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As word spread of his imaginative marriage proposal last Friday, Jon Cardin has been the toast of MACo this week.

With the help of a friend, Cardin concocted a plan to surprise his girlfriend, Megan Homer, but even the hubby-to-be wasn't in on all the details.

The couple was invited to a happy hour cruise on the Inner Harbor aboard the buddy's boat where Cardin was to pop the question. But not without some drama.

Cardin's friend told him not to fret if "some people" boarded the boat during the cruise — that it was all part of the plan. So there they were, enjoying the company of friends, when a boat and helicopter from the Baltimore City Police Department converged on the vessel under the guise that there were reports of contraband aboard.

Understandably, Homer was startled and worried that she would be detained, even though she knew there was nothing illegal on board, Cardin said.

"I knew that we were not going to get in trouble, but I think she thought we were going to get arrested," he said.

After a brief search, an officer pointed to a box on the deck behind Homer and asked her what was inside. She turned back around and responded that she didn't know. The officer then told Homer to turn around as if to slap on handcuffs.

When she did as told, Cardin was on bended knee with ring in hand. Once Homer's heart started beating again, she said "yes."

Cardin, who knew the cops delighted in practical jokes from a high school senior project he did with the city police department's marine unit some 20 years ago, made sure to note that there was no abuse of public resources. The police's involvement was only to take place if they were not on assignment, he said.

The bride and groom have not yet set a wedding date and are "just enjoying the moment" for now, Cardin said Thursday in Ocean City, where he was to hold an evening fundraiser that has some speculating about a possible run for Baltimore County executive next year.

Here's betting the couple will wait until after November 2010 to tie the knot.

— Alan Brody

Thinking bigger

Forget Baltimore County executive. Pat McDonough has turned his attention to a bigger prize.

The rabble-rousing conservative delegate, whose name had been floated as a possible GOP candidate to succeed Jim Smith, is dipping his toes into the water for a possible gubernatorial run in 2010, he announced Wednesday on WCBM-AM, where he hosts a weekly talk radio show.

"This is not an exploratory committee; it's not a commitment. I'm testing the waters," he said, while holding court at a MACo reception Wednesday night.

He's already received strong encouragement from folks protesting the federal health care overhaul outside Ben Cardin's town hall meeting in Towson on Monday. Even McDonough's wife, his "biggest skeptic," said she was floored by the outpouring of support.

Interestingly, the only announced GOP gubernatorial candidate to date, Mike Pappas, also hails from Baltimore County, and McDonough's interest may have as much to do with internal party politics as anything else. Some of Pappas' biggest supporters have been outspoken critics of state GOP chairman Jim Pelura.

But he insists his biggest motivation is ousting O'Malley. "He's really doing dangerous things," McDonough said.

Still, he pledged to avoid personal attacks and focus on the economy, education and his pet issues of illegal immigration and Constellation Energy. He also intends to sign a "tax pledge," in which he promises to not increase taxes during the four-year term.

If former guv Bob Ehrlich decides to run, McDonough said he'll forgo his bid.

— Alan Brody

Old faces in new places

All good things come to an end.

That's the message from Carmela Coyle, president and CEO of the Maryland Hospital Association, in announcing the looming departure of its longtime in-house lobbyist, Pegeen Townsend. She's headed to MedStar Health as corporate vice president for government affairs, which puts her in charge of lobbying activities in Maryland, the District of Columbia and on Capitol Hill.

"Her new post offers a terrific opportunity, but parting is bittersweet," Coyle wrote in a letter to association members.

Townsend, who will assume her new post in September, has been the MHA's chief legislative strategist for 14 years, during which she "provided significant leadership and senior counsel in so many areas beyond legislation to our organization and to our members," Coyle wrote.

A few other changes of scenery among familiar faces:

Devon Dodson, formerly chief of staff at the state business and economic development department, has moved to the Maryland Energy Administration as director of legislation, policy and special projects.

