RED ROVER, RED ROVER, LET CURRY COME OVER:

Planning Ahead (Washington Wrap, Jan. 28, 2003, Dotty Lynch, Douglas Kiker and Steve Chaggaris of CBS News)

In Maryland, Republicans have been wooing former Prince George's County Democratic Executive Wayne Curry to take on incumbent Democratic Sen. Barbara Mikulski in 2004. The hitch, however, would be getting Curry - an African-American who headed the suburban Washington county through a period of tremendous growth – to switch from the (D) column to the (R) column.

Fueling the speculation is the fact Curry was a member of Maryland's new GOP Gov. Bob Ehrlich's transition team, and has been supportive of Ehrlich and the state's new lieutenant governor, Michael Steele, who's also African-American.

State GOP chairman John Kane told the Baltimore Sun: "The orbits are aligning É If this did happen, it would continue to demonstrate what Bob Ehrlich and Michael Steele have said, that this is a party for all Marylanders, and that they are reaching out to minorities."

But the Sun reports that Curry told them Monday that he hasn't given much thought to the race and doubted he would become a Republican.

Considering how badly the GOP needs a black member of Congress, expect Mr. Curry to get the full Rove treatment. Posted by Orrin Judd at January 28, 2003 4:24 PM