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Politics & Government

O'Malley Has Bel Air Friends, Defends DREAM Act

Patch interviewed the governor before the annual Independence Day parade.

expected to get booed in  annual .

But before his appearance Monday evening, the Democrat told Patch he has plenty of support in Harford County.

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“We have a lot of good friends along the parade route,” O’Malley said. “My kids and my wife have learned that some of the nicest people are the quiet ones that just simply wave and smile.”

Elected to a second term in 2010, O’Malley defended the he signed this spring, adding that most people who opposed the law do not understand it. It is expected to go to referendum for the 2012 election.

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“There are some who try to portray it as free tuition for illegal immigrants, and that’s not what it is,” he said. “Once people learn that and once people kind of break through the hype and the hate that’s been wrapped around it, I think people will make a fair decision.”

O’Malley downplayed suggestions of a possible White House bid, saying he was focused on serving Maryland.

“My ambition is to get us out of this recession and get us to the other side of it,” O’Malley said. “I’ve had to cut the state budget by more than any governor in Maryland history and never ever had a surplus to put towards any priorities, so I’m looking forward to getting out of this recession and I think that’s a goal that should be bipartisan.”

The governor also said some people take their rights for granted: "Some of us confuse our citizenship in the United States with a membership at Sam’s Club."

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