EXCLUSIVE: Maryland Juice Interviews Rob Sobhani // Independent Senate Candidate On Nov. Ballot Questions & More

Over the course of the last few weeks, Maryland politicos have seen hundreds of thousands of dollars of television advertising from independent U.S. Senate candidate Rob Sobhani. The former Republican candidate has been trying to appeal to members of both parties, and that has led both Democrats and Republicans to question Sobhani's motives.

Rob Sobhani campaigning in Montgomery County

Maryland Juice decided to try and find out more about where Rob Sobhani stands on key "values" issues, so we asked him to respond to several questions. Today, we present the results of our exclusive email interview with Maryland's independent U.S. Senate candidate. NOTE: I am aware that several of the issues I raise below are slightly unrelated to the roles and responsibilities of a U.S. Senator -- but I think it is important for voters to hear where Sobhani is coming from on hot topics. Below you can see his responses on a range of issues, including support for a flat tax and support for death penalty repeal (or at least a moratorium).

Without further ado, Maryland Juice presents the following Q & A with Rob Sobhani:

Maryand Juice Question 1  //  November Ballot Questions: How do you plan on voting on the hot-button ballot questions this November? In particular, I am curious about where you stand on:

• Question 4: Dream Act
• Question 5: Congressional Redistricting Plan
• Question 6: Marriage Equality
• Question 7: Gambling Expansion

TV AD: Independent Rob Sobhani Attacks U.S. Senator Ben Cardin // PLUS: Conservative Super PAC Attacks Sobhani

NEW SOBHANI AD ATTACKS CARDIN: The dynamics in Maryland's U.S. Senate battle are beginning to shift. Last month, we reported that independent candidate Rob Sobhani was tied for 2nd place with GOP nominee Dan Bongino. But Sobhani is appearing to try and position himself as the alternative to Ben Cardin today, with a new ad attacking the incumbent Democrat by name (watch below):



RIGHTWING SUPER PAC ATTACKS SOBHANI: Meanwhile, Republican Dan Bongino's supporters are busy trying to keep the anti-Cardin vote from drifting to Rob Sobhani. A conservative "Super PAC" called the Conservative Victory PAC has released a negative video slamming Sobhani and promoting Bongino (watch below). The Super PAC's "about us" section states:

Conservative Victory PAC is both a federal and a Super PAC dedicated to supporting conservative political candidates for office in Annapolis and in Washington, DC.

The text accompanying the ad states:

CONSERVATIVE VICTORY PAC: Why a candidate chose to run for office is an important thing to consider. Dan Bongino's reason has resonated with supporters across Maryland. Despite Rob Sobhani buying his way onto the ballot as an unaffiliated candidate, Dan Bongino is the only true independent voice in the race. Dan is the only one speaking for Marylanders.

MORE ON THE U.S. SENATE BATTLE SOON!

VIDEO: Rob Sobhani's New 60-Second TV Spot: "We Are Family" // Independent Candidate Reaches Out to Both Parties

Independent U.S. Senate candidate Rob Sobhani is out with a new 60-second tv spot. The advertisement, titled "We Are Family" makes an explicit appeal to members of both parties:



Sobhani is running as an independent, but Maryland Juice is trying to find out more about his stances on the issues. We recently sent him a series of questions via email. We'll let you know when and if he responds to our survey of the issues facing Maryland.

U.S. SENATE BATTLE: Independent Rob Sobhani Targets Moco With Direct Mail // PLUS: Dan Bongino's New Spanish Web Ad

PLUS: BEN CARDIN & DAN BONGINO MAY INVITE ROB SOBHANI TO DEBATE

The battle for U.S. Senate in Maryland is beginning to heat up, but new polls indicate the real fight appears to be for second place. Incumbent Democrat Ben Cardin is way ahead in the polls, but independent Rob Sobhani and Republican challenger Dan Bongino are currently tied for second.

Today Maryland Juice received campaign ads from both Rob Sobhani and Dan Bongino. You can see both ads below, along with an update on whether Rob Sobhani will be invited to debates with his GOP and Democratic competitors.

