Steele remains a 'loyal soldier'

By VAISHALI HONAWAR, Staff Writer

Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele wants anyone wondering to know that he would carry "buckets of sand, water and dirt" for his boss, Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.

The first modern Republican in an office that has provided plenty of loyalty tests for his Democratic predecessors, Mr. Steele said he and Mr. Ehrlich remain in perfect tandem as they lead Maryland to a brighter future.

And oh yes, the governor is the only man he answers to on issues such as a promised death penalty task force - a pledge the news media has such a way of keeping alive.

"My philosophy is get things done," Mr. Steele said. "His philosophy is don't screw it up."

When Mr. Ehrlich was sworn in as Maryland's top elected official last year, he promised an equal partnership with Mr. Steele. The first African American elected to statewide office, he attracted voters who shared his opposition to the death penalty and abortion.

"The governor relies heavily on the lieutenant governor's input and deals," said John Kane, chief of the Maryland Republican Party.

But some say the partnership has not translated into a free hand.

Eighteen months into the Ehrlich-Steele administration, the lieutenant governor has remained firmly aligned with his boss on most issues, and mostly quiet on the one many African Americans feel strongly about: the death penalty.

When he lifted a moratorium on the death penalty after taking office, Mr. Ehrlich said Mr. Steele would head a task force to investigate allegations of racial bias in sentencing.

Today, Mr. Steele says that plan is still alive, adding with a degree of irritation that he isn't working on a schedule set by the media or by either side on the issue. He's just not giving up any details.

"I am not ready to talk about it," Mr. Steele said during an interview last week in his State House office.

It has to be a comprehensive process, he said a little later.

"I have talked to leading proponents and opponents ... It is further shaping my view on this issue," he said.

A devout Catholic, Mr. Steele says his view of the death penalty remains the same.

"Life is life for me," he said "I can't determine whether you live or die. That's what I've anchored my faith in."

Right now, Mr. Steele's plate is full of other things.

He was picked as a speaker at the Republican National Convention later this month in New York. When he's not jetting around the world to forge business ties for Maryland, he has been campaigning for President Bush in battleground states.

"I want to get out there and tell this president's story," he said.

He said re-electing Mr. Bush should be a no-brainer after his handling of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 and the Iraq war.

"This is our president. He has kept us safe for the last two years. He has succeeded in putting terror on the run, and brought democracy to a part of the world that did not know democracy for a long time."

Observers of Maryland politics call Mr. Steele "a loyal soldier" for Mr. Ehrlich.

"He presents well and provides at least a symbolic front that the Ehrlich administration has been trying to put up to reach out to all groups around the state," said Keith Haller, president of Potomac Inc., a Bethesda-based public opinion group.

"The governor relies heavily on the lieutenant governor's input and ideas," said Mr. Kane.

For his part, Mr. Steele takes up spiritedly for Mr. Ehrlich on the issue of his defeats in the General Assembly. The governor has been unable to push a slot-machine bill through the assembly for two years running.

"It's not a disappointment for us. We are disappointed by the inactions of others, but that is their failure," Mr. Steele said.

Ditto for his faith-based initiative. Mr. Ehrlich named Mr. Steele to head a governor's office of faith-based and community initiatives, but the Senate killed the plan. The office would have helped faith-based groups obtain government resources for community programs, including helping the homeless and day care.

"It is the failure of others to grasp the gravity of the situation that's disappointing," said Mr. Steele. "I am disappointed in their lack of vision."

But he has a "Plan B" in the works, he said. Again, he isn't ready to talk about it.

"Plan B is to move forward and take leadership from the governor. I have presented him with some suggestions and ideas," he said.

The wanderer

Since last year, Mr. Steele has spent nearly $170,000 on trips to Europe, the Caribbean and Africa.

He said he has brought back more than enough business to justify his travels.

In Paris, his goal was to tout Maryland's ties to the aerospace industry during the international air show. He said he had 23 meetings in two days.

His most recent trip was to Ghana and South Africa in June. It cost more than $140,000 of taxpayers' money.

"Citizens will see that the $140,000 have been spent well. It's been worth it because we brought back $17 million," said the lawyer-businessman.

One trade pact he negotiated was an agreement for more flights by Ghana Airways to BWI Airport. And although the airline is currently grounded in a dispute with federal aviation officials, Mr. Steele said other deals will be announced soon.

"I know how to maximize profits," he said.

Then there's his other role as an African-American vote-getter for the Republican Party.

"The last time I checked, my name was not Moses," he said.

"I am one of many voices in our party, African American or otherwise ... But let's not blow it out of proportion. This is about a long, steady progressive march toward bringing the Republican Party back to the African-American community and establishing a relationship that we let fall apart."

Mr. Kane insisted that race has nothing to do with Mr. Steele's high profile on the national campaign trail.

"He's done a great job of outreach," he said, calling Mr. Steele "well respected and well regarded ... honest and humble."

He compares his charisma to that of Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley, adding, "But compared to Steele, O'Malley looks too ambitious."

Whether his appeal will translate into votes among Maryland's mostly Democratic African-American community remains to be seen.

Mr. Haller, for one, said that hasn't happened so far. The Ehrlich administration still has "an enormous way to go to forge any connection" with black voters, he said.

Whatever the pressures and criticisms, Mr. Steele said he's enjoying his time in the State House. His office was once used by Thomas Jefferson.

"As an African American sitting in a former slave-owner's office, it is a hoot ... And you don't take a moment for granted. You just roll up your sleeves and do the best job you can."

vhonawar@capitalgazette.com

Published August 02, 2004, The Capital, Annapolis, Md.
Copyright © 2004 The Capital, Annapolis, Md.