From the Rumor Mill...
It's posts like this that put The League: Reassembled readers on the inside of Maryland politics.
With a new Sun poll putting the governor's race at a dead heat, Democrat Martin O'Malley can ill afford any bad news in the final days of the campaign.
But there's a rumor that he may get just that.
Democratic party operatives are rubbing their hands with worry at the prospect that O'Malley's Republican opponent, incumbent Robert Ehrlich, may be planning to release damaging information about corruption in city government. O'Malley has served Baltimore City since 1991 as a Councilmember and in his current job as Mayor.
There's no confirmation that Ehrlich will expose anything, but it's certainly a possibility. While most observers think the incumbent's repeated assurances of victory to supporters is merely a rhetorical tactic to build momentum, some think he has a trick up his sleeve.
It's also likely that the Republicans have some dirt they can try to stick on O'Malley. Like all big cities, Baltimore is governed by a connected political elite who see quid pro quo as part of the job. Just look at the numerous scandals embroiling Council President Dixon or the corrupt political machine that is the immensely powerful Eastside Democratic Organization. The question is whether O'Malley has been involved in - or close enough to - enough of it to make his hands dirty.
If revelations come out even tangentially linking the Mayor to corruption, the disclosure could cost O'Malley the election. Ehrlich is gaining ground by convincing voters in the Baltimore suburbs that the Mayor has incompetently run the city. News of corruption could be the blow that finally brings O'Malley down.
We want to reiterate that this is speculation based on rumor. It is, however, a rumor that Democratic insiders are taking seriously. Operatives are working to figure out what if any dirt the Ehrlich people may be holding onto and are planning strategies to minimize any damage. Let's hope nothing comes of it, but don't be too shocked if something does.
from The League: Reassembled
With a new Sun poll putting the governor's race at a dead heat, Democrat Martin O'Malley can ill afford any bad news in the final days of the campaign.
But there's a rumor that he may get just that.
Democratic party operatives are rubbing their hands with worry at the prospect that O'Malley's Republican opponent, incumbent Robert Ehrlich, may be planning to release damaging information about corruption in city government. O'Malley has served Baltimore City since 1991 as a Councilmember and in his current job as Mayor.
There's no confirmation that Ehrlich will expose anything, but it's certainly a possibility. While most observers think the incumbent's repeated assurances of victory to supporters is merely a rhetorical tactic to build momentum, some think he has a trick up his sleeve.
It's also likely that the Republicans have some dirt they can try to stick on O'Malley. Like all big cities, Baltimore is governed by a connected political elite who see quid pro quo as part of the job. Just look at the numerous scandals embroiling Council President Dixon or the corrupt political machine that is the immensely powerful Eastside Democratic Organization. The question is whether O'Malley has been involved in - or close enough to - enough of it to make his hands dirty.
If revelations come out even tangentially linking the Mayor to corruption, the disclosure could cost O'Malley the election. Ehrlich is gaining ground by convincing voters in the Baltimore suburbs that the Mayor has incompetently run the city. News of corruption could be the blow that finally brings O'Malley down.
We want to reiterate that this is speculation based on rumor. It is, however, a rumor that Democratic insiders are taking seriously. Operatives are working to figure out what if any dirt the Ehrlich people may be holding onto and are planning strategies to minimize any damage. Let's hope nothing comes of it, but don't be too shocked if something does.
from The League: Reassembled
posted by The League: Reassembled at 1:00 AM
4 Comments:
My God, are we Democrats or what?
The GOP brags, struts, and declares victory even when far behind. We instead worry and fret about things that have yet to happen and over which we have no control even if they do.
If it turns out that O'Malley is actually a member of a blood sucking cult we're also in trouble. We won't be able to do anything about that one, either.
5 days. GOTV.
Worrying and fretting about things that have yet to happen could be a waste of time, but it could be foresight.
We were hoping someone would comment with further information about the rumor.
I understand and respect the intent, but it just spreads the rumor.
And Bob is busy speading enough rumors on his own.
The Sun reports Cardin 6 points ahead of Steele (with Zeese at 2%) according to a Potomac Inc. poll http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/elections/bal-te.md.poll02nov02,0,614162.story?coll=bal-home-headlines Of course, Potomac Inc is the same polling company that put Ehrlich within 1% of O’Malley… http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/elections/bal-te.md.poll01nov01,0,155408.story?coll=bal-home-headlines
The Post has O’Malley and Cardin up pretty significantly http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/28/AR2006102801039.html,
Rasmussen apparently has them close http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/11/2/83556/7992, and the Cook Political Report calls it a toss-up http://cookpolitical.com/members_content/senate/trenches/2006/mdtoss.php?
The Annapolis Capital endorsed Ehrlich this week http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2006/11_01-47/OPN
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