I admit to feeling some relief because this is a Senate seat we can't afford to lose. Maryland is a blue state but we presently have a Republican governor Bobby Ehrlich who is determined to turn it red. Unfortunately, Ehrlich ,who is running for re-election in November, has managed to make some inroads and is currently running 6 points behind the fabulous Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley (D). At the same point last year O'Malley had 15% over Ehrlich so this race is tightening up. But we can't take anything for granted and the difference will probably hinge on whether Democrats turn out and vote for their candidates. In a state where 2/3 of likely voters support withdrawal from Iraq this should be the primary focus of our candidates respective campaigns. The massive blunder that is the Iraq War should be tied around Ehrlich and Steele's necks. President Bush is highly unpopular here as 59% disapprove of his performance. This suggests, to me, that tying Bush and his Iraq War to the Republicans now running for office in Maryland would be the edge that Democrats need to prevail.
In speaking of Bush, Keith Haller, who conducted these polls for The Sun, said, "Maryland remains one of his worst states. He's kind of like raw meat for the Democratic wolf pack."Bush Unpopular in MarylandSteele's position on Iraq is that the US must continue working to improve conditions on the ground. He rejects talk of a withdrawal timetable as aiding America's enemies. Hmmm...Where have I heard that line of reasoning before? Cardin, on the other hand, voted against the original Iraq War Resolution in Congress in 2002 and has pushed President Bush for a withdrawal plan. He has strongly supported withdrawing 10,000 troops per month to be completed by the end of next year. The benefit of his voice on this is Cardin hasn't just recently changed his mind on Iraq as he was always against it. Steele is expected to talk more like a Democrat if he expects to win in Maryland. Indeed he advertises without clearly identifying himself as a Republican and has engineered an ad campaign with "Steele Democrat" on a blue field.Steele's Democratic ID theft His introductory ad with puppies was disarming and charmingSteele loves puppies but will ads be enough for the man who called George Bush his "homeboy?" Bush is my Homeboy or said that doing stem cell research is the same as Nazi experiments on Jews during the Holocaust?Stem Cells and Nazis This last was said in a lecture before a Jewish group. But it's more than Steele's propensity for recurrent foot-in-the-mouth syndrome. Steele is just another in a long line of Bush-loving-Rubber-Stamp Republicans. We need less rubber stampers not more and it would be a tragedy if Maryland overlooked its great progressive tradition for a very mediocre candidate. Let's ensure that the Iraq War becomes Michael Steele's Achilles' heel. If we hobble him with the Iraq Misadventure of Homeboy Bush maybe we can prevent him from limping over the finish line into the US Senate! So what do we need to do? Democrats Need to get out the vote!