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A Politician Who Thinks Like a Linebacker
"He's a linebacker in mentality. He has always been able to take a hit and return it with that much more," says D. Bruce Poole, a longtime Democratic friend of Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s
(By Nikki Kahn -- The Washington Post)
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For nearly four years, Ehrlich has lived in the 54-room governor's mansion in Annapolis with his wife, Kendel, a lawyer and cable television host, and sons, Drew, 7, and Josh, 2. Toys are piled near a side door. Halloween decorations are everywhere, including a giant inflatable pumpkin in the landscaped yard.
It is a big change from the Timonium townhouse they lived in before.
Thinking over his public life, Ehrlich clearly tries to set himself apart from the tactical side of politics that many see as one of his defining characteristics.
"I really like the job," he said. "Politics? I think we're pretty good at it. But it's not my favorite part of this process. My favorite part is clearly getting in front of crowds and making my case."
He talks about how much he enjoyed his two televised debates against O'Malley. "I like to compete," he says. He came to the debate armed with numbers, which he ticked off methodically. He tried to strike a tone of candor, and at one point answered his opponent with: "I don't know what all of that means, I gotta tell you."
His hard-nosed determination shows up even in small ways, friends say. On Capitol Hill, one lawmaker recalls, congressmen sometimes played games of matching quarters -- heads or tails -- during idle time in the cloakroom. Ehrlich "hated to lose, even if it was 25 cents," chuckled Rep. Howard Coble (R-N.C.), a friend who recalls teasing him about it.
But Ehrlich's quest to win, his critics say, has hindered his ability to get programs passed. When he was elected, Ehrlich promised to work with lawmakers beyond party lines. He started by making bipartisan Cabinet appointments; about 40 percent of his Cabinet secretaries have been Democrats.
Still, the governor has often locked into battle with legislators.
Ehrlich had vowed to bring legalized slots to Maryland. After four efforts, there are still no slots. Twice, Ehrlich called special legislative sessions only to veto the bills they produced. On more than 20 issues -- including minimum wage, health benefits at Wal-Mart and election law changes -- the legislature overrode his vetoes.
House Speaker Busch, a close friend when they both served in the state House, has clashed with him often. Ehrlich "ran for office as a consensus builder and compromiser, but he did not govern that way," Busch argued. If he had, he said, "I think he would be a much more formidable candidate today."
In Busch's view, Ehrlich was changed by the divisive politics of Capitol Hill during the Gingrich era.
John Kane, chairman of the state Republican Party, said that the real problem was the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, which often blocked Ehrlich's proposals. "They like monopoly," Kane said.