U.S. SENATE AD #1: ROB SOBHANI TARGETS MOCO WITH DIRECT MAIL - Today Maryland Juice received a postcard from independent U.S. Senate candidate Rob Sobhani. In the new ad, Sobhani argues that "Montgomery County is the key to jump starting Maryland's Economy." This mail campaign comes at the same time that Sobhani is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on television advertising. Read Sobhani's appeal to MoCo voters below:
U.S. Senate Candidate Rob Sobhani's Montgomery County Direct Mail

U.S. SENATE AD #2: GOP CANDIDATE DAN BONGINO RELEASES SPANISH-LANGUAGE VIDEO AD - Yesterday, a Maryland Juice reader forwarded (via Twitter) the following new video ad from Republican candidate Dan Bongino. Notably, the ad is in Spanish and features Bongino's wife (who was born in Colombia). The ad also comes with the following text:

DAN BONGINO: Dan Bongino, candidato a senador de los Estados Unidos para Maryland presentó hoy un video donde aparece su esposa, Paula, una ciudadana Americana nacida en Cali,Colombia.

Dan y su esposa, Paula, forman parte de una nueva generación de republicanos en este ciclo de elecciones que creen apasionadamente que el futuro de los Estados Unidos se encuentra en el espíritu emprendedor y en la dedicación incansable para un futuro mejor.

"Paula es una madre y esposa afectuosa, y una orgullosa Americana", afirma Dan. "El juramento a nuestra bandera en la ceremonia de su ciudadanía fue uno de los días más importantes en nuestras vidas. Estamos construyendo campaña en todas las comunidades diversas de Maryland, para que los ciudadanos se den cuenta que un cambio verdadero y un futuro mejor están a la vuelta de la esquina".

Paula Bongino es una inmigrante de primera generación, que con su constante determinación y su árduo trabajo logró alcanzar el sueño Americano. Es una consultora de diseño de sitios web y propietaria de una pequeña empresa. Paula cria a sus dos hijas, Isabel y Amelia, en Severna Park.

DEBATE UPDATE: SOBHANI CAN ATTEND IF THERE IS PUBLIC INTEREST - NBC News reports that Democrat Ben Cardin and Republican Dan Bongino are willing to invite independent Rob Sobhani to candidate debates, but only "if there is enough public interest." We previously reported that Sobhani felt he should be included after a new poll showed him tied with Bongino. Watch the news clip below:

MORE ON MARYLAND'S U.S. SENATE BATTLE SOON!

POLL RESULTS: Independent Rob Sobhani Tied With GOP Nominee Dan Bongino in Race for Sen. Ben Cardin's Seat

UPDATE: Rob Sobhani is now using these tied poll results to argue that he should be included in debates between Sen. Ben Cardin and Dan Bongino. It sounds like Bongino doesn't want him to attend, though. The Associated Press reported on the news (via The Washington Post - excerpt below):

ASSOCIATED PRESS: An independent candidate for U.S. Senate in Maryland is renewing his call to be included in debates between Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin and Republican challenger Dan Bongino. In asking to join the two major-party candidates in their debates, independent Rob Sobhani is citing recent poll results that show he is as competitive as Bongino....

POLL RESULTS DEMONSTRATE WEAK REPUBLICAN BRAND IN MARYLAND

BACKGROUND: Independent U.S. Senate candidate Rob Sobhani appears to have doomed Republican Dan Bongino's already struggling campaign for Democrat Ben Cardin's seat. Moreover, the GOP brand in Maryland appears to be extremely weak.

Maryland Reporter today highlighted a new poll from Gonzales Research and Marketing Strategies surveying voter opinion on several contested races in the Free State. We'll soon discuss some of the latest numbers on the heated ballot questions, but for now Maryland Juice finds the poll results on Maryland's U.S. Senate race the most interesting. Incumbent Sen. Ben Cardin's biggest re-election competition comes from GOP nominee Dan Bongino and wealthy independent candidate Rob Sobhani (a former Republican candidate). We previously reported that Sobhani was spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on television advertising throughout Maryland. Gonzales' poll today is the first measure of the impact of that spending, and the results show how weak the Republican brand is in Maryland.

