Democrats

The recent commentary by former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. ("Obama's unpardonable neglect of clemency," Jan. 13) was particularly interesting and pointed. In these days of concern about the death penalty, an always important topic aimed at the Democratic political base, few politicians indicate any concern for clemency. It has always been a position of risk. I recall that Governor Ehrlich did this. In his column, he correctly points out that more Republican governors have established histories of clemency and post-conviction relief than have their Democratic colleagues.

It's hard to recognize the Democratic Party these days. In recent decades, it's been a divided, brawling tribe. But this year, Democrats are one big, happy family. Sure, there was grumbling from the left over President Barack Obama's agreement to keep tax cuts in place for couples making between $250,000 and $450,000 a year. But that quickly gave way to satisfaction that Mr. Obama had won the "fiscal cliff" fight, and growing confidence that he can win the next round over the federal debt ceiling as well.

Over the past two years, the Obama administration has focused greater diplomatic attention and military resources on East Asia as part of a policy described as a "pivot" or "rebalancing. " While American leaders are loath to admit it publicly, this is a response to China's growing influence, particularly Beijing's territorial claims around its borders. China now has the world's second-largest economy and a rapidly modernizing military. It is led by a Communist Party that maintains its power by promoting a strong sense of national pride and expectations of China's continued rise to greatness.

In response to letter writer David Drake ("Voters see through the GOP smoke screen," Jan. 9), he seems to fail to realize that there can be no public sector without the private sector jobs that generate the money for it to exist in the first place. Government doesn't produce, it only consumes. He stated that government creates jobs. Excuse me, but the government wouldn't exist without private sector money. (Oh, wait a minute, President Barack Obama and his crew could just print some more - we're all saved!

With all the moaning coming from the Tea Party Express and their loyalists in the House Republican Caucus, you would think conservatives had lost everything, including their virtue, in the fiscal cliff parlay with President Barack Obama because taxes are going up on the wealthy. However, if they could just get past their prudish sensibility about backroom compromises, they might recognize that their side actually did rather well in the dead-of-night deal making. Yes, Democrats can claim some good results in the last-minute bargain that was struck to avoid the immediate across-the-board tax hikes and budget cuts that were set to begin on January 1. The Bush era tax cuts for people making more than $400,000 a year were eliminated, and capital gains taxes and estate taxes were raised, providing new revenue sources that Democrats insist are necessary.

Regarding the recent editorial on the debt ceiling ("Another cliff ahead?" Jan. 4), why not put a majority of the blame on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and the do-nothing Democratic-led U.S. Senate? He has avoided his Constitutional (not to mention fiduciary) responsibility by not passing a budget for the past three years. If Senator Reid had done this and then had the normal conferences with the House with a resulting law to go to President Barack Obama each year, we probably would not be in the dysfunctional mess we are in. All the media wants to blame the Republicans in the House.

Baltimore County Council members on Monday unanimously elected Councilman Tom Quirk as their chairman, and the Catonsville Democrat pledged to collaborate with County Executive Kevin Kamenetz and work to make local government cost-effective. Quirk, 43, was elected to the council in 2010. He is a financial planner in the private sector and has chaired the county's Spending Affordability Committee. His council colleagues often turn to him for guidance on budget issues. He gained widespread attention last year when he successfully sponsored controversial legislation to protect transgender people from discrimination.

Everything that everyone loathes about Washington was present in the "fiscal cliff" bill just passed by Congress. It is 153 pages long; most members probably hadn't read all of it before voting on it; it was delivered in the middle of the night; it was loaded with pork -- the mother's milk (to mix a metaphor) of politicians -- and while the country is already swamped with massive debt, it contains massive giveaways to satisfy interest groups and campaign contributors. Did I mention the bill raises taxes on top of the coming Obamacare taxes, but does nothing -- nothing -- to address the debt problem?

"It's not all I would have liked," said Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, speaking of the deal on the fiscal cliff, "so on to the debt ceiling. " For Republicans, the battle over the fiscal cliff is only a prelude to the coming battle over raising the debt ceiling -- a battle that will likely continue through early March, when the Treasury runs out of tricks to avoid a default on the nation's debt. The White House's and Democrats' single biggest failure in the cliff negotiations was not getting Republicans' agreement to raise the debt ceiling.

Maryland's newest member of the House of Representatives, Democrat John Delaney, was sworn into office Thursday amid a flurry of symbolism and celebration but also apprehension over issues left unresolved by the last Congress. The Potomac banker, who ousted 10-term Republican Roscoe G. Bartlett in Western Maryland's 6th District in November, dashed from the House floor to receptions to his new office, navigating a Capitol Hill bursting with visitors who came to witness the opening day of the 113th Congress.