Gov. Martin O?Malley?s abrupt vacation this week left some anticipating his presence at various events scratching their heads, including about 30,000 firefighters expecting him to deliver remarks at their annual convention in Ocean City.
Event organizers said they found out “last, last, last” minute O?Malley, whose aides said he spent the week on a long-planned fishing trip in upstate New York with his son, would not be attending Saturday?s officers banquet.
“He was scheduled to be there at 6, and at quarter to 5 we found out that he had to take off,” association secretary Leonard King said. “It?s disappointing anytime the governor can?t make it, but we understand. His schedule is a whole lot more important than mine.”
King, who said O?Malley personally called to apologize for the cancellation, was one of several who said they expected the governor?s presence at events this week. Invitations for a political fundraiser for state Sen. Brian Frosh suggested the governor would be present Wednesday, but the Democrat said he understood the scheduling to be “tentative.”
The Web site for The BioAgenda Institute, a life sciences think tank, lists O?Malley as a “confirmed speaker” for its annual summit as of June 10. Ron Nicodemus, who coordinates events for the group, said O?Malley instead taped a welcoming for the event Thursday.
“We had the same situation with a congressmen ? there were votes on the Hill and at the last minute, he couldn?t make it,” Nicodemus said. “Schedules change, and when you?re dealing with high-profile people, you do the best you can.”
O?Malley spokesman Rick Abbruzzese called scheduling “complicated” and said appearances at the events may not have been confirmed. He dismissed questions about the governor?s whereabouts raised on the political blog Web site Omalleywatch. Abbruzzese said the information there is “fabricated.”
“I?m not going to respond to innuendo raising questions about the governor?s character,” Abbruzzese said. “Let?s see this for what it is.”
