Did I hear Maryland Gov. Martin I'm with the band! O'Malley, D, right during his second debate with former Republican Gov. Robert Ehrlich? Did O'Malley call illegal immigrants "new Americans"?

Good thing I recorded that debate on a DVD. I replayed it Saturday night, and O'Malley's exact quote was this, part of his response to a question about illegal immigration.

"There is this nativism rising up and this desire to blame new Americans for the problems in our economy."

Yeah, he said it. And Ehrlich was quick to pounce on the gaffe.

"If somebody breaks in my house, is that a new member of my family that night?"

At another point in the debate, Ehrlich aimed this salvo at O'Malley: "I think we have finally focused on the problem: The governor doesn't understand the fundamentals of state government."