The heat got turned up a few notches this past week with the governor’s race and in the Baltimore County executive’s race. The candidates have made some interesting moves, and the campaigns are getting into gear. With the primary election scheduled for September 14th, less than 30 weeks from now, the races are gaining momentum and piquing more interest.
The Governor took a very quick 72-hour sojourn to Iraq and has returned already. The tab was picked up by the Department of Defense (DoD). The DoD also set the timetable for the excursion. The official purpose of the trip was to educate and acquaint the Governor with the role of the Maryland National Guard and reservists who are stationed in Iraq. The trip had no frills attached and no ceremonial hoopla, and the Governor’s staff was not included so he traveled sans entourage.
No big deal and a relatively minor blip on the radar, until Bob Ehrlich announced on his WBAL Radio show, or as it is known by the common vernacular, “Radio Free Ehrlich,” that the Governor’s trip should not have taken place during the legislative session. The Governor should stay put in Annapolis according to Ehrlich’s Guide to Better Government. This shot fired by the once and wannabe future Governor garnered an immediate response by O’Malley’s surrogate, Lt. Governor Anthony Brown. Having previously served in Iraq, Brown dutifully defended the honor of his boss and laid waste to Ehrlich with gusto.
This firefight is a harbinger of things to come. It’s just about a done deal that Ehrlich will go at it once more with his tormentor, O’Malley. What Ehrlich should have said in this instance is that O’Malley should have taken the whole session off and gone AWOL. That would have been an improvement on his lackluster performance at the helm so far. O’Malley is stuck in the mud over the deficits and the slots fiasco, and with O’Malley’s imprimatur on that disaster it just gets uglier by the day. O’Malley hasn’t lived up to expectations with plenty of the voters—including yours truly. Ehrlich easily senses this lack of fidelity to O’Malley, and he’s hooked into the voters’ discontent. He should make a formal announcement relatively soon. The rematch between them will not be dull.
The Baltimore County executive’s race has dialed up a notch as well. The Democratic candidates fighting it out for the nomination, Joe Bartenfelder and Kevin Kamenetz, are locked up in a very tight race. Both candidates will raise and spend more than a million dollars on the primary.
Some dicey political intrigue has surfaced with last week’s announcement by John Olszewski, Sr. that he was backing Kamenetz. Johnny O (as he is affectionately referred to), is the county councilman from the 7th district, which abuts Bartenfelder’s district. The candidates for county executive who ran from this area before, including Don Hutchinson and Dennis Rasmussen, had no such problems with defectors on the east side, and Johnny O’s endorsement was noteworthy.
Kamenetz has also garnered the support of another player, Les Pitler, who bills himself as the “eighth councilman.” Pitler, an attorney and a long-time mainstay in the County political environment, also sits on the Baltimore County Revenue Authority. They manage the golf courses, parking lots and other revenue-raising ventures on behalf of the county. He always has maintained a close relationship with all the members of the council, and it served him very well. His picking sides is another example of how the ante is being raised.
The deal between Kamenetz and Johnny O was announced last Friday at a press conference just one day after Olszewski held his fundraiser attended by his supporters, including many in organized labor. Olszewski is running for another term on the council. On Saturday, letters began arriving to many voters all over the county signed by Olszewski, requesting recipients’ attendance at a fundraiser for Kamenetz scheduled for March 23rd, with tickets enclosed. The marriage between Kamenetz and Olszewski has many of the county political gawkers titillated, and speculation behind Olszweski’s motives is rampant.
With all this going on, Bartenfelder still has the backing of organized labor and Olszewski’s entreaties on behalf of Kamenetz to labor aren’t sitting well with some of the powers that be. Organized labor is still very much a major factor in the county, especially on the east side. They still flex their muscles come election time by working the polls, sending out ballots, and provide valuable volunteers. A labor endorsement matters, and Bartenfelder will need to maintain and hold labor to prevail over his opponent.
Finally, a little ditty for your pleasure:
“From the Commonwealth of Kentucky came Jim Bunning
The Senate wasn’t prepared for his cunning
The public outcry was unanimous and stunning
He could care less because he’s not running.”
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