BEN CARDIN WAY AHEAD IN SENATE RACE // TIE FOR 2ND PLACE - First, it shouldn't surprise anyone to see that Sen. Ben Cardin is way ahead of his competition in the U.S. Senate race. Gonzales reported the following results today (excerpt below via Maryland Reporter):

Sen. Ben Cardin & GOP Challenger Dan Bongino Now Face Independent Republican from MoCo with a $700K Ad Buy

Rob Sobhani, independent for U.S. Senate

A NEW SENATE CANDIDATE IN MARYLAND: News outlets are buzzing about a new competitor for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Democrat Ben Cardin and being sought by Republican challenger Dan Bongino. WBAL reports that a businessman has gathered over 77,000 signatures and will appear on the Maryland ballot as an independent (excerpt below):

WBAL: A Potomac businessman and former professor of political economy at Georgetown University has launched a run for U.S. Senate in Maryland.

Rob Sobhani submitted 77,000 signatures to the Maryland State Board of Elections and has been certified to run as an independent for the seat now held by Democrat Ben Cardin.

"I'm running as an independent, because I think our political system is broken, and both political parties have let the American people down," Sobhani told WBAL News.

He is the CEO of Caspian Group Holdings which has holdings in energy, publishing and technology, according to the company website....

$700,000 TELEVISION AD BUY FOR ROB SOBHANI? - Notably, yesterday the Cardin campaign sent out a fundraising solicitation from Sen. Barbara Mikulski which noted:

BARBARA  MIKULSKI: I'm at the convention and just heard news I wanted to share right away: an independent candidate for Senate in Maryland has dropped more than $700,000 on TV ads that began airing yesterday.

With potential attacks coming from a Tea Party Super PAC, and now this, we could see a lot of false charges leveled at Ben.

Sobhani's website (www.sobhaniformaryland.com) provides his television ad, which you can see below. If Cardin's campaign is right, this ad and others, may appear with decent frequency in parts of Maryland:

U.S. Senator Ben Cardin Reports $2.1 Million Cash On Hand for General Election // GOP Challenger Has Dustballs in Wallet

The Republicans have nominated former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino to take on incumbent Democrat Ben Cardin for the U.S. Senate this November. Mr. Bongino may have a near-impossible challenge unless he can demonstrate a sudden ability to raise tons of cash. His latest FEC reports show roughly $16,000 cash on hand through mid-March. Senator Cardin, on the other hand, has issued a press release announcing $2.1 million in his war chest, so far:

Anti-Gay Group "NOM" is Robo-Polling Voters on Behalf of State Senator Anthony Muse // MD NAACP Leader Condemns NOM

WILL MUSE CONDEMN THE HATER-ADE? - Maryland Juice readers are reporting that the anti-gay "National Organization for Marriage" (aka NOM) is robo-polling voters on behalf of U.S. Senate candidate Anthony Muse. They are calling Free State voters in an attempt to identify marriage equality opponents who they can push to support Mr. Muse in the Democratic Primary. A reader alerts us to the news:

NOM is doing robocalling for Muse today.  They ask you two questions after announcing the call is from NOM: (1) are you a registered voter in MD, (2) do you believe marriage should be believe a man and a woman.  If you answer yes to both, you get anti-marriage equality appeal to vote for Muse.

Democratic Leaders Campaign with Senator Ben Cardin // Ike Leggett & Donna Edwards to Appear in Closing Days of Primary

Maryland Juice today received a media advisory announcing U.S. Senator Ben Cardin's campaign schedule for the final few days before the Democratic Primary on Tuesday, April 3rd. It appears as though Democratic officials from across the state are hitting the trail in support of Senator Cardin in the closing days of the campaign.

Officials ranging from Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett to Rep. Donna Edwards will be campaigning with Senator Cardin. See a few examples from his campaign schedule below.

