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Former MoCo Exec Doug Duncan is back in action.

Not in the fun-filled frenzy of politics, but in getting the word out about mental health wellness.

This week, the MoCo Mental Health Association released its new public service announcement about mental health issues, featuring Duncan in the 30-second spot.

"Mental health issues touch everyone. I should know; it has affected me and my family," the former exec says in the voice-over. He and his wife, Barbara, are co-chairs of the organization's campaign.

Between October and December 2008 — coinciding with the economic downturn — calls to MHA increased by more than 500 compared with the same period of 2007.

Duncan, who served 12 years as exec in Montgomery, dropped out of the gubernatorial campaign in 2006 due to chronic depression. Within three days of that announcement, the county MHA received 1,000 calls from people dealing with mental health issues.

Three years and professional help later, Duncan said he is now doing "well."

He spoke easily about mental health services, as well as his own mental health issues.

But when the conversation turned to politics, Duncan was a little less forthcoming. When asked whether he would re-enter the political realm, "I'm not sure," "never say never," "can't rule anything out" were his responses of choice. One thing's for sure, he said, patting his midsection — before running for any office he'd have to "get down to campaign weight."

— Janel Davis

Oh, Kermie!

Sticks and stones may break your bones, but names can bring down the pork industry.

Within days of the recent swine flu outbreak, government officials — including U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, former governor of the hog heaven that is Iowa — were referring to the disease as the H1N1 virus.

Whether it was concern that the nom de plume was hurting pig farmers or propagating the inaccurate notion that the virus was spread by eating pork, government officials continued the rebranding this week.

Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Secretary John Colmers on Tuesday corrected a reporter who asked a question about the swine flu.

"H1N1," he said. "Miss Piggy gets upset."

— Sean R. Sedam

Clean sweep in '10?

Democrats hold nearly every elected office in Charles County after the 2006 tidal wave swept all but a handful of Republicans from their posts.

Now, the highest-ranking GOP survivor — Register of Wills Susie Bowles — has a target on her back.

The marksman is 24-year-old law school student Matt Simpson, a local Democratic Central Committee member, who says it's time that his generation takes charge of its future.

"Nothing against Susie, but she [will have] been in there for 20 years, and maybe it's time for someone new," he said. "It's time that Charles County has a new face in politics and a new generation of leadership."

Simpson also says the register should have a law degree, which he will receive from the University of Baltimore School of Law this December. (Only one of the state's current 24 registers of wills — Carroll County's Paul Zimmermann — is an attorney.)

Already, Simpson boasts an impressive resume. He's done pro bono work with the Attorney General's Office, worked with the legislative committee of the Maryland State's Attorneys' Association and clerked for Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Lynn Stewart.

Bowles, who ran unopposed in 2006 and is the subject of an ongoing ethics probe into her request to be added to the county retirement system while receiving state benefits, acknowledges that the county has become more blue, and the next election may be her most difficult.

"I recognize the demographics of the county are changing, but I also believe people recognize me and recognize the work I've done," she said. "I have just as much Democratic support as I do Republican [support]."

— Alan Brody

The gift that keeps on giving

Mac Middleton has a family problem.

He's a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat, but his son-in-law is a die-hard Republican.

So when his daughter gave Middleton his second grandson recently, the senator decided to get a clever gift for the newborn that is a reminder of the family's political roots.

"I got him a voter registration card," he joked at the Charles County Democrats' Truman-Kennedy dinner Saturday.

That's taking voter recruitment to a whole new level.

— Alan Brody

O'Malley on Memory Lane

Sarah Palin can see Russia from her house.

Martin O'Malley can see his house from Research Boulevard in Rockville — almost.

On Monday, Maryland's governor visited Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation, a nonprofit biotech lab in Rockville near where he grew up.

"I can almost see the roof of my mother's home," O'Malley said at a news conference outside the Aeras headquarters.

O'Malley pointed out the Best Western Washington Gateway Hotel, formerly a Ramada Inn where visiting family would stay. He said he caught the school bus to Lakewood Elementary School nearby.

"And that was our Shell station," he said, pointing down the street.

— Sean R. Sedam

The Power of I-95

O'Malley was in Rockville on Monday to announce the creation of the Maryland Biotechnology Center, a "one-stop shop" that will have two offices — one in Rockville and one in Baltimore.

"Sort of our wishbone offense at both ends of [Interstate] 95," O'Malley said.

— Sean R. Sedam

Blowing their own horns

O'Malley brought on the bombast in touting Maryland's place in the world of life sciences, but the biggest blow for biotech at Monday's presser came from two Canadians.

The guv cited the work of Jeffrey Sachs, a Columbia University economist who, in a 2002 article in The Economist titled "Weapons of Mass Salvation," argued that smart people working to eradicate disease are more valuable than smart bombs.

"We are from this place unleashing the weapons of mass salvation," O'Malley said as he stood in front of Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation in Rockville, where scientists are developing an aerosol tuberculosis vaccine.

On Wednesday, state officials announced Maryland's BIO 2020 strategic plan at the 2009 Bio International Convention in Atlanta.

In previewing the announcement Monday, O'Malley promised "the biggest, baddest, best booth at the biotech conference."

The plan recommends ways to grow jobs in the biotech sector, to give companies access to capital and to grow Maryland as a leader in bioscience research, talent and work force development.

"If you stand still you fall behind," U.S. Rep. Chris Van Hollen said, adding that "you need a strategy so you can continue to be part of these groundbreaking discoveries."

Providing more effective and less-costly medical treatments will be part of the upcoming congressional debate over health care, Van Hollen said over the honks of two Canada geese that suddenly performed a fly-by of the news conference.

"Honk if you like what we're doing here," Van Hollen said.

— Sean R. Sedam

Death of a racing tradition

A smaller, more sedate crowd took to the Pimlico infield for Saturday's 134th running of the Preakness Stakes. Gone were the coolers and portable toilet rooftop races — though a Baltimore Sun blog reported that race organizers offered a virtual rooftop racing video game.

(Those not familiar with the, er, tradition, can research it by going to YouTube for "Preakness Toilet Run 2008" or simply "Dumbest guy at Preakness.")

"People who run [the Preakness] made a determination that they wanted to change the demographic of the infield," O'Malley said Monday.

That change will take time, said O'Malley, who reportedly refrained from dishing about the infield experience he had as a 20-something when questioned by reporters Saturday.

While attendance was down, betting was up, a sign that people "had a better time," O'Malley said Monday. One reason: "They did not have to dodge bodies taking part in the outhouse dash," he said.

— Sean R. Sedam

Solidarity?

Maryland Secretary of Aging (and former state senator) Gloria Lawlah spent some of her unpaid furlough hours volunteering with the Vietnamese Senior Association and serving lunch to about 50 seniors Tuesday at the Long Branch Senior Center in Silver Spring.

That made us wonder how many current lawmakers, who aren't part of the mandatory-days-off plan, have stepped to the plate to stand with regular state workers.

Forty of 47 senators returned some pay to the state treasury, a list from the Senate president's office shows.

Among the donors were 31 of 33 Democrats and nine of 14 Republicans.

According to a list obtained from the House Speaker's office, 119 of 141 have contributed some amount.

Among Republicans, 25 of 36 anted up, as did 93 of 104 Democrats. Also, there was one independent.

— Margie Hyslop