Posted on 02/14/2005 10:18:07 AM PST by nunya bidness
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging the order by Governor Ehrlich barring state employees from contact with two Sun writers.
U-S District Court Judge William Quarles said in his order he was dismissing the case filed by The Sun because The Sun was seeking more access to government officials than that accorded a private citizen. The judge wrote, "The Sun seeks the declaration of a constitutional right that neither the Supreme Court nor the Fourth Circuit has recognized."
The judge also ruled the The Sun could not demonstrate irreparable harm or the likelihood of success in the case on its merits.
Sun editor Tim Franklin says he's disappointed by the decision and says The Sun is weighing a possible appeal.
Governor Ehrlich, at an event in suburban Washington, said he would not comment on the dismissal until he can review the court decision.
The Ehrlich administration issued the order last fall, barring state employees from talking to the Sun's State House bureau chief David Nitkin and columnist Michael Olesker.
Ehrlich said the two journalists were not objectively covering his administration.
The Sun brought the suit in December, asking that the order be lifted, claiming it viiolates the First Amendment rights of Nitkin and Olesker, because it denied them the same opportunities to get information as other news organizations and citizens.
MD4Bush - Our own "deep throat" who posted on or around the MD mayoral election as well as the national election of last year. He/she seemed to have a detailed knowledge of Maryland politics as well as certain rumors surrounding Mayor Martin O'Malley (MOM). In addtion, this person posted private correspondence (possibly Freepmail) that would damage the reputation of NCPAC (later outed as Steffen of the Ehrlich administration. The posts in question can be found here posted just after 11pm on 2/08. The Sun and Wapo both ran stories the following day breaking the news.
Michael Olesker, Dan Rodricks, David Nitkin , and whoever else at the Baltimore Sun who may be lurking. It should be noted that Nitkin and Olesker were both banned from the statehouse by the governor. A decision that was upheld today.
The Washington Post, including John Wagner, April Witt, Amet R. Paley, Lena H. Sun, David Snyder, Matthew Mosk, Allison Klein, with Mosk doing most of the heavy lifting. The Post made the connection between MD4Bush and NCPAC (Steffen) first, the day after MD4Bush peppered old threads with private messages.
NCPAC - Now known as Joseph Steffen an Ehrlich staffer who had been consistently posting to FR on a variety of topics, including local MD politics. He has since been fired and admitted to the Sun and Wapo that he was NCPAC. His posts are here.
Links to the Atlantic article - So far mention of the article are David Nitkin of the Sun, MD4Bush here on FR, MD state senate President Mike Miller, and a poster on the Sun's forum known as dc925er. I'm sure this list will grow.
Haven't read that garbage since the News American(AKA News Post) went under and the B.S. decided to head far left as fast as it could.
I think the Sun is letting the Post take the lead on this to distance themselves from any dirty tricks due to the now settled court case with the governor's office.
Setting aside the Atlantic article it seems the person who could gain the most from the rumors, which are now being discussed by the Sun, is Doug Duncan. He's the likely candidate opposite O'Malley for the democrat primary.
It stands to reason that Duncan, or his people, would approach the Post due to its coverage of Montgomery County as a suburb of DC. He could get more traction from them than he could from the Sun as the Sun is clearly endorsing O'Malley as it did in the last election for mayor.
That is definitely a valid theory.
Ping
The following are all staff at the MD Democrat Party - Terry Lierman (Chair), Josh White (Executive Director), and Meredith Bowman.Patricia Unger, President, United Democratic Women’s Clubs of Maryland.
John Mahoney, President, Young Democrats of Maryland.
The following are all Montgomery County Council members: Nancy Floreen, George Leventhal, Steve Silverman, Michael Subin, Mike Knapp, Phillip Andrews, Marilyn Praisner, and Tom Perez.
The following are all Baltimore City Council members: John Cain, Nicholas D'Adamo, Jr., Lois Garey, Paula Branch, Pamela Carter, Jack Young, Robert Curran (interesting last name), Kenneth Harris, Lisa Stancil, Keiffer Mitchell, Katherine Pugh, Agnes Welch, Helen Holton, Stephanie Rawlings Blake, Ricki Spector, Kwame Osayaba Abayomi, Edward Reisinger, and Melvin Stukes.
Kathy Shatt, Anne Arundel County Democratic Party.
Edie Segree, and Melinda Hamilton, Almost 7:30 Friday Democratic Breakfast Club.
Agnes Holmes, Annapolis Democratic Central Committee.
Mike Gorman, Young Democratic Club of Anne Arundel County.
Agnes Welch, Baltimore City Democratic Party.
Charline Gilbert, Baltimore City Young Democrats.
Mike Mitchell, New Democratic Club.
Bob Murray, United Democratic Club.
Karen Britto, Montgomery County Democratic Party.
Michael Griffiths, African American Democratic Club of Montgomery County.
Keith Steele, Asbury Democratic Club.
Matt Nisenoff, B-CC Democratic Breakfast Club.
