Republican Lt. Gov. Michael Steele touted his pro-business credentials in his campaign for U.S. Senate Wednesday, while dodging a political hot potato on global warming thrown long-distance by his pals at Democratic Party headquarters.
Steele and Gov. Robert Ehrlich “have done terrific things with the economy of Maryland,” said Geoffrey O?Hara, head of the eastern region for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which endorsed Steele. “We?ll be working hard with him every step of the way.”
Steele, a lawyer and former business consultant, noted that 90 percent of the chamber?s members had fewer than 100 employees, and these small businesses created two out of every three new jobs.
At a private reception, Steele told a group of business owners, “it?s not blue or red folks, it?s green” that matters. “I appreciate what all of our entrepreneurs are doing. There?s a lot of wealth creation going on in our state. You need to be about sharing that wealth with others.”
“He?s a strongsupporter of small business,” said Charles Ramos, head of CR Dynamics, which runs call centers for businesses and government agencies. “He understands the issues of small businesses, and the more candidates who understand those issues, the better.”
Mike Little, president of the National Black Chamber of Commerce, said, “I?ve been a lifelong Democrat” but Steele has “done a great job for minority business and business in general.” Little said he was “driven by content and character, not party affiliation.”
Standing on the roasting sidewalk outside the Ropewalk Tavern in South Baltimore, Steele responded to allegations from a Democratic Party e-mail that took a pre-emptive rhetorical swipe at Steele.
The Democratic Party e-mail notes that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce objected to the Kyoto Protocol and efforts against global warming. Steele was attacked in the e-mail, which says he?s in bed with the Chamber and the lieutenant governor was against efforts to reduce global warming.
When The Examiner asked Steele about the e-mail, he responded, “I have one thing to say to that: God bless them all.”
Steele then walked off.
Party press secretary Arthur Harris quoted the exchange verbatim in a follow-up e-mail sent to reporters. “For the record, the Democratic Party thanks Steele for his blessing, but would prefer he answer the question,” Harris said.
The Democrats often have someone tracking Steele?s remarks at public events.
