U.S. House of Representatives: District 8

Democrats declare, "I can beat Connie!"

by Eric Bond

The four Democratic candidates vying for Republican Connie Morella's seat in the Eighth Congressional District are running on nearly identical platforms. Each touts a progressive agenda which includes the environment, education, health care, abortion rights, and gun control. Each professes to be motivated by President George W. Bush's poor record in these areas. And each said that he or she is the one who can beat Morella and bring big change to Congress.

In his opening statement at the Takoma Voice Election Forum on June 9, Mark Shriver said that a response he often hears from people is that moderate Morella is "not so bad." "Not so bad is not good enough for the Eighth Congressional District," said Shriver. "Not so bad has brought us Newt Gingrich. It's brought us Mr. Armey and Mr. Delay. It's brought us a $3 trillion tax cut geared toward the wealthiest one percent of the population and large corporations like Enron and General Motors...."

Throughout the forum, each of the three well-financed candidates--Ira Shapiro, Mark Shriver, and Chris Van Hollen--claimed to be the candidate who could beat Morella--treating that factor as perhaps the most significant one for voters in the September 10 primary election.

Ira Shapiro introduces himelf to Takoma Park voters.

Photo: Julie Wiatt

Ira Shapiro evoked his 20-plus years experience in the federal government as a Senate staffer and advisor and in the Clinton White House as a U.S. Trade Representative, portraying himself in a league far beyond Maryland state legislators Mark Shriver and Chris Van Hollen--certainly beyond lawyer Deborah Vollmer.

"If this were about a seat in Annapolis?I'd vote for Mark or Chris..." said Shapiro in one of his backhanded compliments.

Mark Shriver, a state delegate (District 15), relied upon his Kennedy cadence and personal anecdotes illustrating his public service with poor people.

State Senator Chris Van Hollen (District 18) extolled his strong environmental record and hard work in Annapolis.

And Deborah Vollmer, the dark horse, tried to establish her political purity--she doesn't take money from corporations or political action committees--and her experience whittling away the vote from Morella in two previous elections. "Among the four of us you're going to find many points of agreement," Vollmer said.

All Candidates Support Patriot Act

As moderator, I started the evening by asking candidates how to balance civil liberties with national security and whether or not they supported the Patriot Act of 2001, which was faulted by the American Civil Liberties Union. All candidates agreed that they would have voted for the Act, but each also highlighted the need to protect civil liberties.

Mark Shriver arrives at the forum.

Photo: Julie Wiatt

"Money is the mother's milk of terrorist operations," said Shriver, indicating that the government needs to be able to track it. Without citing any specific measures, he added that he would also work to "make sure that privacy is a key component" of any antiterrorism effort.

Vollmer said that she would probably have voted for the Act, but would need to take a closer look. She added that she admired California Representative Barbara Lee's lone vote against authorizing President Bush to move militarily against any individual or country that he deems a threat.

Van Hollen acknowledged the inherent tension between security and civil rights, but said that "despite some provisions, I would have voted yes on the final vote." Van Hollen identified Attorney General John Ashcroft as a bigger problem. Van Hollen denounced the indefinite detention of suspected terrorists and the use of secret evidence: "It's simply unfair for someone to prosecute you and fail to tell you the basis of the prosecution.

Shapiro recalled that he had worked in the 1960s to protect the civil liberties of people spied upon by the Federal Bureau of Investigations, but said that he would have supported the Patriot Act. He said that he, too, opposed John Ashcroft as Attorney General. Shapiro said that he trusted the system to maintain civil liberties.

"Fortunately, the way our system works," Shapiro said, "between the Congress, the courts and the press I think we work toward a good balance to find...the right mix in terms of national security and civil liberties."

Three for I.C.C.

All for Inner Purple Line

On the subject of transportation, Vollmer was the only candidate to oppose studying or building the Inter-County Connector, a highway which would link upper Montgomery County with Interstate 95 and Prince George's County.

All agreed that the Purple Line of the Metro should be built. Calling the study of the ICC a waste of money, Vollmer said that she supported Metro and would like to see more buses.

Chris Van Hollen finds supporters at the Takoma Park Farmer's Market.

Photo: Julie Wiatt

Van Hollen referred to a recent study that named the Washington DC area as the second worst region for traffic in the United States. Van Hollen said that elected officials need to act now, and that he would focus on transit, intersection improvements, and road widening.

