STEELE: I am four-square for stem-cell research, and accelerating the funding, with respect to cord blood and adult stem cell research. But I draw the line at embryonic research because I respect the life that that embryo represents.
ZEESE: I agree with the need for adult stem-cell research because I think science may find that mature cells are better than embryonic. But I also support embryonic, because we need to move forward, and avoid this phony divide. But I am concerned this may be one more corporate boondoggle. We already provide more than $300 billion in corporate welfare to wealthy companies. If we’re going to provide funding for stem-cell research, then taxpayers should be treated as investors and should profit from that research.
CARDIN: Most stem-cell research is done by universities, with the support of NIH. Embryonic stem-cell research holds promise not only for stopping the deterioration for diseases, but for reversing it.
STEELE: I’m working within a system that Rep. Cardin voted for and designed.
Q: Don’t we have a bipartisan mess?
STEELE: Yes, but I’m running against him. I can take $2100 from an individual and $5000 from a PAC. That’s the system he created. That limits my ability to get the money I need, because I have to take money in small increments. [Nevertheless,] 75% of my money comes from Marylanders, in less than $125 increments.
CARDIN: Yes. We need to change the agenda-setters. I stood up for change in Washington. I took on the President when he was wrong. I’ve worked across party lines. But we need to change the direction.
STEELE: For Ben Cardin to say he’s a change agent is laughable. He’s been in Congress for 20 years. To all of a sudden say you’re interested in change is just not believable. Where’s the voice been? Where’s the voice on transportation, on health care? These voices I have not heard. Now to say that you’re for changing the system, when you’ve been part of the system that gave us these problems, is laughable.
CARDIN: I’m proud of my record in Congress. Proud of the changes I’ve made in Medicare & the retirement system.
ZEESE: I think both of you are right. You’re both selected by your party leadership. You’re both in bed with the special interests. And you’re both not going to bring change to Washington. The voters need to know that.
STEELE: The Congressman has been running against George Bush for a year, but Bush is not here. You talk about hand-picked-you were hand-picked by Congressman Steny Hoyer to get in this race. If not for Hoyer, Kweise Mfume would be sitting here. He was the first to enter this race, and he stuck his neck out. You’ve been shepherded around the state by Steny Hoyer. When you talk about who’s hand-picked, not me, friend, you.
CARDIN: You’re the one who identifies with George Bush. You brought Bush into Maryland to raise a half-million. You’re the one who supports his agenda.
STEELE: Stop running against George Bush. Run against me and my record as Lt. Gov.
CARDIN: I won a competitive primary and Kweise Mfume is supporting me for the US Senate, because he knows I’ll bring change to Washington.
STEELE: I’m not discounting the issues, they’re clearly important. But it’s not JUST about the issues; it’s also about the man--their personal journey and their story, and how they arrive at decisions. I look at the totality of what we’re talking about for the next 6 years. You want to get a sense of who I am and what I stand for.
STEELE: We applaud you for that vote against the war, but.
Q: You applaud him for that vote?
STEELE: No, I think it was a wrong-headed vote.
Q: But you said you applaud him.
STEELE: I applaud that he stood behind his vote, but that was the only time we’ve heard from him. You put out a plan that said “Let’s have a plan.” Where’s your strategy to bring our boys and girls home and leave behind a more stable and stronger Iraq?
Q: What’s your plan?
STEELE: I think we need discernible benchmarks. We need clarity of mission, and what we should show as progress of the Iraqi government taking control.
CARDIN: Would you have voted for war four years ago?
STEELE: Yes, I would have authorized the use of force, to deal with the terror that was there.