Of independent mind in law and Md. politics (Baltimore Democrat supporting Ehrlich)

Baltimore Sun ^ | October 9, 2006 | Sumathi Reddy

[MinnesotaLibertarian]

It's a Thursday afternoon and William H. "Billy" Murphy Jr., as is often the case, seems to be doing 10 things at once.

The phone rings. And he's spouting off about Mayor Martin O'Malley's response to a radio ad in which Murphy is featured, accusing the Baltimore Police Department of unlawfully arresting thousands of black residents. Murphy paces.

Advertisement "Did you hear what O'Malley said today?" he booms incredulously into the phone. "He said that Governor Ehrlich was lying about this! He didn't say disagreeing. He said lying!"

Fiery as ever, Murphy, 63, is a force to be reckoned with in courtrooms and legal circles, and has earned a reputation as being one of the more experienced and high-profile black lawyers in the nation.

He is also a political operative, a man whose blessing or curse holds considerable sway in Maryland circles. And the Democrat has thrown his support behind the re-election effort of Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. and Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele's senatorial bid, disappointing some but surprising none. Murphy, after all, is a political enigma.

[MinnesotaLibertarian]

Interesting article about an interesting man. Between him and Russell Simmons, I think black leaders (people who have actually been successful in the professional world, mind you, not self-appointed leaders like Al and Jesse) are slowly but surely realizing that the Dems don't care about them, other than making sure they vote lockstep for the Dems every election. Ehrlich and Steele have done a great job promoting conservative economic ideas to the black community with the concept of legacy wealth. I love Steele's line about how the first civil rights movement was for the right to sit at the counter, the new civil rights movement is to own the place. Ehrlich also deserves credit for his efforts to roll back the insane War on Drugs, which disproportionately affects blacks.

[Post-Neolithic]

I work in Baltimore City, yes it's a long commute down 83 but for what I make in the city I can live fairly well in PA, and I have yet to hear anyone who even likes O'Malley.

Between the crime coverups, the city school system losing 50 million dollars and his inability to even govern the city, the only way he could ever win the Governorship of MD would be if he and his cronies rigged the election in a big way.

I say in a big way because not even the black Democrats in the city(80+ percent of the city's population) like him.

[theelephantway]

I am from an area north of Baltimore City also and I agree with your statement. I hear of no one voting for O'malley. However, and unfortunately, he will get a lot of votes south of Baltimore, ie Montgomery, AA & PG Counties.

[Loyolas Mattman]

If O'Malley doesn't carry the Baltimore region by relatively large margins, he's toast. He won't get enough support in MoCo and PG to offset the "Red" portions on the eastern and western ends of the state.