If Sarbanes dies in office - and, no, I'm not wishing that - Governor Ehrlich should appoint O'Malley as his replacement. Not saying it would happen, but it would knock Ehrlich's biggest potential challenger out of the race for Governor in 2006.
Word is Sarbanes was waiting to see if the Dems would recapture the Senate in the just concluded elections. Had the Dems taken control, Sarbanes would've been Chairman of the Banking Committee - Uber Powerful.
As for Lt. Governor Steele, he has never offered so much as a hint that he'd like to run for US Senate. He wants to run for Governor following a second Ehrlich term. Of course, depending on who would be the likely Dem nominee, that could change.
So, it appears that you may be on to something.
I like your tag-line!
I always thought that it was French for flaming mediocrity.
I read somewhere that Sarbanes was the most unpopular senator of all 100 among the Senate support staff, particularly the "little people" like the elevator operators. And this from a Democrat who claims to be the essence of the "little people."