Primary rival's campaign reminds voters that Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin is Jewish

(People for the American Way)

(People for the American Way)

One of these things is not like the others: A sample ballot reportedly being handed out by campaign volunteers for Maryland state Sen. Anthony Muse's Democratic primary challenge to Sen. Ben Cardin notes the percentages of the U.S. population and the U.S. Senate that are white, black, Hispanic, Asian, American Indian and Jewish.

Muse is black, and the line pointing out that there are no black senators is red, highlighting the under-representation of black people in the Senate. That's a legitimate point to make about a stark reality. But why is "Jewish" included when no other religious group is so singled out? Since Cardin is Jewish, it looks an awfully lot like a veiled anti-semitic appeal.

For the record, Cardin has been endorsed by former NAACP President Kweisi Mfume, who ran against him in the 2006 primary, and Muse is running to Cardin's right, vocally opposing gay marriage, which Cardin supports. The primary is April 3.