Rep. Ben Cardin and ex-Rep. Kweisi Mfume, the two leading Democrats for U.S. Senate, expressed more and stronger differences with President Bush and the Republican Congress than they did with each other in the last televised debate before the Sept. 12 primary.
As they have in other encounters, Thursday night the two former colleagues opposed the Iraq war, supported wider health care, attacked the federal government?s response to Hurricane Katrina and called for the need for greater protection of civil rights and liberties.
Mfume drew strong differences with Cardin over campaign contributions, saying he refused to accept money from corporate interests as Cardin does. He also chided Cardin for supporting renewal of the USA Patriot Act with less protection of civil liberties than he preferred.
“I supported every single effort that strengthened civil liberties,” Cardin replied.
Both presented themselves as agents of change in Washington and effective legislators: Cardin with his 40-year record as a legislator, Mfume as a fighter who has “the ability to go against the grain,” he said.
“We share a common vision of America?s future,” Cardin said. “The primary is a contest among friends.”
The only real confrontation was outside the Owings Mills studios of Maryland Public Television, where Senate candidate Allan Lichtman was arrested by Baltimore County police when he repeatedly refused to leave the front door in protest of his exclusion from the debate.
Three journalists on a panel tried mightily in their questions to draw distinctions from the two men, with limited success, as they often returned to campaign themes they?ve talked about for months.
On Iraq, Cardin voted against the war resolution, and wants a quick withdrawal of troops, but no specific timetable. Mfume noted that he voted against the first Iraq war, and “we do need a time frame.”
In the general election against Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, the likely Republican nominee, Mfume said if he wins the Democratic nomination, “the whole issue of race is off the table,” and “we have to talk about issues.” Cardin noted that the Ehrlich-Steele ticket four years ago won Baltimore, Anne Arundel and Howard counties ? areas he now represents. “My candidacy will energize the base” as well as the “persuadable voters” in those counties.
Asked what the candidate would say to get people to back his opponent, Mfume said, “I think everyone should support Mr. Cardin if I wasn?t running.”
