In the first three-way debate of the U.S. Senate race in Maryland, Rep. Ben Cardin, Lt. Gov. Michael Steele and Kevin Zeese all presented themselves as agents of change, but they differed sharply in the change they were talking about.
Democrat Cardin, with 20 years in Congress, said he would be the most effective in turning around what he called the failed policies of the Bush administration, and he sought to tie Republican Steele to all those policies. “You can?t support change in Washington if you support George Bush?s budget,” Cardin said. Steele in many cases refused to take the bait, dissociating himself from Bush policies on No Child Left Behind, college tuition and minority business.
Zeese, nominee of the Green, Libertarian and Populist parties, said the Democrats and Republicans represent the status quo and try to “manipulate us with fear. ? It?s all nonsense; it?s all exaggeration.” He compared his own parties to the anti-slavery parties before the Civil War. “Let?s send a real independent to the Senate,” Zeese said.
Steele drew boos in his opening statement, criticizing Cardin for ignoring Zeese. “There are three individuals on this stage,” Steele chided.
He said the Washington establishment “run their mouths but they do not listen, they do not look around to see who else is in the room,” Steele said. Cardin “has not learned to look around the room and shut up and listen.”
Cardin supporters jeered.
There were not many surprises from the candidates, who repeated many of their previously stated positions. But co-moderator Charles Robinson did manage to draw out Steele on the Iraq war.
“This is the time to focus and re-discipline” the war efforts, to let the Iraqis control their army, police and the country, Steele said. “We do have challenges there. But this is not the time to step back, to draw down.”
“Are things going badly in Iraq?” Robinson insisted. Steele said: “It?s not going well, because we?re engaged in a strategy that is using conventional tactics. … We have a lot of challenges that need to be put on the table,” he said.
Zeese heads an anti-war organization, and favors immediate withdrawal from Iraq. Cardin voted against the invasion of Iraq, but has voted to fund the war; he favors a gradual withdrawal.
