Baltimore Mayor Martin O?Malley is getting a little advertising help in his campaign for governor from neighboring county executives and his friends in the labor movement.
In another TV commercial to counter Gov. Robert Ehrlich?s persistent drumbeat attacking O?Malley?s crime-fighting record, Howard County Executive Jim Robey, a former police chief, and Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith, a former judge, reinforce Baltimore residents, testifying that “the city is safer.”
“Don?t believe those negative attacks from Bob Ehrlich,” Robey said. “They?re pure partisan politics.”
“We?ve worked side by side with Martin O?Malley, improving public safety,” Smith said.
Both executives have endorsed O?Malley, and the ads playing in the Baltimore market also reach constituents Smith is asking to re-elect him and Robey is hoping will send him to the state senate.
“We?re currently working on a rebuttal piece,” Ehrlich spokeswoman Shareese DeLeaver said. The ad repeats O?Malley?s “lies” about his record, because Baltimore is “six times deadlier than New York City,” she said.
“It?s irresponsible of any leader to stand behind a significant void of leadership,” DeLeaver said, referring to Smith and Robey.
While O?Malley?s campaign is paying for that ad, Local 1199 of the 10,000-member SEIU United Health Care Workers are attacking Ehrlich?s record on health care with radio and TV ads that are part of $1 million the union is spending to defeat Ehrlich.
If the governor?s record on health care “wasn?t so bad it would be laughable,” said union political director Quincey Gamble.
One radio ad says, “George Bush and Bob Ehrlich have created a health care crisis,” and a 15-second TV spot says, “Bob Ehrlich thinks big companies like Wal-Mart shouldn?t have to provide health care for their workers.” A third TV spot, with a young black boy drawing on a wall with paint peeling, says that the governor cut funds for lead paint removal.
“Those ads are just wrong,” DeLeaver said, adding that the one on lead paint is “factually inaccurate.”
Ehrlich said he vetoed the so-called Wal-Mart bill because it taxed the retail giant for not providing enough health care coverage and was anti-business. A federal judge overturned the law this summer.
The governor cut lead paint removal funds to Baltimore, but gave the money for the same purpose to his own Department of Environment, saying they were more efficient, Ehrlich spokesman Henry Fawell said.
