Schaefer Takes the Cake

First Lady Kendel Ehrlich waltzed in with a cake to present to William Donald Schaefer at the start of Wednesday's Board of Public Works meeting, welcoming the state comptroller back from a bout with the flu.

"Alright, he's got his cake, we're hoping for a good day," she said on her way out the door.

No such luck. The former governor spent much of the meeting quarreling with officials at the meeting, including Gov. Bob Ehrlich .

Schaefer lambasted state election officials for "playing patty cake" instead of preparing for the primary election in September.

Schaefer asked Linda Lamone, administrator for the State Board of Elections, what she thought of legislation allowing early voting in Maryland. Schaefer abstained on a vote to buy the technology needed to secure voting in the week before election day, while the governor held his nose and approved the $2.4 million contract.

"It's not my duty to think here," said Lamone, seeking to dodge expressing an opinion on the controversy.

"I've known that for some time," Schaefer retorted.

"It's a lovely day," someone at the meeting observed.

"I wouldn't go that far," Schaefer replied.

Steve Vogel