Lt. Gov. Michael Steele and his “it?s not just about issues” campaign tried to make Ben Cardin and his 20-year record in Congress the real issue in Wednesday?s televised debate.
Cardin can talk about almost any national or international issue with aplomb ? he?s “a very good policy maker,” Steele conceded ? but the aggressive Steele had him stammering on the Purple Line. For Baltimore-area readers, the Purple Line might seem like the connection between Barney and the Cookie Monster. But it?s serious stuff in the Washington ?burbs ? a proposal for a multi-billion dollar Metro line between Bethesda and New Carrolton.
Steele tried to portray the Baltimore congressman as clueless about traffic congestion near D.C., and Cardin took the policy bait. A more personalized response to “I?ve-walked-in-their-shoes” Steele from Cardin might have been: “Don?t tell me about traffic congestion in D.C. ? I?ve been commuting there for 20 years.”
After the debate, Steele?s campaign issued a long release citing scores of Cardin?s votes. Cardin?s guys had to settle for a much shorter release citing only newspaper clips. As elected official for only four years, Steele has never sponsored a single bill or voted on a single issue. That?s the hazard of incumbency, Cardin admits.
Meanwhile, Steele?s camp Wednesday said the latest poll by National Republican Senatorial Committee has Cardin and Steele in a “dead heat,” 41 percent for Cardin, 39 for Steele, similar to the results of the Baltimore Research poll published here. Dems responded with their party?s poll showing Cardin ahead by 12 points, 52-40.
AF-who?
Baltimore Mayor Martin O?Malley, who must have been stunned from the Washington Post endorsement of Gov. Robert Ehrlich, certainly had better days earlier in the week ? at an enthusiastic Sunday rally for women in Columbia, and particularlyat a boisterous union luncheon Tuesday. When the crowd is with him, the mayor gets into audience participation, leading them in the chant: “We?re going to liberate our state.”
Tuesday?s luncheon brought together several hundred retirees from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees ? known as AFSCME (AF-smee) for short. Retiree president Ida Williams was mighty ticked when the Examiner failed to mention its name in a recent story. Someone might think the retirees were from MCEA (Maryland Classified Employee Association), a competing union that has endorsed Ehrlich?s re-election.
Multi-ethnic Bob
Multiculturalism may be “bunk,” as Ehrlich once said, but multi-ethnic is good. Monday night, members of the Polish American community honored first lady Kendel Sibiski Ehrlich with polkas, a Polish dance troupe in traditional costume, and a buffet of traditional staples ? pierogi, kielbasa and sauerkraut. “We put this all together in three weeks,” organizer Frank Sliwka said.
“There?s a lot of Polish power around Bob Ehrlich,” proclaimed Kendel, who was presented with a Polish flag. She said she was proud to be Polish, and “proud to be American.” The guv himself noted that we live in a “multi-ethnic society” where “we celebrate our heritage” ? he was “German of the Year” a while back ? but “we?re all American.” Some of the seniors among the crowd of about 300 could sing along with some of the Polish tunes, but they really belted out, “God Bless America.”
Len Lazarick is the state house bureau chief of The Examiner, he can be reached at [email protected]