He did support renewing a study to see if the ICC can be built in an environmentally friendly way. And he said that he would work hard to get money for the Purple Line, and that he would like to see the Metro extended up to Clarksburg and Frederick. Van Hollen said that he would work in Congress to make sure that the federal government paid at least 80 percent of all transit improvements since it now pays 90 percent toward highways.

Shapiro mentioned that he had "been instrumental" in bringing the Red Line to Montgomery County. "I'd like to go to Congress and roll up my sleeves and go to work on the Purple Line," Shapiro said. "We can't get through our traffic crisis simply with transit," Shapiro continued. "We've had the growth. We haven't had the roads. I believe, although I know that its not necessarily popular in this room, that we need to find a way to build the Inter-County Connector in an environmentally sound way."

Shapiro criticized Shriver and Van Hollen for neglecting transportation issues as legislators in Annapolis. In his follow- up remarks he also criticized their past opposition to the ICC and suggested that their change of heart was an election year ploy.

Shriver responded by saying that he consistently voted not to block construction of ICC. "What's amazing to me," said Shriver, "is that with all of the talent not only in this county, but in Prince George's County, and this state and this nation, we can put a man on the moon, but we cannot succeed in building an environmentally sound ICC." He, too, endorsed the inner Purple Line and emphasized the need for more mass transit and a regional approach to traffic.

All Bash Bush on Environment

In response to other environmental concerns, Van Hollen said that President Bush should step up to the Kyoto treaty. As far as his record, Van Hollen said that he worked extensively in Annapolis on clean energy and renewable energy initiatives such as the Maryland Clean Energy Incentive Act of 2000. He said that at the national level, Congress needs to increase fuel efficiency standards, apply them to Sports Utility Vehicles and re-establish the air-conditioning standards set by the Clinton administration

"We need to do the basic things and not allow the owners of the oil companies to come in and write the energy plan for our country as this administration did," said Van Hollen.

Shapiro cited his support from environmentalists, such as Takoma Park resident Carol Browner, head of the Environmental Protection Agency in the Clinton administration and Gaylord Nelson, the founder of Earth Day

"The Bush-Cheney energy policy of drill, dig, and burn is a disaster for our future and it's a future disaster in terms of global warming," said Shapiro.

Shriver also attacked Bush's environmental policy, calling it "a shoddy record at best." He colored Morella with the same brush: "she is supporting that agenda and I am opposed to that." Shriver agreed with Van Hollen that the U.S. needs to wean its dependency on foreign oil and said that he would work to increase SUV requirements.

Taking no corporate money, Deborah Vollmer is the independent Democrat.

Photo: Julie Wiatt

True to her stance against the ICC, Vollmer said that she will work to get people less dependent on automobiles. She said that she's a dues-paying member of the Sierra Club and drives a Prius (hybrid gas / electric vehicle)--to which Van Hollen noted that his incentive bill entitled her to a tax credit.

Shriver said that he would be a "strong voice down in Washington that will stand up to the big polluters, who will stand up to large oil companies, who will stand up to the NRA, who will stand up to the prescription drugs companies, that will fight for the people who don't have a voice in this process--and for too long that's been the environmental community."

That remark elicited a dig from Shapiro that "the environmental community would be surprised to know that they don't have a voice in Washington."

Unified on Gay and Lesbian Rights

On the question of domestic partnerships for gay and lesbian people, all candidates agreed that the benefits available to heterosexual couples should be available to homosexual couples.

U.S. Should Show Leadership with Palestine and Israel

Moving back to foreign policy, all candidates again agreed that the U.S. needs to play a role in the Middle East peace process and that President Bush has not shown leadership in the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

While the other candidates talked generally about working for peace, Shapiro took a strong position in support of Israel--saying that the "violence directed at Israel required Israel to respond and defend itself. Any country...would have defended itself strongly."

Shapiro added that he also believes that regional peace needs to be the goal. "I very much would like to see negotiations that bring about a two state solution at some point," he said. "I do not believe in my mind and heart that Arafat is an effective peace partner. I hope that the Palestinians get a leader worthy of their aspirations at some point."

Shriver said that President Bush has been negligent in bringing the Palestinian Authority and Israel to the negotiating table.

