Cardin-Mfume Roundup: The Debate

Matthew E. Berger filed a report this week on the Democratic primary between Rep. Ben Cardin, a prominent Jewish lawmaker from the Baltimore area, and Kweisi Mfume, a former congressman and former head of the NAACP.

A few notes from the campaign trail…

Viewed as the frontrunner, Cardin was the main target at the recent Democratic debate (Baltimore Sun and Washington Post]). And then there’s the candidate who got arrested because he was too low in the polls to be included.

Cardin showed up for the unveiling of the first statue in Maryland erected in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. It’s unclear from this report in the Baltimore Times whether Mfume showed up.

Both candidates are solidly liberal on gay rights, but the Washington Blade reports that gay activists are backing Mfume (who supports same-sex marriage rights) over Cardin (who favors civil unions). A word of caution: The article is a bit confusing because the headline seems to say that activists are favoring Cardin, but then says the opposite in the text.

The political action committee for the American Medical Association is airing more than $100,000 in ads in support of Cardin.