Annapolis Capital Punishment

Why were Chuck Weikel and Josh Cohen assisting a potentially Republican challenger to one and perhaps two incumbent Democrats? But first this....Ginger Doyel, a noted artist and historian may become the Republican challenger to incumbent Democrat Ross Arnett in Ward Eight. Doyel, 29, had been living in Ward One and was widely rumored to be a possible candidate for Alderman Dick Israel's seat when he was considering a run for mayor. When Israel decided to hold his seat, Doyel and her potential courters lost interest. She then moved away for business and personal reasons. She decided to live in Ward Eight upon her return, both because of her political interests and because of her affinity for Eastport stemming from her book Over the Bridge A History of Eastport at Annapolis published last year.

Doyel, descended from a Navy family and with roots in Annapolis, has published a number of books about Annapolis history, including one about The Market House, some of them funded partially through city or city-related sources and worked closely with Mayor Ellen Moyer. Her father, Roger, is a USNA alumni, retired naval officer and a local dentist.

Doyel, who has become increasingly well known in Annapolis due to her artistic and publishing pursuits, may have been courted by some activists, including Democratic operatives, when she was a Ward One resident. Some months ago, her name was part of a telephone political poll being conducted around Annapolis. That poll was rumored to have been commissioned by County Councilman Josh Cohen under contract to OpinionWorks. Opinion Works Principal is Steve Raabe who later served on the compensation committee that recommended a hefty salary increase for the next mayor, a move that some believe was intended to attract Cohen into the race. Compensation Comittee Chair Beth Garraway is Weikel's alternate on the Democratic Central Committee and they both served in the Hillary Clinton campaign together.

I have come into possession of the contents of an e-mail from 1/2/2009 that was sent to her from Democratic activist and Friend of Ellen, Chuck Weikel:

Ginger:

First, please understand that this poll was paid for by Josh and the information I am sharing is for your use only. It's not, under any conditions. to be shared (without permission) with anyone. For your use to think about running. If you want to share, tell me who and I will get permission. (Feel free to share with your Dad as long as he understands the confidential nature of all this stuff.)

Permission from who Mr Weikel? From "Josh" as in Cohen who paid for it? I did not see the results of the confidential poll but this raises a lot of interesting questions such as what is Chuck Weikel doing with this? What do Weikel and Cohen have in common? Why is a Democratic officeholder and a member of the Democratic Central Committee using a Democratic pollster to collect data on a Republican and then sharing that information with a Republican? Was this being done to specifically target Alderman Dick Israel or Alderman Ross Arnett who happen to be the leading proponents on city council for a city manager form of government--which Cohen opposes? Why would Weikel bring Doyel's father into the picture? Were they buddies from their Academy days? Weikel was at Cohen's announcement and fund raiser last month, but he was also at Zina Pierre's announcement.


Visit Doyel's web-site at www.gingerdoyel.com.

(For disclosure purposes, Doyel was hired by me and worked as a paid intern and graphic artist for The Annapolis DOT under my supervision. Through the Annapolis DOT and Chesapeake Children's Museum, we published a children's book about Annapolis which Doyel illustrated. At the same time she was also working as an intern with Alderman Cordle in the State Attorney's office. While some claim she is a Democrat, I have always known her to be a Republican.)

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