“Keep your friends close,” the Godfather said, “but keep your enemies closer.“

There is an Annapolis analogy.

When you’re strategizing how to pass your bill, you want to organize your friends and meet with your opponents.

They’re not enemies in Annapolis, because on another bill they may be your friends.

(But there are some opponents who are always your opponents.)

I met today with the lobbyists for a group who killed my legislation on a certain issue last year.

I pared down the bill this year, hoping that would give us room to negotiate.

After our meeting today, we’re closer to an agreement than I expected.

Meanwhile, the policy of the Hogan Administration is to remain neutral on most bills.

The Department “would like to share information about the proposed bill,” read one statement today. “We ask for careful consideration” of this legislation, stated another.

In both instances, however, the details of the letters made it clear that the Administration opposed the legislation.

Even Fredo, the Godfather’s less intelligent son, would have figured that out.