President Obama on Monday mixed up Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, wrongly crediting Mr. O’Malley for the work he’s done to help reintegrate Connecticut ex-convicts into their communities.
“In Connecticut, Gov. O’Malley announced his “Second Chance Society,” a plan to help former prisoners rejoin their communities. We want to be a partner in those efforts. That’s what the American people expect,” Mr. Obama said during a speech to the the National Governors Association in the State Dining Room in the White House.
Mr. O’Malley left office in January after two terms. He’s been replaced by Republican Gov. Larry Hogan.
Mr. Malloy, seated just a few feet from the podium at which Mr. Obama spoke, smiled after the flub.
During the 10-minute speech, the president also said governors can play a crucial role in moving the nation forward.
“Whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican, what I’ve found is that the more specific we are on focusing on problems, the less concerned we are about political, the more we get accomplished,” he said.
The president also called on Congress to pass a new spending bill for the Department of Homeland Security, which will run out of funding Friday. House Republicans have moved a bill that funds the department but strips funding for Mr. Obama’s executive action to halt deportations of millions of illegal immigrants.
“As governors, you know we can’t afford to play politics with our national security,” the president said.
In a transcript of the president’s remarks, the White House cleaned up Mr. Obama’s mistake, claiming he said “Malloy,” not “O’Malley.”
Later Monday, the White House took of the unusual step of releasing a revised transcript. The updated version included the “O’Malley” mistake.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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