Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley outraised former governor Bob Ehrlich in this fundraising period and is crushing him in cash-on-hand, according to numbers Ehrlich released today. Ehrlich, who spent $1.3 million without airing a single TV ad, is burning through campaign funds like he spent taxpayer dollars as governor – irresponsibly and recklessly.
Former governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) has raised $3.2 million this year for his comeback campaign, just shy of the $3.3 million that Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) said he took in during the same period, according an e-mail Friday morning from Ehrlich’s finance chairmen.
But O’Malley appears to have a 3-to-1 advantage in cash on hand over Ehrlich heading into the final months of the race.
Detailed reports are due to the State Board of Elections next week.
“We have great news,” says the e-mail from John Reith and Elaine Pevenstein, Ehrlich’s finance chairs. “Thanks to all your hard work and generosity, the Ehrlich-Kane campaign exceeded its fundraising goals and virtually matched the O’Malley-Brown campaign in money raised for this reporting period. In just the past four months, more than 13,000 supporters made more than 18,000 donations to help Bob raise $3.2 million. That’s an incredible show of support!”
The Ehrlich spin Friday morning was countered by the Maryland Democratic Party, which released a statement claiming “a lackluster fundraising quarter, light public schedule, lack of new policy ideas and an unexpectedly strong primary challenge all show Ehrlich running out of steam.”
The reporting period started in mid-January. O’Malley was barred by law from raising money until after the legislative session ended in early April, about the same time Ehrlich announced he was trying to get his job back. Ehrlich had very little money in the bank when he began the race, while O’Malley started raising money again shortly after his 2006 election.
Sarah Palin today threw gasoline on the Maryland GOP gubernatorial primary, endorsing a virtual political unknown over former Maryland Governor Bob Ehrlich, who increased spending and raised taxes $3 billion during his tenure. Palin’s endorsement amps up the GOP Civil War playing out across the country.
I’m honored to endorse Brian Murphy for Governor of Maryland. Brian is a pro-life, pro-Second Amendment commonsense conservative and a firm believer in the free market and the cause for energy independence. As a former energy industry executive and current small business owner, Brian has the private sector experience that is so lacking in government today. He knows how to incentivize industry to get our economy moving again. Together with his running mate for lieutenant governor, Mike Ryman, Brian will provide Maryland with principled and results oriented leadership.
Bob Ehrlich lost his cool on his radio show this weekend, as an O’Malley campaign ad hammered him on his lobbying ties to Big Oil during the show. Ehrlich, the only incumbent to lose office in 2006, lost his temper after “Drill, Baby, Drill” aired. Coverage below:
An O’Malley campaign attack ad and a series of negative callers did an effective job of upsetting the usual tone and rhythm of “The Kendel and Bob Ehrlich Show” Saturday on WBAL radio.
Maryland Democrats failed in their efforts to get WBAL and election officials to take Ehrlich off the weekly airwaves once he started running in earnest for governor. But by buying airtime for attack ads like the “Big Oil Bob” radio spot that aired Saturday during the show, they have found a highly effective way to influence what is discussed on the program.
And while I have no evidence that the negative callers Saturday were in any way part of an organized partisan effort, they certainly were effective in getting under Ehrlich’s skin and seriously disrupting the usual pro-Ehrlich, propagandist flow of the program. In fact, a clearly agitated Ehrlich ordered the show’s producer at one point Saturday to cut one of the callers off altogether — a no-no in the world of responsible talk radio.
Ehlich suggested on-air that he ordered the caller cut off because of “inappropriate” language, but the only language that approached that realm came when the caller suggested that since he was a “voter,” the candidate should be “kissing his butt” rather than arguing with him — presumably to get his vote.
DGA Chair Gov. Jack Markell shares his thoughts and prayers with the families affected by the earthquake and the many volunteers who are helping them survive: “Our prayers are many these days. They are with everyone who experienced this tragic loss. They are with everyone are fighting each day for survival in Haiti and those who answered the call to help. They are with the brave volunteers from Delaware, hard at work in Jacmel, and everyone supporting them from home.”
“At times like these, we’re not Republican or Democrats. We’re Americans living up to our long tradition of helping our neighbors in catastrophic need, even when we face a challenging economy ourselves,” said Nathan Daschle, executive director of the Democratic Governors Association . “Together, we’re urging citizens to donate what they can to reputable aid organizations, readying our National Guard units and offering comfort to the Haitian communities in our states.”
Governors are mobilizing resources on the ground to make a difference in Haiti. In their states, they have helped airlift hundreds of thousands of pounds of food and supplies to Haiti, encouraged the members of the military deploying on humanitarian missions and established registries to help track the missing and reunite loved ones.
