Duncan, Ehrlich Take Hits

Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan is probably not thrilled with today’s Maryland Journal headline “ICC could face bumpy road: Majority of citizens voice opposition at hearing”. The piece covers the strong public turnout at a hearing in Prince George’s County about the proposed InterCounty Connector and features a quote by a County Council member opposing the project. It also includes a mention at the top of the page that Duncan champions the building of the massive road—a combination that won’t help him build the support he needs in PG County for his presumed gubernatorial campaign. Has anyone heard of the African American Environmentalist Association, as prominently mentioned in the Post article on the same subject? And is it more than just a conservative front group?

And in a blow to another 2006 gubernatorial candidate, Maryland doctors and hospitals backed away from Gov. Bob Ehrlich to support recent medical malpractice legislation passed by legislature, as detailed in the Washington Post. “It dramatically undercuts the governor’s position…” said Senator Brian Frosh. On such a high profile issue that Ehrlich had been so clear about vetoing, it is not good for your political future when the group you claim to be fighting for publicly rolls you, but this makes it more likely that the governor’s veto will be overridden and decreases the value of his public opposition to the bill.