The Baltimore Business Journal is reporting today that PSC Chief Steve Larsen charged Constellation Energy with misleading "ratepayers" in the costs to decommission the nuclear power plant at Calvert Cliffs.

Two points I want to address.

First, the "ratepayers" were misled.  You don't say?  Where in the hell have you been?

Second, define "ratepayers".

William F. Buckley passed away this morning, and is undoubtedly now with our Lord.  I can only imagine the episode of "Firing Line" he is hosting.  William F. Buckley -- for anyone who has voted for a Republican since 1980 -- is a giant among men. 

WFB created the modern conservative movement.  There is no doubt about this.  In the late 1950s, through his books (God and Man at Yale and McCarthy's Enemies) and his founding of National Review, William F. Buckley reinvigorated a moribund conservative movement saddled with racists, conspiracy-mongers, and isolationists.  He stoked the fires of American's who yearned for smaller government, lower taxes, greater freedom, and responsibility.  He united the ideas of free-market capitalism with social conservatism, bringing in the famous "third leg" of the stool-- national defense conservatives -- that allowed the Republican Party to nominate a libertarian in 1964 and elect an avowed and unabashed conservative in 1980 and 1984.

His life was a triumph.  Any of us who write or think or vote conservative owe him our thanks and promise to carry on the fight.  He was a giant among men. 

We are Stasi.  If you don't remember the good old days of the Cold War, you might not recognize the term "Stasi".  The Stasi was the East German Secret Police force.  One of the strengths of the Stasi was compelling East German citizens to spy on each other and report what they learned back to the Stasi.  It was estimated that at one time, the Stasi had over seventy-percent of East Germans spying on their neighbors, family and friends.  The German government is still dealing with the vast archives of the Stasi and the information contained within -- over 40 years of spying by neighbors on neighbors.

Erich Hoeneker would be immensely proud of the Maryland Senate and its child abuse bill.

Apparently, Harvard is all into the segregation thing now, according to the Daily Free Press. It turns out that Muslim women on campus are "uncomfortable" using the student gym facilities when men are present, so Harvard is setting up separate times based on gender for use of the facilities.

Yes, sexual discrimination is alive and well at one of America's oldest and most venerated educational institutions.

Daily Tech has the dish on new empirical, measurable evidence that we are experience global cooling, whose effects on the planet have the potential to be much worse than warming...

The news for Ed Hale, Chairman at 1st Mariner Bank continues to get worse as time goes on.  You might remember that Ed Hale was a big supporter of O'Guvnah's 2006 Campaign, when he basically turned his bank properties into MASSIVE advertising billboards for O'Guvnah and his Lefty Dem downticket campaigns.

The result of this massive endorsement was the loss of a number bank customers totalling a couple million in deposits.  In addition, employee contributions to the 1st Mariner PAC (Political Action Committee) collapsed. Turns out that Ed's employees are a LOT smarter than he is.

A lot smarter...

The goose that has been laying the golden egg in Maryland politics as of late has been the computer services industry.  The state has seen unprecedented growth in this industry since 2001 -- largely due to increased Federal spending on IT services required by the War on Terror -- but it all trickles down to provide businesses in and around the state outstanding services and spin-off businesses.  It also has dramatically increased income tax collections, since these employees (like myself) typically earn more than manufacturing and government jobs.

But O'Guvnah's computer services sales tax -- added in the dark hours of the Special Session by his dark lords in the Senate and House -- are about to kill that goose.

O'Guvnah will go down in history as the governor of Maryland that presided over the destruction of the state's economy and quality of life, unless he begins to learn a little economic theory.  I suggest he start with Part I of the Center for Freedom and Properity's series on the Laffer Curve:

Well, Mahmoud Shirazi got off lucky.  A jury was forced to acquit him of being a perv doctor on Friday.  But make no doubt about it, "not guilty" is not the same as "didn't do it."  There were SEVENTEEN additional complaints against Doctor Stinkfinger, but they were time limited.  They were also far-more serious than the charges he was accused of, but because of a quirk in Maryland law, they could not be presented to the jury.

Lucky for patients in Salisbury, he will NOT get back his privileges at PRMC.  And the medical community being as tight as it is in Maryland, you can pretty much count he will be heading back to the homeland to play stinkfinger with the herds.  As of now, his medical license in Maryland is still under summary suspension, and that requires a tougher standard of evidence to get back.