Some highlights of their efforts are below:
Pennsylvania:
On a request from the Haitian ambassador to the United States, Governor Ed Rendell flew to Haiti to rescue 54 Haitian orphans. The Haitian children are now safely in the United States and on track to join adoptive families.
Images of the skinny, shell-shocked little survivors of the earthquake being carried off a plane in Pittsburgh compelled hundreds of people to reach for their phones or send an e-mail with the same question: How can I adopt one of the Haitian orphans?
Gov. Rendell, and the 53 homeless children whose rescue he orchestrated amid the disaster, had barely touched down in Pennsylvania Tuesday morning when phones began humming at the Allegheny County Department of Human Services.
Over the last two days, the agency has logged 430 phone calls from people who said they wanted to become adoptive or foster parents for Haitian orphans, said Karen L. Blumen, deputy director of the Office of Community Relations.
“Thanks to the patience, perseverance and determination of many people and organizations, today we were able to bring all of these children together with their new families,” Gov. Ritter said at Denver International Airport. “While getting these kids to Colorado was a major milestone, there are still more Haitian children waiting to come to Colorado, and many more Colorado families living on pins and needles waiting for them to arrive. We are going to keep up the pressure until all of these children are together with their new families.”
For the past week and a half, Gov. Ritter’s Office and the Colorado Department of Human Services have been working closely with the U.S. military and Departments of Homeland Security and State to get the orphans out of Haiti and processed through customs in Florida.
Maryland:
Governor Martin O’Malley of Maryland visited with the crew of the USNS Comfort as they prepared their ship for a relief mission to Haiti.
The air base in Martinsburg, W.Va., was transformed Jan. 14 into a staging area for more than 332,000 pounds of supplies bound for the airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Hundreds of thousands of pounds more are expected to be palletized at the air base for shipment to Haiti in the coming days.
“Presently there is little information from Haiti because the earthquake caused extensive damage to Haiti’s infrastructure,” Governor Paterson said. “Although there is a massive international relief effort under way, it will take time until Haiti’s infrastructure is restored and systems are in place to help locate and identify individuals.
“However, collecting information now about New York citizens in Haiti will help locate them once information becomes available,” the Governor added. “Once the massive response to this catastrophe is in place, I am sure a number of organizations will work to reunite loved ones. This registry will be of vital importance to that effort.”
Illinois:
“I’m proud that the Illinois National Guard has been called upon to support the people of Haiti in their time of need,” said Governor Quinn. “This state will do all that it can to assist in this international effort.”
Governor Granholm: In difficult times we pull together to help one another.
There are hundreds of thousands of people in Haiti who need food, water, shelter and medicine, and the need is urgent and immediate. Monetary donations are the most efficient and effective way to help in the relief effort. They allow humanitarian organizations to purchase the exact type and quantity of items needed by those affected by the crisis.
I encourage anyone who is able to contribute to the American Red Cross to help with the relief efforts in Haiti. You can donate through your local Red Cross or online at www.redcross.org. You can also donate via cell phone by texting HAITI to 90999. An amount of $10 will be given automatically to the Red Cross and charged to your cell phone bill.
Please keep the people of Haiti and their families and friends around the world in your thoughts and prayers.
Ohio:
Governor Strickland: Today, our thoughts and prayers remain with everyone in Haiti, as well as the family and friends of Haitians here in the United States who may be in search of loved ones or grieving a loss. We know that many Ohioans are looking for ways they can financially assist with the relief efforts in Haiti. We are encouraging Ohioans to donate what they can afford to help the families who are struggling and without essential needs as a result of this catastrophe. The compassion and charity of Ohioans can go a long way toward helping Haitians who may be left with next to nothing.
Oregon:
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Haitian people who have been devastated by this earthquake, and should our service be needed, Oregon’s National Guard stands ready to assist in the recovery effort,” said Governor Ted Kulongoski. “Our citizen soldiers are trained to assist in efforts like this at home and abroad – and if called, stand ready to serve.”
Wisconsin:
“The Haiti earthquake has claimed thousands of lives and has left many more without homes, food or water,” Governor Doyle said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have been affected by this tragedy, and Wisconsin is ready to step up and help any way we can.”
Governor Martin O’Malley, DGA Vice Chair and governor of Maryland, discussed this morning on MSNBC his efforts to create jobs and get credit flowing to Main Street businesses and families. He noted that America has come back from the brink of economic disaster and that we must remain focused on job creation. “Here in Maryland, in three of the last six months, we’ve actually created more jobs than we’ve lost,” Governor O’Malley said. “What I’m focused on right now is trying to create as many jobs as we possibly can and as quickly as we can.”
