President of Contradictions
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'He's almost an intellectual, and the next minute, he's a thug.' President of contradictions Mike Miller, state's longest-serving Senate, president, is an old-time politician in-a modern Annapolis "If you read history and read Blair Lee, Montgomery County's BY JOSH KURTZ about heroic everts, it makes you former State House lobbyist. "He's a hero," he says, eyes still shut. almost an intellectual, and the next minute, he's a thug." It's Cartfer Day at Mattaponi Gary Alexander, an Annapo Miller has been in public of Elementary School in Upper lis lobbyist who represented the fice for 31 years, the past 27 in the Marlboro, and Thomas V Mike same district as Miller in the state Senate. His district, as he Miller Jr., the longest serving House for 12 yoars, says Miller likes to put it, "begins at Mount president in the history of the embodies many of the qualities Vernon" (because Maryland Maryland Senate, is pacing of historic figun s. owns the Potomac River). He around a sixth-grade classroom "He's the greatest political represents the slice of old agri like a caged wild cat. general that I\e ever known," cultural southern Prince George's Alexander says. "Stonewall Jack County that his family has called On this muggy May after son, George S. I'atton, Robert E. noon, Miller is giving a rambling home for generations. He also Lee, Ulysses S. (rant—he's got it represents part of Calvert Coun dissertation on his life. all wrapped up n himself." "Understanding Mike Miller," ty, where he has recently moved, Gov. Parris N. Glendening ob and a sliver of Anne Arundel serves, "is understanding his 'Bundle of contradictions' County. In the past, his district three great passions: the state of has included portions of Charles Maryland, the Democratic Party Mike Miller i i one of the most County, and may again after and the Maryland Senate." enduring men in state politics — Glendening and the legislature and one of the most powerful. Glendening (D) quickly adds draw new legislative boundaries His fingerprints can be found all next year. a fourth to the list: trie University over the state. But he will never of Maryland at College Park. Miller has been president of be governor. the Senate for 15 years. He is be Miller (D-Dist. 27) of Clinton Any hopes he had of run talks about all of these during his coming increasingly visible in na ning for statewide office prob tional Democratic politics. He was half-hour presentation: ably ended ir 1989 when — •How the Mattaponi Indians close to Bill Clinton, and serves on just before his first major fund the executive board of the Demo got along so well with Mary raiser in Baltimore — he told a land's first settlers (he shows the Washington TV reporter that cratic National Committee. students some arrowheads he Baltimore wa> a "(expletive Miller is also a lawyer, with a found on the beach near his deleted] ghetto" and a "war tliriving personal injury and de Calvert County property). zone." He meant it to sound fense practice in Clinton and •How he got admitted to Col sympathetic, en acknowledge Dunkirk. lege Park: "Back then, the public ment that the city needed extra Miller uses all of these posi colleges had to take everybody." state help, but Baltimore took tions and all of these associations •The war within his house it the wrong way. to gather and radiate power hold — and his soul — between statewide and in the jurisdictions his mother's New Deal liberal Without Baltimore, no gover he represents. ism and his father's Dixiecrat nor's mansion. This past year has been par conservatism. Instead, Miller must content ticularly eventful for Miller. He himself with being one of the •His reverence growing up moved from his brick home in state's major power brokers not Clinton into palatial new digs for the local state senator, Lans- unlike the statesmen whose biog dale Sasser. reminiscent of Monticello ("I raphies he devours. have a big house," Miller confess Several days later, in his bur He has a passion for history gundy-colored State House of es when one of the sixth-graders and can recite the stories of Mary asks him if he lives in a mansion). fice, Miller takes a visitor on a land's founding families. He is similar tour. One minute, he's The Senate this year christened also, in an increasingly sanitized its new $22 million Thomas V. describing a meeting he just had and suburban ;zed State House, with the Prince George's County Mike Miller Jr. Senate Office one of the few practitioners of old- Building ("the Taj Mikhail"). And Senate delegation, planning for school, bare-knuckle