Reporters Notebook: Shoe drops! Harris is going after Gilchrest’s job!

Harris, who accused Gilchrest of straying from core Republican values, said he’s hoping to raise $650,000 before the Feb. 12 primary.

Gilchrest has easily fended off challenges before, both from Democrats and from within his own party. In fact, one of Harris’ supporters is Senate colleague Richard Colburn, who lost to Gilchrest in the 2004 primary.

Gilchrest’s pro-environment stances have irritated Republicans since he was first elected in 1990. A wounded Vietnam War veteran, Gilchrest has sparked even greater ire recently with his decision to repudiate his 2002 vote supporting the war in Iraq. He was one of only two House Republicans – North Carolina’s Walter Jones was the other — to support the Democratic troop withdrawal plan.

A May 8 profile in Reason magazine, which targets libertarian issues, referred to Gilchrest as ‘‘The Lonely Guy.” He told the magazine that neither the White House nor his party’s leadership seeks his consultation. ‘‘I give it out at the appropriate time. I’m just a little cog in this big wheel.”

Gilchrest added that he isn’t worried about a primary challenge from a pro-war candidate, such as Harris.

‘‘It’s inconvenient,” he told Reason. ‘‘My eternal soul will last a lot longer than my short, pathetic political career.”

— Alan Brodyand Douglas Tallman

Seeking fertile ground?

Senator Speedo, aka John Giannetti, and his wife Erin, a lobbyist for Capitol Strategies, have moved out of District 21 to Annapolis’ Hunt Meadow subdivision, right in the heart of District 30, we hear.

So it appears that there’ll be no three-peat for Jim Rosapepe, who last year trounced Democrat Giannetti in the primary and pummeled Republican Giannetti in the general.

A statesmanlike Rosapepe, who was traveling abroad this week, took no jabs at his ex-constituent. ‘‘I just wish him well,” he wrote via e-mail.

Dare we say that Giannetti could try to reclaim his spot in the Senate by challenging John Astle in 2010? Or, even better, he could try to oust Mike Busch in the House. But will it be as a D or an R or an I?

— Alan Brody

Strange bedfellows?

What were Dan Morhaim and Chris Shank doing on Capitol Hill Thursday with a bunch of congressmen and health policy advocates?

Touting the introduction of federal legislation that would give states money to create pilot health courts, which are designed to handle malpractice cases and other complex health care litigation. Jurists would be trained specifically in medical issues and preside full-time over such trials to enhance the credibility of rendered legal opinions.

The concept is similar to drug and mental health courts used by many states, as well as a special science and technology court in Maryland’s judiciary since the mid-1990s, Shank said.

So where do the two Free State pols — one D and one R — come in? They co-sponsored legislation this year to form a task force on health courts. Alas, their bill, as well as a similar Senate measure pushed by Bobby Zirkin, failed.

— Alan Brody

King’s no pauper

Freshman delegate Jim King keeps adding to his fan club.

The 32-year-old GOP rookie, who held weekly get-togethers at his swank Eastport bistro during the legislative session, attracted more than 200 people to a Tuesday gala fundraiser at Rockfish, one of two Anne Arundel restaurants he owns.

King expects the event, which featured a nine-piece brass band and a choice of six entrees, raised a cool $40,000, an impressive figure for a newbie. What’s more impressive is a bipartisan guest list that included King’s committee chairman Dereck Davis and Dem colleagues Mary Ann Love and Brian Feldman, as well as Republican Arundel County Exec John Leopold.

‘‘I kind of look at [the turnout] as a job approval rating,” King said.

We also hear that several Dem legislative staffers and gubernatorial aides showed up, too. Maybe comity ain’t dead after all.

— Alan Brody

Whither Hogan?

State government’s hottest rumor has P.J. Hogan leaving the Senate to take Joe Bryce’s old job as associate vice chancellor for government relations at the University System of Maryland.

Several Annapolis insiders think the move would make a lot of sense.

First, if Mike Miller were to step down as Senate prez, at least three current committee chairmen stand between Hogan and the rostrum. Second, Hogan cares deeply about higher education issues and the job would keep him entrenched in that arena.

