Republican members said the speech struck just the right balance between issues of substance and those dealing with the tone of the debate in Annapolis. Senate Minority Whip Andrew P. Harris (Baltimore County) said Maryland residents have been hearing about the partisan clashes in Annapolis and have grown tired of them.
"I think Marylanders expect the legislature to work with the governor, not against him," Harris said. "They don't expect outright blanket antagonism."
In the audience for Gov. Ehrlich's State of the State address are Senate leaders Nathaniel J. McFadden (D), center, and J. Lowell Stoltzfus (R).
(Robert A. Reeder -- The Washington Post)
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Through most of the speech, Ehrlich spoke in a casual style and broke repeatedly from prepared remarks, at one point pausing to pump his fist for Maryland's basketball victory over Duke on Wednesday.
During a recitation of improving economic conditions in the state, he noted that tourism has improved markedly, then grinned and referred to tourism ads that feature him as the star.
"Just a thought," he said with a chuckle. "Maybe those commercials are working."
Perhaps the most unusual element of Ehrlich's speech was the off-the-cuff riff about his relationship with U.S. Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.).
Two weeks ago, The Washington Post reported on rampant speculation that Hoyer is considering running against Ehrlich next year. Hoyer said he has no such plans. That was followed by a report this week in the newspaper Roll Call, which quotes an anonymous source saying, "Hoyer hates Ehrlich." Hoyer wrote the newspaper to correct the record, saying, "[T]hat is absolutely not true. In fact, I like Gov. Ehrlich."
Without explaining any of this background, Ehrlich interrupted his speech to say that Hoyer "called me yesterday and apologized for a comment he did not make. And I appreciate it very much."
The anecdote appeared to baffle most in the room. "I found the whole speech very strange," O'Malley said.
Similarly, Duncan called the remarks "disappointing." Asked why he did not clap once during the governor's address, the Montgomery executive responded: "That's not true. I clapped when he left."
Staff writer John Wagner contributed to this report.