It's been a tough week for Rick Pollitt, the County Executive for Wicomico County, Maryland.  One could say that the next few weeks will be serious leadership challenge for the small-town City Manager turned County Executive.  And the decisions he makes over the next few days will determine without question the course of his term for the next three years until the next election.

There are days when I have to wonder what O’Guvnah is up to.  Not two months after calling a totally unneeded and worthless Special Session that launched a new round of rapacious and devastating taxation on the State of Maryland, O’Guvnah is now in the process of screwing over every single Maryland regardless of class, color, race, creed, or income level.

Maryland Line United Methodist Church had a pretty serious fire this morning.  Early reports indicate that the furnace caught fire in the basement, and burned a whole through the floor into the sanctuary.  Apparently, the majority of damage was smoke damage (aside from the gaping whole in the floor).

If you are tone deaf to sarcasm, you probably will not think it funny.

But you should check out Stuff White People Like, where "white people"  really means white, liberal, elitists.

Make sure you are not drinking anything while you read it, or it may end up on your monitor.

I'll be taking a brief break from blogging for the next couple of days.  I have a horrendous amount of work to do for my day job this week, so I need to focus on that for the time being.

Not to mention, with my head in a lot of computer code, it's hard to write coherently on important things like the future of the state and the country.

I'll be back this weekend.

Hereford High School is selling mulch for $5.00/3 cu foot bag.

• Donation of $5.00 per bag
• Double shredded dark chocolate brown oak bark hardwood mulch in 3 cubic foot bags !
• PREORDERS will be taken until March 25
• Your support may be designated to go to your student's team or any HHS program !
• Please order now to help support Hereford High School sports and other Programs !

Click here for more info.

The Hereford Volunteer Fire Company will present Breakfast with the Easter Bunny on Sunday, March 16, 2008 at the Herford Volunteer Fire Company from 8am to Noon.

The menu includes pancakes, sausage, ham, bacon, fried potatoes, scrambled eggs, chipped beef gravy, juice, coffee, milk, and tea.  The all you can eat buffet is $8.00 for adults and $4.00 for children 3-10.  Children under 3 are free.

The next Hereford Community Association meeting will be March 4th at 7:30pm, at Summit Manor on the 2nd Floor.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Terry E. Cohen, Member - Salisbury City Council
410-845-0296, Terry@TerryCohen.com

Councilwomen Campbell and Cohen to Hold Open Government Public Input Meeting

In response to ongoing constituent feedback regarding open government, Councilwomen Debbie Campbell and Terry Cohen invite citizens to share their ideas and concerns about increasing transparency in Salisbury city government during a public input meeting Thurs., Feb. 21, from 7-9 p.m. at Las Palmas Restaurant in the Goliath Shopping Center, next to Giant Food.

The scope of the topic runs the gamut from how meetings are conducted to gaining access to various types of information. Attendees are encouraged to bring a friend. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

The two council members have also launched a newsletter currently in distribution. An online version can be viewed at: www.onyoursidesby.blogspot.com. For more information, contact Councilwoman Campbell at 410-860-0893 or Councilwoman Cohen at 410-845-0296.

There's a new Eastern Shore blog for Salisbury City Councilwomen Terry Cohen and Debbie Campbell called "On Your Side".  It's pretty clear that both councilwomen are going to start taking their case directly to the people, and I applaud them for their push for transparency and accountability in Salisbury City Government.

You can read it here or use the link in the left column.

George Walker Bush, it's time for you to dust off your man card and show you have a pair.

Democrat Nancy Pelosi decided to adjourn the House with passing the new FISA legislation. EVERY DEMOCRAT MEMBER OF CONGRESS IS NOW RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING AMERICA LESS SAFE.

It's time for you to get tough, and here's what you need to do it.

Now that the week of the much-heralded Potomac Primary/Chesapeake Primary/Crabcake Primary is over, I think it is a great time to look at this weeks' Biggest Losers.

Ronald Reagan was fond of saying that the nine worst words in America were "I'm from the government, and I am here to help."

Who would have thought that O'Guvnah and the General Assembly would have worked so hard to prove him so right.

I am, of course, talking about the plan to move the primary from mid-March to mid-February this year. 

WYPR announced yesterday that they would replace the Marc Steiner show with Dan Rodricks in the 12-2 slot.  Why did they go for the lame play?

Do they really think Dan Rodricks will bring any more of a statewide focus to the lunch hour than Marc Steiner?

More importantly, do they think anyone will care?

