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With humor and outrage, Raskin prosecutes the case against Trump and his MAGA allies – Maryland Matters

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With humor and outrage, Raskin prosecutes the case against Trump and his MAGA allies – Maryland Matters


CHICAGO — During his first campaign for public office in 2006, when he ousted a 32-year state senator in the Democratic primary, U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-8th) called his scores of youthful volunteers “the democracy corps.”

That loose amalgamation of youthful energy has morphed through the years into the Democracy Summer, a robust program sponsored by Raskin and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee that dispatches young people across the country to work for progressive candidates and causes.

But “Democracy Summer” could also describe part of the campaign Democrats are waging against former President Donald Trump and his political allies.

And Raskin has been right in the thick of it.

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Already he’s been on the road to two dozen states this election cycle, campaigning for — and sometimes against — various candidates. He’s been moving frenetically throughout Chicago during the Democratic National Convention this week, speaking to several groups. And on Monday evening, he became the first of three high-profile Maryland political leaders to speak on the convention floor in prime time (Gov. Wes Moore and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks were the others).

All the while he’s been delivering good-humored zingers at his political foes that also expose the severity of the challenges facing the U.S.

Raskin’s floor speech was keyed to his experience as a constitutional scholar — and his roles as the impeachment manager of Trump’s second trial and as a key member of the special House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Much of his speech focused on that terrifying day — though he began it by saying, “Hello, America! Welcome to democracy convention!”

He went on to prosecute the case against Trump and his running mate, U.S. Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio).

“Make no mistake, a man who uses fraud, theft and violence to take power will commit any crime to keep it,” Raskin told the delegates. “We’re going to defeat Donald Trump, the career criminal and incorrigible recidivist con man and his pet chameleon, JD Vance.”

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But the convention speech was just part of Raskin’s agenda this week.

According to a schedule provided by the congressman’s campaign office, Raskin has spoken to eight state delegations, including Maryland — almost as many as Moore. He spoke at a meeting of the Democratic National Committee’s Interfaith Council and at a meeting of the DNC’s Climate Crisis Council. And he hosted one of the Maryland delegation’s late-night after-parties, at Harry Caray’s Tavern on Chicago’s Navy Pier — a celebration that seemed very much in Raskin’s image.

There, he hosted a reunion of some members of the indie band The Dispatch, which thrilled some members of the Maryland convention delegation.

“My favorite band,” said the party chair, Ken Ulman.

“The soundtrack to my college years,” said Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater (D).

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There, the band played some songs from a rock opera that Dispatch leader Chad Stokes has written called “1972,” which follows a young woman who is attempting to obtain an illegal abortion and features some of the characters she meets along the way.

Raskin advised the schmoozing politicos to go outside if they didn’t want to listen to the music. But first, he introduced the crowd to Harry Dunn, the former U.S. Capitol Police officer whom Raskin credited with saving his life, and to Michael Cohen, Trump’s former attorney and fixer, whom Raskin called “a born-again patriot.”

‘Everyone has their own Sugar Daddy’

At midday Thursday, a large room in a makeshift space in downtown Chicago known as the Democracy House was like an MSNBC junkie’s dream. Assembled there to discuss the prospects for reforming the Supreme Court were Melissa Murray, a New York University law professor and MSNBC commentator; Elie Mystal, the justice reporter for The Nation magazine, who can summon outrage the way most people breathe; Michael Waldman, the director of the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University Law School, who has written a book about the court; Adrianne Shropshire, the director of Black PAC, an organization that mobilizes Black voters; U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee; and Raskin.

For the congressman, shining a spotlight on the Supreme Court is part of his crusade to save democracy.

“There’s a fantastic ethics crisis taking place on the court,” Raskin told the crowd.

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When Murray referred to the court as “a millionaire emotional support group,” Raskin chimed in, “Everyone [on the court] has their own Sugar Daddy … The nation’s highest court has the lowest ethics. Anyone in Congress would be in jail” if they accepted favors from rich benefactors the way Raskin said some justices do.

Whitehouse suggested something sinister has been afoot at the high court for years, but that it only began to come into focus after justices voted to repeal Roe v. Wade in 2022.

