Maryland 2006 3-way Senate Debate: on War & Peace


Benjamin Cardin: Voted against war in Iraq, but for funding for troops

ZEESE: Mr. Cardin, you voted 14 times for the war: for war funding, against an exit strategy, and you even voted on a resolution saying Iraq was a moral war.

CARDIN: I voted against the war four years ago and I’ve been a critic of the president ever since. Yes, I’m going to support the appropriations bill so our troops are safe, with the body armor and equipment they need. 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.

ZEESE: You guys are both wrong on the war. We’ve got to get out of Iraq rapidly & responsibly, or we’re going to get out in chaos. Mr. Cardin, you have not done much on this issue. After your first vote, you’ve been wrong, wrong, wrong. You voted against an exit strategy. You voted to stay the course. You voted for $320 billion for permanent bases.

CARDIN: I voted against the permanent bases. Check the record.

ZEESE: I did check the record. You voted for it [in a package bill].

Source: MD 2006 3-way Senate Debate on NewsChannel 8 Oct 25, 2006

Kevin Zeese: Cardin voted against war, then became wrong, wrong, wrong

ZEESE: Mr. Cardin, you voted 14 times for the war: for war funding, against an exit strategy, and you even voted on a resolution saying Iraq was a moral war.

CARDIN: I voted against the war four years ago and I’ve been a critic of the president ever since. Yes, I’m going to support the appropriations bill so our troops are safe, with the body armor and equipment they need. .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.

ZEESE: You guys are both wrong on the war. We’ve got to get out of Iraq rapidly & responsibly, or we’re going to get out in chaos. Mr. Cardin, you have not done much on this issue. After your first vote, you’ve been wrong, wrong, wrong. You voted against an exit strategy. You voted to stay the course. You voted for $320 billion for permanent bases.

CARDIN: I voted against the permanent bases. Check the record.

ZEESE: I did check the record. You voted for it [in a package bill].

Source: MD 2006 3-way Senate Debate on NewsChannel 8 Oct 25, 2006

Michael Steele: Yes, I would have authorized the use of force in Iraq

CARDIN: I voted against the war four years ago and then to support the appropriations bill so our troops are safe, with the body armor and equipment they need. .

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.

Source: MD 2006 3-way Senate Debate on NewsChannel 8 Oct 25, 2006

  • The above quotations are from Representative Ben Cardin (D), Lt. Gov. Michael Steele (R), and Kevin Zeese (I) participate in the Maryland Senate Debate. Oct. 25, 2006, in Baltimore, moderated by Bruce DePuyt..
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Candidates and political leaders on War & Peace:

Retired Senate as of Jan. 2015:
GA:Chambliss(R)
IA:Harkin(D)
MI:Levin(D)
MT:Baucus(D)
NE:Johanns(R)
OK:Coburn(R)
SD:Johnson(D)
WV:Rockefeller(D)

Resigned from 113th House:
AL-1:Jo Bonner(R)
FL-19:Trey Radel(R)
LA-5:Rod Alexander(R)
MA-5:Ed Markey(D)
MO-9:Jo Ann Emerson(R)
NC-12:Melvin Watt(D)
SC-1:Tim Scott(R)
Retired House to run for Senate or Governor:
AR-4:Tom Cotton(R)
GA-1:Jack Kingston(R)
GA-10:Paul Broun(R)
GA-11:Phil Gingrey(R)
HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa(D)
IA-1:Bruce Braley(D)
LA-6:Bill Cassidy(R)
ME-2:Mike Michaud(D)
MI-14:Gary Peters(D)
MT-0:Steve Daines(R)
OK-5:James Lankford(R)
PA-13:Allyson Schwartz(D)
TX-36:Steve Stockman(R)
WV-2:Shelley Capito(R)
Retired House as of Jan. 2015:
AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R)
AR-2:Tim Griffin(R)
CA-11:George Miller(D)
CA-25:Howard McKeon(R)
CA-33:Henry Waxman(D)
CA-45:John Campbell(R)
IA-3:Tom Latham(R)
MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R)
NC-6:Howard Coble(R)
NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D)
NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R)
NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D)
NY-21:Bill Owens(D)
PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R)
UT-4:Jim Matheson(D)
VA-8:Jim Moran(D)
VA-10:Frank Wolf(R)
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Page last updated: Feb 15, 2019