Miller’s words fire up rivals

On the second floor of the Maryland State House, a sheet of paper hangs on each of the 13 doors to Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.’s staff offices.

Printed on the paper is a quote from Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., a Democrat who represents Prince George’s and Calvert counties.

“GOP leaders ‘are going to be flying high, but we’re going to get together and we’re going to shoot them down. We’re going to bury them face down in the ground, and it’ll be 10 years before they crawl out again,’” the quote reads.

Mr. Miller made the comment in a speech nearly two weeks ago as the 2006 General Assembly in Annapolis was convening.

Such talk is common in a football locker room, where phrases and quotes from opposing teams are pasted on walls.

The practice has reached the corridors of the State House in Annapolis, where Democrats hope to regain control of the state’s top two posts this election year.

Mr. Ehrlich isn’t taking down Mr. Miller’s quote from the office doors anytime soon.

“The governor asked that it be posted on every door on the second floor to remind us of how the people downstairs think of us, to help us get through the day,” said Greg Massoni, the governor’s deputy director of communications.

Sen. Gloria Lawlah, Prince George’s Democrat, said she agrees with Mr. Ehrlich’s decision to keep Mr. Miller’s quote displayed on the doors.

“When you’re in a contest, if I’m Coach Ehrlich, I’m going to use everything I can to fire my team up, to put fire in their belly,” she said. “I’d do that, too … The Democrats miss the second floor. The whole thing is about the second floor.”

Mr. Miller said recently that he wasn’t talking specifically about Republican legislators or Mr. Ehrlich’s legislative agenda when making that comment.

“I was only talking about the governor and the lieutenant governor, and only about their campaign coffers,” Mr. Miller said, outside his office on the first floor of the State House.

Mr. Ehrlich has the most money in the state’s gubernatorial race — $8.4 million. Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley, one of Mr. Ehrlich’s Democratic rivals in the race, has about half that much.

Meanwhile, Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele, a Republican, is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Paul S. Sarbanes, a Democrat.

“All we have is the people, and we’re going to have to come together to defeat them,” Mr. Miller said.

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