Local Democrats rally behind O'Malley

November 2, 2006
By Clifford G. Cumber
News-Post Staff

FREDERICK—In a last-minute, get-out-the-vote bus tour across the state, Baltimore City Mayor Martin O’Malley hit Frederick, and while in Frederick, the one-time Irish rocker couldn’t resist running into a South Market Street guitar store.
Ostensibly, it was to thank the owner for having an O’Malley for governor sign in his window.

But then, Jeb Byron, who is taking guitar lessons at the store, handed the mayor a $3,800 Martin D42, steel-stringed, top-of-the-line guitar—one of the nicest on the wall, said Boe Walker, owner of Boe’s Strings Inc.

Along with Mr. O’Malley, campaign workers and the region’s media crowded in the small store to watch an impromptu performance by the former frontman of O’Malley’s March.

“Music shops, when you’re a musician, are always fun,” Mr. Walker said after the visit. “It was probably a nice little mini-break from campaigning for him, even though he had the crowd of people and the photo op.”

Abruptly Mr. O’Malley stopped and handed the Martin back.

“All right, I gotta keep walking,” he said.

The walk took Mr. O’Malley, Rep. Ben Cardin, who is running for U.S. Senate, Attorney General contender Doug Gansler and nearly every Democratic-elected official in Frederick, across Patrick Street, and in a waving line that crossed and recrossed the street several times, up Market to the Democratic headquarters.

“We believe Frederick is important,” Mr. Cardin said.

Sen. Barbara Mikulski shook hands and told a voter, “We’ve gotta get the turn out. Turn out, turn out, turn out.”

It was a shiny day, as about 100 Democrats followed Mr. O’Malley, hoisted signs in the air and handed out literature.

“Today’s sun bodes well for our ticket on Thursday,” Frederick Alderman David Koontz said.

The group was followed by a small but stalwart group of Republicans holding signs promoting Lt. Gov. Michael Steele’s run for U.S. Senate. Mr. Steele will face Mr. Cardin on election day.

“We are out here protesting, using our First Amendment rights,” said Kelly Schulz, a member of the Frederick County Republican Central Committee. “And we have been more than heckled by several members of the O’Malley-Cardin crowd.”

With only a half hour’s notice, five people had come out to counter protest, Ms. Schulz said. The heckling was over the small GOP showing.

But given the time, having five people was “a pretty tremendous turn out,” Ms. Schulz said.

From downtown the O’Malley ticket went to Frederick Community College for lunch with students, then headed out into the reaches of Washington, Garrett and Allegany counties. Those counties are considered the most conservative areas of the state, and reliably pro-Gov. Robert Ehrlich, a Republican.

“I don’t think this race is about party,” Mr. O’Malley answered when questioned about his likelihood of success in the area. “I think it’s about progress, and

I think the people of Western Maryland recognize progress when they see it.”

The tour will swing through the Eastern Shore over the next day, then end with a rally in Baltimore headlined by former Sen. John Edwards, a vice presidential candidate in 2004.

“We are running for all of Maryland, we are running for Western Maryland, for the Eastern Shore,” Mr. O’Malley told a crowd gathered on the Dem HQ steps, while urging party members to get out the vote.

The message was reiterated by Andrew Duck, a military veteran facing U.S. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett for the Western Maryland seat he has held for 14 years.

“You’ve got to vote as if your nation depends on it, because your nation does depend on it,” Mr. Duck said.

Printer Friendly