At least somebody's not waiting around for Bob Ehrlich.
Michael Pappas, a relatively unknown lawyer from Towson whose sole elective experience so far is a stint on the Baltimore County Republican Central Committee, is doing what none of the luminaries of the state GOP seem willing to: announcing his intention to challenge Gov. Martin O'Malley. Mr. Pappas acknowledges that he doesn't have the name recognition or the fundraising ability that Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. built up during his terms in Congress and his four years as governor. But he saw all of his fellow Republicans sitting on their hands waiting for Mr. Ehrlich to decide if he wants another shot at the governor's mansion and decided that somebody needed to be ready to run, whether the former guv does or not.
He's right about that. Mr. O'Malley is steering Maryland through some turbulent times, and the state needs to see a vigorous debate about whether he's picked the right course. He's pushed through slots, increased taxes, cut programs, all but abolished the death penalty, tightened environmental regulations and helped out labor unions. We need more than just another year of will-he-or-won't-he psychodrama over whether Mr. Ehrlich wants a rematch with Mr. O'Malley. After all, that rivalry has always seemed more like a schoolyard grudge than a real debate over the future of the state. We need more Mike Pappases getting out there and generating a real conversation with the voters.
