I think many of us on the right were predicting this very performance out of this perennial wannabe.
I'm sorry to be slow to comment, but I don't think Franchot's so far off base. Notwithstanding the cite to authority in the "Article VI Section 2" of the Maryland Constitution, any decent Crablawyer should be able to tell you that there's an awful lot of statutory authority given to the Comptroller's office. Much of it does indeed relate to economic development, consumer protection and, yes, even petroleum regulation. (Just flip through the pages of the State Finance or Tax-General or Business Regulation Articles of the Maryland Code.)
Truth is, and for example, we just haven't had a comptroller with any commitment whatsoever to environmental protection. So the fact that Franchot actually used the given powers of his office to derail an absolutely absurd Kent Island development shouldn't be seen as an effort to expand beyond the Constitutional powers of his office, but rather a progressive use of his legitimate statuory powers and responsibilities.
While Maryland is without question solidly Democrat, I really think that the majority of those Dems are moderates, or slightly to the the left of moderate. I would put myself in that category, at least socially. Franchot on the other hand, is quickly becoming the face of what may soon be the new far-left lunatic Maryland. I have never rooted for Mike Miller, but man, if it's him vs. Franchot, I'll be holding the spit bucket in Mikey's corner. Franchot is obviously gunning for a loooong political career on the national level. Let's hope that doesn't happen.
Takoma Park is very capably represented by Senator Jamin Raskin, a man endowed with neither stupidity nor shyness nor a conservative bone in his body. I don't know that Raskin has any defects in his liberal policy advocacy that Franchot needs to shore up. Franchot is an attorney, and apparently finds the day-to-day job of administering tax collection to be a bore. I don't blame him; it's routine work and Franchot is not a routine guy. So out of imperialist arrogance, tedium at a tedious job and a commitment to the left wing of the left wing of his party, he runs as a solution looking for a problem, apparently scouring the Annotated Code with an attorney's eye looking for a trashcan to kick.
Not everyone has the Sitzfleisch and the humility to sit his ass down and do his day job. Oh well. At least he isn't committing sexual harassment during meetings of the Board of Public Works, though in my book you don't actually get a star next to your name and a cookie for that.
Commenting by HaloScan
