NEWS CONFERENCE 431

A. I was made aware of that when I returned from Frederick County,
yesterday. I had no previous knowledge of it, and my position on it is
very simple. The city committee is the elected Republican Party group.
My appointees on the Elections Board and the Liquor Board have my
complete confidence, and I'm not going to try to run their affairs for
them. In short, I'm staying out of that controversy.

Q. Governor, Commissioner Pomerleau interpreted your censure as
a vote of confidence. Do you agree with that interpretation?

A. No comment.

Q. Governor, what do you think of the campaign tactic of Mr. Sher-
wood in using the Baltimore Blue Book? Do you think that is wise?

A. Well, if I were in a campaign for mayor, I think I'd use any
source of potential assistance that I thought would be most responsive
to my candidacy. If Mr. Sherwood feels that the Blue Book offers that
benefit, I think he'd be remiss not to use it.

Q. There is a proposal to extend the terms of judges to 25 years
after election. What's your position on that?

A. I'm going to take a definite position on it, but I'd prefer to defer
announcing it because it's part of my testimony before the Convention
tomorrow.

Q. One of the people who testified yesterday, Governor, Mayor Mc-
Keldin said that he was in favor of an appointed Attorney General
because it seems that after the Attorney General is elected, he starts
running for Governor. Is this your observation with the incumbent
Attorney General?

A. Again, this question of the election or the appointment of the
Attorney General will be covered in my testimony tomorrow, so I
prefer to defer.

Q. Do you feel the Attorney General is running for Governor?
A. No comment.

Q. Governor, this has been Mike Weiss's question the last few
weeks, but he hasn't come up with it yet. The budget requests are
continuing to come in. At last week's press conference you said that
if the budget requests continue to come in higher and higher in the
various departments, you would have something to say about it. Are
you ready now?

A. I'm not ready yet, and I will try to make a special point to be
ready by the next press conference to make an observation on that,