Hot girls at work!!

Below is a Baltimore Sun article about the Comptroller. Its too funny some things never change.

Schaefer unapologetic after embarrassing aide

Comptroller says 'the day I don't look at pretty women is the day I die'

By Jennifer Skalka, Andrew A. Green and Jill Rosen
Sun Reporters

February 15, 2006, 5:35 PM EST

ANNAPOLIS -- Comptroller William Donald Schaefer sent jaws dropping during today's Board of Public Works meeting when he made a provocative remark to a young female aide to the governor.

Responding to Schaefer's request for tea, the woman, who serves as an executive assistant in Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s front office, set a thermal mug in front of the 84-year-old comptroller. Schaefer watched her walk away and then beckoned for her to return. When she obliged, he told her to "Walk again" and stared after her as she left the room.

Speaking with reporters after the meeting, Schaefer defended the comment in a profanity-laced rant.

"That's so goddamn dumb, I can't believe it," Schaefer said when asked about the appropriateness of his remarks. "She's a pretty little girl."

The comptroller said the woman "ought to be damn happy that I observed her going out the door."

"The day I don't look at pretty women is the day I die," he said.

Ehrlich, who has a close personal and professional relationship with Schaefer, quickly left the room at the end of the meeting. A spokesman would not release the name of the employee.

The governor later said Schaefer stopped by his office to explain himself.

"He peeked his head into my office and told the women who work in my front office he certainly did not want to insult anybody, that was not his purpose, and that was the end of that," Ehrlich said.

But others remained incensed.

"Women are not objects," said Sandy Bell, acting vice president of Maryland NOW, the state branch of the National Organization for Women. "Somebody in his position should know better."

Michele Lewis, political and legislative director of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees in Maryland said that while Schaefer is known to be a colorful and often unpredictable character, his actions were inappropriate.

"We've been working long and hard to ensure our public employees that they will be treated with dignity and respect," Lewis said. "That, in my opinion, is not a dignified way to treat any worker, let alone one who works for the state of Maryland."

Schaefer, a former governor and mayor of Baltimore who is expected to run for re-election this year as comptroller, is well-known for his often uncouth public statements. He has railed against multiculturalism and has long called the women with whom he works "little girls."

Louise Hayman, Schaefer's communications director, said Schaefer didn't mean to make the woman uncomfortable. Hayman stressed that he has long been a booster of women, promoting them to influential positions in his administration.

"He has a huge and strong group of female supporters and always has," Hayman said.

But the incident with the Ehrlich employee was one of three peculiar happenings today between the comptroller and female state workers.

Schaefer launched his customary monologue at the start of the meeting by saying that if anyone in the crowd had an anniversary that day, he or she should stand up.

Elizabeth "Billie" Grieb, president of the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, announced that it was her third anniversary in the job. He told her to sing "Happy Anniversary" to herself.

At first she demurred, but Schaefer insisted. After Grieb started to sing in front of the crowd of more than 100, he let her sit down.

Through spokeswoman Lainie Contreras, Grieb said that Schaefer is an old friend of hers, and of the zoo, and that she took no offense.

Meanwhile, Martha Smith, president of Anne Arundel Community College, reported to the board that her school was recently ranked No. 1 nationally.

"How do you feel?" Schaefer said.

"I feel great," Smith replied.

Schaefer responded, "You look great, too."

Smith said after the meeting that the comptroller's remark didn't bother her.

"I'm 56 years old," Smith said. "When somebody tells me I look good, I take that as a compliment."

After the meeting, Schaefer left reporters to privately speak to the woman who works for the governor. When he returned, he said that she told him "she was embarrassed" by his comments but that he hadn't apologized.

"The one who's offended is me," he said.

Del. Peter Franchot, a Montgomery County Democrat running for comptroller against Schaefer, declined to say if Schaefer should apologize.

"It's obviously an inappropriate behavior, and I'm sure the comptroller, when he thinks about this, will feel badly about it," Franchot said.