Rolle and Duck

Progressive Maryland and the Maryland NAACP confronted Rep. Bartlett in what seems like a rare show of grassroots activism in western Maryland yesterday. Although the Dem nominee Andrew Duck is a bit of a longshot, it makes it a bit more interesting and after Al Wynn’s recent near-defeat, anything is possible in the anti-incumbent mood of today.

Have you thought about Scott Rolle lately? He’s the ambitious Frederick County state's attorney who challenged Bartlett from the right for the western Maryland seat in Congress two years ago. Now Rolle is running a quixotic campaign for attorney general against Doug Gansler. No one gives Rolle much chance of actually winning, but I guess if it gets him back in the good graces of the Republican establishment (Ehrlich has been saying nice things about him and apparently Bartlett gave him several thousand earlier this year) by improving turnout in the more conservative counties in the west, then he’ll have smooth sailing when the 80 year old Bartlett decides to retire.

Many Maryland progressives have to sit with me in the corner because we largely sat out Donna Edwards' challenge to Al Wynn, thinking she wouldn't get close (even though we knew he was vulnerable). So, so as not to let this happen again, I thought I should look closely at the two Republican Members of Congress from Maryland -- Bartlett and Wayne Gilchrest from the Eastern Shore to decide whether Democrats should be focusing on helping their opponents before that November Tuesday. Anyone know anything interesting about the incumbents or their challengers?