John McCain

Better late than never. Well, some folks think so anyway.

The truth is, last weekend’s program featuring talk radio host Bob Ehrlich was pretty much a yawner. There was a half hour of the latest Republican talking point: “Drill Here, Drill Now. Pay Less – Drill off the Coast of Ocean City or right smack-dab in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay – We Don’t Care” (I made that last part up. But nobody said anything against it, either. Why is it always someone else’s backyard or beach off in the distance that needs to get drilled for oil?).

As best as anyone can figure opening up all this drilling might worth a few pennies off a gallon of gas – in five years. All this time BIG OIL already owns drilling leases over about 68 million acres of American land and they aren’t touching it, for some reason.

Andrew LangerThe John McCain 2008 presidential campaign will be adding Andrew Langer to its list of volunteer staff. Langer will be coordinating Maryland's eastern shore efforts, though the campaign has not given him an official title as of yet.

Langer is the president of the Institute for Liberty and has worked for the National Federation of Independent Business. He worked on former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani's presidential campaign during the Republican primary and wrote Giuliani's small business policy.

Here comes the Choo-choo!Baltimore had a pretty shoddy week, but at least it looks good. And did you hear about the Anne Arundel County police?

They're all here in Maryland's Winners and Losers for June 27, 2008. CLICK HERE.

“Yeah, I don’t do cowering.” - Sen. Barack Obama

I am far from alone as an advocate of aggressive rapid response in politics. When someone gets in your face with a lie or an attack, don’t retreat. Get in his.

Do it fast. Do it now. Don’t be shy. Don’t let an attack go unanswered.

If you take a swipe at me or mine, you should expect to get the same or worse, in return.

There are increased efforts afoot to push the Senate Democrat Steering Committee, of which Barbara Mikulski is a member, to strip Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman of his committee assignments for his recent transgressions against the party that nominated him for vice president in 2000.

Yet it's unlikely to expect an action like that until the Senatorial math expands their majority, so what are vexed Dems supposed to do about it?

Simple: have other members of the caucus push Lieberman out of the hawkish-defender-of-Israel Democrat role that he has fashioned for himself.

John McCain at Annapolis in AprilMuch ink has been spilled about Barack Obama running a 50 state campaign and all the money he'll have to do it, but the grapevine says that John McCain will announce several Maryland staff members soon.

He doesn't stand much chance of winning the state, but McCain has made two public appearances in the state since becoming his the de-facto Republican nominee -- two more than Obama.

COLUMBIA – David Paulson told a crowd of about 15 on Sunday at a Columbia Democratic Club PAC fundraiser that the party is committed to gaining control of all eight seats in the state's congressional delegation.

The state Democratic Party communications officer touched on topics like building the state party, the presidential election and former Gov. Bob Ehrlich (R-Arbutus), but focused on U.S. House races.

State Sen. Andy Harris (R-Cockeysville) announced his energy plan during a speech before the Salisbury Chamber of Commerce this afternoon. The GOP nominee in Maryland's 1st Congressional District, Harris, a physician, called his proposal a "prescription for the pain at the pump," pledging to "take the lead in fighting against these out of control gas prices."

"Working families should not be forced to decide whether to fill up the gas tank or put food on their table," Harris said.

RELATED: Kratovil, Harris disagree on offshore drilling