Dean Chides Ehrlich for Staff Choice

National Democratic Party officials have joined Maryland party leaders in criticizing Republican Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s choice of campaign director for his 2006 reelection bid.

Bo Harmon, who started on Ehrlich's campaign this week, ran Republican Saxby Chambliss's successful 2002 campaign to unseat Sen. Max Cleland (D) in Georgia, a bitter contest that continues to reverberate with Democrats.

"Governor Ehrlich promised Marylanders that he would end the politics of division and personal attacks," Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said in a press release yesterday. "Instead of honoring this promise, he has hired Bo Harmon, who launched one of the most virulent and offensive political attacks against former Georgia Senator Max Cleland, a decorated war veteran and triple amputee who served his country valiantly in Vietnam."

Republicans dismissed the criticism as carping by Democrats seeking to disparage Ehrlich.

"I'll say this, Gov. Ehrlich is doing a tremendous job as governor of Maryland," said House of Delegates Minority Whip Anthony J. O'Donnell (R-Calvert). "If people feel threatened by that, including the National Democratic Party, that's their problem. Their criticism rings hollow with me, as I'm sure it does with many Maryland citizens."

During the 2002 campaign, Chambliss accused Cleland of being weak on national security issues and ran a TV ad showing Cleland's photo alongside those of Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. The ads were roundly criticized by Democrats and by some Republicans, including Sens. John McCain (Ariz.) and Chuck Hagel (Neb.).

A message left for Harmon at Ehrlich's campaign headquarters was not returned, and Audra Miller, a spokeswoman for the Maryland Republican Party, said she did not wish to respond to Dean's statement.

Ehrlich declined through a spokesman to comment on Dean's statement and on a subsequent one issued by Cleland.

Cleland said he was "disappointed" in Ehrlich's choice. "Four years ago, Mr. Harmon ran the nastiest campaign I have ever seen in 35 years of politics, against me, attacking my patriotism and my integrity," he said.

In 2004, Cleland spent time in Maryland raising money for Democratic Sen. John F. Kerry's presidential bid. Maryland Democrats said yesterday that they expect Cleland will return to help Ehrlich's eventual opponent.