Legum’s New Line

The Republican Women of Anne Arundel County have removed letter from their president which compared President Obama to Adolf Hitler from their website. The following “urgent message” now appears on their website from the group’s Board of Directors.

The article put on our web site by Joyce Thomann was done solely by her. Our Board of Directors never saw the article and would never have approved it. We are not in support of Mrs. Thomann’s personal thoughts ot [sic] opinions.

Ms. Thomann’s husband, however, is still defending the letter.

UPDATE: Ms. Thomann apologizes.

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Scott Bowling, a GOP candidate for Alderman in Annapolis, has a issued a press release blasting Joyce Thomann, head of the Republican Women of Anne Arundel County, for comparing President Obama to Hitler. He also announced he was returning Ms. Thomann’s contribution to his campaign. An excerpt:

I forcefully reject this view enunciated by Ms. Thomann, and find the use of this inflammatory rhetoric unacceptable, useless and destructive. Speaking for myself, I fail to see any merit to the statements offered, and believe that these kinds of statements are contrary to my goal of vigorous, civil debate on all issues.

…Ms Thomann does not speak for me, nor have a role in my candidacy. I am, in light of this letter, returning the contribution Ms. Thomann made to my campaign for Ward 3 Alderman, to express my absolute condemnation of this comparison.

Earlier this week I wrote that the members of Maryland’s Republican Party should “speak up and make it clear that the group’s offensive rhetoric about President Obama is unacceptable.” Bowling has done so and should be commended for it.

It remains to be seen whether other prominent Republicans in the Annapolis area, including the presumptive mayoral nominee Dave Cordle, will follow suit.

UPDATE: Cordle writes to say that he has contacted Ms. Thomann and expressed his disapproval with her comments.

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The Republican Women of Anne Arundel County, one of Maryland’s most prominent Republican organizations, has launched an outrageous attack on President Barack Obama. The website currently features a letter from Joyce E. Thoman, the organization’s President, comparing Barack Obama to Hitler. An excerpt:

Dear Friends:

Obama and Hitler have a great deal in common in my view. Obama and Hitler use the “blitzkrieg” method to overwhelm their enemies. FAST, CARPET BOMBING intent on destruction. Hitler’s blitzkrieg bombing destroyed many European cities – quickly and effectively. Obama is systematically destroying the American economy and with it AMERICA. First the banking/investment industry, next private enterprise (GM and Chrysler) and now HEALTH CARE. And he is working on grabbing more of the American economy with his environmental extremism!

We too CAN fight back. Contact everyone you know. Start a blitzkrieg of our own. Shut down the Capitol switchboards and the White House switchboards! Say NO to the Obamination of Obama Care!

The Republican Women of Anne Arundel County, which holds a weekly breakfast, is regularly visited and praised by Maryland’s Republican leadership. When former Gov. Bob Ehrlich (R) was a Member of Congress he praised the organization of floor of the House of Representatives:

Mr. EHRLICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an organization in my district celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. The Republican Women of Anne Arundel County was formed in 1937 as the Federation of Republican Women of Anne Arundel County. Its founder was Edna Payne of Annapolis…Mr. Speaker, this organization is a living example of the spirit of citizenship envisioned by the founders of this great Nation. Political and charitable participation are the duties of everyone in a true democracy. The Republican Women of Anne Arundel County regularly prove that actions speak louder than words. I want to congratulate them on reaching this 60th anniversary milestone.

It’s time for Bob Ehrlich and the rest of Maryland’s Republican Party to speak up and make it clear that the group’s offensive rhetoric about President Obama is unacceptable.

[HT: Annapolis Capital Punishment]

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WTOP breaks the news that BGE is starting to shut off power to 74,000 Marylanders who are behind on their payments:

BGE says its has started cutting off power to tens of thousands of its customers…

Back in April the Maryland Public Service Commission issued an order that placed limits on power companies in the state when it came to turning off service to those who don’t pay their bills. The order required the state’s largest power companies to offer interest free repayment plans for up to one year before termination…

According to the company, 74-thousand customers are in arrears and have not taken any action after receiving letters and phone calls.

When you have over 70,000 people in the state who can’t afford to pay their electricity bill, you know that something is systematically wrong with the system.

Maryland is facing a major energy shortage that will only drive prices higher.

Major reform is need so that people can keep their lights on and, over the long term, get their bills down.

