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Here's how he's billed on the HBO Web site: "Gov. Martin O'Malley (D-MD), scholar."

Scholar?

The governor has been known to quote F. Scott Fitzgerald and assorted Irish poets. He geeks out on the War of 1812.

But still!

The governor's office didn't know where the scholar thing came from but wasn't exactly demanding a retraction.

"Really, that's inaccurate," conceded spokesman Rick Abbruzzese. "He's also a musician and a poet."

(Abbruzzese also noted that O'Malley flies out on HBO's dime Friday morning, will return on the red eye right after the show and will be in Ocean City by 10 a.m. Saturday to address the Maryland State Educators Association.)

Sarah Fuller, a publicist for the show, said the billing was the result of "an administrative error." The words were left over on the Web site from another guest, whose name she could not recall. He's only a scholar, after all.

Connect the dots

Another Phelps striving for athletic glory: Michael Phelps' sister, Whitney Flickinger, ran the Baltimore marathon Saturday. She covered 26.2 miles in 4 hours, 28 minutes, 32 seconds, according to race results posted online. She and her brother celebrated after the race by chowing down at ESPN Zone, the restaurant says. ...Maryland Politics Watch wants to know: "Who came up with the brilliant idea to hold a fundraiser" - for Gov. O'Malley last Sunday afternoon in Miami Beach - "at a place called 'the Meat Market?'" No telling. But it looks like somebody thought better of it. The fundraiser, hosted by Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, was moved from the hipster steakhouse with the self-proclaimed "sensual main dining room" to a private home in Miami. "I don't even know what the reason was" for the change of venue, said O'Malley campaign manager Tom Russell.