“You cannot explain this court with the term conservative,” he said. “That is the wrong term to use. You have to use the term covert operation. Or regulatory capture.”

Mystal called Leonard Leo, who as head of the Federalist Society promoted conservatives for federal judgeships, “a groomer.”

“People like [Justices] Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, they were not born, they were made in a lab by Leonard Leo,” he said.

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Shropshire said that Black voters have become increasingly alarmed about the direction of the Supreme Court since justices began chipping away at voting rights laws. When Black voters are asked by pollsters what they fear most, the Supreme Court comes in second, behind Trump’s reelection.

“I think all of us have to fall out of love with the Supreme Court of the United States,” Raskin said. “That doesn’t mean fall out of love with the Constitution or the Bill of Rights.”

Raskin lamented that he was planning to speak more about the Supreme Court during his convention address, but joked that he was asked by convention organizers to cut his 5,000-word speech down by 4,550 words. Still, he said, he was proud to use the term “Kangaroo Supreme Court of the United States” on the convention floor.

“I just want to note, this [conversation] is unusually spicy,” Murray said at one point.

‘Mustard that agrees with your Constitution’

Also spicy are the jars of mustard that Raskin has been handing out during convention week, “Jamie’s Strong & Sweet Democracy Mustard,” which features the slogan “Mustard that agrees with your Constitution” on its label.

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The mustard was produced by Raskin’s cousins, who operate the National Mustard Museum in Middleton, Wisconsin.

The jars went especially quickly when Raskin addressed the Maryland convention delegation Thursday morning, zinging insults at Trump and Republicans to the great joy of his audience. Noting Vance’s conversion from anti-Trumper in 2016 to Trump’s running mate in 2024, he said, “Everybody’s waiting for the big debate between our amazing nominee, Kamala Harris, and Donald Trump. I’m waiting for the debate between J,D. Vance and J.D. Vance.”

Raskin also said that in response to Republicans’ insistence on referring to Democrats as “The Democrat Party,” he has taken to calling Republicans “Banana Republicans.” When he informed his wife that he had “finally gotten back at them,” she observed, “That was an extremely immature response.”

But he’s still using the line, and there’s no rest for the weary: Raskin next takes his act on the road this weekend to Saranac Lake, N.Y., in the Adirondack Mountains — not exactly a hotbed of progressive politics — where he’ll be raising money for his own campaign and for Democracy Summer.

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Oregon football’s 3 keys to victory vs. Maryland in Big Ten matchup

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Oregon football’s 3 keys to victory vs. Maryland in Big Ten matchup


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The Oregon football team will put its consensus No. 1 ranking in the country to the test once again on Saturday against an unranked Maryland team fighting for bowl eligibility.

The Ducks (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten) will play the Terrapins (4-4, 1-4 Big Ten) at 4 p.m. in Autzen Stadium.

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Here are three keys to a successful outing for Oregon football at home.

Continue to roll with punches amid injuries to key players

Though the Ducks were bolstered by the returns of stars such as tight end Terrance Ferguson and edge Jordan Burch, they lost a few more key players last Saturday in leading receiver Tez Johnson and sixth-year offensive lineman Marcus Harper II.

Though it’s uncertain how long either player will be out, or if Harper, in particular, could appear this week against Maryland, the Ducks have a plan for their absences.

“I’m confident that we’ve shown there’s a lot of guys that can play winning football for us right now,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. “Who that’ll be come Saturday, I’ll leave that for us to figure out in-house, but we’ve got a lot of guys that can play winning football for us, and there’s gonna be some guys that step up, like we’ve had all season.”

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In the immediate term, Traeshon Holden had a career day at Michigan while Johnson sat on the sidelines, hauling in six passes for 149 yards, both career highs.

With Harper sidelined late in the game, sophomore Kawika Rogers stepped up to play at right guard on the final drive that sealed the game after playing sparingly this season.

Oregon football must contain Billy Edwards Jr., Maryland passing game

Only one team in the Big Ten has a better statistical passing offense than Oregon: the Terrapins.

Maryland is the only team in the conference that accounts for over 300 passing yards per game, with quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. throwing for 2,314 yards with 13 touchdowns and six interceptions.