Lauri Rodich, District 14 Democratic Club
Daphne Bloomberg, District 15 Democratic Caucus
John Young, District 15 Democratic Club
Don Mooers, District 16 Democratic Club
Kurt Karst, District 17 Democratic Club
Susan Heltemes, District 18 Democratic Breakfast Club
Shirley Johnson, District 19 Democratic Club
Joseph Eyong, District 20 Democratic Caucus
Darrell Anderson, District 39 Democratic Caucus
Craig Rice, Germantown Democratic Club
William Jacobs, Montgomery County Green Democrats
Josh Bokee, New Democrats of Montgomery County
Mary Miller Northern Montgomery Co. Women's Democratic Club
Susan Magazine, Rockville/Mid-County Democratic Breakfast Club
Sylvia Lake, Seneca Potomac Democratic Club
Mark Woodward, Silverspring Democratic Club
Matt Nisenoff, United Democrats of Montgomery County
Dorothy Barthelmes, Woman's Suburban Democratic Club
Adam Luecking, Young Dems of Montgomery County
I'll be googling these folks until the cows come home.
"This has a huge negative impact on the governor because people will finally realize he's bringing radical right-wing campaign tactics to Maryland," said Terry Lierman, the state Democratic Party chairman. "He no longer has deniable culpability. He has to accept that he will be known by the company he keeps."
"Ehrlich said he believes that the controversy will prove to be a momentary distraction. "It is just an unfortunate incident that you have to take care of and then you go on," he said."
Coincidence?
Ike Leggett apparently said yesterday that he supports the building of the ICC, a controversial highway that is being planned to run east-west across Montgomery County. As he works to build a campaign for County Executive in the most populous and wealthiest jurisdiction in the state, some had hoped that Leggett would be the progressive alternative to Steve Silverman.
Since there have so far been no mentions of Leggett's position on the ICC on his web site, or in the Post or the Gazette, and since the report is from the new tabloid Examiner that has yet to prove itself (as illustrated by the weak observer piece on the Middle East by Yehuda Lukacs, an offical at George Mason University), we should probably wait for confirmation on this.
Former County Councilman Blair Ewing, Rockville Mayor Larry Giammo, state Republican Party Chair John Kane, and perennial candidate and former Delegate Robin Ficker are also mentioned as potential candidates.
And an aide to Governor Bob Ehrlich was ousted for spreading rumors about Baltimore Mayor and probable gubernatorial candidate Martin O'Malley.
And further back...
Mayor Martin O’Malley supported a progressive income tax over fees that disproportionately hit poor Marylanders in a Gazette article today. He also indicated that as a Democrat, he would support the winner of the gubernatorial primary, thus prompting readers to ask themselves the question of whether Doug Duncan would do the same.
The Sun has a good piece on the increasing opportunities for Republicans in Anne Arundel.
And in the most interesting of the three, Dan Rodricks asks us to take a step back on the whole medical malpractice issue to ask whether there is really a crisis at all.
In Montgomery County, Steve Silverman announced his intention to run for County Executive and the Post indicated that Ike Leggett is likely to enter the race for the largest, most Democratic county in the state. Silverman’s bid, while relying on what Duncan has been doing over the past few years, will have to answer questions about what he has done to deal with the many problems facing the county, like the skyrocketing cost of housing. "If you don't already own a house in Montgomery County, you never will," says the Rev. Jeff MacKnight.
Seems to me that Steve Silverman has everything to gain from Doug Duncan moving up to governor, namely County Executive for Montgomery County.
POSTED: 7:11 am EST January 28, 2005ROCKVILLE, Md. -- Montgomery County State's Attorney Doug Gansler said he hasn't decided whether to run for attorney general in 2006, but he's amassed more than $850,000 in campaign money.
The state campaign finance figure dwarfs the war chests of all other possible candidates, including five-term incumbent Joseph Curran, whose spokesman said he has about $35,000 on hand. Curran said he plans to run for a sixth term, but he's spending his time on his job.
State officials said Prince George's County State's Attorney Glenn Ivey has almost $15,000 in his campaign treasury, and Montgomery County Council President Tom Perez has about $7,600."
Curran's going to have his hands full investigating "dirty tricks" and fighting for his job.
p.s. one thing we should know from all the years of watching the political Kennedy family is this: never underestimate the power and determination of a political family and their money.
Finally, since there is a new paper in the area, has anyone contacted them to see if they are interested in investigating the rumor?
MD4BUSH wasn't all that bright. He left a trail anyone but an MSM reporter could follow.
The rumor has been around as long as Martin O'Malley has been mayor but it's recent incarnation started around last summer and built towards the mayoral election. O'Malley rose from the Baltimore City Council. O'Malley has all but announced he will run for governor. The Sun is far left and very pro-O'Malley and anti-Ehrlich. The Sun will do everything in its power to unseat Ehrlich.
This rumor has been common knowledge in the Balt. City Police Dept. for quite some time. Cops know alot of stuff.
If you don't mind my asking, what does your screename mean?
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