Baltimore Sun political columnist Fraser Smith writes:

In states such as Maryland, given over historically to Democrats, the fratricidal impulse can be difficult to satisfy.

Only two of the eight Maryland members of the House of Representatives are Republicans, and the last GOP senator from Maryland was Charles McC. Mathias, who was invited out by a party critic who then called him “a liberal swine.”

Ah yes, the infamous “liberal swine” moniker attached to Mac Mathias.  Will probably always be associated with him, like you-know-what and Ike Turner.

Can anyone name the loyal Extreme Mortman reader — and senior historian — most closely associated with this legendary utterance?

The Washington Times pointed out last month: “With the exception of the very liberal Republican Sen. Charles Mathias, no Republican had been elected statewide in Maryland between 1970 and the election of Messrs. Ehrlich and Steele in 2002.”

Today the Washington Post endorsed Bob Ehrlich for re-election as Maryland governor.  Which reminds us of Mathias again.  Why?  He was the last Republican running for statewide Maryland office to get the Post endorsement.

Most outstanding crime story of the week comes from the Montgomery Gazette (spotted by Extreme Historian Richard Andrews):

A Garrett Park man pleaded guilty to four counts of bank robbery Wednesday, telling police that he needed the money to play golf.

Maybe if he was just into mini-golf, he would’ve robbed a piggy bank?

Extreme Mortman’s historian-on-retainer Richard Andrews remembers this 1956 incident involving Spain’s King Juan Carlos. His younger brother, the Infante Alfonso, died of a gunshot wound in Estroil Portugal, with Juan Carlos as the only witness. The official explanation is that it was an accident which occurred while cleaning a gun. Alfonso suffered from hemophilia and did not survive.