20070627 This week in The Tentacle

This Week in The Tentacle

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Striking a Blow for Free Speech

Kevin E. Dayhoff

Many are singing high praise of the Supreme Court's decision handed down Monday which took a bite out of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform law.

Immigration II, Slashed and Burned

Patricia A. Kelly

President Bush's immigration bill has the country in an uproar. One conservative talk radio host called it the Amnesty Bill, and reported polls stating that 84% of Republicans and 55% of Democrats are against it, preferring that our border be secured prior to dealing with the question of what to do with the large illegal population.

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Tuesday, June 26, 2007

No-Compromise Politics

Roy Meachum

Politics have been described since before I was a boy as the art of compromise. Former Frederick Mayor Jennifer Dougherty doubtless heard that definition, but rejected it flat out.

The Politics of Coffee

Katie Nash

Adam Schultz, a member of the Democratic Central Committee, shares my passion for local politics and coffee.

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Monday, June 25, 2007

Saturday in the Field

Richard B. Weldon Jr.

One of my favorite bands from my youth is Chicago. One of their signature songs is called Saturday in the Park. The band sings about spending a warm summer's day in a park, with people escaping the bonds of city living for an afternoon outdoors.

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Friday, June 22, 2007

An American "Hamlet" for the Ages

Roy Meachum

Even people unfamiliar with Shakespeare's first name know of "Hamlet." It is by far the most performed and the most quoted English-language tragedy, which I first saw and heard, by coincidence, in French.

Questions Surround Moonlighting Deputies

George Wenschhof

The recent action by Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins to discontinue the practice of deputies using patrol cars and wearing their uniforms while working second jobs may have opened the door for more questions.

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Thursday, June 21, 2007

The Coming Sideshow

Chris Cavey

Many traditional and annual events occur in the fall, fairs, festivals, the World Series, plus the outstanding beauty of Mother Nature as Maryland's trees burst into full autumn colors. This year, however, Maryland will witness a very unique event as legislators convene in Annapolis, in special session, for the sole purpose of raising your taxes.

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Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Earmarks: A Bridge to Bankruptcy

Kevin E. Dayhoff

After months of bitter fighting, the surge on "earmarks," our own homegrown version of economic terrorism, continues to meet stiff resistance.

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Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Bringing the Department Together

Roy Meachum

Chuck Jenkins sparked this weekend the first genuine rhubarb since he was sworn in as sheriff last December. He announced moonlighting deputies could no longer wear their county uniforms or provide their off-duty employers the great benefit of their marked vehicles.

To Pay and To Protect.

Farrell Keough

Much ado about nothing. Well, sort of. The change in the Frederick County Sheriff Office with respect to off-duty officers hit the fan last weekend. I guess it was a slow news day or someone wanted to stir up trouble.

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Monday, June 18, 2007

Political Issues Deficit Disorder

Richard B. Weldon Jr.

Okay, it's too hard to focus on just one aspect of the cornucopia of political news spilling out, especially the news from Annapolis. Instead of one long analysis of one issue, my attention this week will wander over a bumper crop of fun, ironic, and pathetic stuff.