ANNAPOLIS ? After skipping the Washington County delegation's first meeting of the 2008 legislative session, Del. John P. Donoghue said he probably won't attend any - because of politics.
"It's not a productive use of my time," he said, "especially with a Republican who filed a lawsuit against the governor," referring to Del. Christopher B. Shank, a plaintiff in a GOP lawsuit that tried unsuccessfully to invalidate the recent special session.
Donoghue, D-Washington, and Shank, R-Washington, generally don't talk to each other.
Donoghue said he has no interest in "listening to Delegate Shank spout off on the topic of the day."
"I'm not going to descend into the type of personal attacks and gutter-style politics that Delegate Donoghue wants to engage in," Shank replied.
For state lawmakers, attending delegation meetings is "one of the most basic functions of that job," Shank said.
Pointing to Donoghue's absence at a series of delegation meetings with government bodies and the public, Shank added, "He has demonstrated that he is clearly not engaged in a meaningful way in discussing the issues that are important to the citizens of Washington County."