Rep. Elijah Cummings, who had endorsed Kweisi Mfume in last week?s primary, and other African-American leaders from Baltimore rallied behind Democratic Senate nominee Ben Cardin Tuesday, calling on Lt. Gov. Michael Steele to debate the issues.
“We don?t know who Michael Steele is, and we don?t know where Michael Steele stands,” Cummings said at a City Hall rally, reeling off a list of issues from Iraq and health care to college tuition.
Campaigning in Ellicott City, Steele dismissed the Democrats? talk as trying to classify him in “the typical Washington fashion.”
“I?m not engaged in a conversation with Ben Cardin or Elijah Cummings,” Steele said. “I?m having a direct conversation with the people of Maryland. I?d rather listen to people about the issues of the day.” Steele has released issue papers on several topics the Democrats raised.
An underlying theme of the Cardin rally was bringing together black politicians behind the white man who had beaten the former head of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, one of the best-known black leaders in Maryland.
“We are family,” chanted state Sen. Nathaniel McFadden, the majority leader and head of the city delegation. “Ben Cardin is the Democrats? homeboy.” This was an allusion to Steele?s comment this summer that President Bush was his “homeboy,” street slang for ally and friend.
Of the five Democrats running statewide, four are white males. Asked if the lack of diversity bothered her, Del. Catherine Pugh said, “There is always concern about the lack of diversity everywhere.” It?s more important to “make the right choice.”
“I would hope thatrace would not be an issue,” Pugh said.
City Clerk of Court Frank Conaway, who served with Cardin in the legislature and endorsed him early, said, the campaign “didn?t start out with a great amount of diversity.” He believes that Steele?s attempt to appeal to younger black voters is not going to work.
Steele agreed that race “should not be a dominant factor” in the campaign. Asked about a Cardin staffer who was fired Friday after writing a Web blog that included an oblique reference to Steele as an Oreo cookie, he said, “It speaks to an attitude and mindset that is on the other side.”
The two camps were also arguing about debates. Last Wednesday, Steele sent a letter to Cardin and Green-Libertarian Party nominee Kevin Zeese proposing a series of debates. Cardin had not responded until Tuesday when he e-mailed a letter to the press suggesting a series of debates twice a week until the election.
Zeese said that would be fine, and he was discussing debates with the Steele camp. But “the Cardin campaign has not responded and instead has decided to use the media and play games with debates,” Zeese said.
