O'Malley No Longer Outside Looking In

Members of the Maryland delegation, including Rep. Elijah E. Cummings and Gov. Martin O'Malley, celebrate their vote for Barack Obama. (By Preston Keres -- The Washington Post)
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"He's certainly qualified for many positions in the administration," said Rep. Robert C. Scott (D-Va.), who is close to both Kaine and Obama.

In interviews this week, Kaine said he plans to finish his term, which ends in January 2010, but he has stopped short of an ironclad promise to do so.

O'Malley will soon be gearing up to run for reelection in 2010, but he is also continuing his effort to build a national profile. He serves as the finance chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, which has a $20 million fundraising goal this month.

In an interview Thursday after he delivered a speech to the Arizona delegation, O'Malley said he didn't think his support of Clinton over Obama will have an impact on his political future.

"I think in 68 days no one will remember who was for whom," said O'Malley, who said he is working hard to get former Clinton supporters behind Obama.

After his discussion with Obama on Thursday, O'Malley, an Irish American Catholic, said he will likely campaign for the Democratic ticket this fall in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania and other places "where Democrats' names begin with O-apostrophe."

O'Malley also plans to help register voters and recruit volunteers in Maryland, even though it is widely expected to be a Democratic stronghold in the fall.

"Every election should be used to build the party . . . to win future elections," he said. "We are taking nothing for granted."

Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler (D) said O'Malley's low-profile role at the convention has more to do with the importance of Virginia in the presidential race than it does with O'Malley's decision to support Clinton.

"Virginia is seen as a state Democrats can win. Maryland is a state Democrats will win," said Gansler, who co-chaired Obama's Maryland campaign.

In the District, Fenty's early endorsement of Obama last year was rewarded with several rooms at the Westin Tabor Center, the hotel where Obama and Biden are staying.

Fenty has been busy stumping for Obama in television and radio interviews, and the mayor's preoccupation with the campaign has angered some of the D.C. delegates, who have rarely seen him.

Whether Fenty's strong backing of Obama will pay off for the city's top issue -- gaining voting rights in Congress -- is unclear. Fenty said Obama has pledged to support the cause, and city leaders are hopeful.

In addition to voting rights, the city will be seeking more federal funds for education and other top priorities, D.C. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray said.

But some D.C. delegates here speculate privately that Fenty has other ambitions that play into his support for Obama, such as a potential Cabinet position down the road.

Fenty has brushed off talk of a future position with Obama, but other D.C. officials have few other explanations for why Fenty has been so removed from the rest of the delegation.