Republican Steele's new job makes Democrat Mikulski "very happy"
Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski is a die-hard Democrat, but she finds a lot to like in the Republican Party's decision to pick former Maryland lieutenant governor Michael S. Steele as national chairman.
Mikulski isn't announcing that she's a huge Steele admirer. She's just glad he won't be on the ballot in Maryland next year.
During a recent interview with The Baltimore Sun, the state's senior senator discussed the outlook for 2010, when she, Gov. Martin O'Malley, the state's congressmen and women and members of the Maryland General Assembly will be seeking re-election.
"I was very happy that the Republican National Committee picked Michael Steele to run it, which kind of ties him up," she said, just after commenting that it was unclear which Republicans would be running.
Take that as a backhanded compliment, if you want, but Mikulski, one of the savviest politicians around, is clearly pleased not to have Steele as a candidate in her state next year. The last time Steele ran statewide, it was for the U.S. Senate in 2006. He raised $8 million and got 44 percent of the vote against Democrat Benjamin L. Cardin.
For more about Mikulski's re-election run, click here.
