Gov. Martin O’Malley praised President-elect Barack Obama’s choice of Hillary Clinton for secretary of state. That’s not surprising, considering O’Malley strongly backed Clinton in her bid for the Democratic nomination against Obama.

But when asked about news of the Cabinet pick today, O’Malley made a point of mentioning his ties to both former rivals. O’Malley will be among the governors meeting with Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden in Philadelphia tomorrow for a summit during which they will discuss the economic crisis.

"I’m filled with hope and optimism about this new administration," O’Malley said in Annapolis today. "I’ve got to go catch a train and go meet with President-elect Obama, and I haven’t been this hopeful about our country’s future in eight years. It’s a very exciting time, and he’s made some great selections today in Hillary Clinton and the others that he’s chosen."

Meanwhile, O’Malley reinforced his already deep ties to the Emerald Isle by hosting a luncheon for Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuiness. They dined at the governor’s mansion before sitting through a presentation on StateStat, the performance-based evaluation system that O’Malley’s administration uses to track agencies.

-- Laura Smitherman