There's Audacity of Hope," John Coale was saying, "and then there's just audacity."
Coale - the big-time Democratic fundraiser and Clintonite who lent $500,000 to Martin O'Malley's campaign in the last days of the governor's race - made that crack over lunch in Baltimore months ago, when Hillary Clinton was still giving Barack Obama a run for his money.
Coale was off the record back then. But he'll let me quote him now that he's made this surprise announcement: He's backing John McCain.
A native Baltimorean who waited tables at Martick's as a UB law student, Coale is known for his work in tobacco litigation - and for being married to Fox News' Greta van Susteren.
(We interrupt this column to issue yet another appeal to Morris Martick, 86-year-old chef of the just-shuttered West Side French restaurant: Open up! Coale, too, bemoans your well-deserved but sweet-potato-soup-depriving retirement.)
Coale has long shared money and connections with Dems. But he showed up at the Republican National Convention last week and announced plans to woo high-profile Dems to "Citizens for McCain." "A Leading Hillary Supporter Defects to McCain," read the headline as Newsweek.com broke the story.
"First, I'm surprised it's any kind of big deal at all," Coale told me later by phone from Minnesota.
"And second, I told McCain that I am doing nothing to help [down-ticket] Republicans. John and I go back. We worked together on the tobacco stuff when he was chairman of the commerce committee. I've known him a long time.
"And I like him a lot. ...
"I'm a true-blue Democrat. But look, I don't know Barack Obama. I had one one-on-one for 30 minutes once. I've worked with McCain. He has a tremendous record of compromise in putting deals together in the Senate.
"I made it very clear this is about John McCain, not Republicans and not Republicans in Maryland," he added. "I will be supporting Martin O'Malley for his re-election and all Democrats, especially in the state of Maryland. I'm holding a fundraiser for what's-his-name on the Eastern Shore."
Frank Kratovil, Democrat for Congress?
"Kratovil. Senior moment. I'll continue to do that kind of thing."
Think twice before dissing community organizers
At the University of Maryland, Baltimore, it's possible to get a degree in something that was a laugh line at the GOP convention: community organizing.
