Liberal Franchot, Conservative Greenip Share Anti-Slots Stage

Two of Maryland's most ideologically opposed politicians shared the stage today at an anti-slots rally in Annapolis.

Comptroller Peter Franchot, a liberal Democrat from Montgomery County, and Sen. Janet Greenip, a conservative Republican who represents Anne Arundel County, joined several clergy members to denounce the November ballot question, which would legalize up to 15,000 slot machines at five sites.

"Been there, done that. It didn't work then and it isn't going to work now." Greenip said at a rally at Trinity United Methodist Church, referring to the proliferation of gambling in Southern Maryland in the 1950s and 1960s.

Greenup bucked her party to oppose slots when fellow Republican Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. was governor. She's one of few GOP lawmakers to take a public stand on the referendum; the Senate's Republican caucus decided yesterday to take no official position on it.