The Runback: What I've Missed
Welcome to another week of The Runback. Have you been enjoying The Duckpin? Do you have comments or suggestions? Do you want to write for us? Let me know at theduckpin@gmail.com. And please be sure to follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Thanks in advance.
News and Politics
Contesting Maryland’s CD 6 with a More Competitive MoCo Campaign: Former Delegate Brenda Thiam Launches in Germantown
Dan Cox Lied About Congressional Filing: Someone working on Dan Cox's behalf filed paperwork for Cox's seemingly aborted Congressional Run. This may create legal and professional problems for Cox
Candidate Surveys
American Eats
Our new 50-part series on great restaurants across America continues.
Indiana: Chili on spaghetti?
Iowa Say what?
Kansas <tumbleweeds>
Kentucky Are you down with the Brown?
Louisiana Macca
Maine: Poutots!
Maryland: What does The Duckpin have to do with this?
The Monday Thought
In case you haven’t figured it out from the pre-scheduled posting for the last two weeks, I’ve been on vacation. Signed out of Twitter. Put my phone on Do Not Disturb. Muted everything.
So I’m just now getting back into the swing of things, including learning about the latest in Dan Cox’s life.
Anyway, a few thoughts on some things that have been percolating in the world since I left.
Maryland is kicking off some town halls soon about the Climate Solutions Act, with Town Halls across the state. They are, of course, at far-flung locations far from where the Marylanders most affected by the act live. There is a whole one online town hall session that will be open to the entire state, so that probably is your best bet.
You probably won’t get many chances to have Democrats ignore you to your face listen to your concerns about how the Climate Solutions Act will hurt working people, so make use of it while you can.
Donald Trump expects to be indicted again. He received a target letter from Special Counsel Jack Smith in relation to his work on the January 6th Investigation. That will bring the total number of criminal cases against Trump to three, with a fourth likely coming down the pike with Georgia. None of this of course matters in the 2024 Presidential Primary because Republican voters have largely given up on ethics.
Ron DeSantis wants to sue Bud Light. With his Presidential campaign going down in flames, Ron DeStatist DeSantis wants to open up another legal avenue in the culture wars to take on Anheuser-Busch over the Dylan Mulvaney dust-up. Yes, for real:
"When you start pursuing a political agenda at the expense of your shareholders, that's not just impacting very wealthy people, it impacts hardworking people who were firefighters, police officers and teachers," DeSantis told Fox News.
"And it could be something that leads to a derivative lawsuit filed on behalf of the shareholders of the Florida pension fund," he added. "Because, at the end of the day, there's got to be penalties for when you put business aside to focus on your social agenda at the expense of hardworking people."
It’s hard to see how DeSantis would stick that particular landing. It isn’t like any Anheuser-Busch executives were doing anything illegal. They just did something that DeSantis didn’t particularly agree with. More than likely, this is little more than bluster on DeSantis part and does more to remind us that the
"New Right” is just as statist as any modern Democrat.
Jamie Raskin is not running for the U.S. Senate. With everything that is going on in his life, from losing his son to beating cancer, it’s hard to blame him. Of course, the allure of moving up the House Seniority Food Chain and becoming Chair of the House Oversight Committee if Democrats retake the House probably had something to do with his thinking.
The Orioles are on fire.
The Orioles took three-of-four in Tampa Bay over the weekend and now have a two-game lead over the Rays for the AL East Lead. The O’s also have the best record in baseball.
The trade deadline is in a little over a week. It will be interesting to see what moves are made (and there better be moves to be made). The dealing started when the Orioles acquired Shintaro Fujinami from Oakland for Easton Lucas, a 26-year old Double-A Pitcher acquired in the 2020 Jonathan Villar salary dump. It’s basically a free look at a guy who can hopefully give you meaningful late-inning relief.
That being said, the Orioles still need more bullpen help and probably another starting pitcher for October(!). No, I don’t believe that the team will trade for Shohei Ohtani, so as cool as that would be don’t get your hopes up.
Now that I’m back, onward and upward.