I was reminded again this afternoon why one should scrub fastidiously with a full bathtub of serious soap after shaking hands with a liberal.
I spent the summer of 1999 in Baltimore with a newspaper that sadly went where we hope Swish Obama unsuspectingly will go on Jan. 21.
Baltimore boasts of the largest proportion of left-wingers in a single American large city. This irrefutably explains its history, past and present, as the foulest, most corrupt community in the known world — although jealous Chicago challenges the assertion.
The freshest ribs-jamming reminder surfaced a few hours ago. Convicted corrupter Sheila Dixon, naturally a former mayor, announced she was exploring legal challenges after finishing second by a suspicious 3,000 votes in an all-girl showdown in last week’s primary election for mayor.
The irony of Sassy Sheila’s re-run for mayor is that during her time in the chair she was indicted on 12 felony and misdemeanor charges.
Today’s morality lesson goes like this: If Sassy Sheila says an election is crooked, nod yes. As a confessed source of creative unladylike smells herself, Sassy Sheila (“I never wear perfume”) knows odor. My nose nearly had forgotten.
Sassy Sheila, whose father was a used car salesman, was president of the City Council in ’99. This gives you an idea of how low morality was on Council members’ agenda.
Ninety-nine further was distinguished because it was the occasion of another Baltimore mayoralty election. Councilman Martin (“I pledge I will do nothing for which you will thank me”) O’Malley was chosen. For 17 straight summers he has been faithful to his vow.
No living Baltimorean can recall the last honest election in the city. Why? It lacks any 300-year-old residents. The last straight – or non-gay – election is believed to have been pulled off shortly after its 17th century founding. A large portion of the population was blind.
Ms. Dixon never has been accused of killing foolish Freddie Gray last year. However, she struck me as a straight shooter when I interviewed her several times in 1999, near the end of her 12-year run on the slue-footed City Council.
One final memory: Of the 27 mayoralty candidates, only one spent the entirety of his campaign in jail. Some of us were shocked he did not win.