WHAT: PRECINCT LITERATURE DISTRIBUTION WITH IKE LEGGETT AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY EDUCATION ASSOCIATION (MCEA).

WHAT: NEIGHBORHOOD CANVASS WITH U.S. REP. STENY HOYER AND VOLUNTEERS

WHAT: SENATOR CARDIN AND U.S. REP. DONNA EDWARDS GREET COMMUTERS AT NEW CARROLLTON METRO STATION

More on the 2012 U.S. Senate race soon!

Baltimore Jewish Council Questions Sen. Anthony Muse's Controversial Campaign Flyer // News Coverage Snowballing

FLYERGATE NEWS COVERAGE SNOWBALLS: A few days ago Maryland Juice posted a copy of controversial campaign literature from U.S. Senate candidate Anthony Muse. The State Senator from Prince George's was distributing a sample ballot that urged voters to support an Obama-Muse ticket. Notably, President Obama has endorsed Sen. Ben Cardin for re-election. But more importantly, Muse's literature is generating heated criticism for highlighting the number of Jewish members of the U.S. Senate. Apparently this is not the first time he has employed this tactic.

The Washington Post today picked up the story and noted a non-response from Senator Muse:

Obama may be backing Cardin but that has not stopped Muse from seeking to link himself to the president. His campaign has distributed a “sample ballot” — a copy of which was posted online by the blog Maryland Juice — that says “Obama Muse Making History Together,” with pictures of the two men side by side. The same sample ballot includes a chart showing the composition of the U.S. Senate, noting that the chamber it has no African Americans. The chart also shows that there are 12 Jewish members of the Senate, even though Jews make up roughly 2 percent of the U.S. population. Cardin is Jewish, though the ballot does not mention that fact.

The flier drew criticism this week from the liberal group People for the American Way, which suggested on its blog that the chart “seems to go out of its way to imply there are too many Jews in the Senate. What legitimate reason is there to include a count of Jews in this tally, when there is no count of any other religious group?” Asked about the chart Wednesday, Muse dismissed the criticism.said, “This is nothing more than an attempt to be negative.”

MUSE KEEPS RAISING JEWISH REPRESENTATION, JEWS OFFENDED - The Baltimore Sun's John Fritze today noted that the head of the Baltimore Jewish Council is now questioning Sen. Muse's campaign literature:

The head of the Baltimore Jewish Council raised questions Wednesday about a campaign flyer from Democratic Senate candidate C. Anthony Muse that notes that there are no African-Americans serving in the U.S. Senate but that there are 12 Jews.

Muse, a state senator from Prince George's County is black. He is running against incumbent Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin, who is Jewish. The primary takes place Tuesday.

"I'm not happy with it," said Arthur C. Abramson, the council's executive director. "I would ask the candidate why the only religion he identified is Jewish...."

It's a contrast the campaign has drawn previously. Earlier this year Muse used his Twitter account to highlight a link to an article that discussed the number of Jews in the Senate. The campaign later deleted the tweet after it was noted by reporters.

Asked about the flyer, Muse campaign spokeswoman Brandi Calhoun said in an e-mail that it is "misleading and inaccurate, therefore we will have a response to that at the appropriate time."

The campaign did not respond when asked to clarify whether the Muse campaign had actually distributed the flyer or whether a third party was involved.

NO CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS FROM MUSE? - The Baltimore Sun article also notes that Muse's campaign has not filed any campaign finance reports with the FEC:

Muse's campaign, meanwhile, has never filed a campaign finance report with the Federal Election Commission as other candidates did last week. Calhoun said that Muse was not required to do so because he established his candidacy in February, late in the cycle. 

It's not clear why Muse's February entrance would exempt him from filing the pre-primary report, which was due March 22. The campaign did not respond to a follow up question seeking clarification.

Maryland Juice would point out that according to Anthony Muse's own campaign website, he became a candidate for the U.S. Senate on January 5th, 2011 and was in exploratory mode prior to that:

OY VEY!

