Amy, you say Senator Cardin has alienated his base due to low performance. Please explain your definition of "low performance" and just who is your source?
Lets go back to the Senator's time as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives where many of his "financial" proposals were enacted into law...those dealing with job training for the unemployed, retirement security for seniors and health care. During that time he served on the House Ways and Means Cmte.,( he brings a lot of experience from this as a current member of the Finance Cmte.), Budget Cmte., Judiciary Cmte., Ethics Cmte., just to name a few. Since being elected to the Senate, Senator Cardin serves on the Foreign Relations, Environment and Public Works, Budget, Small Business committees, and others. He is quite noted for being able to work both side of the aisle which is sorely needed these days. In the 111th Congress, Senator Cardin was responsible for the amendment that provided an $8000.00 credit to 1st time home buyers, (my godchild appreciated that) ,as well as, raising the cap on surety bonds for small businesses from $2 million-$5 million.....no small potatoes. I could go on and on...about the Senator's passion for the Chesapeake Bay...how he wrote the Chesapeake Clean Water Restoraton Act, is a long-time member of the U.S. Helsinski Commission, works with the group that monitors Arms Control, and is a VOICE for our most vulnerable citizens. Senator Cardin's high performance speaks volumes.

Senator Ben Cardin is a good man. We should all support him in his run for office. He has done many wonderful things for our county. He works across political lines for the good of all and is a voice for all citizens.

"...he seems to have alienated his voter base with his low performance. (Amy Leahy)

It never ceases to amaze me, when otherwise intelligent people recite a biased talking- point without defining terms. When speaking of Ben Cardin, Ms. Leahy speaks of the alienation of his voter base. Who do you think is in Cardin’s voter base? Go to Wikipedia; check service to Maryland’s citizens from 1966 to now. His base is the people of Maryland who have watched his political career and benefited from his votes. Check the bills he sponsored or supported. How can you dare say "low performance"? Even in this obstructionist Congress, Senator Cardin reaches across the aisle. Check his web site; his. legislations and voting record. See if it justifies saying: he has low performance. In our country, each person is free to think of how our country is to protect our life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We should be able to share those opinions peacefully and by doing so -grow in knowledge. I keep hoping that the "truth shall make us free” and on November election days the citizens of our Country will base their vote on truth and not blindly pull the level for hateful reasons. Vote for Senator Ben Cardin.

The posts above exactly illustrate the problem with Ben Cardin and the problem with our state and our nation. He "serves" here and he "serves" there, but look at the state of our state and nation. Unemployment, look at our inner city schools, our lagging competitiveness. He voted for Obamacare, he blocked the Keystone Pipeline with his vote, he has not worked with leadership to pass a responsible budget. Senator Cardin calls himself "Mr. Chesapeake." Well, actually, it's dirtier than it has ever been after billions of dollars spent. Cardin represents a generation of preserve the status quo politics that has led us into this malaise. Mr. Obama has accelerated the malaise and he supports Ben Cardin. Come on, people. Wake up, Maryland. We can't go on like this.

Mr. Zwald: The truly awake people of Maryland know better than to buy these conservative talking points. Putting the blame for all the problems of the world, of the state, or of the county, on one or two public officials, who happen not to be of your political persuasion, is definitely short sighted to the point of ignorance. I could counter your complaints with the successes of President Obama and our Senators and Representatives of Maryland. Just think of how bad it would be without their efforts, or how good it could have been without the obstructionism of those who vowed on inauguration day to "put all our efforts into keeping Obama from having a second term"....and he hadn't even begun to act. Tell your own propagandists... "We can't go on like this." We need to put bias and prejudice aside and GO FORWARD for the good of the whole country.

I'd really like to know what is so great about Bongino's resume that makes him qualified to serve in the U.S. Senate. Sure, he served in the USSS, but it's not any proof of any political leadership or even experience at all whatsoever.

Free speech is everyone's right, & if you choose to use yours to denigrate Amy & myself, you are free to do so. We have seen all too many times that when the left is disagreed with, they become very disagreeable.

Dan Bongino has all the experience needed to serve as Senator, coupled with proven & impeccable character. How many civil servants do you know who are trained to take a bullet for those he serves?

