Mediaboss Marketing

Democrats on a Maryland Senate panel grilled Gov. Larry Hogans nominee for transportation secretary Monday about the future of the Purple Line light-rail project and decided to call him back for more questions before voting on his confirmation.

It did not appear that the nomination of Pete K. Rahn was in serious jeopardy, but his rocky confirmation hearing which also touched on several other controversies highlighted continuing tensions between the Democratic-led legislature and the new Republican governor.

Besides putting off a vote on Rahn, the Senate Executive Nominations Committee delayed decisions on four other Hogan nominees Monday night, with one Democrat accusing Hogans choice for environment secretary of dodging and weaving in his responses to the panel.

After the hearings, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert) predicted that some of Hogans nominations would draw some no votes from Democrats when they reach the Senate floor. But I think theyll be confirmed, Miller said, adding that the Senate should give Hogan wide discretion in choosing leading members of his administration.

Before Monday, the Senate had voted on 12 other of Hogans Cabinet nominees, approving all of them, though some after delays. Hogan spokesman Doug Mayer said the governor is confident that his latest batch of nominees will ultimately be successfully as well.

Governor Hogan has selected some of the best and brightest from Maryland and around the country to serve the people of our state, Mayer said. We have the utmost confidence that these talented and dedicated individuals will be confirmed.

Several Democrats pressed Rahn about the likelihood that Hogan will move forward with the Purple Line, the planned 16-mile rail connection between Prince Georges and Montgomery counties. Hogan expressed skepticism about the project during last years campaign, saying Maryland needed to focus more on building roads.

Transportation officials said last week that they were pushing back by five months a major bid deadline for companies seeking to build and operate the $2.45billion project.

Rahn said Monday that he has asked the firms to find ways to cut the projects cost without altering the lines length or route. He said he is maintaining an open mind on both the Purple Line and a light-rail line planned in Baltimore. I have not precluded these projects going forward, he told the senators.

Rahn was also pressed on Hogans proposal to cancel scheduled increases in gasoline taxes, which Democrats contend would leave very little money for either mass transit or road projects in coming years.

Read more:
Democrats grill nominee for Md. transportation chief about Purple Line

Democrats are chomping at the bit for a chance to replace disgraced ex-Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver next year in the downtown seat he has held for the past four decades.

Silver, 70, indicted on federal corruption charges Thursday, was first elected to the Assembly in 1976 in a district that takes in the Lower East Side, Chinatown and the Financial District.

But the crafty pol, who was forced out as speaker Feb. 2, days after his corruption arrest, is contesting the charges brought by Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara, which allege the assemblyman accepted millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks.

If hes convicted, Silver would have to forfeit his seat, but some Democrats arent waiting to see whether the wounded politico survives the criminal case.

Im very seriously looking at running for his Assembly seat, said downtown Democratic district leader Paul Newell, who garnered nearly a quarter of the vote in a 2008 Democratic primary challenge to Silver.

People are saying, Its time to move forward. We need a new kind of representative, Newell said. Silver has lost a lot of his ability to deliver.

Another downtown Democratic district leader, lawyer Jenifer Rajkumar, also is eyeing Silvers seat, sources said. Rajkumar previously ran for City Council.

Baruch College public-affairs Professor Doug Muzzio said, Theres blood in the water. Im sure youre going to see more candidates who want to run for Silvers seat. Id be surprised if theres not more than two candidates.

See more here:
Democrats are itching to replace Sheldon Silvers seat

New Democrats sing #39;Bud the Spud #39;
Andrew Cash, Charlie Angus, Megan Leslie and other NDP Members of Parliament sing "Bud the Spud" in the foyer of the Canadian House of Commons to pay tribute...

By: Alex Guibord

Visit link:
New Democrats sing 'Bud the Spud' - Video

Democrats head to Philadelphia in 2016
John King weighs in on the decision to host the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

By: CNN

Read the rest here:
Democrats head to Philadelphia in 2016 - Video

In its autopsy of those losses, the task force is calling for a new "national narrative project" to develop a simple explanation for a basic question: What do Democrats stand for?

"No area of this review caused more debate or solicited more ideas than the belief that there is no single narrative that unites all of our work and the issues that we care about as a community of Democrats," the 10-person task force says in the preliminary report it issued Saturday, ahead of a longer version expected in May.

"It is strongly believed that the Democratic Party is loosely understood as a long list of policy statements and not as people with a common set of core values (fairness, equality, opportunity)," the report says. "This lack of cohesive narrative impedes the party's ability to develop and maintain a lifelong dialogue and partnership with voters."

The Democratic National Committee released the report during its winter meeting Saturday. It was seven pages long, prompting Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus to sarcastically chide that it "sounds pretty serious" on Twitter.

The autopsy comes after Republicans commissioned a similar report in the wake of their failure to oust President Barack Obama in 2012. That report called on the party to improve its position with Latino voters by embracing immigration reform, as well as new year-round, state-level outreach efforts and fewer debates during its presidential nominating process.

The panel that put together the Democrats' report included Google chairman Eric Schmidt, Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear and DNC vice chairwoman Donna Brazile, who is also a contributor at CNN. Its findings were based in part on a poll of 100,000 of the party's supporters.

The report lays out brutal losses since Obama swept into office in 2008: Democrats have shed 69 House seats, 13 Senate seats, 910 state legislative seats, 30 state legislative chambers and 11 governor's offices.

Part of the problem, the report acknowledges, is that Republicans gained so many seats in recent years that they controlled the redistricting process and allowed their party to make massive gains that Democrats can't easily challenge. It calls for a "three-cycle plan that targets and wins back legislative chambers" in order to reverse that tide.

The report recommends stronger relationships with state parties, and also points to a weak Democratic bench, saying the DNC needs to help find and train talent.

"This includes potential candidates, campaign staff and advisors, and activists and volunteers with ties to different communities," according to the report.

Here is the original post:
Democrats seek new identity after autopsy of 2014 midterm losses