Why did't Steele collect the signatures and run as an Independent as Robin Ficker has done?

Phyllis,

Maybe you can ask Matthew Mosk why he felt the need to point out that Michael Steele doesn't use the word "Republican" while ignoring the fact that Ben Cardin's ad doesn't include the word "Democrat". A simple search of Cardin's website would have found this to be true.

For simplicity, here is a link to that first ad:

http://www.bencardin.com/multimedia/video080806

Why the double standard on who is hiding their party label? It is things like this that highlight how reporters like Mosk allow their liberal point of view enter into their supposed "objective" reporting. If Mosk was truly being "objective", he would have point out that both Steele and Cardin don't mention their party in their respective ads.

I'm eagerly awaiting Mosk's response.

Cardin's second ad features the word Democrat in big blue letters. Anyone wanna take bets on whether or not Steele's 2nd, 3rd, or 4th ad will feature his 'scarlet letter'?

Michael Steele -- who has never held a fedreral office -- is much more of an outsider than either Representative Cardin or former Representative Mfume. While Democrats may try to twist the truth to hide this, it's clearly evident from the candidates' records.

Google is your friend, people. Josh Rales' web site is http://www.ralesforsenate.org/, not http://www.joshrales.org/. Nice fact checking.

Cosmic,
You're right...duly fixed.

Dave W,
The personal attacks prohibition applies to those on reporters as well.

Phyllis

How is what I asked a personal attack? I am asking about Mosk's double standard and what his reason for it is.

Steele wasn't a "different kind of Lt. Governor". Why would he claim to be a different type of senator?

Steele is likable and plays to that strength. Once Marylanders find out that he is a libertarian ideologue (plus anti abortion), Steele will find that most citizens do not share that view of the world.

Steele knows that. That's why he limits his remarks to common places rather than policy.

Bush may be Steele's biggest problem. His own convictions handicap Steele as well.

http://images.google.com/images?q=michael%20steele%20bush&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&sa=N&tab=wi

Google is our friend!

Just a few of the pictures that the MD Dem party should be putting up for 30 seconds at a time. This should be a cake walk.

Steele a "libertarian idealogue"? I hadn't heard that one before. I don't see any evidence of that in his statements. I see evidence that he wants lower taxes, lower gasoline prices (with a plan to accomplish this), and easier access to health care. I think most Marylanders share his views on these issues.

Those of you that think Steele is at risk because there's an archived photo of Bush and Steele shaking hands on the internet are so blinded by your own hatred of Bush to realize that you're out of the mainstream views are not shared by everyone or even the majority. You're only preaching to your own anti-Bush choir. Only anti-Bush, anti-war, anti-reality types care about a hand shake with the President. You're all grasping at nothing.

Gee, with my wreckless use of the "B" word, I'm sure to invite many negative responses on this forum.

BG from PG: It's not just the archived photo of Bush & Steele that turns me off to voting for Steele. It's Steele calling Bush his "homeboy" and wanting to accept his financial and/or campaigning help (only if it's beneficial to him) that turns me off to voting for him. His statement about criticizing both parties rings hollow to me when he needs his party's help to win.

"Those of you that think Steele is at risk because there's an archived photo of Bush and Steele shaking hands on the internet are so blinded by your own hatred of Bush to realize that you're out of the mainstream views are not shared by everyone or even the majority. You're only preaching to your own anti-Bush choir. Only anti-Bush, anti-war, anti-reality types care about a hand shake with the President. You're all grasping at nothing."

Grasping at nothing? LOL. Bush's only has a 35% approval in the State of Maryland. You really have no grasp on reality. Steele supports 99% of the Bush agenda that has been overwhelmingly rejected by most Marylanders. Bush is HUGE problem for Steele. You need to wake up. Even Steele recognizes that Bush is a liability.

PG Dem, how do you arrive at the figure that Steele supports 99% of the Bush agenda (in another post on this blog, you put it at 90% -- has Steele done something between these two posts to change your accounting?)? Steele isn't in federal office and has no voting record. His positions follow Bush's (make the tax cuts permanent), are opposed to Bush's (raise the minimum wage), and somewhere in the middle (lukewarm support for the war in Iraq and supporting maintaning troops in Iraq until it's stabilized -- which is a view shared by most Americans). You have no evidence that Steele is a mindless Bush follower. You simply refuse to consider Steele's positions and choose to stereotype him instead.

"Steele isn't in federal office and has no voting record. His positions follow Bush's (make the tax cuts permanent), are opposed to Bush's (raise the minimum wage), and somewhere in the middle (lukewarm support for the war in Iraq and supporting maintaning troops in Iraq until it's stabilized -- which is a view shared by most Americans). You have no evidence that Steele is a mindless Bush follower. You simply refuse to consider Steele's positions and choose to stereotype him instead."

Nice try. Steele supports the Bush agenda OVERWHELMINGLY. Just because he doesn't have a voting record, it doesn't mean he hasn't publicly commented on important issues. He campaigned for Bush in 2004 (when the President was more popular) and made speeches in support of the Bush agenda across the nation. He was also interviewed on Black radio supporting the Bush agenda in 2004. He's made many statements on the record in the past. He's shying away from them in light of the President's decreased popularity. Bush, Rove, Cheney and other prominent Republicans urged him to run, Bush has hosted fundraisers for Steele, and Steele refers to the President as his "homeboy."

You've been deceived. Michael Steele's views on the minimum wage don't different from Bush and MOST Republicans in Congress. He just wants uninformed people to think he does. According the Associated Press, Steele made the following statement at his fundraiser last night: "Unlike a lot of Republicans, I believe we need to raise the minimum wage," Steele said to cheers from the crowd. But he added that a national wage hike should be coupled with lower taxes for business owners. THIS is the Republican position. MOST Republicans legislators support the minimum wage as long as it is tied to tax cuts for businesses and/or the wealthy. In addition, the views on the minimum wage he expressed in the Wall Street Journal don't appear to be much different than that of most Republicans even though he tries to play it that way. According the article Steele tells the writer that "he favors a "strong minimum wage," but only "as long as you incentivize employers. . . . They have bottom lines to keep. They have costs that they have to bear." Then he notes that most businesses pay more than the minimum anyway, so that "the idea of the minimum wage is almost a fallacy."

MOST Marylanders disagree with Bush's handling of the War in Iraq and don't believe that the terrorists in Iraq have largely been routed? Sadly. Steele does. In addition, the Frederick News Post reported that when asked if Steele agreed with Bush's management of Iraq he said, "By and large, absolutely, yeah. I am," Mr. Steele replied." [Frederick News-Post, 8/11/06]. Steele's statement to the Frederick New-Post: "Largely unwritten is the story of what's happening in three-quarters of the rest of that country. Remember Fallujah, ladies and gentlemen? I don't hear anyone talking about Fallujah any more. It's not on the front page any more of the papers. Why? Because order has been restored, and the terrorists have largely been routed." [Frederick News-Post, 8/11/06]. That's another lie. There were many stories about the problem in Fallujah including an August 3rd: Washington Post article Reporting new Insurgent Offensive In Fallujah. Steele is wearing the same rose colored classes of Bush and Rumsfeld.

Steele supports Bush's reckless economic policies, opposes federal funding for embryonic stem cell research (only the fringe opposes), he supports Bush's right-wing federal court nominees, and opposes a women's right to choose (even in the case of rape and incest).

In fairness to Steele, he does disagree with the President on a few issues. However, these are mainly issues he will not have to vote on as a U.S. Senator because they will be resolved in the courts or are are primarily state issues.