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The Ducks’ passing defense ranks fifth in the Big Ten, giving up just 172.8 passing yards per game with opposing quarterbacks completing 55.7% of their passes.

“He’s extremely efficient,” Lanning said of Edwards. “He knows where to put the ball and when to put the ball there. I think they’ve done a good job of coaching him up. Where’s the extra hat, and how can I take advantage of advantage throws when those opportunities exist? And he’s been really accurate doing that.”

Ducks must continue to win ground game battle, control pace of game

Lanning has stressed the importance of stopping the run and outrushing opponents on a week-to-week basis throughout the season.

Despite playing a pass-heavy team, Lanning emphasized that point Monday this week.

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“The best defenses in college football, consistently, are always good at stopping the run,” Lanning said. “Teams that win football games are always good at running the ball and stopping the run. So that’s an important trait. But certainly you want to be able to take away a team’s strength.”

The Ducks rank seventh in the Big Ten in rushing yards per game (168.11) to Maryland’s 14th (119), but the Terrapins’ run defense is slightly better than the Ducks, ranking sixth in the Big Ten, giving up 105.25 rushing yards per game.

Though Oregon has outrushed most of the opponents it has played this season, Saturday’s game will be a test due to Maryland’s fast and pass-heavy pace of play.

Alec Dietz covers University of Oregon football, volleyball, women’s basketball and baseball for The Register-Guard. You may reach him at adietz@registerguard.com and you can follow him on X @AlecDietz.

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Election aftermath: Maryland's winners and losers – Maryland Matters

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Election aftermath: Maryland's winners and losers – Maryland Matters


It’s all over but the shouting.

The sheer scale of former President Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election was breathtaking — and will still require a lot of soul-searching and contemplation in a lot of corners of this country.

Here in Maryland, Election Day didn’t produce too many surprises. But still, there were consequential developments, and performances, and political trends, that are worth talking about.

So without further ado, here’s our list of winners and losers. It’s by no means complete. And we apologize in advance for any sins of commission or omission.

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Winner: Angela Alsobrooks

Another history-making political star is born in Maryland, and she’s headed to the U.S. Senate. Even her vanquished opponent, former Gov. Larry Hogan (R), said her election was something to celebrate — as is the fact that there will be two Black women serving together in the Senate for the first time in history.

After a shaky start, the Prince George’s County executive ran a disciplined, focused campaign and prosecuted the case against Hogan — who left office with mind-bending job approval ratings — almost flawlessly. She revealed just enough of herself, as a hardworking, conscientious public servant from humble beginnings, to connect with the voters.

But she won’t be going to Capitol Hill with the mission she envisioned. Instead of serving in a Democratic Senate, with a Democratic president who was a friend and mentor, Alsobrooks will be heading into hostile territory, dominated by Republicans. Her predecessor, outgoing U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D), managed to be productive under GOP majorities. That now becomes Alsobrooks’ challenge.

Winner: Sheila O’Connell

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The veteran Democratic strategist has now guided both of Maryland’s U.S. senators — Alsobrooks and Chris Van Hollen (D), who is about to become the state’s senior senator — to victory. Not bad…

Winner: Diversity in the state’s congressional delegation

Maryland has had zero women in its congressional delegation for the past eight years, but with Alsobrooks’ victory and Democratic state Sen. Sarah K. Elfreth’s win in the 3rd Congressional District puts two women in the state’s 10-member Capitol Hill contingent. Assuming April McClain Delaney (D) hangs on in the 6th District, that will make three of 10.

The record for women in Maryland’s delegation? Four. From 1987-1993, the state delegation included Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D) and Reps. Helen Delich Bentley (R-2nd), Beverly Byron (D-6th) and Connie Morella (R-8th).

With Alsobrooks’ election, the state will also have more Black members of Congress than ever before, as she joins Reps. Glenn Ivey (D-4th) and Kweisi Mfume (D-7th). And her victory comes on the heels of Wes Moore’s election as governor and Anthony Brown’s election as state attorney general in 2022, a reminder that Black politicians are prospering as candidates for statewide office in Maryland.