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The Maryland League of Conservation Voters just released their annual legislative scorecard for 2009. Executive Director Cindy Schwartz writes, “Ultimately, this scorecard is about YOU — the conservation voter. It is a tool to see how well your representatives performed when it really mattered.”

In my home, District 30, Speaker Mike Busch (D) and Del. Virginia Clagett (D) both scored 100%. Del. Ron George (R) scored 50%, losing points for voting against: a bill that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2020, a bill requiring new septic systems to use nitrogen removing technology, and a bill that allows citizens to challenge in court permit decisions that affect our environment.

You can see how your representatives voted below:

Full disclosure: I am a candidate for Delegate in District 30.

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It’s an election year here in Annapolis. There are six Democratic candidates running for mayor and all will be at a forum next Wednesday hosted by the District 30 Democratic Club. Here are the details:

Wednesday, June 24, 6:30 p.m. (doors open at 6). All declared Democratic candidates for mayor of Annapolis–Josh Cohen, Trudy McFall, Zina Pierre, Gilbert Renaut, Sam Shropshire and Wayne Taylor–will take part in a Democratic Mayoral Candidates Forum at the District 30 Democratic Club’s monthly meeting. At Loews Annapolis Hotel, 126 West Street, Annapolis. Submit a question in advance by writing to D30 Dem Club board member Carolyn Rodis at cjrodis@yahoo.com. For more info, contact club president Sarah Flynn at 410-268-2966 or sarahflynn@comcast.net or see www.md30dems.org.

I’m planning on attending and will post some video of the event on this blog shortly thereafter.

Full disclosure: I’m volunteering on Josh Cohen’s campaign for Mayor of Annapolis.

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Earlier, I wrote about a new lawsuit that alleges Wells Fargo systematically pushed African-Americans into subprime loans even when they qualified for a prime rate.

Tomorrow, the Baltimore Economic Crisis Response Network is organizing a protest of Wells Fargo. Some info from the organizers:

Where: Wells Fargo Home Financial Office. 1118 Light Street, Baltimore, MD 21230.

When: Thursday, June 11th, 4:30 p.m.

Why: Wells Fargo received $25 Billion in Federal funds as part of the banking bailout. Now they are refusing to extend credit to small businesses and refusing to work with homeowners to avoid foreclosures.

We will serve a “notice of default” to Wells Fargo for misusing taxpayer funds.

You can read more about the lawsuit against Wells Fargo at TPMmuckraker

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As I get started on a campaign for delegate, I’m spending a lot of time attending events. One of the things I want to do on this blog (with the help of my Flip Mino HD) is to bring you the most interesting moments.

Last night, I attended the Equality Maryland Gala in Bethesda. Cynthia Nixon, who played Miranda on Sex and the City, was the keynote speaker. She gave an impassioned speech which featured a shot at Senate President Mike Miller for his opposition to same-sex marriage.

Watch it:

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The collapse of the sub-prime mortgage industry is a major cause of the current economic recession. In many instances, these loans went bad because it enabled people to purchase homes they could not afford.

But now, a new law suit alleges that, in Baltimore, Wells Fargo systematically pushed African-American customers into sub-prime mortgages even when they qualified for a prime loan. The New York Times has the story:

As she describes it, Beth Jacobson and her fellow loan officers at Wells Fargo Bank “rode the stagecoach from hell” for a decade, systematically singling out blacks in Baltimore and suburban Maryland for high-interest subprime mortgages.

These loans, Baltimore officials have claimed in a federal lawsuit against Wells Fargo, tipped hundreds of homeowners into foreclosure and cost the city tens of millions of dollars in taxes and city services…Another loan officer stated in an affidavit filed last week that employees had referred to blacks as “mud people” and to subprime lending as “ghetto loans.”

…Both loan officers said the bank had given bonuses to loan officers who referred borrowers who should have qualified for a prime loan to the subprime division.

Many of the individuals who were pushed into these loans may have been able to avoid foreclosure if they were offered the prime loans for which they were qualified. A sub-prime loan on a typical $165,000 mortgage “adds more than $100,000 in interest payments.”

Wells Fargo received $25 billion from taxpayers so that it could remain adequately capitalized despite holding “troubled assets,” particularly subprime loans.

Read more coverage of the story in the Baltimore Sun and the Maryland Daily Record.

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