Paulson: ‘Good lord, we can pick up two seats in Maryland’

COLUMBIA – David Paulson told a crowd of about 15 on Sunday at a Columbia Democratic Club PAC fundraiser that the party is committed to gaining control of all eight seats in the state's congressional delegation.

The state Democratic Party communications officer touched on topics like building the state party, the presidential election and former Gov. Bob Ehrlich (R-Arbutus), but focused on U.S. House races.

“We’re very, very serious about making eight in ’08,” Paulson said. “We want every house seat in this state in Democratic hands. Period, bar none, and we want it there, we want it there for the next two decades.”

Paulson elaborated further, transitioning into a dialogue about U.S. Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Baltimore) and former Frederick Mayor Jennifer Dougherty.

“John Sarbanes should not have any problems if – and it’s always the big IF – we do what we need to do to make sure that it happens,” he said.

Paulson was more concerned about Dougherty’s prospects in her bid to unseat U.S. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Frederick) in the 6th Congressional District.

“Now the sign you don’t see here today, and it’s not here for a reason, is Jennifer Dougherty’s in the sixth,” Paulson told the CDC PAC members. Campaign posters for the Edwards, Kratovil and the Sarbanes campaigns were all present, but Dougherty’s was missing. Paulson explained that “every sign she has is needed in the sixth district. She needs more support, she needs more money.”

Paulson acknowledged that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee had been focusing on state’s Attorney Frank Kratovil’s (D-Stevensville) race against state Sen. Andy Harris (R-Cockeysville) in MD-1, but said, “We are hell-bent not to leave Jennifer behind as a party.”

Paulson also criticized former Gov. Bob Ehrlich and the state Republican Party: “Ever since he’s been elected, that party has done nothing but slip into the abyss. And it’s their fault. Every time I hear Republicans say to me we need a viable two party system in this state because that’s healthy and that’s good for government, I say I’m not going to apologize for success and if you want to build a two party system do a better job.”

He continued, “It’s not our fault you fail.”

National figures also made it into Paulson’s lecture. He told the attendees that U.S. Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-Ill.) standings in recent polls were “all very, very good, which makes me very, very nervous.” Paulson described Obama as “fire tested,” before listing a handful of figures showing him ahead of U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). “They’re calling it the big bounce," he said, referring to a Newsweek poll showing Obama with a 15 point lead. “He’s never lead by that margin.”

Paulson finished by saying that the outlook for Democrats across the county was positive. If Democrats can pick up Dennis Hastert’s seat in Illinois, and win special elections in Louisiana and Mississippi, he said, then “good lord, we can pick up two seats in Maryland.”

David Paulson writes a weekly column for PolitickerMD.com.