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Winner: Andy Harris

Maryland’s lone Republican member of Congress is a strong ally of President-elect Donald Trump and should see many of his priorities enacted — or initiatives that he hates blocked — in the next few years. Harris is currently the chair of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, whose ranks will grow in the next Congress. He’s rising in seniority. And the physician will invariably be considered for a high-ranking position in the Trump administration — most likely in the health care realm — if that’s something that interests him.

Loser: Neil Parrott

The third time does not appear to have been the charm for the Republican nominee in the 6th Congressional District, pending the count of the final mail-in ballots. Parrott is a canny guy, with a following, so his political career may not be over. But it seems highly unlikely that the GOP will want to nominate the ex-state lawmaker for this competitive congressional seat a fourth time.

The governors

Push: Larry Hogan

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Sure, he lost his high-profile Senate bid to Alsobrooks. But face it, he never wanted to be in the Senate anyway, as he said repeatedly over the years.

Hogan ran a high-profile race that regularly attracted national media attention, not to mention tens of millions of dollars. He kept Democrats at home and largely off-balance, with the threat that he could flip a long-held Democratic seat, and made Maryland matter this election cycle. And even though he lost in part because Democrats did such a good job of tying him to national Republicans, he managed to largely keep his independent reputation intact — at least with the national media.

Hogan’s goal is always to be part of the political conversation. He’ll always be welcome on the cable chat shows, and invariably, there will be speculation that he might run for governor again in 2026. So … mission accomplished!

Push: Wes Moore

Our energetic governor was a coveted surrogate for the Harris-Walz ticket and other Democrats around the country, engendering good will among fellow officeholders, party donors and activists, and notice from the national pundit class. He’ll undoubtedly be discussed as a potential Democratic candidate for president in 2028.

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But man, Trump’s victory and the likelihood of full Republican hegemony on Capitol Hill is a disaster for Moore’s policy priorities and many of Maryland’s federal funding imperatives, at a time when four senior members of Congress from Maryland are moving on. [Loser: Matthew Verghese, Moore’s director of federal relations and senior adviser. Sorry, Matt.] How does the state prepare and compensate?

And we wonder: Are Moore and his team ready for the additional and inevitable national scrutiny and expectations, especially when there are so many governing and funding challenges ahead? How does he balance the work that’s required at home with his presumed national ambitions? Where does he fit in the national conversation about the future of the Democratic Party? Who’s advising him on these matters?

Loser: Martin O’Malley

His term as commissioner of the Social Security Administration ends around the time Trump will reenter the White House in January, and there’s zero chance he’ll be reappointed, which means he’ll be  out of a job then. Adding to the indignity, Baltimore City voters ignored his advice to vote against Question F, a ballot measure that will pave the way for the redevelopment of the Inner Harbor.

The resistance

Push: Jamie Raskin

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Whether or not Democrats retake control of the U.S. House of Representatives, which may be a stretch at this point, Raskin will use his position as the top Democrat on the Oversight and Accountability Committee to serve as a counterweight to Trump and Republican excesses on a variety of fronts. Obviously being chair comes with real power, while being the ranking member at least provides a bully pulpit. We can only begin to imagine how bummed Raskin, who has spent the last several years defending freedom and the Constitution, must be feeling right now. But people will listen — even if they don’t hear.

Push: Anthony Brown

See Raskin, Jamie, above. Especially if Republicans have full control of the federal government, Democratic attorneys general like Brown could become the last line of defense against extreme Trump and Republican policies — a role Brown’s predecessor, Brian Frosh (D), performed well during Trump’s first term.

In a statement Wednesday, Brown acknowledged the challenges ahead and vowed to act against any federal actions that threaten Marylanders’ rights.

“No matter who sits in the White House, my dedication to protecting the rights and well-being of Maryland’s communities remains unwavering,” he said.

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The question is, how many federal judges remain who will be receptive to the Democratic AGs’ arguments?

The rest

Winners: Ambitious Montgomery County politicians

Now that MoCo voters have effectively booted County Executive Marc Elrich (D) by imposing a two-term limit that prevents him from seeking reelection in 2026, umpteen ambitious Montgomery Democrats, most of whom serve on the county council, can begin mobilizing in earnest to try to replace him.