JPG: State Senator Anthony Muse's Misleading Party Flyer // Is Obama Supporting Muse Over Ben Cardin for U.S. Senate?

A Maryland Juice reader forwards us the following event poster for a party promoting State Senator Anthony Muse's campaign for U.S. Senate. We noted yesterday that Mr. Muse was handing out "Obama-Muse" sample ballots, even though President Obama has endorsed incumbent Sen. Ben Cardin in the race. Today, it appears as if Mr. Muse is doubling down on this misleading strategy. Is it just me or does the flyer below create confusion about Obama's role in the event ?

The poster comes with the following text:

It's Time to Rock the City! Rock the Party! Rock the Vote! Tues 3/27 6-9p at the Palladium The Biggest FREE Party hosted by ur fav promoter & DJ

Rock the City

Please Join Baltimore's Business Leaders, Community Activists, and Entertainment Producers for This Biggest Pre- Election Event in Maryland. Tuesday, March 27, 2012 The Marriott Inner Harbor, Baltimore, Md D 21201 6p-9p Featuring Baltimore Top DJs Cash Bar Admission: Free Attire: Festive

Rock the City Rock the Party Rock the Vote

Come Party for a Purpose and Protect Our House!!!

It's time to Vote! Early Primary Voting Saturday, March 24-Thursday, March 29 Vote April 3, 2012 C. Anthony Muse & President Barack Obama

Important links for Voter information.

http://www.muse-for-maryland.com/Background for Senator C. Anthony Muse Baltimore Native from Park Heights who is state senator for PG County http://www.barackobama.com http://registertovote.org/forms/register/registration/maryland.html http://www.elections.state.md.us/

Debate for US Senate race Thursday, 3/22, 8-10a on WOLB 1010 AM or www.WOLB.com featuring MD Senator Muse and US MD Senator Cardin

JPG: State Sen. Anthony Muse's Misleading Sample Ballot for U.S. Senate Democratic Primary // An Obama-Muse Ticket?

AN OBAMA-MUSE TICKET? - A Maryland Juice reader forwarded photos of a sample ballot that State Senator Anthony Muse's campaign volunteers are handing out at early voting polls. In his quest for the Democratic nomination to the U.S. Senate, Anthony Muse's lit piece encourages voters to vote an Obama-Muse ticket, noting that there are zero African Americans in the United States Senate. Notably, Barack Obama has endorsed U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (Muse's opponent) for re-election. See Anthony Muse's sample ballot below.

ANTHONY MUSE OPPOSES THE DREAM ACT: Maryland Juice would also point out that Muse's lit piece is misleading, not just because Obama endorsed Ben Cardin, but also because the two men do not have the same values. President Obama campaigns as a big-tent Democrat, while State Senator Anthony Muse has been a leading opponent of marriage equality and voted against the Dream Act. In fact, this weekend, students from the #JSA movement reported that Anthony Muse confirmed his speaking role at their town hall meeting on Saturday, but then stood them up without explanation. Seeing as how one of their priorities is defending the Maryland Dream Act, I suspect this may be why Mr. Muse got cold feet.

BARACK OBAMA SUPPORTS THE DREAM ACT: Perhaps Anthony Muse is realizing that he is out of the Democratic Party mainstream in his opposition to the Dream Act and other issues. Read President Barack Obama's statement about the federal Dream Act, written when U.S. Senate Republicans killed the bill in 2010:

BARACK OBAMA: In an incredibly disappointing vote today, a minority of Senators prevented the Senate from doing what most Americans understand is best for the country. As I said last week, when the House passed the DREAM Act, it is not only the right thing to do for talented young people who seek to serve a country they know as their own, it is the right thing for the United States of America. Our nation is enriched by their talents and would benefit from the success of their efforts. The DREAM Act is important to our economic competitiveness, military readiness, and law enforcement efforts. And as the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office reported, the DREAM Act would cut the deficit by $2.2 billion over the next 10 years. There was simply no reason not to pass this important legislation.