Susan O'Brien has decided to fold up her one-woman public relations practice and take a job as vice president of public affairs with Health Facilities Association of Maryland, a long-term care association based in Columbia. She starts her new gig Aug. 31, but already was handing out her new business cards at MACo this week.

Warren Hansen, who's been a staple in Peter Franchot's press shop since his winning 2006 campaign, spent his last day in Annapolis this week. He took a job as communications director with Ohio Congressman Zack Space, a second-term Blue Dog Democrat who draws comparisons to Frank Kratovil because he represents a conservative district and is being targeted for defeat by the National Republication Congressional Committee.

— Alan Brody

Call the fashion police

Christian Johansson turned heads at Seacrets on Wednesday night.

The relatively new DBED chief broke one of the cardinal rules at MACo: Dress casual.

Surrounded by conference-goers guzzling beers and munching finger food in shorts and Hawaiian shirts, Johansson was decked out in a full suit and tie, about the last attire you'd expect to see at the trendy open-air beach club where girls in bikinis and guys in board shorts are considered welcome attire.

Perhaps he was out to impress his boss, Martin O'Malley, who donned jeans and a dark green polo and spent plenty of time schmoozing and posing for pictures. Nearby and also dressed appropriately, Katie O'Malley appeared plenty comfortable chatting with friends and strangers alike.

Mother Nature had the last laugh. A steady deluge turned the uncovered portions of the beach club into a sandy glop, which Johansson had to tread through in his dress loafers.

— Alan Brody

Forget I asked

Sen. Rich Madaleno confessed to reading ahead during a briefing on the state's fiscal outlook Tuesday in Annapolis.

What followed the confession was a rambling question about whether additional state and federal funds for K-12 education could mean that while county and state employees face possible layoffs or furloughs, some teachers could walk away with pay increases.

At least that's what we think he was getting at. Madaleno withdrew the question after it was met with silence by state budget Secretary T. Eloise Foster.

"I know, I'm confusing myself," he said.

The budget office is talking with county governments about places where they could save, Foster said.

With O'Malley planning to bring about $470 million in budget cuts to the Aug. 26 Board of Public Works meeting, the clock is ticking.

"It's kind of hard to say you're going to work with local governments," Madaleno said. "You've got two weeks to do it."

It's going to be more difficult, he said, "because no one's going to MACo this year."

— Sean R. Sedam

Redacted reactions

The governor's office announced Tuesday that it planned a Thursday release of about 600 pages of e-mails it received containing 1,000 suggestions for how to trim the budget.

Republican Del. Gail Bates said during a budget briefing Tuesday that she had followed the governor's lead and solicited suggestions for cuts from her own constituents in Howard County. She received 50 responses.

"I'd love to see them," budget Secretary Foster said.

"There are one or two that say to raise taxes, so I'm being honest with you," Bates said, drawing laughter.

"Leave those on there. Don't mark them out," House Appropriations Committee Chairman Norm Conway said.

— Sean R. Sedam

Advocate like it's 1983

Don Boesch looked out at the standing-room-only crowd of about 300 at St. Philip's Episcopal Church in Annapolis on Tuesday for a town hall meeting about the Chesapeake Bay.

"Look at this crowd," said Boesch, president of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. "I heard someone say, ‘This is like the '80s, man.' My generation, we'd say, ‘This is like the '60s, man.'"

The reference to the era of John Hughes films might be more apt than the reference to the Woodstock generation, however.

The phrase "Save the Bay" came into vogue in 1983, when Gov. Chuck Robb of Virginia and Gov. Harry Hughes of Maryland signed a three-paragraph agreement to clean up the Chesapeake, Chuck Fox, the Environmental Protection Agency's senior adviser on the Bay told the crowd.

State governments later set goals to be met by 1987, then by 2000, then by 2010.

"Guess what?" Fox told the crowd. "It's 2009, and we're not even close."

— Sean R. Sedam