters. Thus, having small campaign staff does not necessarily mean that a candidate exists.

Well, who then can fill Bob Ehrlich's shoes? Cal Ripken, a Republican (believe it or not)! Ripken's issues are ideal for Maryland, and he isn't just a baseball hero, but a man with amazing timing and longevity. Let me just close with one horse story about him.

17. One Baltimore man loves a colt. On May 2, 2009 Ripken and his wife attended the Kentucky Derby, as they do every year. In this race he placed a bet on Mine That Bird, claiming the horse's name appealed to him given his career with the Orioles along with the jockey's name, Calvin Borel. The gelding also wore a saddle with cloth number "8" post position, and had odds set at 50 to 1. Well, that there dark horse actually won that there race! It was the first time since 1913 that a horse won the Kentucky Derby after being given such odds. Although I have no proof of it, my guess is Ripken won more than $66,170, which is the amount of votes Ehrlich won in 2006.

Md. Senate protects themselves by killing door-to-door campaigning measure

ANNAPOLIS -- The Maryland Senate slammed the door on a bill Friday that would have allowed political candidates access to private communities and apartment complexes. Sen. Alex Mooney, a Republican who represents portions of Frederick and Washington counties, introduced the measure after noticing more and more homeowners associations and condominium boards were turning away political candidates.

"Free speech is not an easy thing, but it's a basic right in our country," Mooney said.

Individual residents would still be able to deny access to their houses, but the community wouldn't be able to set a blanket prohibition on campaigning. The measure, which failed 21-26, would have allowed associations and boards to set reasonable restrictions, such as disallowing campaigning at late hours. Mooney said the proposal would have benefited first-time candidates and challengers, not incumbents like him who are already known and invited to community events and included in newspaper articles.

SOURCE: WTOP

Maryland General Assembly closed on Monday

From Speaker Mike Busch's office:

The Presiding Officers have decided that the 8pm session of the Maryland General Assembly is cancelled for Monday, February 8, 2010, due to potential icy conditions.

All Legislative Services and General Assembly employees are on liberal leave.

This announcement includes the cancellation of all meetings and hearings of General Assembly committees, task forces and workgroups.

Gov. Martin O'Malley State of State Address

Below is a link on MPT.tv to Governor Martin O'Malley's State of the State Address.

SOURCE: State of State Address.