WAMC New York News
(2006-10-20)
THE BLACK-EYED SUSAN PADDLEBOAT, GENERALLY A TOURIST ATTRACTION, WAS WORKING BACK AND FORTH IN THE WATERS OFF FELLS POINT, WITH BEN CARDIN FOR SENATE SIGNS ALL OVER IT.
THE PARK AT THE END OF THAMES STREET SAW A COUPLE HUNDRED PEOPLE TURN OUT TO HEAR FROM ONE:
Clinton: "The country has been in the hands not of the Republican Party - that's an unfair rap on them. It's been in the hands of the most ideological, the most extreme, the most right-wing section of the Republican Party. They've been in total control of everything."
THE NATION'S TOP DEMOCRAT, FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON MADE A QUICK TRIP TO HELP BEN CARDIN'S SENATE CAMPAIGN. PLANNED A FEW WEEKS AGO, THE VISIT COINCIDED WITH A SURVEYS USA POLL SHOWING CARDIN AND REPUBLICAN MICHAEL STEELE DEAD EVEN.
A RECENT GOP SURVEY HAD CARDIN AHEAD, BUT STEELE WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE.
CHARGING AGAINST THE IDEOLOGUES, MR. CLINTON SAID THOSE REPUBLICANS WILL HAVE A TOUGH TIME PLAYING THE NATIONAL SECURITY CARD:
Clinton: "Oh they got through a couple of elections on terror and people being scared, but it's kind of a mangy old dog now, they're running out of the kennel one last time. And I don't believe it'll hunt this time. (laughter) I just don't believe it will."
MR. CLINTON ALSO HELPED CARDIN RAISE MONEY. THE TWENTY-YEAR HOUSE VETERAN, NOW SEEKING TO REPLACE PAUL SARBANES, SAID LITTLE ABOUT HIS OWN RACE, WHILE HEAPING PRAISE ON THE GUEST OF HONOR:
Cardin: "A president who talked with the people, not at them. A president who understood the problems that families face and worked to solve them."
POLITICIANS AT THE RALLY SPOKE OF THE CLINTON PRESIDENCY AS IF IT WERE SOME GOLDEN MOMENT OF POLITICAL COLLEGIALITY IN WASHINGTON, NOT THE HARSH PARTISAN ATMOSPHERE THAT CARRIED OVER INTO THE BUSH YEARS.
NOT MENTIONED, OF COURSE, WAS THE IMPEACHMENT, THE INVESTIGATIONS, THE CROSS PARTY ATTACKS THAT BECAME COMMONPLACE ONCE REPUBLICANS TOOK CONTROL OF CONGRESS IN 1994.
SENSING A REVERSAL OF FORTUNE, BILL CLINTON SPOKE AT LENGTH, AND WITH GREAT HOPE THAT A DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS CEMENT ITSELF BY PUTTING AN END TO THE ACIDITY:
Clinton: "Because if the people give us a great victory this time, we'll have people with us that haven't been with us in a long time, because they want America to work again. They want us to join hands again. They're sick of us demonizing each other and dividing, and being paralyzed and partisan for no other sake than to get power. We like our arguments; we need all the arguments and disagreements we can have. That's the way you figure out what the best course of action is. But this is paralyzing and self-defeating and crazy what's been going on down there."
BALTIMORE MAYOR MARTIN O'MALLEY SPOKE, AND WAS SWEPT OFF WITH MR. CLINTON TO A FUNDRAISER FOR THE DEMOCRATIC GUBERNATORIAL CHALLENGER DOWN IN POTOMAC.
AN O'MALLEY SUPPORTER, JANE LEWIS OF TOWSON, CAME TO FELLS POINT TO CHEER THE FORMER PRESIDENT:
Lewis: "...because he's charismatic and I think people still respect a lot of the things he did when he was in office and what he continues to do now that he's out."
AUDRA MILLER, SPOKESWOMAN FOR THE STATE GOP ACTED UNIMPRESSED BY BILL CLINTON'S PRESENCE. "BEN CARDIN'S 40 YEARS IN ELECTED OFFICE HAVE PRODUCED NOTHING," SHE TOLD WYPR. TAKING AIM AT THE MAYOR, MILLER SAID HIS, "FAILED RECORD AND PATHOLOGICAL HABIT OF MISLEADING MARYLANDERS WON'T BE ANY DIFFERENT," FOLLOWING THE VISIT AND FUNDRAISING.
I'M BOB COSTANTINI, REPORTING FROM FELLS POINT FOR 88.1, WYPR.
© Copyright 2012, wypr
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