Katie O'Malley reveals horror stories from the campaign trail
Catherine Curran O'Malley grew up in a political family as the daughter of former state Attorney General J. Joseph Curran. And now she has political family of her own as the wife of Gov. Martin O’Malley. But apparently the first lady never did develop a penchant for the quadrennial bedrock of a politician’s life — the campaign trail. As she admitted on Baltimore’s Center Stage on Friday for her guest appearance in the Stoop Storytelling series, she found campaigning was for the birds.
“Every four years from the time I was a little kid until now, something horrible would occur,” O’Malley said, eliciting the first big laugh. “It was called the Democratic primary.”
A good politician’s wife, Katie O’Malley repeated the caveat that most people she encountered on the campaign trail were “very nice” and “receptive.” But the voters who stuck out most in her mind were the not-so-genial ones. There was the guy who said (and she recalled in a sneering voice), “You’re father’s trying to take my gun away.” Her father had to make up for that frightful experience by buying her a Slurpee. When she got older and bolder and told a menacing man that her father’s campaign didn’t want his family’s 13 votes anyway, she was taken off the trail and put on envelope-stuffing duty.
The worst encounter, though, happened during another election cycle on the Fourth of July parade route in Catonsville.
One parade-goer followed her father and his entourage, calling Joe Curran corrupt and accusing him of being on the take. After five minutes of the badgering, she had had enough. “And I just gave him the bird,” she said, to her biggest laugh of the night. Her husband, the current governor, happened to be her father’s campaign manager at the time. Nonetheless, she was ordered back to envelope stuffing.
So why did she continue in public life with its endless campaign routine? Well, she simply found the best excuse for avoiding the dreaded campaign trail — she became a judge whose political activities are restricted by court ethics laws.
“Now I’m fortunate to be a district court judge, and I don’t have to campaign ever again,” she boasted.
You can catch a replay of the first lady’s 5-minute monologue on the radio. It will air on WYPR - 88.1 FM on July 17 at noon and 7 p.m., and again at those times on July 24.
Comments
It must be a tough life for her because both her father and Martin resided over the genocide of thousands of young black men in and around Baltimore City and DC.
Voting for her father or husband would all but ensure that we'll be number one in murder per capita again in BMORE. They simply don't care nor do they know how to protect the people.
No wonder she's seen so many angry constiuents.
Posted by: Ballz Mahoney | July 13, 2009 2:29 PM
Bullseye Ballz Mahoney.
Is is so surprising that the masses do not hold the ruling party in Baltimore city at all responsible for Baltimore's plethora of failings!
Failing schools, crime everywhere, grime, litter,the list goes on and on.
Liberal justice does not work.
And look what the Democratic party has done for Baltimore.
Nothing.
Posted by: jay | July 13, 2009 4:14 PM
Balz,
Once again, you give us totally classless comments and less than worthless partisanship. The GOP goes nowhere in a growing number of MD jurisidctions because of wimps like you. All cheasp talk and NO hard work.
Posted by: Simone | July 13, 2009 4:36 PM
Balz,
Once again, you give us totally classless comments and less than worthless partisanship. The GOP goes nowhere in a growing number of MD jurisidctions because of wimps like you. All cheap talk and NO hard work.
Posted by: Simone | July 13, 2009 4:36 PM
What makes Balz a GOPer? The loudest critic from Baltimore City was always Jill Carter and I wouldn't come close to calling her a Republican. Amazing how O'Malley's defenders jump to call his opposition, GOPers. Many of us share the same political stripe. We just don't like the whole talk big and walk like a mouse crap that he pulls.
Posted by: Jim | July 13, 2009 10:17 PM
Oh, I thought the story would have focused a bit on Sade Baderwinwa. My bad.
Posted by: Jay | July 14, 2009 9:15 AM
If you Jim, or you Ballz have the answer to stopping this "genocide" and all you do is whine anonymously on internet forums, then the blood is on your hands.
Posted by: Tom | July 14, 2009 10:10 AM
The only folks without class are the ones who claim government successes while 300 young black men are lead to slaughter every year in Baltimore City.
And, the wimps are the ones that stay in denial and accept the genocide as a way of life. But, around here, that's the Maryland Democrat way.
Posted by: Ballz Mahoney | July 14, 2009 10:25 AM
I am part of the solution. In my line of work, I help folks struggling with addiction.
Addiction and the genocide in Baltimore go hand and hand.
I vote against the Maryland Democratic monopoly every year to put a stop to the murders....it's Cardin, Mikulski, O'Malley, Kratovil, Cummings that have the blood on their hands. And, you Tom, if that's who you vote for.
I have to leave Sheila out though, and give her props for making progress with the murder rate! Obama might snub her, but I won't.
Just like in addictions treatment, doing the same thing again and again then expecting results is the definition of insanity. When you vote time and again for the same folks and somehow expect the murder rate to drop magically, then what does that make you Tom?
Go ahead, Tom, keep voting for Democrats. Baltimore will keep digging graves, and the suburbs will keep building rehabs. Once again, the Maryland Democrat way ensures that young blacks will be gunned down and young suburban kids will die of heroin overdoses.
The solution is simple. Get involved in your community, and stand up to protect Marylands's youth.
AND, DON'T FORGET TOMMY BOY.... VOTE OUT ALL THE MARYLAND DEMOCRATS
Posted by: Ballz Mahoney | July 14, 2009 1:32 PM
Ballz,
And you haven't solved the addiction problem yet? I am shocked.
I thought you had all the answers. Or is your answer to everything to attack others because all the problems aren't yet solved?
Posted by: Simone | July 15, 2009 9:12 AM
Simone please name me Deocratic acomplishments in Baltimore let alone Maryland. I am scratching my head thinking of any!
Thanks
jay
Posted by: jay | July 15, 2009 1:46 PM
It was so terrible, yet she chooses to raise her own children in the same environment....
Posted by: john | July 16, 2009 1:20 PM
Ballz,
If you are "part of the solution" as you say, then you are just as much to blame for the "genocide" as the politicians you indict.
If the "genocide" is a sign of their failure, it is a sign of yours as well.
The addiction problem in Baltimore isn't getting any better. Maybe its time for you to go Ballz.
Posted by: Tom | July 24, 2009 4:16 PM