WP:Debate Puts Steele on Defense

[cal04]

Candidate Pressed On Bush, Abortion
Republican Michael S. Steele struggled to soften his long-held views on touchstone social issues yesterday after being challenged repeatedly on his conservative beliefs during his final televised debate in the campaign for Maryland's open U.S. Senate seat.

The debate on NBC's "Meet the Press" put on display the stark differences between Steele and Democratic Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin as they enter their final week of campaigning.

The two spent half the debate clashing on the war in Iraq -- with Steele saying the conflict "has been worth it to the extent that what we're trying to establish there is a beachhead of democracy." Cardin called it a "tragedy" and urged a gradual pullout of troops.

But the most dramatic exchanges came when host Tim Russert pressed Steele about his opposition to abortion and embryonic stem cell research, and about his long-standing support for President Bush. Such views don't typically sit well in heavily Democratic Maryland, and they have gone largely unmentioned by Steele during his year on the campaign trail.

(snip)
Steele's answers showcased what has been a slow drift from his conservative moorings. It's a shift that in part owes to the realities of campaigning in a state where two-thirds of all voters support abortion rights and only one-third approve of President Bush's job performance, according to a Washington Post poll published yesterday.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/29/AR2006102900240.html

[cobaindrain]

1. and he ain't no Steele Curtain if you know what I mean

more like the 76 Bucs

[gumby]

2. Was Timmah throwing Oreo cookies?

:sarcasm: