A planned political lynching turned into a love-fest at the GOP state convention yesterday, culminating with rivals Ellen R. Sauerbrey and Rep. Helen Delich Bentley embracing before a cheering crowd of more than 200 Republicans.
Sauerbrey supporters had attended the semiannual convention in Annapolis to call for Mrs. Bentley's head as national committeewoman because she didn't support Mrs. Sauerbrey's bid for governor this fall.
But the plan -- which began unraveling Friday night -- fell apart yesterday morning after Mrs. Bentley pledged to raise money to help Mrs. Sauerbrey overturn her apparent defeat for governor.
In a well-staged piece of political theater, Mrs. Sauerbrey introduced her rival to the convention, and the two met in a hug that brought the crowd to its feet.
As Mrs. Sauerbrey patted Mrs. Bentley on the shoulder, both women's eyes appeared to dampen.
"I'm standing here today, arm in arm with our national committee woman, Helen Bentley," Mrs. Sauerbrey declared.
The two have had a testy, if not hostile, relationship since the September primary election when Mrs. Sauerbrey upset Mrs. Bentley for the GOP's gubernatorial nomination. Mrs. Bentley had given up her seemingly safe congressional seat to run.
But, noting yesterday that the party had made strong gains in last month's general election, Mrs. Sauerbrey said: "We can't fritter them away by fighting among ourselves."
Said Mrs. Bentley: "I want to take this opportunity to recognize Ellen Sauerbrey for the tremendous campaign that she waged in the past two years."
The congresswoman also promised to help raise money for Mrs. Sauerbrey -- something she had refused to do during the general election campaign.
Although Mrs. Bentley said in news reports last week that she would raise money, the pledge seemed to have more credibility with some Republicans because it was given in front of the convention with Mrs. Sauerbrey by her side.
State GOP officials said Mrs. Sauerbrey needs to raise $150,000 to help pay for her expected court challenge of the election.
She apparently lost the closest governor's race in 60 years to Parris N. Glendening by 5,993 votes.
She believes Democrats may have stolen it from her through vote fraud, which her supporters are investigating under the guidance of a lawyer and election specialist from New Jersey. Mrs. Sauerbrey has until Dec. 27 to sue to challenge the election.
Yesterday's meeting between the two was a reversal from their encounter the day after the September primary.
At an event billed as a "Republican Unity Brunch," Mrs. Sauerbrey extended her hand only to have Mrs. Bentley slap it away twice before finally shaking it.
Yesterday's rapprochement between the pair -- regarded as the state Republican Party's two most powerful leaders -- spared a resurgent GOP from an ugly split after making significant gains against Maryland's Democratic majority in the State House.
It also saved Mrs. Bentley the pain and humiliation of being publicly condemned by members of a state party that she has worked for years to build.
Many credit the five-term congresswoman with saving the party in 1986 from what mainstream Republicans considered right-wing extremists.
But if Mrs. Bentley was relieved to have avoided a battle yesterday, she didn't show it.
"I was very ready for them," said the congresswoman with characteristic defiance. "I'd have defended myself very well."
Joyce Lyons Terhes, chairwoman of the state GOP, said Mrs. Bentley's pledge to help raise money was an important part of the deal to avoid a fight on the convention floor.
"I think that was a big factor, and the fact that Ellen introduced Helen was a tremendous factor," Mrs. Terhes said. "I think that Helen and all of us wanted a unified party."
While many appeared happy with yesterday's result, some said privately that they saw it as a sell-out to Mrs. Bentley's fund-raising ability.
But Howard County Central Committee Chairman Allan H. Kittleman, who had led the call for Mrs. Bentley's job, said her commitment to fund-raising had nothing to do with the decision to back off.
He and 13 other county central committee chairmen had proposed a nonbinding resolution calling for her resignation.
When Mrs. Sauerbrey asked them to drop it yesterday, it was for party unity, not money, he said.
"That was never once mentioned," Mr. Kittleman said.
Both Mrs. Bentley and Mrs. Sauerbrey also denied that cash was a factor in their new friendship.
"Fund-raising had absolutely nothing to do with the action I took today," Mrs. Sauerbrey said.