“Is $350 million in federal stimulus dollars a lowball estimate?”

My question dealt with the amount Governor O’Malley had included in his budget. I posed it a meeting yesterday afternoon.

Based on what I knew about President Obama’s proposal, I expected the answer to be yes.

Indeed it is.

“O’Malley postpones plans as $3.5 billion expected for Md. during next two years,” read the headline in today’s Baltimore Sun.

It’s prudent budgeting to err on the conservative side when estimating the amount of money Maryland will receive. But now the stimulus cards are on the table.

Legislators and interest groups will now urge the Governor to use this additional money for the programs nearest and dearest to their hearts.

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“Morning Joe” on MSNBC this morning and a friend’s email about the effect of Obama’s election on our political dialogue prompted me to respond:

“The buffoons on the right will be reduced to saying nasty things and called to task for it to a degree that they were not when the right wing was in the ascendancy. eg, Rush Limbaugh saying he hopes Obama fails.

“The more sophisticated on the right will say things that sound plausible but are simply untrue. Tucker Carlson on MSNBC this a.m.: New Deal didn’t work, can you name a successful government job training program or government decision about what industry should be favored?

“Obama’s policies and rhetoric and the public’s desire for him to succeed will outweigh the false claims of the right.

“And demographics are not on the side of the right. Even young evangelicals are significantly more open minded on social issues than their elders.”