Upbeat Ehrlich Stresses Cooperation in Speech

"He's reaping the benefit of trends in the national economy," Busch said.

Republican lawmakers said they found it impressive to hear the governor's accomplishments wrapped together in a 50-minute address. House Minority Whip Anthony J. O'Donnell (Calvert) said it was clear that "the governor got a lot of stuff done in a very hostile environment."

Ehrlich seemed to put special emphasis on accomplishments intended to benefit the state's large, and mostly Democratic, African American community. He specifically mentioned aid to historically black colleges and universities, and he described the creation of a new school curriculum centered on the exhibits of a recently opened African American history museum in Baltimore.

"This is American history," he said.

Del. Curtis S. Anderson (D-Baltimore) said he noticed the attention to African American causes in the governor's speech and appreciated them. But he wasn't sure it reflected the Ehrlich administration's record. "I can only say, welcome aboard," Anderson said. "It's about time."

One aspect of the speech generated alarm among supporters of embryonic stem cell research. Ehrlich has proposed spending $20 million next year on stem cell research, but he has said he would leave it to a state-founded technology corporation to determine whether the money should be spend on embryonic cell work -- which some Republicans oppose on moral grounds -- or less controversial work on adult stem cells.

In his address, Ehrlich said dollars would be steered to "promising projects with the greatest opportunity for therapeutic breakthroughs."

Work is further along on adult than embryonic stem cells, though many scientists believe embryonic cells hold greater promise. House Majority Leader Kumar P. Barve (D-Montgomery) said he believes that Ehrlich was using "code" for saying he is going to support only adult stem cell research.

"That's why we need legally binding language as to how this would be spent," said Del. Samuel I. Rosenberg (D-Baltimore), who is sponsoring the stem cell bill. "That's called legislation."

An Ehrlich aide said that "there were no code words," adding that the governor remains open to embryonic research if that is what scientists recommend.

Ehrlich did not stick closely to his prepared remarks, but there was nothing like the impromptu lecture on respect that made headlines when he addressed the legislature last year. At moments, as he waded deeply into his legislative agenda, his 6-year-old son, Drew, put his head down in his mother's lap.

Midway through, though, he shook up the speech with the unorthodox decision to relinquish the microphone to an official from Louisiana who was on the receiving end of Maryland's medical and financial assistance after Hurricane Katrina.

In a soft bayou drawl, Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard described how "out of heaven, via Maryland, came this plane filled with" volunteers. "You came to the forefront at a time that we desperately needed it."

Ehrlich returned to the podium six minutes later to declare: "Do you know what the state of the state of Maryland is? It's compassion."

Staff writers Ann E. Marimow and John Wagner contributed to this report.