Today, our do-nothing Senate is led by lawyer types like Mr. Cardin. We need small business owners like Dan to bring common sense, hard work, solid training, & courage to every issue. Washington does NOT use common sense. It is unnecessarily complicated. It costs way too much. Our tax rates are now amongst the highest in the world; we are spending irresponsibly & Mr. Cardin is as responsible as anyone. Mr. Obama has endorsed Mr. Cardin because he has proven to be a reliable vote on his radical agenda such as Obamacare, abortion mandates, & the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell which has demoralized the finest fighting force in the world. Cardin supports unproven embryonic stem cell research. You say Ben Cardin works both sides of the aisle. He has had every chance to work both sides of the aisle to get a budget passed. 8% unemployment, 15% underemployment, out of control spending. Even Secretary Clinton said it is a matter of national security! How can you say that Ben Cardin is helping our nation in this time of crisis? Ben Cardin is THE do-nothing Senator.

Our country and state are in such trouble for many sheeple do not seek the truth.
They only get their news from a bad source that does not tell the true story. This election should not be about the Democrats or Republicans. This is really about
Americans. We are losing our freedoms everyday and many think that this can never happen, but will be the first to ask how it happened? The politicians are counting on
most Americans to stay uninformed and ignorant to what truly goes on in Congress.

Chet, let's be clear. I did not say, "banning abortion". Yes, I am morally opposed to abortion, but I stated "abortion mandates". This Administration & Mr. Cardin have supported an abortion on demand philosophy which forces those opposed to fund abortions through the abortion mandate. A large majority of Americans agree that no one should be forced to pay for abortion as a matter of conscience.
Now, 2ndly, it is conventional wisdom that Maryland has done "better than most states". But how has it done so? The facts show that small business generation is at an all-time low in Md., & that job creation aside from the public sector is very, very low. In Maryland, a large percent of federal spending is for defense related work, of which I strongly support. Yet, Mr. Cardin has done nothing to impact that. That federal spending will continue as a matter of the core issue of national security.
I said nothing with regards to the divorce rate and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Your point is unclear. Yes, I object to the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
Please check your facts about the successes of adult stem cell research, which is close to miraculous vs. embryonic stem cell research, which has accomplished nothing & destroys life in the process. I said nothing about limiting contraception. That is a personal matter. Many object to having to pay for it in their Obamacare health care premiums & I would be one who would object.

I think cynthia makes a great point that this is not about Republicans and Democrats rather about Americans and Marylanders. There is a deep polarization in America today on how big government should be and what it should be permitted to do. The truth is officials are sworn to uphold the Constitution first and foremost, and there are limited powers granted to those in Congress by Article I Section 8. One's personal feelings or religious beliefs does not trump our system of a Constitutional Republic and is exactly why we are not a Democracy.

These Congressional offices mentioned above by Amy are citizen legislator positions, not a professional career which requires a lengthy resume. While many support individuals who spent 45 years in government and made an entire living off of it, that is one's own decision and shouldn't be projected onto others as it so often is done. If all members of Congress had a working respect for the Constitution and our liberties then it wouldn't be so difficult to effectively govern the nation. A poll taken last year showed 71% of Americans would throw out all members of Congress and start over so here is the opportunity to do just that.

Cory I wish people would set term limits on their elected officials by automatically voting new ones in. Heaven knows congress and the legislators will not do it on their own. Too much power and money at stake for them to do the right thing by us all. I believe this should apply to both parties. They are equally to blame.

Bringing this discussion back to Ben Cardin and Dan Bongino, this election is not about Democrat and Republican. Neither party has done us a whole lot of favors. We have a choice. Do we believe that an old line entrenched bureaucrat like Mr. Cardin is going to energetically offer new ideas, approaches, or direction? Do we believe that the incumbent, as a reliable vote for the Democratic machine, is going to really going to make any difference in getting us out of the mess we are in? I do not. In Mr. Bongino, we will see impeccable character, a philosophy of not accepting the status quo, a person with proven leadership abilities. We will be well served by hardworking Dan Bongino when he is elected as Maryland's next Senator. I hope that everyone reading this will take a sincere look at Dan vis a vis the mess we are in.

I was not surprised in the least to see that the same sorry incumbents had been
re-elected in the Democratic primary. The usual suspects, Cardin, Cummings, Hoyer,
Sarbanes, Edwards, and Ruppersberger. It is quite apparent that the head in the sand residents of this state vote either strictly on party line or in name only. One should ask the question, "Are you better off now then three years ago?" I know my family is not; higher gas, food, and clothing costs, in addition to earning less than 1% on a money market account. Everyone needs to stop listening to what they say, and
look at what they actually do, the two never match up.