With 2 Weeks Left, Candidates Turn Up Intensity

Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) works a Prince George's fish fry. Left, campaign consultant Terry Roberts; right, campaign volunteer Jennifer Jenkins. (By Susan Biddle -- The Washington Post)

As Maryland's hotly contested campaigns for governor and U.S. Senate entered their final two weeks, the candidates drew contrasts on education, transportation and foreign policy yesterday as they reached out to voters in the state's heavily populated Washington suburbs.

Addressing a Jewish congregation in Rockville, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Martin O'Malley defended his record on crime and education as mayor of Baltimore while lashing out at Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) for being "out of step with mainstream Marylanders."

Ehrlich's running mate, Kristen Cox (R), who also spoke at the forum, said Ehrlich is committed to relieving traffic congestion in the Washington suburbs, in part by extending Metro's Red and Green lines and constructing a Purple Line, a proposed light-rail link between Bethesda and New Carrollton.

Meanwhile, Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin (D) tried repeatedly to link his Republican opponent for Maryland's open Senate seat, Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele, to President Bush.

Steele spent the morning at two churches in Baltimore, and then made his way to a crab feast in Prince George's County, where he is trying to convince voters in the overwhelmingly Democratic county to vote against their party.

Cardin, who criticized Steele for not attending the forum, said the war in Iraq is diverting attention from broader problems in the Middle East and pledged his continued support of Israel.

He tried to highlight "fundamental differences" between his and Steele's stances on health care and foreign policy. Cardin said he thinks Bush should change course in Iraq and "get rid" of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.

"I think Iraq has made it more difficult for Israel. The United States is so focused on Iraq and moving in the wrong direction," said Cardin.

Steele has said that U.S. troops should remain in Iraq but that the United States should shift its strategy.

At the crab feast thrown by the Catholic Business Network of Prince George's County, Steele talked about the importance of government support for small businesses.

"I said from the beginning that this is a conversation with Maryland, not with Ben Cardin," he said of his focus in the final stretch of the campaign. "That's how I'm going to finish this race."

The governor's race for weeks has focused partly on O'Malley's record in Baltimore, and he was asked at yesterday's forum about Baltimore's homicide rate and poor-performing public schools. O'Malley said the city suffered from a "culture of failure" when he was elected mayor in 1999. Since then, he said, he has reduced violent crime and improved some schools. "I'm proud of what I've been able to do to make progress in a very troubled city," he said.

Cox highlighted Ehrlich's support for issues such as stem cell research and his improvements to education. Cox said Ehrlich will continue working to improve the quality of life in Maryland without raising taxes. "We're a very highly taxed state," she said. "The governor has worked hard to reduce taxes."

O'Malley, speaking after Cox, accused the governor of playing politics with the stem cell issue. "Bob Ehrlich says a different thing on stem cell research depending on whether he's running for election or not," he said.

Ehrlich also attended services at a church in Baltimore and other events in the city.