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Forty-one GOP senators support Clarence Thomas' confirmation for the Supreme Court. Only two, Sens. James Jeffords of Vermont and Bob Packwood of Oregon, have said they will not support him.These Democrats support Thomas: Sens. Sam Nunn and Wyche Fowler of Georgia, J. Bennett Johnston and John Breaux of Louisiana, Harry Reid and Richard Bryan of Nevada; Ernest F. Hollings of South Carolina, Dennis DeConcini of Arizona, Alan J. Dixon of Illinois, David Boren of Oklahoma, and Richard Shelby of Alabama.

The Baltimore City school board remained deadlocked Tuesday on whether to renew the contract for Baltimore Talent Development High School, run by the Center for Social Organization of Schools at the Johns Hopkins University, extending a decision that was already deferred one month due to an apparent impasse. Baltimore schools CEO Andres Alonso recommended severing ties with the high-profile organization based on an intensive contract renewal process that scrutinized more than two dozen schools, such as charters, that are run by external operators.

The first Sunday in May wouldn't be the same without Anne Arundel County's largest political gathering: the 14th Annual Bull and Oyster Roast put on by the Committee to Elect Mike Wagner.But is the three-term incumbent who lost his state Senate seat last November running? Would he have an all-afternoon party attended by Democrats if he wasn't?Mr. Wagner said he has four answers to those two questions: People like the party; his failed 1994 re-election campaign is $20,000 in the hole; the proceeds help support community activities, including sponsorship of a girls softball team; and, perhaps most important, "It also keeps people wondering what I am doing."

State Sen. Allan Kittleman is torn. When lobbied by the ACLU and the NAACP to repeal Maryland's death penalty, Kittleman asks how he can ensure the most heinous murderers will never kill again. When approached by fellow senators or state's attorneys who want to keep capital punishment, Kittleman questions whether there can be a foolproof way to ensure the state doesn't kill an innocent person. "My mindset on this has always been divided," said Kittleman, a Howard County Republican who hopes to skip his own committee to listen to another panel's death penalty hearings before the legislation reaches the Senate floor.

ELSMERE, Del. -- At the Elsmere Christmas Parade yesterday, the Hit Squad steppers clattered down the route in tap shoes, girls in blue-spangled vests twirled to a heavy percussion version of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," and Rep. Michael N. Castle waved to the crowd from the smack-dab center of the road.It seemed like an apt place for him to be.As the Delaware Republican ponders his vote on the impeachment of President Clinton -- he remains one of a handful of lawmakers undecided as the House prepares to vote next week -- he finds himself walking down the equivalent of Congress' double-yellow line.

A proposal to take state legislators out of the business of awarding college scholarships enjoys the support of one-third of the Senate, with more than one-third undecided, a Sun survey found yesterday.The poll showed that 15 of the 47 senators would vote to turn the $7 million legislative scholarship fund over to state scholarship officials. Another 17 were undecided or unwilling to commit themselves publicly. Despite that, the full Senate may not get to vote on the matter unless reformers can round up votes from at least four of the five undecided members of a Senate panel that must consider the issue first.

The long and bitter campaign over Maryland's new abortion law is dragging toward Tuesday's finale with many voters still undecided on how to vote and confused about what the measure would do.Last week, a Channel 2 poll, taken by Mason-Dixon Opinion Research, showed 51 percent favoring the new law, with 37 percent intending to vote against and 12 percent still undecided.Sources in each campaign said that internal polls, which campaign groups decline to release, show parallel results."That's a high number of undecideds," says Maura Keefe,spokeswoman for Maryland for Choice.

For John Rhodes, it's the difficulty of distinguishing one from the other. To the Northeast Baltimore resident, all the mayoral and City Council president candidates' messages seem to blur together. For Karen Randolph of Cherry Hill, it's the lack of delivery and record: Why are the crime plans being pushed by these candidates not already in place? MARBELLA Trailing a pair in a tight city race. pg 1b

WESTLAND, Mich. - In at least one cozy living room in this Detroit suburb last night, Republican George W. Bush did what he had to do: He made up the minds of undecided women whom he and Democratic rival Al Gore are desperately trying to woo. "I feel he's more human tonight than I came in here thinking," said Barbara Douglas, 51, an undecided Democrat. "I can't say I know who I'm going to vote for, but I feel better about Bush. I didn't think he cared that much about people, but I feel that that's the way he came across to me tonight."

