By David Nitkin
                           Sun Staff
                           Originally published December 3, 2002

                    Democrats in the state House of Delegates unanimously picked Del.
                    Michael E. Busch of Anne Arundel County to fill the influential position of
                    speaker yesterday, completing an orderly transition that contrasts vividly
                    with the political upheaval that raged through Maryland this year.

                    Busch said the walk from his delegate's desk to the speaker's podium in
                    the majestic House chambers was bittersweet: He is taking power only
                    because of the defeat of Speaker Casper R. Taylor Jr., a longtime friend
                    who lost re-election by 76 votes.

                    "He was a great leader and mentor to me," said Busch, 55, speaking after
                    a Democratic caucus vote. "If I had my druthers today, I'd be sitting here
                    cheering for him."

                    At Busch's urging, Democrats selected Del. Adrienne A.W. Jones of
                    Baltimore County as speaker pro tem. Jones, a low-key legislator elected
                    to her second full term, becomes the first African-American woman to
                    hold the post, which requires her to lead the chamber when the speaker is
                    out of the room.

                    "He told me he wanted someone who was a consensus builder," said
                    Jones, 48, an equal employment opportunity director with Baltimore
                    County. "We have a mutual admiration for each other."

                    With Democrats in command of the House by a large majority, Busch and
                    Jones are certain to capture the positions when the General Assembly
                    convenes for its 90-day session next month.

                    Long seen as a successor to Taylor - whose nine-year speakership is the
                    longest in Maryland since the 18th century - Busch ascended to one of the
                    three most powerful positions in state government with scant opposition.

                    His lone rival, Del. Howard P. Rawlings of Baltimore, chairman of the
                    Appropriations Committee, dropped out weeks ago. Busch won dozens
                    of supporters with an easygoing, nonconfrontational style that wears well
                    among competing egos.

                    An Anne Arundel County recreation manager and former football coach
                    at St. Mary's High School, Busch takes over during challenging times.

                    The state faces a $1.8 billion budget shortfall over two years, and a
                    Republican governor is moving into the State House for the first time since
                    1966 - weakening the influence of Democrats in the General Assembly.

                    "Now we as Democrats live in a completely different new world," said
                    Del. Kumar P. Barve of Montgomery County, as he nominated Busch for
                    the speaker's position. "We are now becoming a two-party state."

                    Busch served with Gov.-elect Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. when Ehrlich was a
                    delegate, and the two are friends. Busch said he would work with the new
                    governor, but expects to differ with him on key issues. "There's no
                    question where my allegiance is," he said.

                    Busch indicated yesterday that he is cool to one of Ehrlich's key campaign
                    pledges: bringing slot machine gambling to Maryland's race tracks. It will
                    be Ehrlich's responsibility, he said, to line up support for gambling because
                    "it's not an initiative of the Democratic leadership."

                    "Slots is just one part of the equation to deal with the budget structure,"
                    Busch said. He added it is more important to examine the state's overall
                    revenues, and its reliance on income and capital gains taxes.

                    His ascension moves the House to the left after an election that saw the
                    GOP knock off the sitting House speaker and pick up eight House seats.

                    Taylor, a rural moderate from Allegany County, often took more liberal
                    positions than his constituents would have liked to stay in power. But
                    Busch says he's more progressive on abortion, gun control and other
                    issues than his predecessor.

                    "I think you'll see us be a little more aggressive in the area of
                    environmental policy than we have been in the past," he said.

                    The selection of Busch creates at least one - and probably more -
                    leadership vacancies in a long-static House. The most obvious is a new
                    chairman of the Economic Matters Committee, which Busch led.

                    Other committee leaders could be shifted. Busch said he will announce
                    committee assignments and leadership posts by the end of next week.

                    "Everyone in current leadership will be in leadership," he said. "Someone
                    might move from right guard to right tackle."

                    Copyright © 2002, The Baltimore Sun