Gov. Bob Ehrlich has repeatedly attacked Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley's record on crime. One can only imagine the fierceness of the Republican attack if O'Malley hired an ex-convict to appear in a television advertisement on his behalf. However, Ehrlich appears to have same soft spot for former convicts who appear in commercials for him as President Bush has for Republican congressmen who beat their mistresses. According to the Baltimore Sun:
Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s latest campaign ad portrays Baltimore resident Larry Gaines as a parent-advocate who worries about schools and crime. Gaines goes on to describe himself as a lifelong Democrat who has decided to "be bold" and vote for the Republican incumbent.If this is the best "Democrat" that Ehrlich can find to publicly support him, his campaign was already in deep trouble. However, Democrats should force Ehrlich to explain the decision to use Gaines in an advertisements to voters attracted by his so-called tough-on-crime approach.
But there's much more to Larry Gaines. Not only did Gaines campaign for Ehrlich's first gubernatorial bid in 2002, but he readily concedes that he voted for Ehrlich. State campaign records show that he received a $200 payment from Democrats for Ehrlich four years ago.
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While Gaines criticizes the crime-fighting record of Ehrlich's Democratic opponent, Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley, he has had his own brushes with the law.
During an interview, Gaines said that he is a former drug addict with a criminal record that includes a theft charge that earned him a three-year prison stint in the 1990s. State court records also show that he was charged with breaking and entering in Baltimore County in 1985 and that his attorney at the time was William H. Murphy Jr., a Baltimore defense attorney who has appeared in an Ehrlich radio ad. According to court records, Gaines received probation in the case.
The TV ad, which has been getting heavy air play in the Baltimore market, does not mention that Gaines is a full-time city schools employee and a part-time bail bondsman. In the latter role, Gaines arranged bail for clients that have included two alleged drug dealers and a man who police say tried to have sex with his 14-year-old niece. The men missed their initial trial dates and the city had to post judgments against Gaines in an effort to collect the money, an amount that in one of the cases totaled $50,000.
Last year, one of Gaines' sons, a juvenile, was arrested in connection with the stabbing of another youth in the chest during a pickup basketball game. Gaines describes the experience as "horrible" and says it opened his eyes to problems in the Police Department, including racist views that he says resulted in an attempted murder charge against his son.
