O'Malley's Profile on Slots Has Been Low

Some Suggest Official Is Distancing Himself From Referendum in Case of Defeat

When Maryland voters decide the fate of slot-machine gambling Nov. 4, no politician will have more at stake than Gov. Martin O'Malley (D). Yet, with the referendum vote just six weeks away, the governor hasn't emerged as a particularly visible champion of the cause.

The 15,000 machines that would be authorized are projected to generate more than $500 million annually for the state within a few years, mitigating yet another round of politically perilous budget cuts or tax increases as O'Malley looks toward a 2010 reelection bid.

O'Malley fought hard last year to persuade the General Assembly to put the long-debated issue on the ballot, and he has said repeatedly, including in a series of recent radio interviews, that slots are a far better alternative to other budget fixes.

Still, some supporters and detractors alike have been surprised that O'Malley is not making a more vigorous push for passage as the vote nears, with some suggesting that the governor is trying to distance himself from the referendum in case residents reject slots. Recent polls have shown support for slots still ahead of the opposition but declining somewhat.

In an interview, O'Malley said he expects to become more involved in the pro-slots campaign in coming weeks but that he thinks there are few people left to persuade.

"I think most people made up their mind on this years ago," O'Malley said, noting that the debate has been a prominent part of Annapolis politics since his Republican predecessor, Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., took office in 2003.

When O'Malley brings up slots during his travels across the state now, "there's kind of a roll of the eyes and a sigh," he said.

O'Malley's reticence on the issue is a stark contrast to the approach of the most visible politician pushing for the referendum's defeat, Comptroller Peter Franchot (D).

Franchot, a former Montgomery County delegate, has appeared at a string of recent news conferences and other campaign-style events, making the case that Maryland would be better off without slots.

Flanked by about two dozen ministers at an African Methodist Episcopal church in Prince George's County last week, Franchot called the promise of slots revenue "snake oil" and ticked off social ills, including addiction and domestic violence, that might increase around the five sites that would be authorized to have slots.

O'Malley has never been shy about using the bully pulpit that comes with his office to pitch his positions. Last year, before a special session on the state's finances, the governor made the case for a package of tax increases and spending cuts during nearly every public appearance, regardless of the event's focus.

Last week, during a day-long stay in the Port Towns of Prince George's, O'Malley did not raise the issue of slots at all.