WASHINGTON -- In an ominous sign for the White House, six previously undecided House Republicans jumped off the fence yesterday and declared their support for impeachment, narrowing the pool of swing votes that could save President Clinton from the ignominy of impeachment.Reps. Frank A. LoBiondo of New Jersey, Zach Wamp of Tennessee, John M. Shimkus of Illinois, Charles Bass of New Hampshire, James T. Walsh of New York and Rick Hill of Montana said they would vote for at least one article of impeachment late this week.

After the past few days, America needs something to be mad at and quick. Luckily the NRA and Instagram have stepped in to help our rage cravings. The NRA has been unusually silent throughout aftermath of the Sandy Hook school shooting. Its Twitter accounts are collecting dust and its Facebook page has been shut down after pro-gun control commenters stormed the gates shortly after the shooting. In absence of them talking or defending themselves, they have become the perfect boogymen to vilify with impunity and the Internet has not passed up the opportunity.

As President Obama and Mitt Romney head into their rematch Tuesday night, Vice President Joe Biden can claim to have done what he could to calm the distress of fellow Democrats in the wake of Mr. Obama's sub-par performance in the first presidential debate. Mr. Biden's aggressive, even at times blunt, manner in his contentious confrontation with Republican Paul Ryan may have been a bit too hot for neutral or undecided voters. But it clearly aimed at the Romney vulnerabilities that Mr. Obama had failed to address in that first encounter.

In his first career start, Michael Bonitatibus made seven saves, collected five groundballs, and caused two turnovers in Loyola's 13-8 season-opening victory over then-No. 16 Delaware. Despite the junior's debut, the No. 17 Greyhounds have yet to name a starter between Bonitatibus and sophomore Jack Runkel for Saturday's home game against Towson. “We haven't made a decision yet, and I told those guys that on Monday,” coach Charley Toomey said Thursday morning. “I told them that this is a week-to-week decision that our staff needs to make.

With free agency set to begin on March 13, there have been a lot of questions about where the Ravens sit with the salary cap. That cap hasn't been officially set, though it's expected to be similar to last year's number. Either way, all indications are that the Ravens are in decent shape with the cap, certainly in better position than they have been the past couple of offseasons. That doesn't mean that the Ravens have the room to go on a free-agent shopping spree, because that won't happen.

Members of the Howard County Council are divided over what changes they would like to see in a proposed map of council districts. The council has until March 15 to approve changes, or a redistricting commission-recommended map will become law. At a work session Monday, each council member seemed to have different ideas about where the map's boundaries should be drawn. Councilwoman Courtney Watson, an Ellicott City Democrat representing District 1, offered her own proposal in an attempt to address concerns expressed by residents of the Wheatfield neighborhood of Ellicott City.

It took Ray Lewis a long time to put his suit on after the AFC championship was over on Sunday. He got dressed in silence, he made sure his tie was straight and his jacket wasn't wrinkled. Then, he stood in the eye of a small media storm, smiled into the cameras, and put to bed questions about his future. "Is this my last game as a Raven? Absolutely not," Lewis said. "Let me answer that question before somebody asks it. " Lewis wanted to quash any talk of retirement right away, especially since the topic has been a popular one in recent weeks and months.

Maryland voters strongly favor the nationwide presidential frontrunners, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, but about a third of likely primary voters of both parties remain undecided, according to a recent statewide phone survey. Clinton, meanwhile, is tied with Illinois Sen. Barack Obama among the state's black voters, with each winning support from about a third of those polled. Blacks make up about 28 percent of state residents, forming a potentially powerful voting bloc for Democratic candidates.

As political theater, the Republican Party's Iowa caucuses came through: A photo finish with a mere 8 votes separating winner Mitt Romney from the runner-up, former Sen. Rick Santorum. Throw in a third-place for Rep. Ron Paul as well as a decent showing by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. The rest of the field were poor also-rans with their viability at an end, Michele Bachmann being simply the first to recognize that reality. But as for the predictive value of the nation's first presidential voting?

Orioles manager Buck Showalter touched on a number of subjects during his sit-down with the national media on Monday, including the status of second baseman Brian Roberts and the likely composition of the infield next season. Showalter said the reports he is getting in his periodic conversations with Roberts are encouraging, but he can't predict whether his veteran second baseman will be ready to play full-time next spring. “We don't have any reason to think one way or the other," Showalter said.