Ho Hum to the Chief

It’s often said that many members of Congress see a future president when they look in the mirror. But in July, when Rep. John Delaney of Potomac became the first announced candidate for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, there weren’t a lot of fellow Maryland officeholders humming “Hail to the Chief.” In fact, the reaction was closer to stunned silence, according to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by a conservative research group seeking email reaction to Delaney’s move by dozens of Maryland officials. According to a report in The Baltimore Sun, one of the very few comments found through the FOIA request was from Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett, who seemed incredulous that Delaney was forgoing an expected gubernatorial bid for a long-shot chance at the White House. “[I’ll] believe it when I see it,” Leggett said in an emailed response to an aide.​