Party

Loyal readers of this page are likely aware that we have not been great supporters of the tea party movement. Too often, we have found those anti-tax crusaders who call themselves tea party patriots are simply rebranded John Birch Society members of an earlier time with all the extremist anti-civil rights, anti-immigration, and anti-United Nations rhetoric that comes with it. But the latest disclosure - gleaned from a draft inspector general's report...

If you won't be in the Grandstand at Pimlico, you can still celebrate the 138th running of the Preakness Stakes in style with a black-and-gold party. Black and gold — the colors of the Calvert family — pop up everywhere at the Preakness, from the state flag to the winner's wreath of black-eyed Susans. Recreate that feeling at home with black and gold stacks of polenta, goat cheese and olives, deep brown chocolate bread pudding with a gold topping, and Black & Tans, a fruity cocktail with turn-of-the-century Maryland roots.

The evil that comes from a one-party state could not be more glaring than in the wake of the federal indictments over the corruption in the state-run Baltimore City Detention Center. Gov. Martin O'Malley has attempted to turn the astonishing degree of inept management and outright corruption at Baltimore's jail into another one of his imaginary criminal justice success stories - stories that he has been spinning since he burst onto the political scene as Baltimore's mayor by promising "zero tolerance" for crime.

Pabu Izakaya is celebrating its first birthday at the Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore on Wednesday. The party will include an all-night happy hour, a special dessert by Four Seasons' pastry chef Chris Ford and a special "sake greet" for diners. Chefs Chad Gauss of the Food Market and Opie Crooks of Roy's will join Pabu's Jonah Kim in the kitchen. The birthday party at Pabu will also feature the disc jockey Jay Gray, who will spin from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. #sigshell { padding: 10px; float: left; width: 320px; height: 52px; margin: 20px 0px; display: block; }

Maryland's House Republicans decided this week to jettison Del. Anthony J. O'Donnell from the leadership of their caucus on the grounds that a new messenger is needed to revitalize the party's prospects and pick up seats in the 2014 election. We wish new Minority Leader Nicholaus Kipke and new Minority Whip Kathy Szeliga the best of luck; Maryland is better when it has two functioning political parties. But color us skeptical that rearranging the deck chairs in the House GOP caucus is going to accomplish much.

Welcome to Crazytown.  Episode 5 resumes with Tamra wanting to kick almost everyone out of her party. Even Lydia agrees that Alexis isn't getting bullied and doesn't have a problem with not feeding into her pity party. Gretchen and Heather play voice of reason and explain why Alexis was wrong for showing up to Tamra's party. Alexis is extremely upset that she attended as Vicki's guest and that Vicki didn't come to her rescue when she was kicked out. Tamra goes out to confront Alexis (with a glass of wine in her hand)

Breakups are awkward, uncomfortable, difficult experiences. Just recently, I experienced a breakup of sorts, as I initiated the end of a relationship dating back 25 years. The relationship in question: myself and the Maryland Republican Party. People have different reactions when I told them I'd switched my registration from "Republican" to "Unaffiliated. " Conservatives worried I was drifting to the left, perhaps bending to the influence of my Obama-loving friends. As for liberals, some exulted that the political outlier in their lives finally seemed to be getting it. Well, sorry folks … but I guess I still don't get it. My switch is a non-ideological gesture of frustration by someone who has worked for and around some of the MDGOP's most notable and successful political figures — including Helen Bentley and Bob Ehrlich — over the past quarter-century.

Four years into a so-called recovery, and we're still below recession levels in every important respect except the stock market. A measly 88,000 jobs were created in March, and total employment remains some 3 million below its pre-recession level. Labor-force participation is at its lowest level since 1979. The recovery isn't just losing steam. It never had much steam to begin with. That's because so much of our debate over economic policy has been beside the point. On one side have been Keynesians -- followers of the great British economist John Maynard Keynes -- who want more government spending and lower interest rates in order to fuel demand.

For some people, choosing the bridal party can be one of the toughest decisions in wedding planning -- but not for me. I knew my bridal party even before the question was popped. My bridesmaids are my go-to people, my best friends and my family. I didn't have any questions or doubts in my head. The one issue with our bridal party is that it will be uneven. I wasn't crazy about this, but it is what it is. My fiancé has fewer groomsmen than I have bridesmaids, but we decided that we are OK with this.

I support The Sun's position on Dr. Ben Carson ("The price of free speech," April 13). Dr. Carson was accorded his First Amendment right to freely express his views on marriage equality - and those outraged by the hurtful and insulting comments he made also have a right to express theirs. Not only that, Hopkins students have a right to a say in who addresses their commencement. What I find most disturbing about Dr. Carson's views is that they generally reflect right-wing Republican ideas.