Posted by Phil Lee (216.250.238.176) on December 06, 2000 at 20:34:
On his way out the Senate door, Bromwell is still pulling the strings
Josh Kurtz, The Gazette, Dec. 1, 2000
The warmth and emotion were fairly bubbling over in the Senate Finance Committee hearing room Wednesday evening, where several dozen colleagues and legislative staffers gathered to say farewell to the soon-to-be-departing committee chairman, Thomas L. Bromwell (D-Dist. 8) of Perry Hall.
Leading the praise was Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Dist. 27) of Clinton.
"Tommy could be whatever he wanted to be at any time," Miller said of Bromwell, the colorful and effective lawmaker who is due to become director of the Injured Workers Insurance Fund, a quasi-government job that pays $150,000 a year. "He could be Peck's bad boy. He could be an orator. He could be a statesman. He could be a magician."
You'd hardly know that Miller and Bromwell have been feuding for the past several weeks over who should replace Bromwell in the Senate. And that may have something to do with why IWIF quietly announced this week that Bromwell would be starting his new gig on Jan. 1 rather than on Dec. 1 as originally planned.
Bromwell, it turns out, has not yet resigned his Senate seat. After meeting with Bromwell Wednesday morning, Miller said he expects to receive a formal notice of resignation next week.
Officially, Gov. Parris N. Glendening will select Bromwell's replacement, from a recommendation by the five-member District 8 Democratic Committee. But that committee is controlled by Bromwell, who wants his aide John Schneider, who is like a father figure to him, to take the Senate seat.
Miller, however, fears that Schneider could be vulnerable to a challenge in 2002 from one of the Republican delegates who represent the Reagan Democrat district -- James F. Ports Jr. of Perry Hall or Al Redmer of Baltimore.
"He's a good guy," Miller said of Schneider. "He's well-liked in the district. I just don't know if he's got the stature to win."
Miller would prefer to see Glendening appoint Del. Katherine Klausmeier (D-Dist. 8) of Baltimore or Baltimore County Councilman Joseph Bartenfelder, a former delegate.
Bromwell said he has been trying to convince Miller of his friend's political viability, and downplayed any talk of strife between him and Miller.
"We never really had a beef," he said.
Still, the always-mischievous Bromwell seemed to be enjoying the discomfort he has apparently caused Miller.
"I'll see you [at the next] Senate leadership [meeting]," he told Miller as he left the party Wednesday night.