For now, Hogan said it’s all talk. ‘‘I have not applied for it, nor have I been offered the job.”

But that doesn’t mean the gossip is complete nonsense. ‘‘I’d be crazy not to consider it,” he said.

‘‘I don’t deal in hypotheticals. I just deal what I have in front of me right now, which is the [higher-ed] commission, the structural deficit and a possible special session.”

Stay tuned.

— Alan Brody

Down in front

The Board of Public Works meeting was crammed Wednesday, moreso than usual because of the interest in a debate over a development permit on the Eastern Shore.

Among the throng was Comptroller Peter Franchot’s daughter, Abigail, a 25-year-old seeking her MBA at Columbia.

At the start of the meeting, Franchot announced her attendance and pointed out her position in back of a line of television cameras, as opposed to in front.

‘‘That’s a quality she got from her mother,” jibed Gov. Martin O’Malley.

— Douglas Tallman

Head headhunter?

So just what did Franchot tell graduates at Capitol College’s commencement this month?

After receiving an honorary doctorate from the independent college in Laurel, the comptroller apparently felt generous.

In what a news release from the school called ‘‘one of the surprises of the 2007 commencement season,” Franchot urged any of the college’s 2007 graduates who are still job hunting to call him.

‘‘I remember how tough it can be getting that first job out of college,” he said, according to the release. ‘‘Many of you may have jobs lined up and I know that your college has a very proactive job placement assistance program. But if there are some of you out there still looking, please do not get discouraged. Keep talking to people, keep searching and keep the faith. We believe in you, I believe in you and if I can help in any way, let me know how.”

We wonder if anyone will get a state job.

Oprah Winfrey, who spoke at Howard University’s recent graduation, might give out cars on her television show, but Franchot may have topped her in coming through for college grads.

— Sean R. Sedam

Follow the money

Like father, like son-in-law, sorta.

O’Malley on Tuesday joined governors from 21 states to call for a probe into escalating gasoline prices.

‘‘It is difficult to understand how oil companies can be making record profits each quarter without making capital investments in refineries that would address refinery issues,” read a letter from the governor gaggle to top congressional leaders.

After Gulf Coast refineries were battered by hurricanes in 2004, sending fuel prices skyward, O’Malley’s father-in-law, ex-AG Joe Curran, sought a state law in 2005 that would have prohibited price gouging in times of emergencies.

— Douglas Tallman

Too hard to track?

In MoCo, anything is possible.

Just as the County Council was going through the up-down motions of rapid-fire final votes on the $7 billion combo operating and construction budgets on Thursday, staff members announced that they had found an additional $6 million in construction money. Seems that in the numerous additions and subtractions of the budget over the past few weeks, the initial math was incorrect. Being the prudent civil servants they are, staffers suggested putting the extra money in reserves.

Whoa! said Councilman Roger Berliner, who wants to use the money on systemic projects in the public school system — roof replacement, new toilets and such.

Good idea, Roger B., but what about all the other departments who could use the money? We can’t just go allocating money to the schools all willy-nilly, said Council Prez Marilyn Praisner.

Note to agency heads: Get your dibs in by sending a supplemental budget request to the council later.

— Janel Davis

Yo-yo-a-go-Go Sox!

Those wacky Bowie Baysox.

When you’ve got two MLB franchises within a 25-mile radius of your minor league ball club, you need to find creative ways to put fannies in the seats — like simultaneously sitting those fannies on whoopee cushions. The Baysox did just that — three times (in 2003, 2004 and 2005) — to claim and then reclaim the Guinness-certified world record, with 4,439 ‘‘Bronx cheers.”

The club’s fans also took a shot at the world tooth brushing record in 2003.

Now the AA Eastern League affiliate of the Orioles are on to the next challenge: yo-yoing.

The first 1,500 fans at Saturday’s game against the Altoona Curve will receive a free Baysox yo-yo and will try to break the Guinness record (432) and the national record (932) for simultaneously yo-yoing.

Post-game fireworks sponsored by the Army (?) will follow.

The late Bill Veeck, the P.T. Barnum of baseball who sponsored the infamous riot- and forfeit-inducing Disco Demolition Night at Comiskey Park, would be proud.

— Sean R. Sedam