The walls have been stripped bare in Lt. Gov. Michael Steele?s office except for two oil paintings he doesn?t own. One is of Thomas Jefferson, who briefly used the second-floor office when the Continental Congress was in session in the old State House.
“Thomas Jefferson must be someplace wondering, ?How did a brother wind up in my office?? ” Steele told The Examiner. “I figure Sally Hemmings knows how I wound up here.”
The other portrait is of Gov. Oden Bowie (1869-1872), founder of the Preakness, who has Maryland towns named after his first and his last name. “He was a noted slave owner in Prince George?s County,” said Steele, who lives there. “I kept Bowie?s portrait on the wall to remind me every day what it took to get here, and to remind me that the struggle ain?t over.”
There is irony in the selection of Steele or the office. In a state where black voters have helped keep it staunchly Democratic, the first black person to hold statewide office was a socially conservative Republican.
“Maryland has a noted history with black folk,” Steele said. “It never leaves you.”
Steele attributes losing the race for U.S. Senate to Rep. Ben Cardin to voters? desire to lash out against President Bush, his Iraq policy and the free-spending ways of the Republican Congress.
“The voters went to the polls saying we want to teach the Republicans a lesson,” Steele said.
There was criticism of his campaign as lightweight, lacking solid issues, running from the president and even deceptive, but Steele said there was “no amount of money,” “rhetoric” or anything else that could have changed the outcome.
“I said from the beginning that if this race was about Republicans and Democrats, I would lose,” Steele said, “and I lost.”
Steele was more surprised by the defeat of Gov. Robert Ehrlich.
“I was surprised and saddened that the people would take their frustration and anxieties about national affairs out on a man who has literally transformed how government does business in Maryland,” Steele said.
He said he is proud of what he and Ehrlich accomplished on small business, education reform, charter schools, drug rehabilitation and other issues. And he fears that the incoming O?Malley administration will not maintain the fiscal responsibility Steele believes the Republican governor restored.
“To act as if the sky is falling financially, it?s all a big setup for tax increases,” Steele said.
In a meeting with Lt. Gov.-elect Anthony Brown, also a black man from Prince George?s, Steele said Brown “called it a failure that I didn?t release” the report on the death penalty.
Steele said he gave Ehrlich the report in April and wanted to see it released, but Ehrlich didn?t want it out.
“He was going to act on it in a second term,” Steele said.
Steele said he told Brown, “You?ll find out who your boss is.”
Lt. Gov. Michael Steele
» What now? “I?m sitting back and sort of taking stock of the last four years. I?m an old business lawyer. I love doing deals.”
» The next campaign? “I?m going to look at every opportunity out there ? county executive of Prince George?s County, governor of Maryland.”
» Born: Oct. 19, 1958, Andrews Air Force Base, Prince George?s County
» Education: Archbishop Carroll High School, Washington, D.C.; B.A., Johns Hopkins University (internationalrelations) 1981; Augustinian Friars Seminary, Villanova University; Georgetown University Law Center, J.D., 1991
» Professional career: Attorney (corporate securities); Founder, The Steele Group (business & legal consulting firm); Associate, Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton, 1991-97
» Political career: Chair, Prince George?s County Republican Central Committee, 1994-2000; Delegate, Republican Party National Convention, 2000; Chair, Maryland Republican Party, 2000-02. Executive Committee, Republican National Committee; Lieutenant Governor, 2003-2007
» Family: Wife, Andrea; two sons, Michael and Drew
