Reporters Notebook: Presidential party week gets under way ... sort of

Later, Barack Obama makes his first foray into Maryland as a presidential hopeful with a low-cost rally and high-dollar reception at Prince George’s Community College. Obama’s state co-chairmen Elijah Cummings and Doug Gansler are hosting the do.

And if you still haven’t gotten your fill of national politics, swing down to the District where Steny Hoyer — no, he’s not running for prez — is holding a $1,000-a-head soiree.

— Alan Brody

Then is it really a debate?

Annapolis will play host to a Democratic presidential debate later this month.

Don’t get too jazzed up, though. It’s a presidential candidates’ surrogate forum, put on by the District 30 Democratic Club at Asbury United Methodist Church, just a few blocks from the State House.

Lite guv Anthony Brown will stand in for Hillary Clinton; Kate Michelman, former president of the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, will represent John Edwards; AG Gansler will spot Obama; and Bobby Zirkin is appearing on behalf of Bill Richardson.

Chris Dodd’s campaign declined to participate, Mike Gravel’s shop has not responded, and surrogates were not known for the Biden and Kucinich campaigns.

Maryland Public Television’s Lou Davis will moderate the Oct. 24 faceoff.

‘‘The quality of the surrogates is a reflection of how seriously the candidates take this event,” said club president Sarah Flynn in a news release.

Maybe it’s just us, but if they took it so seriously, wouldn’t the candidates themselves be coming?

— Alan Brody

Dem dominant

Reveling in last year’s election results apparently never gets old for Maryland Democrats.

More than 800 Dems filled a Greenbelt ballroom on Monday to tout their past, present and future successes. And to refill the party’s coffers with about a half-mill, said party spokesman David Paulson.

Before the big shindig, about 400 gala-goers attended a VIP reception with Martin O’Malley and Brown.

‘‘It shows that success breeds success,” Paulson said of the record turnout. ‘‘... People see us as the vibrant party in the state and Democrats are obviously excited about winning more in 2008.”

Party leaders aimed to highlight their diversity with state party chairman Michael Cryor handling emcee duties, new executive director Quincey Gamble offering some opening remarks, Leslie Johnson (wife of PG Exec Jack) welcoming the crowd, and Baltimore’s top four officeholders — Mayor Sheila Dixon, City Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, State’s Attorney Pat Jessamy and Comptroller Joan Pratt — being recognized.

‘‘We are a party full of special people,” Cryor said.

— Alan Brody

Punching bag

Mike Busch heard Maryland Republicans were going through a rough stretch — electoral defeats, financial troubles, shedding staff.

You didn’t think he’d cut ’em a break before a partisan crowd, did ya?

‘‘Being from Anne Arundel County, I drove past the Republican gala on my way down here,” Busch told his party faithful, pausing slightly before continuing. ‘‘It was in a phone booth.”

Alluding to the GOP’s monetary woes, Busch took the joke a bit further.

‘‘I understood they ran out of quarters when they were calling for help,” he joshed.

The other Mike — Miller, that is — had a different target when it was his time at the mic. (Cover your ears, Monty.)

‘‘The speaker comes from the east. I come up Route 1 and passed by the site of where the Birchmere is going to be,” he said, grinning. ‘‘Montgomery County, what’s $2 million among friends?”

— Alan Brody

BPW banter

The District 1 delegation drove three hours to Annapolis on Wednesday for what amounted to less than five minutes before the Board of Public Works.

George Edwards, Kevin Kelly, LeRoy Myers and Wendell Beitzel made the long haul to show support for the state’s lease purchase of office space in Cumberland that is home to the district court and numerous state agencies.

Jester Kelly made the most of his time. ‘‘It’s a very big day for us. We even had Senator Edwards get a haircut before we came down here.”

The BPW’s two Monty members — Nancy Kopp and Peter Franchot — suggested that the Western Maryland group can now help advocate for construction of a new District Court in Rockville.

‘‘We would welcome the opportunity to mentor and assist Montgomery County,” Kelly said with a grin.

‘‘Since you’re coming down from Western Maryland ...” Franchot began before Kelly cut in: ‘‘We’ll wear shoes.”

Actually, Franchot just wanted to make sure they wouldn’t bring any black bears down south, referring to a bill sponsored by urban lawmakers that has failed in recent years to prohibit black bear hunting statewide.

‘‘They’re pretty tasty,” Kelly responded.

— Alan Brody

Ex-communicado

In his travels around the state, O’Malley has made references to meeting with lawmakers from both sides of the aisle as he developed his budget solution.

Poppycock, Allan Kittleman said.

The party’s No. 2 man in the Senate says the guv has only reached out to him twice — once to congratulate him on being elected minority whip and once to inform him that O’Malley was firing his mother, Trent Kittleman, as head of the Maryland Transportation Authority.

That stings.

— Alan Brody

Is there a judgein the house?

Seemed that there weren’t enough judges on the bench at the Court of Appeals on Tuesday to hear Bruce Bereano’s appeal of the suspension of his lobbying license for an ethics violation.

Bring in the second team. Five retired judges heard the case after five of the seven judges on the bench benched themselves. All but Judges Clayton Greene Jr. and Glenn T. Harrell Jr. reportedly recused themselves. None of the five gave reasons for sitting this one out.

Bereano’s lawyer, Timothy F. Maloney, appealed a 10-month license suspension that the longtime lobbyist received in 2003, along with a $5,000 fine, after the state Ethics Commission found Bereano violated state law by entering into a contingency contract with Mercer Ventures Inc. The contract promised Bereano 1 percent of any foster care contract he helped the company to secure.

The fine and suspension provisions of the law against so-called contingency fees were enacted in 2001. Maloney argued that Bereano should not be punished because he stopped lobbying for Mercer after the penalties took effect.

While the judges took themselves off the court, Bereano has remained in the game, continuing to prowl the State House, winning votes while appealing the suspension.

— Sean R. Sedam

Don’t Worry, Be Happy

Heeeeeeeere’s Montgomery!

Wednesday night MoCo’s Mommy and Daddy — Council President Marilyn Praisner and Exec Ike Leggett — made their television debut in their first live, televised call-in show. Leggett and Praisner took calls and e-mails from residents as another way to ‘‘foster open dialogue.”

Kudos for that, but what was even more fascinating was the calm demeanor and reassuring leadership exhibited by the two. No matter the topic or question — a woman upset about the immigrants in her housing complex, a man concerned about Ride On bus service, another man upset about the county subsidizing a Silver Spring music venue and a woman wanting more services for teens — Leggett and Praisner had an answer. ‘‘Call my office directly,” ‘‘Send us your ideas,” they said, like parents soothing us scared children having bad dreams in the middle of the night.

But like all good parents know, you can’t protect your children from everything, including O’Malley’s tax plan, which Papa Leggett reminded one resident would affect higher income earners (most middle income earners would be saved).

Leggett and Praisner plan to have another call-in show next month.

Gee, Mom and Dad, that sure is swell.

— Janel Davis