Facing a ballroom full of conservative business owners, Democratic Senate candidate Ben Cardin on Tuesday angrily defended his positions against tax cuts and Social Security reform and for mandated employee health care.
The two candidates addressed members of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce at the organization?s annual business policy conference in Ocean City.
Cardin blasted Republican Lt. Gov. Michael Steele for using his time at the podium to criticize his opposition to tax cuts and Social Security reform.
“I appreciate my opponent telling you my position on tax cuts. I?ll tell you what I?m for,” Cardin shouted. “I?m for balancing the budget. … I?m going to take the unpopular steps to balance the budget.”
Originally organized as a debate, Steele refused to take the stage at the same time as his opponent and left before he could field questions from chamber members.
But within an hour of his address, Steele?s campaign issued a statement on Cardin?s alleged “double-speak.”
At the forum, Cardin said the state needs revenue like the gas tax, which Steele advocated suspending to fund the deficit and transportation projects, and rejected allowing young people to divert Social Security taxes into private retirement accounts, which Steele supports.
Cardin said the idea would force the government to borrow $1.4 trillion.
But Cardin said he opposes Social Security privatization at a 1998 forum with former President Bill Clinton and voted to increase spending three times between 2001 and 2005, according to the Steele campaign.
“Congressman Cardin says he wants us to judge him on his record, so why does he keep trying to reinvent it?” Steele said in the statement.
The candidates are scheduled to meet twice again with 20 days left in the campaign, Cardin staffers said. Steele has more cash on hand in his war chest ? $2.1 million ? than Cardin, who has $1.6 million. But the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is helping Cardin with costs for TV ads.
Steele launched a new campaign ad Tuesday attacking Cardin for saying he stands up to special interests such drug, energy and insurance companies, while at the same time accepting campaign contributions from political action committees representing those industries.
[email protected] Examiner Staff Writer Len Lazarick contributed to this report.