"I think that we've got to end the bloodshed in that region," Shriver said.

Vollmer agreed that both Israel and Palestine have a right to statehood. She suggested that non-governmental ventures that bring young Palestinians and Israelis together would ease tensions: "When young people?learn to study together and work together and party together?with that approach there can be some hope for peace."

Van Hollen criticized the Bush administration for not "stepping up to the plate" sooner on Israel. "The U.S. has a historic commitment," said Van Hollen. "We have to be an honest broker in the region. We need to bring the parties together for a lasting peace."

No Strong Stands on U.S. Aid to Colombia

On the subject of Colombia, none of the candidates seemed particularly well versed. They gave no strong answers when asked about the State Department's decision to release military aid to Colombia over the protest of the Washington Office on Latin America and Amnesty International.

Vollmer talked about the supply and demand of the drug war, but did not comment particularly on the 40 year civil war.

Van Hollen talked briefly about former President Jimmy Carter's commitment to human rights and the importance of making it part of U.S. foreign policy. Then he, too discussed reducing U.S. demand for drugs.

Shapiro and Shriver veered off of Colombia altogether and argued with each other about whether or not the U.S. should have granted "Most Favored Nation" status to China.

Shapiro stood for free trade: "I think that sanctions should be reserved for narrow cases. I don't think that we get anywhere by sanctioning nations one after another . I think that what we need to be doing is engaging with nations to help them out of poverty first by expanded trade and opening our markets to the few things that they sell that are not drugs."

Shriver maintained that "trade should be based on making sure that human rights are part of trade negotiations and that the environment is also protected."

Shapiro suggested that Shriver is naive: "I think that if we had denied China that [status] we would have undermined our position for years and years to come," said Shapiro.

Campaign Finance

All candidates but Vollmer pleaded ignorance when it came to naming their five biggest contributors. They suggested that voters find out for themselves through the Federal Election Commission website (www.fec.gov)

"I'm not playing the game the way the others are," said Vollmer. "I don't have a top five contributors [list]...I haven't filed with federal election commission." A candidate only needs to register with the commission if he or she has received $5,000 or more in contributions.

According to a July 1 Washington Post article, to date, Ira Shapiro has raised $700,000, Mark Shriver $2.2 million, Chris Van Hollen $1.05 million. Connie Morella has raised $1.6 million.

"We need public financing of campaigns," said Vollmer. "We could have people who wait on tables and people who teach schools and people who are nurses and just ordinary folks with extraordinary talent would have an opportunity to serve in government." Vollmer said that the reason that bills on such issues as universal health care don't pass is that the insurance companies put money into campaigns.

The other three candidates did agree with Vollmer that the system should be changed and said that they would support publicly financed campaigns, as is done in five other states.

Shriver, however, doubted that candidates would ever get much free or discounted television exposure, saying that the broadcasters make too much profit from elections to give it up.

Van Hollen responded, saying, "I know that TV and radio broadcasters are a powerful lobby...but we can't give up the fight...before it even starts if we expect to get anything done.

Political Experience and "Real" Experience

In his closing remarks , Shapiro reiterated that he is the candidate with the most relevant experience: "I've spent my life fighting Republican presidents.," he said. "Chris and Mark have talked a lot about the battles they've fought in Annapolis, in a one party state, during uninterrupted prosperity, under the most liberal governor in the country. Those are nice battles if you can find them

Vollmer said that she would like voters to "think outside the box a little." She said that although she has not held elected office, she has worked as a trial lawyer, which requires the same sort of communication skills that a legislator needs. She added that her experience as a caregiver and a community activist qualify her to understand issues on a personal level.

Van Hollen said, "I believe that the best measure of how someone will represent you, what they will do and what they will accomplish as a member of Congress, is what they have done before."

He pointed to his past 12 years as an active legislator in Annapolis and his work as an aide on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Arms Control and Defense Policy.

Shriver said that he feels it is so important that a Democrat fill the District 8 seat that he would support whoever wins the September primary. He again highlighted his experience working with disadvantaged youth and ended by renewing his pledge to public service, quoting Martin Luther King, Jr.: Anyone can be great because anyone can serve."

This forum will be rebroadcast on Takoma Park Cable Channel 13 on Thursday, July 18 at 1 PM and 11 PM.