Tomorrow is the Maryland Primary Day. And Democratic voters will go to the polls to select candidates for a number of local and statewide races. But the biggest race in Maryland is certainly the Senate race.
Fortunately, unlike some other races in the state, this one has stayed friendly between the top contenders. That's because Ben Cardin and Kweisi Mfume are long time friends and Congressional colleagues.
It was early in the campaign, as Kweisi Mfume remembers it, a private moment shortly after Benjamin L. Cardin joined him in the race for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate. It would be the first time in their long political careers that the old friends and collaborators would be running against each other.
"I said to him and Myrna [Cardin's wife], 'This is probably the most awkward thing you and I are going to do,'" Mfume recalled. "'But we've got to do it, now that you're in.'"
More from the
Baltimore Sun:
"We struck up a friendship from Day One," Cardin said. "We basically shared a seat. We talked about every issue and tried to promote a unified front for the city of Baltimore."
Now, as they compete for the nomination to succeed Sen. Paul S. Sarbanes, that two-decade friendship has set the tone for the Democratic primary campaign - a contest that ends when the polls close tomorrow.
While several of the long-shot candidates have taken swings at the two front-runners, Mfume and Cardin have laid off of each other
Will this kinder gentler campaigning help the Democrats beat Steele in November? It's not clear.
Whether the civil tone of the primary campaign will prove helpful in the general election against likely Republican nominee Michael S. Steele is another question.
Donald F. Norris, a professor of public policy at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, says the amity between Cardin and Mfume should help to foster Democratic unity against the lieutenant governor.
"Whoever wins, there aren't going to be any hard feelings," Norris said. "There won't be the kind of personal animus that often occurs when attack politics and negative politics are used. So it should be relatively easy for the party to come together."
But Zach Messitte, director of the Center for the Study of Democracy at St. Mary's College of Maryland, says the survivor of a rough primary campaign can benefit from early exposure to opposition attacks. He points to the race between Baltimore Mayor O'Malley and his erstwhile rival for the Democratic nomination for governor, Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan.
"What O'Malley had to go through ... where he was getting pounded on a day-by-day basis by Duncan, particularly on Baltimore City schools, I think a lot of that stuff in the end helped O'Malley because now it's old news," Messitte said. "That airing of the dirty laundry early on, that back and forth early on, I think strengthens the primary candidate because now they've got effective talking points."
The Washington Post had a similar article about Cardin and Mfume's frinedship last month. It also included a detailing on what is different between the two men. Here's the Sun's version:
Mfume does highlight what he says are the differences between the two. Cardin voted for the North American Free Trade Agreement while Mfume voted against the pact. Cardin has accepted corporate political action committee money; Mfume says he returned the two corporate donations he has received this election cycle.
More broadly, Mfume has cast himself as an advocate and Cardin as an administrator.
"An administrator is going to preside in the Senate, and an advocate is going to stand up and fight and lead," Mfume said. "And he would be a good administrator. But I would be a good advocate."
"I'm not sure what he means by that," Cardin said. "I happen to have been a very good speaker of the House [of Delegates], with strong leadership. I've worked to bring change in Washington under very difficult circumstances."
When asked about the differences between himself and Mfume, Cardin demurs.
"I'm not one that's good at doing that," he said. "I'm presenting my record, and what I've been able to do in a difficult environment. I don't really try to compare myself to any one else. I've never done that in any of my campaigns."
Much of Cardin's friendliness comes not just from being friends with Mfume, but also from the desire to not alienate African American voters. Which brings me to my question. Will Cardin, if he wins the primary as expected, be effective enoough at attacking Michael Steele? Does he have enough fire in him to do that? Or will he be crippled by the fear that AA voters may reject him for Lt Gov Michael Steele? I think that is the key question as we head toward November.
Because Steele (and Rove et al.) will certainly have no problem going very negative on Cardin or even Mfume. Either candidate, if selected will have to be prepared for going after Steele forcefully and at the same time defend their own record. Steele needs to be called on his many foot-in-mouth moments, including the "scarlet letter" comment and his likening of stem cell research to the Nazis and the holocaust. He needs to be shown to voters as the extremist he really is, not the moderate, independent Republican he claims to be.
Other Key Races
US Congress, MD-06
This is a race that I haven't diaried about in awhile since it has stayed out of the media spotlight. Entrenched Republican Congressman Roscoe Bartlett (who faces a quiet primary challenge) will face one of two Democrats running in tomorrow's primary. MD-06 is a sprawling region stretching from the Maryland's western border through Frederick and Carroll and parts of Harford, Montgomery and Baltimore counties. Democrats Andrew Duck, an Iraq war veteran from Brunswick, and Barry J.C. Kissin, a Frederick attorney and longtime peace and environmental activist are facing each other in tomorrow's primary.
