President Bill Clinton, the brightest star in the Democratic galaxy, came to Baltimore?s harborfront Thursday to light a fire under hundreds of whooping Democrats and shine some of his light on Senate nominee Ben Cardin.
“Mr. President, we miss you in the White House,” Cardin said, basking in the glow of the Democrats? longest-serving president since Franklin Roosevelt. “It?s been a long six years” since Clinton handed power over to President Bush.
“I have an enormously high opinion of [Ben Cardin],” Clinton declared. “We?re old-fashioned. We believe politicians ought to be like Ben Cardin,” who wants to hold office to implement ideas and help people, he said.
Clinton then laid into the Bush administration and the Republican Congress, saying they represented the “most ideological” and “most extreme” wing of their party, set on using government power to increase the concentration of wealth.
“For them, reasons are irrelevant, and they?ve governed by assertion and attack,” he said. “If you?re an ideologue, facts are inconvenient.”
Clinton accused Republicans of using fear to hold onto power, but said the electorate has wised up to the fear-mongering. “It?s kind of mangy old dog out of the kennel and he?s not going to hunt,” Clinton said.
He said Democrats now represent both conservative values, such as balanced budgets, and progressive values.
When Clinton noted he couldn?t run for office again, the crowd of several hundred at the Fells Point maritime park booed. “I have a very good political job,” he assured them. “I?m sort of the chief caseworker for the junior senator from New York,” meaning his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, who has also campaigned in Maryland.
A host of Democratic officeholders and candidates were clearly nostalgic about Clinton?s years. The nation was at peace and the federal budget was balanced, Sen. Barbara Mikulski reminded them.
The Democrats were not afraid Republicans might associate them with a president who was impeached and acquitted.
“This is not a state where we?ve got to win over Republicans,” said Montgomery County State?s Attorney Doug Gansler, his party?s nominee for attorney general. Clinton?s visit “reminds Democrats why they?re Democrats.”
Clinton “brings a lot of energy” to the contest, said Anne Arundel state Sen. James Ed DeGrange, Anne Arundel. “I?m sure he?s going to help put Ben over the top.”