KWEISI MFUME ENDORSES BEN CARDIN: These critical policy differences between Anthony Muse and Barack Obama create a stark contrast in how the two men view Democratic coalition-building. In fact, not even former U.S. Senate candidate Kweisi Mfume would endorse Anthony Muse's issue-set and has announced support for his former opponent Ben Cardin. In 2006, while running for the U.S. Senate, Mr. Mfume appeared at an Equality Maryland rally to condemn efforts to ban same-sex marriage in Maryland:

KWEISI MFUME: "I know that gay bashing and immigrant bashing and union bashing at the end of the day rob us of our moral authority," Mfume told the crowd.

ANTHONY MUSE'S ELECTION DAY SAMPLE BALLOT: None of this has stopped State Senator Anthony Muse from putting out the following misleading palm card:

SATURDAY: Students Behind #JSA Campaign Host Townhall Meetings w/ Senate Candidates Ben Cardin & Anthony Muse

UPDATE: The JSA organizers are clarifying that the event is a town hall style meet and greet with their members and two Democratic U.S. Senate candidates. However, Senator Cardin and State Senator Anthony Muse will not be sharing a stage to debate.  See the updated press release with scheduling details below. 

In short: Maryland Senator Anthony Muse will attend from 1:15-1:45pm and U.S. Senator Ben Cardin will attend from 1:45-2:15 pm. The event will be on Saturday, March 24 at 12:30 pm on the Montgomery College Rockville Campus, TC building, room 136.

Maryland Juice just received the press release below from the student activists behind the campaign to free Jorge Steven Acuna (aka #JSA). We recently wrote about their efforts to aid their friend and classmate after he and his family were arrested by Homeland Security and ready to be deported when their application for asylum was denied.

The students petitioned Rep. Chris Van Hollen to help the Acuna family, given that they are currently 8th Congressional District residents. They succeeded in getting the family released, with a one-year stay on their deportation. But their efforts have not stopped there. They are now pressing forward with efforts to make sure their issues are not ignored in the future. Amazingly, they are now hosting a town hall meeting with two U.S. Senate Democratic candidates, Ben Cardin and Anthony Muse. Their press release is below:

PRESS RELEASE

JSA Movement to Host Town Hall Meetings with
U.S. Senator Ben Cardin and State Senator Anthony Muse

Saturday March 24, 2012 at 12:30 p. m. on the
Montgomery College Rockville Campus

Youth will have the opportunity to ask questions directly to the Senators

Rockville MD, March 23, 2012 – The Justice for Students in America (JSA) movement will host a town hall–style meeting with Maryland Senator Anthony Muse from 1:15-1:45pm and U.S. Senator Ben Cardin from 1:45-2:15 pm, on Saturday, March 24 at 12:30 pm on the Montgomery College Rockville Campus, TC building, room 136. Press conference will be held at 12:00 pm. JSA members and other youth will have the opportunity to ask questions directly to the Senators on issues that most affect them from the DREAM ACT, jobs, the economy, to comprehensive immigration reform and other topics.

All Montgomery College students and other youth and their families are welcome to attend. There will be an opportunity to register to vote for all of those who are eligible.

The JSA movement is a student- and youth-led, grassroots, empowering group with the mission to give all students and youth in America a voice. JSA promotes and encourages its youth members to become a positive force of civically-active members of society, and seek a high quality of live and equal opportunities for themselves, their families and all Americans through education.

Visit the JSA Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/300409916692389

Follow us on Twitter @TheJSAMovement

##

U.S. Senator Ben Cardin's New Television Ad: Oysternomics 101

Ben Cardin's campaign for re-election to the U.S. Senate has released the following new television ad. They say it is airing in the Baltimore media market and Montgomery County in the Washington, DC media market:

U.S. Senator Ben Cardin Releases New Television Ad for Democratic Primary: "My Friend Ben"

U.S. Senator Ben Cardin has released a new television ad for his Democratic Primary campaign:

Kweisi Mfume Explains His Endorsement of Senator Ben Cardin: "At Some Point We Have To Be Serious"

UPDATE: In our comments section, Del. Jill Carter responds to Kweisi Mfume. Read more below.

