Free Republic

The Maryland governor's race is a virtual tie less than a week before Election Day, as Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s relentless attacks on Mayor Martin O'Malley's record on crime and schools have eroded the Democrat's support in the Baltimore suburbs, a new poll for The Sun shows. O'Malley, who led by 6 percentage points in The Sun's September poll, has seen his advantage drop to just 1 point, well within the survey's margin of error. Ehrlich, who has spent months trying to convince voters that O'Malley's record as mayor makes him unqualified to lead the state, appears to be...

From Accuweather.com: There are some definite signs that a major storm will take shape along the Carolina coastline Sunday. From there, it will rapidly strengthen and spin northward up the coast Sunday night and Monday. Fuel for the storm will be a direct confrontation between very cold air charging southward through the Great Lakes and mild air streaming in from off the Atlantic Ocean. The clash of air masses will be the product of an unusually large amplification of the jet stream. This storm could have major impact on shopping and travel late in the weekend and early next week....

UNDERSTAND, it hurts to say what I'm about to say. It hurts more than an alley-beating from Paulie Walnuts or a visit from Johnny Sack's leg-breakers. It hurts more than picking up the check after Tony Soprano and a dozen of his associates feast on steak, lobster and champagne.

Kimmel's Getting Divorced Jun 18, 12:37 PM EST (Associated Press) -- The wife of late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel has filed for divorce after more than 13 years of marriage. Gina Kimmel cited irreconcilable differences in court documents filed Monday in Superior Court. The couple will share joint custody of their two children, an 11-year-old daughter and a 9-year-old son. The pair separated in April. An after-hours message left Tuesday for Gina Kimmel's attorney wasn't returned. Kimmel, 35, is the host of ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and was co-host of "The Man Show" on Comedy Central. He was recently...

<p>Sen. Strom Thurmond's retirement marks the end of one of the most remarkable political careers in American history — a segregationist who managed to win over minority voters; a die-hard Democrat who nearly tore the party apart and retired as the most senior Republican in Washington; and a ruthless fighter who made peace with his bitter rivals in the Senate.</p>

    Gonzales/Arscott Research & Communications, Inc.         Maryland Poll Part 1   Governor’s Election Ravens Stadium Comptroller Election Attorney General Election   September 2002             Contact:     Carol Arscott      410-461-5744       Methodology             Patrick E. Gonzales and Carol A. Arscott formed Gonzales/Arscott Research & Communications, Inc. at the beginning of 1999.    Gonzales is a 1981 graduate of the University of Baltimore with deep roots in Anne Arundel County politics.  Arscott is a 1977 graduate of the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and...

During the past week, senior Democrats in Maryland and nationally have been pressing Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend to hire a veteran campaign manager to turn around her faltering bid for governor. On Tuesday, Democratic National Committee Chairman Terence R. McAuliffe spoke to Townsend and offered help in luring a seasoned professional to her political team, a senior Democrat said. And on Sunday, Maryland Gov. Parris N. Glendening (D) expressed his concerns about the campaign during a meeting in Annapolis with Townsend, his political partner of eight years.

A federal grand jury investigating a Maryland crime-control office overseen by Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend has asked to review personnel records for about half the agency's professional staff as well as documents showing how more than $6 million in federal funds was spent, according to subpoenas released yesterday by state officials. The subpoenas give the clearest indication yet of the widening scope of the federal probe and its apparent focus on whether state employees were engaged in improper political activity.

WASHINGTON -- Cal Ripken returned to an old ritual yesterday, taking the field on a sun-drenched Sunday afternoon that was made for baseball. But things are not exactly what they used to be. Ripken was sporting a white polo shirt and slacks. He took some practice swings -- off a stationary tee. And this was not Camden Yards, but the South Lawn of the White House. The former Orioles star was attending his first game since being appointed commissioner of White House T-ball. Ripken's new post entails presiding over occasional games between first- and second-graders in the president's back yard....