"Uncle Sam, I am your new Master! Muh wah ha ha ha ha ha ha! Taxes of the people will be 100% starting now! Bwa ha ha ha ha!"
Posted on 12/14/2006 5:38:04 PM PST by Norman Bates
ANNAPOLIS -- Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. yesterday disclosed that former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney have sought his input for their potential presidential campaigns, saying that his own re-election loss has not ended his career in Republican politics.
Mr. Ehrlich, who was Maryland's first Republican governor in 36 years, also said he had not ruled out another run for state office, including a possible campaign in 2010 to replace Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, a Democrat.
"I would not eliminate that as an option," he said of a run to succeed Miss Mikulski, 70, now in her fourth term.
However, Mr. Ehrlich told reporters at a farewell lunch at the State House that it was "grossly premature" to speculate about a Senate run four years from now. "It depends on a lot of elements that are unknown at present," he said.
The governor was more definite about his ability to help Republican candidates for president in 2008. He said he had been approached by Mr. Giuliani and Mr. Romney.
"Those discussions with Giuliani are much further along than with anyone else," Mr. Ehrlich said. "It is no secret that we have had a friendship and that friendship has flourished over the last two, three, four years."
The two men talked late into the night at a dinner in Baltimore's Little Italy following Mr. Giuliani's appearance at a campaign event for Mr. Ehrlich the Sunday before Election Day.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
I love Bob Ehrlich and still think that Merryland is going to get screwed for not electing this man. For O'Malley?
I'm certain that Ehrlich is going on for bigger and better things. I'd opine that he would be a good VP candidate for the Repub nominee but he doesn't have much of a state behind him. Although, hey, he COULD pull in some liberal votes out of the blue states at least by his name recognition. and he's certainly qualified, having led a very blue state back from the brink.
Just a thought.
Maryland screwed themselves by going 100% Lib. But Ehrlich is a good candidate for Nat'l office. A Conservative probably can't get elected in MD, but it's possible Nationally.
Ehrlich would make a great VP nominee, and since he's young, he could move up from there.
"Uncle Sam, I am your new Master! Muh wah ha ha ha ha ha ha! Taxes of the people will be 100% starting now! Bwa ha ha ha ha!"
I'm just saying...., you know?
Go with me here...he's got a real nice middle class background. Don't you know if you know the Arbutus area of Baltimore but its picture should be under "middle class urban" in the dictionary.
Gotta nice family, All-American.
He's been GOVERNOR (as in NOT a Senator in America's House of Lords) of a difficult state to govern and goodness the man's had a pack of corrupt demo hyenas at his backside for the four years he endured the hell of Merryland.
So he's got governing experience, negotiating experience, he's got a thick hide in that he suffered incredible dirty tricks from those Merryland Dems.
Make that man the next Pub VP candidate, versus, say, Barak HUSSEIN Obama on the Dem side...and we've not only gotta winnah, we've got the perfect guy to tune up and send onto the Presidency.
He's a real good talker too.
I would rather see him take on the Little Dyke.
Maryland needs Mikulski like the Titanic needed more water.
I was privileged to meet Gov. Ehrlich last Sunday at the open house at the governor's residence in Annapolis. I could tell that he is a sincere man with class.
Hold the excitement, people. He is no conservative. He's as conservative a Republican as Maryland will elect, but that ain't no conservative.
He's pro choice so I don't know how far he would go in the national Republican Party. He was a very good governor and got screwed by the Republican backlash this year. He had a 60% approval rating and lost.
Yes to all of that. And we're not alone. I just read that both Romney and Giuliani have asked him to help their Presidential campaigns. Ehrlich is a friend of Giuliani's, but I think he would be better off joining Romney.
You didn't mention that he also has a record in the House, so there's no question what his politics are.
I could really get into a Romney/Ehrlich ticket.
And of course you're right, he is pro-choice. I am very much committed to the pro-Life cause, but as far as Ehrlich is concerned he is on the right side of the only two abortion issues that have any hope of being mitigated in Maryland at this time: against partial-birth abortion and for parental notification ("Catholic" O'Malley is not for either as far as I know). On other issues, which he has much more power to influence, Ehrlich does well as a Republican: for school vouchers, for lower taxes, for accountable education, and he's a model of fiscal responsibility. Afterall, in Maryland one can't count on a GOP governor coming by too often (but we feel Michael Steele can regularize that, too!).
Ehrlich is moderate-to-conservative at best. He is pro-choice on abortion, and as such is a non-starter for national office (at least in my mind).
I hope Ehrlich does run for Mikulski's seat in 2010 (she'll be 74 and will probably retire) and that Michael Steele runs for Governor that year. 2010 could be a very good year for MD Republicans.
I like what I've seen of Ehrlich but I'd still like to see someone like Duncan Hunter(if we are unfortunate for him not to get the nomination), who has military experience, on the ticket for once. And I still don't like the 'big names' being mentioned for the top of the ticket. Hunter is extremely strong and should be on there.
I truly wish that Conservatives hadn't rolled over so easily on adopting the Liberals choice of language on the abortion issue. Or maybe I wish that big gov't Conservatives would admit that they are for gov't control.
There are really 3 positions on abortion - 1) Make it legal and easy to do; 2) Make it illegal always; and 3) Admit that there's no national consensus, and leave it out of gov't purview. I think #3 is right, but confusing people who believe that with the ones who accept #1 is wrong.
The best thing for Ehrlich would be an Ambassadorship.
Ehrlich was one of the best governors in the nation. Even liberals in Baltimore, who admit O'malley was a terrible mayor, can't find much criticism of Ehrlich.
He's not a good VP though; he won't swing this state.
The only real thing he did poorly (according to the Maryland electorate leftwing) was the veto of the Walmart healthcare bill.
The Democrats successfully linked him to the national GOP. It's happened before, back in 1994, Democratic Governor Ann Richards had a 65+ approval rating and lost, to George. W. Bush.
The rest is history.
"I truly wish that Conservatives hadn't rolled over so easily on adopting the Liberals choice of language on the abortion issue."
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