Maryland Juice noted last week that former Congressman Kweisi Mfume decided to endorse his former competitor Senator Ben Cardin for re-election. Today, Hassan Giordano of the Baltimore Examiner printed an unusual interview with Mr. Mfume (see excerpt below), where the former NAACP head explains his endorsement decision. Giordano introduces the topic with the following statement (note: I added the speakers' names for clarity):

GIORDANO: Kweisi Mfume - the only African American statewide candidate to come close to defeating the white-male dominated Democratic structure, here in the state of Maryland – has shocked an entire community, as he recently endorsed the incumbent Democratic US Senator Ben Cardin; who Mfume challenged for that seat only six years prior.

In response, Giordano says Mr. Mfume provided the following explanation:

Dr. Eric Wargotz Weighs U.S. Senate Bid // Former GOP Candidate Factors In Anthony Muse's Challenge to Ben Cardin

On November 7th, U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski's 2010 opponent Eric Wargotz announced he was not going to make another attempt for office in 2012. Now that State Senator Anthony Muse is challengin U.S. Senator Ben Cardin in this year's Democratic Primary, Mr. Wargotz appears to be rethinking his decision. The Baltimore Sun today reported:

Wargotz, a Republican who ran an unsuccessful campaign against Democratic Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski in 2010, said Saturday he wants to take a "second look" at running for Senate this year now that State Sen. C. Anthony Muse is in the race....

VIDEO: Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker Endorses Sen. Ben Cardin for Re-Election

Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker today endorsed U.S. Senator Ben Cardin for re-election through the following video. Hat tip: The still anonymous Real Prince George's blog.

End Commuter Discrimination: Senators Cardin & Mikulski Fight to Preserve Transit Tax Credit - Relief Ends in 2.5 Weeks!

Federal News Radio today reported that U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara Mikulski are calling on Congress to protect and expand a tax credit for mass transit commuters. The benefit is set to expire at the end of this year:

A group of 22 senators has called on the Senate Finance Committee to take up extending a mass-transit commuter tax benefit, which expires at the end of the year.

The mass-transit benefit is set to be cut nearly in half — from $230 a month to $120 — starting next year, barring action by Congress.

Maryland Democratic Sens. Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin, who both signed the letter, said the cut could disproportionately affect federal workers....

The commuter benefit was last boosted in December 2010, when Congress upped the benefit to its current level — the same amount afforded parking benefits.

In a joint press release last Friday, the two Maryland Senators explained why they were fighting for this critical, but not-so-glamorous benefit:

U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski today joined a bipartisan coalition of twenty additional Senators in urging the Senate Finance Committee to include an extension of the widely used mass-transit commuter tax credit in any relevant legislation taken up by the Senate before it expires at the end of the year. The tax credit has an immediate impact on the region’s federal workforce and middle-class commuters across the nation. At a savings of over $1,000 per year, it eases the burden of high travel costs on families, allowing them to invest it in the local economy.

League of Conservation Voters Endorses Rep. Donna Edwards // President Obama Provides Senator Ben Cardin Early Support

The League of Conservation Voters Action Fund announced today an endorsement for Rep. Donna Edwards in her re-election bid for Maryland's Fourth Congressional District. The group's press release announcing the support for Ms. Edwards stated:

The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) Action Fund, which works to elect candidates who will implement sound environmental policies, today announced its endorsement of Donna Edwards (MD-4) for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives. Rep. Edwards has an impressive 96% LCV lifetime environmental score....

LCV was among the first organizations to endorse Edwards in the February Democratic primary election in 2008. Prior to serving in Congress, Rep. Edwards served on the Boards of the League of Conservation Voters and the Maryland League of Conservation Voters.

Rep. Edwards is also featured on LCVAF’s GiveGreen website, www.givegreen.com, the only bundling website devoted exclusively to raising money for environmental champions and candidates.

Meanwhile, Afro Briefs news reports that President Obama is providing an early endorsement to Maryland Senator Ben Cardin: