Publicity

Senate candidate Kweisi Mfume supported slots at Pimlico to save racing jobs while potential candidate Mike Steele tours towns. And Roscoe Bartlett announced that he's run for reelection at a fundraiser featuring Speaker Dennis Hastert.

Dan Rodricks of the Sun let loose on Doug Gansler for putting the snipers on trial is MoCo:

Pardon my skepticism about all this, but Gansler has a well-earned reputation for being a publicity hound, never missing an opportunity get in front of a TV camera. He's been chastised by the Maryland Attorney Grievance Commission for shooting his mouth off - conducting news conferences that violate pretrial publicity standards. In 2002, the commission said comments Gansler made in three Montgomery cases were "inappropriate and inflammatory."

Plus, guy's been wanting to run for attorney general, and he probably will next year in the Democratic primary.

So, while Gansler might be compelled by his office to prosecute Malvo and Muhammad in Montgomery County, and while he might even be sincere about a trial as emotional catharsis, his reputation for grandstanding makes this look suspiciously like a long, drawn-out, publicly financed campaign event for a politically ambitious prosecutor.