Last month, former Congressman Kweisi Mfume endorsed Ben Cardin for the U.S. Senate. But Mfume warned Maryland Democrats that they had to do a better job of recruiting women and minorities into the party.
Maryland Democrat Barbara Mikulski was one of the first women elected to the Senate, taking her seat in 1986. She exchanged e-mails with The Examiner recently to discuss her thoughts on Mfume’s critique, the roots of her political career and her mom’s crab cakes.
Why did you get involved in politics?
I grew up in Highlandtown, which is a neighborhood in East Baltimore. My father owned a family grocery store and I often watched him open early for local steelworkers to buy their lunches before the morning shift. This is how I learned the values that guided me to where I am today — hard work, neighbor helping neighbor and heartfelt patriotism. This is also what made me want to make a difference in my community.
What’s the best thing you’ve ever done as a politician?
One of the things I am most proud of … is strengthening the safety net for seniors by passing the Spousal Anti-Impoverishment Act, which changed the cruel rules of government that forced people to keep seniors from going bankrupt and losing while paying for a spouse’s nursing home care.
What was your worst mistake as a politician?
Supporting President Bush’s move to change FEMA from an independent, Cabinet-level rank to a sub-agency of the Department of Homeland Security under the authority of the secretary of Homeland Security. I wanted to see FEMA reformed then and I thought it would be a move to strengthen it. But instead, we all saw that the Bush administration gave us incompetence, a failure and a fraud.
Kweisi Mfume endorsed Ben Cardin last week, but said that Maryland Democrats have to do a better job of recruiting minorities and women. Thoughts?
We had wonderful, diverse candidates in our world-class primary — up and down the ticket. We must guarantee an opportunity for all, but cannot guarantee the outcome.
I’ve seen the Senate women grow to the nine Democratic women Senators and 14 total women we have now. I’d like to see that number continue to grow, and I know that it will. Today, I am dean of the Senate women — welcoming and guiding women senators when they first take office and building coalitions to get things done once they are here.
What’s your ideal meal?
My mom’s crab cakes. Her recipe, made with fresh Maryland crabmeat (of course) is out of this world. In fact, I love the recipe so much, that I want everyone to be able to enjoy it. You can find it on my Web site at: mikulski.senate.gov/crabcake.html. In my everyday life, I follow what I call a heart-healthy diet. It’s not always easy. I like parsley, but I like pizza better. But I know it’s important to eat properly for my high-energy, low-cal life.
