Saturday’s Kennedy-King Dinner at the Kitty Night House in Georgetown played host to series of endorsements for Dr. John LaFerla to turn Maryland’s First District blue in November.
Senator Ben Cardin led a pack of local Democrats who spotlighted LaFerla’s commitment to women’s health issues, the environment, and protecting Social Security and Medicare.
Cardin wasted no time pouncing on Republican incumbent, Dr. Andy Harris, for rejecting a farm bill that would help the Shore’s drought stricken farmers. He read off seven letters that he said would move the bill towards passage after the November election.
“Let me just spell his name, L-A-F-E-R-L-A,” Cardin said—reminding voters that LaFerla is a write-in candidate. “The Farm Bill passed the Senate with strong bi-partisan support, but we just can’t seem to get it out of the House of Representatives.”
Cardin’s 20-minute speech drew praise for President Barack Obama’s herculean efforts to clean up the aftermath of the Wall Street collapse and the huge deficits he says were caused by a misguided $1 trillion war with Iraq and massive tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.
Cardin reminded the audience of better days during the Clinton administration when job growth was the “envy of the world” and Democrats had balanced the budget.
“Bill Clinton and the Democrats did something you have only seen once in your lifetime—and that is a balanced the federal budget,” Cardin said, noting that not one Republican voted to balance the budget during the Clinton years. “We got it done and we got our economy growing. I say this because I don’t want to hear any more lectures from our Republican friends on fiscal responsibility.”
“Our economy went off a cliff [in 2008] and we were losing almost 800,000 jobs a month when Barack Obama became President,” Cardin said. “That’s the hand President Obama was dealt and Bill Clinton laid that out clearly” at the Democratic Convention in Charlotte.
Cardin compared the legacies of George W. Bush and Bill Clinton with how both parties showcase their former presidents.
“You saw Bill Clinton at our convention, but did anyone see George W. Bush” at the GOP convention, Cardin asked the audience.
“President Obama took the reigns and changed the direction of America,” Cardin said. “Let’s give him credit for his record. We now have 30 consecutive months of job growth in private sector jobs.”
Cardin said 4.4 million private sector jobs have been created under Obama of which 500,000 are in manufacturing.
“George W. Bush’s policies cost us jobs,” he said. “President Obama has us headed in the right direction.”
Cardin warned the a Mitt Romney presidency would be a throwback to the Bush years with more tax cuts for the wealthy at a high cost to the middle class—and without a balanced budget.
“Mitt Romney’s plan cuts education, he cuts the Medicare program for seniors and he cuts environmental programs,” Cardin said. “He does this not to balance the budget, but to give another round of tax cuts to the wealthiest in our country.”
He said Romney’s budget plan would cost middle-income families an additional $2,000 a year.
Cardin closed by saying there is a huge money disadvantage for Democrats going into the Nov. 6 election, which has created a swath of campaigns ads against Obama that are factually untrue. He worried that a misinformation campaign by GOP funders could sway independent voters.
“We’re going to hear statements that are going to shock us, but they will have an impact on those undecided voters,” Cardin said.
Margie Elsberg says
Not only did Senator Cardin endorse John LaFerla, but so did Kent County’s much-loved Wayne Gilchrist. A former Marine (he was wounded in Vietnam and was awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star and Navy Commendation Medal) and Kent County High School teacher, Rep. Gilchrist held the 1st District House seat for 18 years, until own (Republican) party rejected his brilliant record and backed Tea Party darling Andy Harris instead. Wayne Gilchrist is a giant of a man, and I’m proud that he’s endorsed Dr. LaFerla. John LaFerla understands issues of concern to women as well as men and workers as well as employers. A man of great integrity, John LaFerla believes that smart policies lead to greater opportunities for individuals and to stronger, more prosperous communities.
DLaMotte says
Wayne is a wonderful human being in every way, a hero. Boy do I miss him on the Hill.
Jack Offett says
Because of population growth, the U.S. must create approximately 250,000 jobs a month for the job rate to stay even. If 4 million new private sector jobs have been created in the last 45 months or so, that is not even half the number needed to break even on jobs. It’s difficult for me to believe that Senator Cardin has been an elected official for the past 26 years and doesn’t know this–especially as he sits on the Small Business Committee. As for Mitt Romney’s budget plan, I don’t know, but at least he has one (even with no formal obligation to produce one). Senator Cardin also sits on the Senate Budget Committee–you know, the one that won’t even attempt to produce a budget.
Steve Payne says
The US is operating under the Budget Control Act of 2011 S365 which runs until after the first of the year. People can submit a budget proposal if they want to but we already have a budget LAW.
Cardin voted for it and Harris voted against it.
Mike Hunt says
Someone should remind Mr. Cardin (who voted as a member of the House against the mid-late 1990s budgets) that we got a balanced budget during the Clinton years–over President Clinton’s protests–only once there was a Republican majority in both the House and Senate. If, as he says, no Republicans voted for the balanced budgets, the budgets could not have been enacted into law. Uh, simple math, even for a senator with no memory of his own votes.
Tom Martim says
It’s all in the math indeed!
https://clerk.house.gov/evs/1993/roll406.xml