Just three days after Sen. Paul Sarbanes announced in March 2005 that he would retire at the end of his term, Kweisi Mfume became the first candidate to enter the race. The former Baltimore congressman and ex-president of the NAACP sat down with The Examiner to discuss the campaign.
Q: It?s out of fashion to talk about poverty these days, but you?re talking about it. Why?
A: Today, 1 out of every 5 children in this country get up and go to bed living below the poverty level. In the wealthiest nation on the face of the earth, we?ve got to find a way to get people trained, to get them employed, to give them a hand up so that they can stand up. Otherwise, we?ll always be facing this issue of poverty.
Q: Traditionally, blacks have been more willing to vote for white candidates than white voters have been willing to vote for black candidates.
A: That?s true. That?s why we?re trying to do away with it in this campaign. You?ve got to start somewhere. We?re starting with this one.
Q: You have less funding, fewer endorsements and you?re only eight points from Rep. Ben Cardin. How come?
A: Actually, it?s closer than that. At the end of the day, it is not about who endorsed you or how many people endorsed you, and it?s not about how much money you raised. It?s about what you have to say, what you believe in.
Q: Do you think there are legitimate reasons for the federal government to be involved in Baltimore City schools?
A: I have problems with No Child Left Behind. The nation has underfunded by billions of dollars each year the money needed to implementthe program. What we ought to do is say, look, we?re all to blame for this: The state?s to blame; the city?s to blame; there?s some blame that may fall back on parents.
Q: Tell me your thoughts on what we should do about the war.
A: The first thing we have to do is admit that this is an illegal war. We are there for all the wrong reasons. I believe we?ve got to get out of there in a way that allows this nation to focus more of its time, resources and brave young men and women on the issue of homeland security. I don?t believe we?re making the world safer by being there. Being in Iraq has found a way to slow down our machinery in terms of real homeland security. We don?t protect our ports. Canisters are coming into harbors not checked, and we can?t have that.
Q: What would you do about health care?
A: I support universal health care. I have real serious problems with the Medicare prescription drug plan Part D. The “D” is for disaster. And it was drafted by the pharmaceuticals. This bill was terrible before it got out of the gate.
Q: What do we do about immigration?
A: I like [House Judiciary Chairman] Jim Sensenbrenner, but he?s dead wrong with the House version that says, “Let?s put up a 700-mile wall around the United States. Let?s lock up every priest and every pastor that gives food or comfort to an illegal who may be dying on the street,” because that means you?re an automatic felon. That?s draconian, and that?s why you?re having the demonstrations taking place.
Q: What should we do about the rising cost of gas?
A: At the very least, the president should go before the Security Council of the U.N. or to OPEC and say, “Guess what? We who provide your security ? we?d like a discount; we don?t want to pay $70 a barrel. Discount us because we lost capacity as a result of Katrina, discount us for a while because we provide your security; discount us because it?s the right thing to do. We?re your biggest customer. ”
Q: What about partisan gridlock?
A: More people today identify less with a political party than ever before. The mass of the people say: “Uh-uh. Democrats and Republicans, they?re all alike.” That scares and frightens me, because when people withdraw from a political process, this whole idea of tyrants starts to take over. I?m concerned that our Senate is virtually all multimillionaires.
Q: You?re not a multimillionaire?
A: No, I wish I were, but I?m not. I don?t have anything against multimillionaires, but I do have something against them when a majority of them are running our government. I think it robs us of the diversity of common men and common women who have to face difficult problems every day ? and who know what it?s like to have to work two jobs for 16 years, like I did.
Q: Some say you can?t win.
A: They?ve been saying that since 1979. I was 28 years old. They said: “Nice guy, funny name, can?t win, no money, can?t win.” I ran a campaign on $10,000. Got elected by three votes. It?s still the closest election in the history of the state of Maryland. Then I ran for re-election. They said: “It was a fluke, can?t win.” Oh, and when I ran for Congress, I had $60,000 for the entire campaign. They said: “Damn good guy, but he can?t win.” I?ve been hearing so much of my life about what I can?t do. It provides a motivation for me to show people what I can do. We can?t allow people to grow up in a society thinking of all they can?t do. They?ve got to believe that they can.
Kweisi Mfume
(pronounced Kwah-EE-see Oom-FOO-may)
Born: Oct. 24, 1948, Baltimore County
Education: The “mean streets” ofWest Baltimore; Community College of Baltimore; B.A., Morgan State University; M.L.A., Johns Hopkins University
Career: 13 years of talk radio; Baltimore City Council, 1979-86; U.S. House of Representatives, 1987-96, chair, Congressional Black Caucus; president, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, 1996-2005
Family: Single; five sons: Michael, Kevin, Christopher, Kweisi Jr. and Keith