How many will run in the end? How many will share the same political bases and cut into each others’ base of support? Are there any outsiders who could make a viable run in the Democratic primary? How many candidates will agree to use the county’s robust public financing system, minimizing the influence of special interest money?

And could 2026 finally be the year that Montgomery County elects a woman as county executive? They’ve already done it in Anne Arundel, Cecil, Frederick, Harford, Howard, Prince George’s and Wicomico counties, and in Baltimore City — but not in the jurisdiction that prides itself on being the most forward-looking and progressive in the state.

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Meanwhile, Elrich could have the last laugh: He’s contemplating running for a county council at-large seat again — a position he held for three terms before being elected executive in 2018. We would not bet against him.

Winner: Brandon Scott

Although he never had to sweat the general election, Scott (D) on Tuesday became the first Baltimore mayor to be reelected since Martin O’Malley in 2003. Because he looks like a kid, and sometimes displays a teen’s edgy energy, Scott is often underestimated. He shouldn’t be.

Winner: Zeke Cohen

Another political reformer wins citywide office. Cohen (D) will take over as Baltimore City Council president in December. That’s not a bad thing.

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Winner: Abortion rights

Seventy-four percent of state voters can’t be wrong.

Push: Prince George’s County

County residents, who often complain that they’re overlooked in the DMV, can and will take enormous pride in the election of Angela Alsobrooks as the state’s next U.S. senator. But Alsobrooks’ looming departure for greener political pastures comes at a potential cost to the county. For 14 years, even during crises like the pandemic, the county government had fairly stable and forward-looking leadership, after a major and deflating scandal — first under Rushern Baker (D), then under Alsobrooks (D).

Now the county enters a period of political transition and uncertainty, with even the method for picking Alsobrooks’ temporary successor not altogether clear. And many of the competent professionals who surrounded Alsobrooks in county government are likely to disburse.

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Loser: The Washington Post

The newspaper was roundly criticized, and rightfully so, after failing to endorse a presidential candidate for the first time since the 1970s. So much for “Democracy Dies in Darkness.”

But even people who saw great import in the Post’s White House endorsements conceded that a minuscule number of readers, at most, could be influenced by what the editorial board said about presidential candidates.

Where the Post could be, and has been, influential is with endorsements in local races. And this year, the paper all but abdicated that responsibility. In fact, the only Maryland general election in which the editorial board weighed in was the U.S. Senate race, opting for Alsobrooks over Hogan, though it praised both.

The New York Times this year announced that it would no longer endorse candidates in local races, though it did endorse Kamala Harris for president. Is the Post moving out of the endorsement business altogether? That would be a diminishment of its power and civic duty.

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Delaney, Parrott race for Maryland’s 6th District too close to call Wednesday

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Delaney, Parrott race for Maryland’s 6th District too close to call Wednesday


Democrat April McClain Delaney and conservative Republican Neil Parrott remain in a close contest Wednesday in Maryland’s most competitive U.S. House race.

The outcome of the race will determine whether Maryland’s 6th Congressional District continues being represented by Democrats or flips over to Republicans.

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With 84% of votes counted just before noon Wednesday, Delaney slightly led Parrott by a count of 160,138 to 159,823, according to the Associated Press.

Maryland’s 6th District covers a wide swath of rural western Maryland as well as the more affluent liberal suburbs of Washington, D.C.

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Delaney has campaigned heavily on issues impacting women, including abortion. She also pledged to protect reproductive freedoms in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to end the constitutional right to an abortion and leave such questions to individual states.

Parrott deflected questions about reproductive rights during the campaign. He also prioritized his commitment to lowering inflation, creating a stronger economy for middle-class families and stopping illegal immigration.

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Delaney, Parrott race for Maryland’s 6th District too close to call Wednesday

During the campaign, both candidates sought to paint one another as extreme and out of touch. 
Parrott claims Delaney is disconnected from the struggles of everyday Americans, as evidenced by her choice to live several miles outside the 6th District in an affluent suburb of Washington, D.C.

Delaney used the same argument against Parrott who is a longtime resident of Hagerstown, a small city in western Maryland surrounded by farmland.

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Tensions between the candidates erupted into a heated exchange during a public forum last month, demonstrating how even down-ballot races are becoming contentious and personal in the current political climate.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.



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