Via the Baltimore Sun:
Duck, 43, is a 20-year Army veteran who retired after his stint in Iraq and now works for Northrup Grumman. He was endorsed by the VoteVets PAC , which supports military-veteran candidates. Duck also won endorsements from the Maryland-D.C. AFL-CIO and the Maryland State Teachers Association.
-snip-
Kissin, 55, a registered Green Party voter from 2001-05 now running as a Democrat, casts himself as the unwavering anti-war candidate "reaching for the soul of the Democratic Party."
Kissin has accused Duck of removing from his Web site a plan that said the Iraq war lacked sufficient U.S. troops, that "we cannot 'cut and run.' "
"He's still talking about accomplishing the mission, bringing in European allies," said Kissin, who also opposes the expansion of bio-weapons research at Fort Detrick in Frederick County. "What makes you think the Spanish, French, Italians and Germans are about to commit thousands of troops to help us? I call for swift withdrawal from Iraq, to do it in an orderly and safe fashion."
I've met Andrew Duck on several occasions and my understanding is he is for strategic redeployment in order to get our troops out of Iraq. I find him to be a very reasonable and likeable guy. And he strikes me as honest and forthright and genuine, which is a rare combo in politics. Andrew Duck is a lifelong Democrat that grew up and still lives in MD-06, which is a rarity of sorts.
While Kissin (originally from NY?) may be better on some issues, I think Duck is the far better candidate for MD-06. We need someone from the area that can speak to Western Marylanders in terms that they can relate to. We need a candidate that disillusioned Republicans will feel comfortable voting for. (This is a Republican plurality district.) I believe that candidate is Andrew Duck.
US Congress, MD-04
All you have to do is peruse through the diary entries on MD-04 to know that this is one exciting race -- a battle between the grassroots campign of progressive Donna Edwards and the political machine of Al Wynn.
Democratic residents of MD-04 (which I am one) are receiving battling robocalls from both campaigns. This one will go to the wire as no polls are available to gauge Edwards surging support. Edwards volunteers have been pushing hard to get Donna's message and candidacy to as many Democratic voters as they can in the district that covers portions of Prince George's and Montgomery County. Wynn is not a beloved candidate and when given a choice, many voters may opt for the fresh face and progressive message.
Meanwhile Al Wynn keeps insisting that he has provided "Results, Not Rhetoric." However he has also lied to voters about some of his endorsements. This includes the Teamsters that not only did not endorse Al, but have gone on to endorse Donna Edwards. (Could it be because Al's staffers beat up an Edwards volunteer who happens to be a Teamster? Perhaps this was the one time that brute force came back to bite Al.)
[UPDATE: The Washington Post has covered the story of Wynn's false endorsements today. The list includes Mont. County Councilwoman Marilyn Praisner who had told Wynn 'no' when he asked if he could have her endorsement.]
This race will be all about turnout. And Edwards supporters are energized and ready to vote.
MD Attorney General
Now that Tom Perez has been deemed ineligible by the State Court of Appeals, this race is between Doug Gansler and Stu Simms (former running mate of Doug Duncan). Perez (from MoCo) has thrown his support behind Simms of Baltimore. Gansler is the Montgomery County State's Attorney and has by far the most cash on hand.
And now the gloves have come off.
With a few days to go before Tuesday's primary, attorney general candidate Stuart O. Simms continued his attacks on Democratic rival Douglas F. Gansler with a statewide mailing yesterday that says Gansler is a publicity hound and his "gift of gab could have put murderers back on the street."
Gansler is the Montgomery County state's attorney. Simms, a former Baltimore state's attorney, has harped on Gansler's 2003 reprimand by the Maryland Court of Appeals for remarks Gansler made to the news media in pending criminal cases. District of Columbia authorities later issued a similar tongue-lashing.
Gansler responded by calling the mailing a "Swift-boat type of distortion, deception and lies."
He said lawyers involved in the criminal cases at the heart of the Court of Appeals rulings did not make claims of undue pretrial publicity and there was no danger of murderers being released.
Besides, he said, he was alleged to have violated rules of professional conduct, but the mailing says prosecutorial misconduct, which is different.
Gansler has maintained the sanction was politically motivated, generated after he criticized a Montgomery County judge for meting out a light sentence to a man who sexually assaulted an 11-year-old girl he met on the Internet.
He has said he disagrees with the Court of Appeals ruling, but has abided by it.
Gansler said he was bothered by Simms taking what had been a dignified race and "trying to bring it into the mud" with his negative campaigning of the last week.
Larry S. Gibson, Simms' campaign manager, said the mailing was "absolutely" negative.
"We are telling people why they should not vote for Doug Gansler. We have been telling people why they should vote for Stu Simms. We have been campaigning both positively and negatively," Gibson said.