Mr. Cardin for U.S. Senate

Washington Post

MARYLAND, ONE OF the nation’s most lopsidedly Democratic states, has elected just one Republican (former governor Robert L. Ehrlich) to statewide office in 30 years. With no sign of a GOP resurgence, the Democratic primary this April 3, not the general election in November, is likely to settle the race for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Benjamin L. Cardin.

Mr. Cardin, who is seeking reelection, deserves a second term. He faces eight Democratic challengers — the only plausible one, state Sen. C. Anthony Muse, is a church pastor in Prince George’s County — but none is his equal as a lawmaker. Highly regarded for his legislative know-how, Mr. Cardin has staked out a substantive agenda as an environmentalist at home and an outspoken advocate of human rights abroad.

In the Senate and, before that, for 20 years in the House of Representatives, he has been a champion of legislation that is helping to revive the Chesapeake Bay. A commissioner of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, he has also been one of the most important American critics of Russia’s disgraceful record on human rights, which the Obama administration has soft-peddled. He has led the charge to impose sanctions, including denying U.S. visas, on Russian officials responsible for the death of Sergei Magnitsky, who died in custody after exposing a massive tax fraud involving the Russian government.

The contest between Mr. Cardin and Mr. Muse has been cast partly in racial terms — chiefly by Mr. Muse, who makes the point that as an African American he would enter a Senate that has none. But Mr. Cardin has received the backing of prominent black elected officials, including President Obama. And the range of Mr. Cardin’s support, black and white, reflects the almost universal view of him as a substantive, responsive and doggedly effective public official.

Few major policy differences separate the two candidates. One notable exception is same-sex marriage, which Mr. Cardin supports and Mr. Muse opposes. We happen to agree with Mr. Cardin. But it is also striking that Mr. Muse offers half-hearted arguments for his stance, beyond the fact that it reflects the socially conservative views of many voters in his district.

Mr. Muse, who represents a district hard hit by home foreclosures, has been a decent, community-oriented lawmaker, pushing financial literacy and other programs to benefit people struggling at the bottom of the social ladder.

But it’s hard to square his advocacy for those he calls “voiceless” with his effort to expand gambling at Rosecroft Raceway to include table games. Aside from creating a modest number of jobs, that would do little good for people strapped for cash. He has also opposed granting in-state college tuition rates for Maryland high school graduates who lack documents because they entered the country illegally as children with their parents. Shouldn’t they be counted among the “voiceless”?

Mr. Muse has offered no actionable agenda and no compelling logic for his candidacy. Mr. Cardin is much more likely to make an impact and get things done. займ на карту срочно без отказа займ на карту https://zp-pdl.com/how-to-get-fast-payday-loan-online.php https://zp-pdl.com/get-quick-online-payday-loan-now.php hairy girl