Dec. 29, 2006: This was one weird year Doug Tallman, Gazette
9Jan2018: My note - - I was doing file maintenance on the
top stories from years past and came across this one from Doug Tallman. It is
one my favorite year-end stories.
As a matter of fact, it is one of my favorite stories, among
many favorite stories written by Doug Tallman. Doug runs neck and neck with
Katherine Heerbrandt, Bryan Sears, and Carrie Knauer, on my list of favorite
story writers over the years. Just saying.
So, anyway, Doug wrote this in the Gazette on Dec. 29, 2006
– and I was surprised to see that it is still up on the web. (I wish my old
stories were still on the web – but that is another subject for another day.
For me, 2000 stories later, and sadly only a fraction are still on the web….
Sad.
So, Doug wrote: “This was one weird year — and don’t forget
the rats! - From ogling to challenging fitness for the office, 2006 was full of
unexpected twists and turns,” Friday, Dec. 29, 2006 by Douglas Tallman, Staff
Writer
ANNAPOLIS — There were times in 2006 when it was hard to
keep a straight face.
It was the year a political icon asked a comely aide to walk
away so he could get another view of her derriere. On Election Day, voters
asked the icon to do the same.
It was the year a quick-thinking politician administered the
Heimlich maneuver to a choking man, who turned out to be his political rival.
It was the year an attorney general candidate was barred
from running. Days before Election Day, another AG candidate faced a similar
challenge.
And it was the year that the renovation of Annapolis office
space led to rats roaming the hallways.
‘‘It looks like a Mel Brooks movie,” said D. Bruce Poole, a
former House majority leader who observed the state capital’s shenanigans from
a safe distance, his law office in Hagerstown.