Andrew Mollenbeck, wtop.com

WASHINGTON — Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley has asked Lady Gaga to dinner.

That’s not the setup to a punch line.

“Katie [O’Malley] & I would like to invite you to dinner to discuss eliminating bullying in MD,” the governor wrote the pop star on Twitter.

He also publicly thanked her for her advocacy against bullying.

“The governor and first lady have been very involved in efforts to combat bullying in Maryland’s communities,” says Takirra Winfield, a spokesperson for O’Malley.

“Lady Gaga has a passion for talking about anti-bullying, and I believe she was also picked on herself,” she says. “So the governor thought that he would reach out to her and see if there’s a way we could join together to fight this.”

Aside from efforts against bullying, O’Malley, like Lady Gaga, also has a band. He’s the lead in the Celtic rock band O’Malley’s March.

His fans are not, however, called “Little Monsters.”

As of Tuesday afternoon, the governor’s staff had not received an up or down from the singer.

Haven’t heard back from @LadyGaga yet but you can help end bullying too. Will you take the pledge? bit.ly/nH52oL

— Martin O’Malley (@GovernorOMalley) December 13, 2011

His staff insists the Twitter offer is not a publicity stunt.

“This is sort of a way for us to draw attention to this issue [of bullying] and to show that we understand that this is real in our communities and in our schools,” Winfield says.

If a dinner meeting does ultimately happen, the dress code promises to be fascinating.

In public, O’Malley appearance rarely goes beyond a few rolls of the shirt sleeves. Although, a picture from his band’s web site shows him in a cutoff tee-shirt.

Lady Gaga, for her part, has appeared in public wearing a dress made of bacon.

“Maybe she can help him with some fashion advice,” Winfield joked.

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(Copyright 2011 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)