Obama Phone Call Brings Governor Into the Fold, but He'll Be Playing Catch-Up to Kaine, Fenty
By Tim Craig and David Nakamura
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, August 29, 2008
DENVER, Aug. 28 -- About 20 minutes before Barack Obama officially secured the Democratic nomination for president Wednesday, the Illinois senator picked up the phone and called Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, who was a big supporter of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's during the primaries.
O'Malley, who says he was surprised by the timing of the call, had spoken to Obama just once, briefly, since the primaries ended in June and was itching to step up his role in the presidential race.
For much of the summer, O'Malley watched the presidential contest from the sidelines while Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty were gaining national exposure as longtime Obama supporters. But during their conversation Wednesday, O'Malley said, Obama sought to carve out a role for O'Malley in the party's efforts to win the White House this year.
"He basically said, 'Look, I want you to be very involved in the general [election], and I want you to travel for me. I want you to be much more visible than you have been,' " O'Malley recalled.
With the Democratic National Convention now over, O'Malley and the Washington region's other two top Democratic leaders are all turning their focus to the November vote, as well as their own political futures.
A big victory by Obama, analysts say, could be especially helpful to Kaine and Fenty, given their early support for his campaign. The election also provides O'Malley a chance to once again try to assert himself as a future leader of the national party, despite picking the losing candidate during the primaries.
Four years ago, O'Malley, then mayor of Baltimore, gave a prime-time speech at the Democratic National Convention in Boston that focused on homeland security.
O'Malley's approval ratings have fallen since he pushed through tax increases last year to help fix the state's finances. In recent months, he has been focusing on energy and home foreclosure issues as he works to rebuild his public image.
Kaine is now carrying the Washington region's banner. He was a finalist for the vice presidential nomination and delivered a speech at the convention Thursday night.
In it, Kaine spoke of his Catholic faith, quoting from the Gospel of Matthew, and remembering his work with Catholic missionaries in Honduras during law school. He spoke briefly in Spanish, asking Latinos in the crowd whether they were united.
"While I was learning how to put my faith into action in Honduras, Barack Obama was doing the same thing on the streets of South Side Chicago, helping people reclaim their lives after the steel plants closed down," Kaine said in the speech. "Starting right here in the Mile High City, we will put our faith into action."
The Virginia governor could land a key role in an Obama administration, given his close relationship with the Democratic nominee. Kaine has been mentioned as a potential attorney general or as secretary of education, transportation or housing.
"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.
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