Normalish Political News - February

[wawa]

Close enough to February anyway.  

Not sure this is enough for it's own thread - so created a general thread for everybody else's random news. 


Things are getting crazy in Maryland.  EVERYBODY is retiring/not running again and the everybody is coming out of the woodwork to run for EVERYTHING.  
Newest is the 2nd district - Dutch is retiring.  www.wypr.org/wypr-news/2024-01-26/ruppersberger-not-running-for-12th-term

Our congressional delegation level of seniority is taking a HUGE hit all in one fell swoop. 

Senate -
Ben Cardin is retiring (Senator since 2006)
House -
2nd district -  Dutch Ruppersburger is retiring (rep since 2003)
3rd district - John Sarbannes, retiring (since 2007)
6th district - David Trone, running for Cardin's senate seat (since 2018, less of an impact there)

I think that's all of them.  The primaries were already a mad house, but now add in Dutch and wtf.  These are all dems btw. 

Raskin had also thought about going for Cardin's seat, but decided against, but his health has been not great in the past so who knows how long he'll be in place. 

Still have Steny Hoyer (since the dawn of time) holding down the fort with the newbs, but after him and Raskin the next most senior is Mfume (2020). 
(well, except Andy Harris.  That cockroach won't squish)

[glw]

Johnny O is also running for the 2nd, (and I think he has a good shot at it), which would vacate the County Executive seat and be another big shuffle.

[TR]

This isn’t news, more of a random, but I saw that Jan 20 is MLK Day next year and I swear to god if Trump wins and gets inaugurated on MLK Day, I’m going to barf.

[redheadbaker]

The PA State Supreme Court said that a lower court must hear a challenge to the constitutionality of a decades-old state law that limits the use of Medicaid dollars to cover the cost of abortions, a major victory for Planned Parenthood and the abortion clinic operators who sued.

The decision also elicited hope that the state Supreme Court may one day find a right to abortion in Pennsylvania's constitution after the U.S. Supreme Court ended nearly a half-century of federal abortion protections by overturning Roe v. Wade.

www.npr.org/2024/01/29/1227704077/pennsylvania-supreme-court-case-challenging-medicaid-coverage-limits-abortion

[wawa]

Jan 30, 2024 15:12:22 GMT -5 glw said:

Johnny O is also running for the 2nd, (and I think he has a good shot at it), which would vacate the County Executive seat and be another big shuffle.

What do you think the result of that will be?  I don't follow Balt Co politics much - which direction would the county likely shift replacing him?  He's a sorta blue dog dem, yes?  Seems like a good match for the makeup of the county in general.  I know he was solid on covid response, and I've liked the small moves he's made for transportation priorities in the county - could use some bigger moves...but I dont' know much else about him.

[glw]

Jan 30, 2024 16:12:09 GMT -5 wawa said:

Jan 30, 2024 15:12:22 GMT -5 glw said:

Johnny O is also running for the 2nd, (and I think he has a good shot at it), which would vacate the County Executive seat and be another big shuffle.

What do you think the result of that will be?  I don't follow Balt Co politics much - which direction would the county likely shift replacing him?  He's a sorta blue dog dem, yes?  Seems like a good match for the makeup of the county in general.  I know he was solid on covid response, and I've liked the small moves he's made for transportation priorities in the county - could use some bigger moves...but I dont' know much else about him.

I think unfortunately his County Exec. replacement would likely be a Republican. He's been pretty progressive in that role especially with COVID, taxes, police reform, and housing vouchers, and the NIMBYs really hate him. I've opposed some specific things he's been in support of but overall I'm a fan and would've voted to reelect him to that position. I was surprised he didn't run for governor.

[wawa]

Jan 30, 2024 16:30:13 GMT -5 glw said:

Jan 30, 2024 16:12:09 GMT -5 wawa said:

What do you think the result of that will be?  I don't follow Balt Co politics much - which direction would the county likely shift replacing him?  He's a sorta blue dog dem, yes?  Seems like a good match for the makeup of the county in general.  I know he was solid on covid response, and I've liked the small moves he's made for transportation priorities in the county - could use some bigger moves...but I dont' know much else about him.

I think unfortunately his County Exec. replacement would likely be a Republican. He's been pretty progressive in that role especially with COVID, taxes, police reform, and housing vouchers, and the NIMBYs really hate him. I've opposed some specific things he's been in support of but overall I'm a fan and would've voted to reelect him to that position. I was surprised he didn't run for governor.

he's really young.  my age!  (I just googled)  Could totally run after moore limits out after being in congress for a little bit.
(ETA: not that i'm actually young anymore.  But like...politician young.  Half Biden's age)