Justin Ready

In an effort to begin recruiting young supporters and energize the base, the Maryland Democratic Party is attempting to make its post convention celebration look rather "unconventional."

Maryland Democrats plan to host "Unconventional Rallies for change" back at home during the week of the Republican National Convention. The rallies will be held at five universities throughout the state on three consecutive days. Gov. Martin O'Malley and U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings will speak.

According to the state party's communications director, David Paulson, the timing of the event is no coincidence.

"The Unconventional Rallies will reinforce our candidates' and our party's tremendous growth among Maryland's young people who are registering Democratic at record numbers, said Democratic party spokesman David Paulson.

Last week The Gazette reported Democrats outnumbered Republicans in Maryland 2 to 1.

The Maryland Republican Party shot back and pointed to John McCain's numerous young supporters.

The Maryland Republican Party held their Victory Fund fundraiser on Sunday at MDGOP Chair James Pelura’s Davidsonville home.

The event was priced at $100 per ticket and $250 VIP.

According to MDGOP Executive Director Justin Ready, about 200 people were in attendance at the event, including Everett Alvarez Jr.

Alvarez is the honorary chair of the Maryland delegation to the Republican National Convention. He also served with John McCain in Vietnam.

The Queen Anne’s County Republican Central Committee hosted their annual crab feast on Thursday. The event, held at Harris Crab House was priced at $45 per person.

According to Andrew Langer, the McCain ’08 Eastern Shore regional director, the event was attended by about 80 people.

Notable attendees included state Sen. Andy Harris (R-Cockeysville), state GOP Executive Director Justin Ready, Del. Mike Smiegel (R-Cecil County), Del. Richard Sossi (R-Queen Anne’s County), Queen Anne’s County Commission President Eric Wargotz and the Maryland Federation of Republican Women President Pat Parker.

State GOP Executive Director Justin Ready is taking State's Attorney Frank Kratovil (D-Stevensville) to task for what Ready believes is the Democratic congressional candidate’s hypocrisy.

In an interview with PolitickerMD.com last week , the 1st district Democratic nominee said that his opponent, state Sen. Andy Harris (R-Cockeysville), would “arguably raise more money than me.”

“It is amazing, in my view, that Kratovil didn’t outraised (sic) Harris big-time considering the huge fundraisers he had in D.C. and Prince George’s County, as well as with anti-gun activists on the Eastern Shore,” wrote Ready in an email to PolitickerMD.com. “He is not even attempting to hide his desire to be a lap dog for the left-wing leadership in Maryland.”

It's not every day that the state Democratic Party's communication director and one of Maryland's most prominent Republicans agree on a party's political fortunes. But after former Lt. Gov. Michael Steele told a crowd of Republicans that "the Republican brand quite frankly sucks," David Paulson emailed PolitickerMD.com to express his empathy for Steele's idea.

"I don't disagree with Michael Steele on his low opinion of the Republican brand - it's in the toilet for a lot of reasons," Paulson wrote in an email to PolitickerMD.com. "But Republicans who think they only have a branding problem are fooling themselves. This isn't a public relations problem. This is a public trust problem."

And that's where the temporary agreement between Paulson and Steele ends.

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.

The Talbot and Dorcester Republican Central Committees celebrated the grand opening of their new headquarters on Tuesday.

Both events were attended by state party Chairman James Pelura, state party Communications Director Justin Ready, former Gov. Bob Ehrlich and state Sen. Andy Harris among other party leaders. Harris and Ehrlich were on a day long tour of the 1st Congressional District, campaigning and raising money for Harris’ race against state's Attorney Frank Kratovil (D-Stevensville).

Justin Ready, the executive director of the Maryland Republican Party, told PolitickerMD.com today that the controversy surrounding Senate Minority Leader David Brinkley (R-New Market) is a "personal matter between Sen. Brinkley and his family and that's all we are going to say about it."

"At this point we wish Sen. Brinkley and his family the best as they deal with a personal situation," Ready said.

Details of the May 30 domestic disturbance at Brinkley's home emerged over the weekend through a police report obtained by reporter Meg Bernhardt of the Frederick-News Post, where Brinkley is referred to as "the victim in this incident."

State Republicans gathered for the 18th annual Red, White and Blue fundraiser last night in Linthicum, the party's major fundraiser for the year.

Justin Ready, the party's executive director, told PolitickerMD.com that roughly 400 people attended the event. He said the MDGOP expected to raise "close to $100,000" for the evening.

"This is a big improvement from last year," Ready said. "We're moving forward."

Tuesday's Democratic victory in Mississippi's special congressional election, the party's third national victory in two months and second in 10 days, has Maryland Democratic Party officials confident that the trend could continue in Maryland, where Republicans hold the 1st and 6th district seats.

"Throw out the rules of political conventionality," state Democratic Party Chairman Michael Cryor said in a statement. "There are very few safe Republican seats in America anymore; not in the Midwest, not in the deep South and certainly not in a blue Mid-Atlantic state such as Maryland. It doesn't matter how long a Republican has held the seat. It doesn't matter how many votes George Bush got in 2004, America is voting for change in 2008. America is voting Democratic."