politics, un the 2002 elections. Miller has proudly seen one afraid to use incendiary language daughter, Melanie, gain political The next minute, he's closing to scorch an opponent. his eyes reverentially, conjuring prominence as head of the Mary "He's this bundle of contradic land Young Democrats, and an up the image of one of his he tions," says political commentator roes, Benjamin Disraeli, the leg other, Melissa, join his law firm endary 19th-century British after eight years as a prosecutor prime minister. in the Prince George's County State's Attorney's Office. CODT But politics were never far "He was an enemy of the gov from his mind. In 1962, Miller ernor," Schaefer says of Miller volunteered as a driver for Frank today. Small, the Republican candidate Miller counters that as an only for governor. The sacrilege of child who never married and But there have been setbacks working for a Republican was ex never had children of his own, as well: Late last year, Miller beat cused by the fact that Small was a Schaefer was unable to compro back an attempted coup by Senate Clinton guy who had known mise. Finance Committee Chairman Miller's family for years. But Miller was determined not Thomas L. Bromwell (D-Dist. 8) of After College Park and law to let the same thing happen with Perry Hall, an effort that continues school, Miller worked in Annapo the next governor. to leave the Senate jittery. And he lis as a bill drafter for the Prince saw an old friend and former top George's County House delega Working with the governor aide, Gerard E. Evans, sent to tion. When a House of Delegates prison on federal corruption seat became available in 1970, the Parris Glendening and Mike charges^ warring factions of the Prince Miller were products of different For all the difficulties, Miller is George's Democratic establish parts of the Prince George's De poised to exert even greater influ ment agreed that Miller should be mocratic machine, predisposed ence than usual in the months the candidate. Then-state Sen. not to get along. During Glen- ahead, as the governor and legisla Steny H. Hoyer helped him. When dening's early years as Prince tive leaders redraw congressional hew district lines were drawn be George's executive, Miller said, and legislative district lines. It is a fore the 1974 election and no "The higher a baboon climbs up ready-made task for the hyper-po other elected official represented a tree, the more of his butt he litical Senate president. the southern Prince George's area shows." "He has extraordinary political carved into a new Senate district, Today, Glendening attributes antennas," says Bruce C. Bereano, Miller ran and won easily. their early difficulties, to institu a veteran State House lobbyist and "Timing is everything in poli tional, rather than personal, ten former aide to two of Miller's pred tics," he says. sions. Miller insists that Glenden ecessors. Miller rose steadily into Senate ing has changed. Yet for all his seniority and acu leadership. After Melvin A. "Mick Although Miller supported men, for all of his talent — which ey" Steinberg became lieutenant Steinberg in the 1994 Democratic even his harshest critics will ac governor in 1987, Miller was the primary for governor, he and knowledge — Miller does not have consensus choice to succeed him Glendening have become the a long list of legislative accom as Senate president. closest of allies. plishments. Glendening calls Miller a reli "Other than his own tenure, The Schaefer years able compass of where the legisla what does Mike stand for?" Lee ture is heading on an issue. asks. "I can't think of anything." In the 1986 gubernatorial elec • "He is not as progressive as I," tion, Miller was a strong supporter the governor says. "He will rou of Baltimore Mayor William Don tinely recommend that I have to Rooted in Clinton ald Schaefer. moderate myself a little more." He was born Dec. 3, 1942, in "I thought I was going to have Miller contrasts working with Clinton, the oldest of 10 children. an in," he says. Glendening to working with The Millers and their kin have long But when Schaefer took office Schaefer: "The difference is like been prominent in Southern in early 1987, the new Senate the difference between heaven Maryland. The focal point of their president gave him a framed and hell." small-town empire was B.K. copy of the Maryland Constitu Certainly, Miller has played a Miller's, a grocery and liquor store tion, as if to warn Schaefer that pivotal role in Glendening's recent that opened in 1913 and stands he should not plan to roll over successes. today at the corner of Old Branch the legislature.