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Rep. Ben Cardin, Democratic Candidate for Senate
Maryland 3rd Congressional District

David Wasserman, Editor, Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball
University of Virginia’s Center for Politics

Music by Marah and Béla Fleck and the Flecktones.

Congressman Ben Cardin
Democrat, Maryland
Website

In 1987, Ben Cardin was elected to represent Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Before that, Cardin served in the Maryland House of Delegates from 1967 to 1986, serving as Chairman of the Ways & Means Committee, as well as Speaker of the House of Delegates. On April 26, 2005, Cardin announced that he would seek the U.S. Senate seat of Senator Paul Sarbanes (D-MD), after Sarbanes announced that he would not seek another term in the Senate.

One of Cardin’s chief legislative priorities throughout his career has been healthcare. He will discuss what he has done in the House and what he will do in the Senate in regards to America’s healthcare crisis.

Cardin has been a leader in the fight to save Social Security. As an advocate for smart investing, Cardin has written legislation to help Americans build and strengthen their retirement accounts and put more money into their IRAs and 401(k) accounts. Worth Magazine named him “one of the 100 people who have changed the way Americans think about money.”

Ben Cardin was recently endorsed by The Washington Post, but he still faces a stiff primary; his principal rival being Kweisi Mfume (interviewed by DoubleSpeak on Episode 8). The Maryland primary takes place on September 12, 2006.

David Wasserman
Editor, Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball
University of Virginia’s Center for Politics
Website

David Wasserman joined the staff of the Center for Politics in June 2006 as Deputy Director of Communications. In this capacity he assists with day-to-day responsibilities of media relations and coordination of publicity for Center programs and events. Additionally, David serves as House race editor and writer for Sabato’s Crystal Ball, a political analysis web site created by Center director Larry Sabato, and assists with the Crystal Ball’s marketing and publication. Prior to joining the Center, David was a senior intern for the Center for Politics and served as a writer for the Crystal Ball. He has worked on numerous political campaigns, including competitive races in Iowa, South Dakota, and Virginia. David holds a B.A. in Government with Distinction and was awarded the 2006 Emmerich-Wright Outstanding Thesis prize for his study of congressional redistricting standards.

MUSIC:

Béla Fleck and the Flecktones
“UFO TOFU”

Marah
“The Dishwasher’s Dream” and “Walt Whitman Bridge”
from If You Didn’t Laugh, You’d Cry (Phidelity Records, 2005)