Byline: Marc Fisher

Potomac Confidential fills the midday lull with discussion by Metro columnist Marc Fisher of the latest news and a rigorous slicing and dicing of the issues that define who we are and where we live.

Fisher was online Thursday, March 30, at Noon ET to discuss free speech in the world of lawn signs, the Trachtenberg era at George Washington University, and the Maryland Senate race.

Today's Column: Nats Aim to Build on Home Base (Post, April 6)

Check out Marc's blog, Raw Fisher .

In his weekly show, Fisher veers wildly from serious probing to silly prattle, and is open to topics local, national, personal and more.

Archives: Discussion Transcripts

A transcript follows.

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Marc Fisher: Welcome aboard, folks.

If you're keeping score at home, you know from Tuesday's column that in the District of Bureaucracy, you are permitted to post a sign on your lawn endorsing your favorite candidate for public office, but you may not have any sign taking a stand on the public issue you care about most. I think I have now heard from every civil liberties lawyer on the planet, and they're all chomping at the bit to take the District to court on this one. Stay tuned.

Matt Mosk's fascinating story in today's Post should make the Democrats sit up and pay some attention to the race to succeed Paul Sarbanes in the U.S. Senate. The story reports on a study that finds large portions of the state's black population quite ready to vote for Republican Michael Steele come November. Do you see much on offer from the 47 or so Democrats in that race that would stand up well against Steele's friendly, if policy-light, positioning as a Democrat-turned-Republican who breaks with party orthodoxy here and there?

As Stephen Joel Trachtenberg steps down as president of George Washington University, what do you make of the transformation of the school during his command? Certainly GW has become more academically selective in its admissions and more aggressive about expanding its campus into the Foggy Bottom neighborhood. Is that good for Washington?

On to your many comments and questions, but first, the Yay and Nay of the Day:

Yay to Art Buchwald, whose recent columns from the hospice where he was sent to die have been riveting and moving. Buchwald--see today's column in Style--shows no signs of passing on, and he's determined to make us all face up to death in a less fearful and more honest fashion. It's well worth checking out.