Democratic Party

Political consultant Julius Henson, facing charges stemming from the infamous 2010 "relax" robocall that has already resulted in one criminal conviction, wants to put the entire state Democratic Party on trial. It's an odd defense strategy - he seems not to be focused on either the question of whether he actually did what he is accused of doing or whether the robocall was protected free speech. But it's not altogether surprising, either. Mr. Henson has long cultivated a bad-boy reputation, and he has never been one to pass up a chance for the spotlight.

Political consultant Julius Henson plans to suggest in court this week that he is being prosecuted by the state's Democratic establishment only because he dared to work for Republicans, his attorney said Monday. Henson is accused of election fraud stemming from a 2010 Election Day "robocall" that prosecutors say was intended to trick black voters into staying home. But Henson's attorney contended Monday that prosecutors would not have brought the case had his client continued to work for Democrats, as he had in previous campaigns.

For months, John Delaney ran his campaign for Congress as an outsider. But the day after he crushed his competition for the Democratic nomination in Maryland's 6th District, the Potomac businessman found himself lunching with two of the most powerful party leaders in the state. What's more, his campaign was fielding dozens of calls of support from top state Democrats and labor groups — many of whom had backed his leading opponent, state Sen. Rob Garagiola. Democrats moved rapidly Wednesday to coalesce around the first-time candidate, signaling the beginning of a general election fight for the state's westernmost district that will dominate the political landscape this year and help decide control of the House of Representatives.

Thanks to political anomalies like Sen. Bobby Zirkin who put their constituents above party politics, there is at least a glimmer of hope that Maryland citizens may not have to pay higher taxes this year to balance the state's budget ("Bobby Zirkin: secret Republican?" March 21). Senator Zirkin not only superbly represents his Baltimore County constituents in District 11, his political actions are helping all of Maryland's citizens. The question is, will enough other delegates have the stomach to challenge the tax-them-to-death policies of the governor and the state's Democratic Party?

The effort by the Democratic Party, the UAW, Michael Moore and - disgracefully - Rick Santorum himself to orchestrate Democratic crossover votes against Mitt Romney in the Michigan Republican primary fell well short of its goal ("Santorum and Romney fight their own class war in Michigan," Feb. 27). Mr. Santorum's unholy alliance with big government, big labor and extremists underscores his shortcomings as an economic lightweight and an all-too-frequent shill for the unions during his years in Congress.

It's no accident there's been a scarcity of meaningful conversation about what our presidential candidates have planned for Social Security and Medicare. Even in retiree-heavy Florida, details about the candidates' Social Security and Medicare proposals were largely missing in the recent primary election debate. Why? Because plans to privatize or cut Social Security and Medicare under the guise of deficit reduction represent a larger political disconnect between politicians and the average American voter than any other single issue facing candidates in this presidential campaign.

Opening a new line of attack in the contentious Democratic primary in Maryland's 6th Congressional District, State Sen. Rob Garagiola sent an e-mail to supporters Wednesday noting that his opponent, John Delaney, had made a political contribution to Republican Andy Harris in 2010. The e-mail includes a link to a Federal  Election Commission report documenting the $2,400 donation, which was made a week before the midterm election. Harris ultimately won the election by a large margin, beating incumbent Democrat Frank Kratovil in a race that helped swing control of the House to the GOP. “Many of you answered the call in that race by writing a check, going to the Eastern Shore, knocking doors, and volunteering as needed,” Garagiola writes in the e-mail.

The last time a Republican candidate for president defeated an incumbent Democrat running for reelection, the primary returns were a lopsided affair. Ronald Reagan won convincingly in New Hampshire and South Carolina (after George H.W. Bush took Iowa) and went on to capture nearly 60 percent of the GOP vote in a three-candidate field. Mr. Bush landed relatively few verbal blows of consequence - his infamous "voodoo economics" line to describe Mr. Reagan's supply-side philosophy being the exception.

It's been more than a quarter-century since someone other than Thomas V. Mike Miller was president of the Maryland Senate and almost a decade since House of Delegates Speaker Michael E. Busch was first chosen for his post. Today, when the two chambers of the General Assembly elect their leaders as the annual session begins, the political odd couple of Miller and Busch will become the longest-serving pair of presiding officers in any state in the nation. At a lunch gathering Tuesday of the state's top Democrats, U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer hailed the two as "the president for life and speaker forever.

Is there, or should there ever be, a point when a state is no longer penalized for its discriminatory past? Not according to the Department of Justice, which recently rejected a South Carolina law that would have required voters to show a valid photo ID before casting their ballots. Justice says the law discriminates against minorities. The Obama administration said, "South Carolina's law didn't meet the burden under the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which outlawed discriminatory practices preventing blacks from voting.