Clearing His Throat

Senator John Giannetti has been the toast of Annapolis , as word has spread of his heroics in an Annapolis restaurant Monday night -- he saved his most fierce political rival from choking on a hunk of seafood.

And that's generally been a good thing--Giannetti said he was pleased with the attention. But he wanted to make one thing clear: He knew who he was saving.

When Jim Rosapepe, the former delegate from Prince George's, stumbled out of the dining room clutching his throat, Giannetti says he knew full well who it was that was gasping for help. And, he says without a trace of irony, he saved him anyway.

Unlike Giannetti, Rosapepe tells us he sees no reason for this to change the dynamics of his upcoming primary challenge against the Democratic state senator.

Rosapepe appeared to realize it would sound ungrateful to say otherwise, but when confronted for a second time with the question of whether it would affect the tenor of the campaign, he gave a simple, quiet, "no."

Giannetti helped him, he agreed, but added, "I'm not sure how exactly. He helped me pop it out. I'm very grateful to him for it."