Andy Harris fans like Jihad Joe Albero and others are lauding the State Senator's victory over Wayne Gilchrest as a "victory" for Maryland taxpayers, but they shouldn't pop the champagne corks yet.

This was no victory for the Eastern Shore, and it may end up hurting the citizens of Maryland.

As noted by Salisbury Soapbox, Jihad Joe Albero, AKA Mahmoud Albero, AKA the Southwest Delaware Dumbass, AKA Andy Harris Hatchet Man broke the law on Election Day by illegally entering a polling place and taking pictures.

The appropriate code can be found in the Maryland Manual...

Over at Red Maryland, Brian Griffiths points to news coming out of Annapolis today that the State Insurance Commissioner has come to the perfectly logical conclusion that the law allows insurance companies to stop writing policies for homeowner's insurance when the calculated risk exceeds the cost of insurance.

What is that?  Insanity in homeowner's insurance making a comeback in Maryland?  Say it ain't so!

Camp Clinton is at it again:  trying to change the rules after the game is played.  If you watch any of the muttering heads on TV this evening, you see two very distinct issues emerging where they don't want the rules to apply them.

Mike Huckabee, the erstwhile Southern Baptist Preacher running for President has happened upon a new strategy in the District of Columbia to get conservative votes:  he's promising to support representation in Congress for District residents!

May there never be another President from Arkansas.  Ever. 

The General Assembly is set to begin debating House Bill 107, which would create a state database of DNA samples collected from individuals up on their arrest for felonies and certain types of burglaries.  Currently, Maryland is one of 45 states that collects DNA evidence upon conviction.

This morning I was treated to a most pleasant email from Mark Newgent over at RED MARYLAND.  Mark and the crew at RED MARYLAND have invited me to be a contributor to their blog.  Red Maryland is arguably the largest and most influential conservative blog in Maryland.  I am extremely pleased by this invitation, and extremely humbled by it.

I look forward to continuing to post here AND contribute to  RED MARYLAND on issues relating to Maryland Politics.

I don't really have any endorsements to make.  I am NOT voting for ANYONE in the Republican presidential primary.  I will probably vote for anyone running AGAINST Roscoe "A Prius in Every Pot" Bartlett. 

As for the 1st Congressional District (which I do not live in), I am in a quandry here.

Can't they all lose?

If Andy Harris wasn't such big buddy-buddies with Jihad Joe, the Delaware State Official Cyberterrorist, I would nod that way only because Lew Riley endorsed him.  But even Lew's endorsement cannot undo the stench of filth that comes with partnering with the Great Jihadist himself.

E.J. Pipkin seems like a great guy-- but he is at times a little too Don Quixote for my tastes.

And Wayne Gilchrest... well, if it looks like a RINO, and votes like a RINO, it must be a RINO.

Again, can't they all lose?

It's an election season, so just as night follows day, congressional cowardice is in full bloom.

It turns out that a majority of Congress -- plus Vice President Richard B. "Darth" Cheney have signed on to an amicus curiae brief to the Supreme Court on the DC Gun Case.  They want the Supreme Court to uphold the decision by the Circuit Court of Appeals to strike down the complete and utter gun ban, and hold that the 2nd Amendment preserves and individual right to gun ownership.

I actually have no problem with that statement.  And the brief is actually well written and surprisingly conservative and pro-gun for something that was agreed to by 55 Senators and 250 Representatives.  That it breaks with Administration policy is even better, given how feckless and idiotic the DOJ position is.

But as always, there is a catch:  Congress is being politically deceitful in signing the brief.  And I hope that SCOTUS calls them out on it.

Why?

The Congress of the United States of America is invested with plenary power in terms of the District of Columbia.  Plenary -- for those of you with a Southern Pennsylvania vocabulary -- means FULL, ABSOLUTE, WITHOUT RESTRICTION.  Congress could decide tomorrow to pass a law that REQUIRES gun ownership in the District of Columbia, and if the President signs it, it IS THE LAW.  Congress could put all this to rest tomorrow afternoon in a voice vote if they wanted to.

But they lack the testicular fortitude to do the right thing and save the taxpayers the time and money of a hearing before SCOTUS.

That's leadership for you.  Duck and cover. Hide and run.  Never out in front.

And it is a sadder thing in an 88-year old Nobel Laureate.

Here's my question:  is this the new way the Clinton's are playing the race card?  Having their surrogates go out and hint that Obama might be assassinated if he is elected President?