By David Nitkin
                           Sun Staff
                    Originally published February 5, 2002

                    Having mastered one of the most powerful government positions in
                    Maryland, House Speaker Casper R. Taylor Jr. is contemplating a new
                    job that would move his office up one flight of State House stairs.

                    Taylor, an Allegany County Democrat, wants Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy
                    Townsend to consider him as a running mate, political sources say. It's a
                    selection that must be made before she files papers this summer making
                    her an official candidate for governor.

                    In the early weeks of a legislative session dominated more by politics than
                    policy, talk of Taylor's future competes with buzz over legislative and
                    congressional redistricting and the impending election decisions of
                    Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley and Baltimore County Executive C.A.
                    Dutch Ruppersberger.

                    For at least a year, tongues wagged over the Cumberland native's desire
                    to become the next state treasurer, a low-profile job that supplies one of
                    three votes on the influential state Board of Public Works.

                    But when Treasurer Richard N. Dixon announced last month he was
                    retiring because of failing health, Taylor, 67, promptly took himself out of
                    the running for the vacancy. Instead, he threw his support behind Del.
                    Nancy K. Kopp of Montgomery County, who has been nominated by a
                    selection committee and is expected to be chosen by the General
                    Assembly today.

                    After Taylor deferred, many lawmakers concluded that he would rather
                    relocate to the executive offices on the second floor of the State House,
                    up from the first-floor speaker's suite. "I know he is interested in being
                    lieutenant governor, and I think he would be a terrific lieutenant governor,"
                    Kopp said.

                    The view is shared - at least in public - by dozens of delegates who owe
                    their committee chairmanships, local projects and legislative successes to
                    the reflective and low-key former tavern owner. Taylor should remain
                    speaker as long as he wants, they say in prefacing their remarks, but he'd
                    make a great right-hand man.

                    Only one opinion counts, however, and Townsend is saying little about
                    whom she might tap. "Speaker Taylor is a great leader," she said. "We're
                    focusing at this time on the legislative session and serving the people of
                    Maryland."

                    Taylor, too, is reluctant to speak of his aspirations, especially in the middle
                    of a General Assembly session with scores of bills to consider and
                    looming battles over whether to implement the final phase of an income
                    tax reduction and where to cut a tight budget.

                    "I've got too much to think about," he said. "I have conversations with
                    [Townsend] all the time about all kinds of things. I have never had a
                    conversation with her about running mates."

                    Asked if he was interested in the job, Taylor shifted his gaze to a distant
                    spot, paused for several seconds and said, "No comment."

                    But there are hints of desire. Approached recently by a reporter seeking
                    his opinion on poll results relating to taxation and education, Taylor
                    glanced at the thick, three-ring binder of survey data and asked: "Is there
                    anything in there about lieutenant governor?"

                    The running-mate choice is one of the top bar-stool conversation starters
                    in Annapolis, a town where political rumors run like electrical current.

                    "Townsend needs to put a distinguished and prominent legislator on the
                    ticket to be able to deal with a very strong legislative body that takes its
                    prerogatives very seriously," said John N. Bambacus, a Frostburg State
                    University political science professor and former state senator. "Cas
                    would fit the bill.

                    "As the speaker, he has a statewide organization already in place,"
                    Bambacus added. "There is probably not a delegate, or for that matter
                    many senators, who are not beholden to him. He's been there nine years
                    [as speaker]. He could call in a lot of chits."

                    Taylor might not be a perfect choice, however. He hails from sparsely
                    populated Western Maryland, so he is little known by most of the state's
                    voters who live in the Baltimore and Washington suburbs. His thoughtful
                    speaking style and kindly uncle appearance are more suited to quiet
                    negotiating sessions than a slick media campaign.

                    His anti-abortion views are starkly different from Townsend's, and his
                    objections to gun control have irked the Glendening administration.

                    Townsend aides say loyalty - a Taylor strength - will be a prime factor in
                    her choice. But if she seeks racial diversity, or looks for help in
                    Montgomery County, the state's most populous jurisdiction and
                    considered a must-win for a statewide candidate, other politicians would
                    offer more.

                    "As in the case of a president choosing a vice president, politics as well as
                    competency will play a major role," said Senate President Thomas V.
                    Mike Miller. "As a team player, as a friend, as someone who works well
                    with legislators, he would be a fine choice. But she has a multitude of
                    factors to consider."

                    Polls show that Townsend performs strongly in the Washington suburbs
                    but would lose to either Mayor Martin O'Malley, a Democrat, or Rep.
                    Robert L. Ehrlich, a Republican, in the Baltimore area. So maybe a
                    Baltimore-area choice is better?

                    The whisper campaign by Townsend critics centers on what they see as a
                    lack of decision-making skills and experience. But does choosing a
                    high-ranking lawmaker as a running mate heal a weakness or draw
                    attention to it?

                    And whom will Townsend be campaigning against, and what weapons
                    does a running mate need to bring to the battle?

                    "The decision about lieutenant governor in this race has to be balanced by
                    what the opposition is going to be," said Baltimore City Del. Maggie L.
                    McIntosh, promoted by Taylor last year to become House majority
                    leader. "She does not have the luxury of just picking a lieutenant governor
                    who works well with the legislature."

                    Other names in the mix include Montgomery County Councilman Isiah
                    Leggett and Sen. Christopher Van Hollen Jr. of Montgomery County.
                    Ruppersberger and Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan
                    have abandoned their gubernatorial aspirations this year but could still
                    bring strength to a ticket.

                    Then there's the chance of a more striking choice, such as Harford County
                    Executive James M. Harkins. Townsend could prove crossover appeal by
                    persuading the Republican to switch parties, and she could shore up her
                    bona fides among conservative-leaning white males.

                    Taylor is working to squelch talk that his time as speaker is running short.

                    He chastised a delegate who in a newspaper article raised the possibility
                    that the speaker should end his tenure in the near future. Still, Taylor's
                    resignation would create a cascade of House leadership vacancies, and
                    there is no shortage of lawmakers who covet advancement.

                    Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin, a former House speaker, said Taylor need not
                    worry about a coup.

                    "He's a master of the legislative process, and he's got incredible patience,"
                    said Cardin, a Democratic congressman from Baltimore. "I think Cas is a
                    very popular speaker among the members. Although there are certainly a
                    lot of ambitious people, they're prepared to wait."

                    Sun staff writers Sarah Koenig and Howard Libit contributed to this
                    article.

                    Copyright © 2002, The Baltimore Sun