Monday's U.S. Senate debate framed the differences in the policies of candidates Betty Castor and Mel Martinez, and, just as important, their styles.
Published October 20, 2004
As Mel Martinez struggled in Monday's debate to avoid committing himself to running a more honorable U.S. Senate campaign, the latest surprise already had arrived in mailboxes. A flier with a photo of hooded men, brandishing guns and grenades, advised that "terrorists found safe harbor at the university on Mrs. Castor's watch." Its tagline: "Betty Castor: Easy on Terrorists, Putting Florida's Families at Risk."
Needless to say, Martinez had a reason for telling moderator Tim Russert he did not want to "make the strategy for my campaign here tonight under these lights." In darker corridors, Martinez was leaving his all-too-familiar campaign calling card.
The statewide Castor-Martinez debate, including the distraction of the case of former University of South Florida professor Sami Al-Arian, served to frame the distinct differences between the candidates who seek to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Bob Graham. Castor, former state education commissioner and former USF president, has portrayed herself in both the primary and general elections as the kind of political centrist who is willing to work across party lines. Martinez, who was President Bush's housing secretary, told primary voters he was a red-meat Republican but now tells general election voters that he is the American Dream.
In the debate, Russert drew out the policy differences, and there are many. Martinez sees no reason to question the march to war in Iraq, no reason to doubt fiscal policies that have turned record surpluses into record deficits, no reason to roll back tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans even as those cuts produce no discernible improvement to the economy. Castor was more direct than John Kerry on the war: Given what we now know, she said, she would have opposed it. Castor also called the deficit spending "outrageous" and said Congress should return to the conservative fiscal policies of pay-as-you-go. Martinez claimed, against all evidence, that "the key to balancing the budget is going to be the growth of the economy."
Of the minimum wage, Martinez harkened to his own early years, working his way through school, as if to argue that poverty wages are a rite of passage. But the minimum wage was enacted to protect all American workers, and Congress has not raised it in seven years - the second longest stretch in history. In fact, the $1-an-hour increase Martinez opposes would put the wage at almost $1 less, when adjusted for inflation, than he earned while in college. Castor asked about poor working Americans: "Who can deny them $40 a week more? I think it's an embarrassment that we have such a low minimum wage."
Another revealing moment found Martinez awkwardly apart from most Floridians on what is otherwise a difficult moral issue. Martinez not only opposes abortion, as do many anguished Americans, but he opposes it in every circumstance - even in cases of rape and incest. And he says he would work to ban abortion. So, Russert asked, how should the government enforce the ban: Prosecute women or doctors or both? Replied Martinez: "The bottom line is I don't plan on prosecuting anyone." In other words, he seeks a total ban without penalty for violation. Is that an honest approach?
The substantive differences are worth the attention of voters, but they are only half the political equation in this race. The style is the other, and that's where the terrorist nonsense comes into play. Al-Arian, the former USF professor, was indicted in 2003 and accused of aiding Islamic terrorists. The indictment, still not proven, came 31/2 years after Castor left the university, which is what makes the "safe harbor" claim such a preposterous line of attack. Martinez has shown himself more than willing to distort and divide as a means of campaign strategy. His nasty attacks on primary opponent Bill McCollum, calling him "the new darling of homosexual extremists," left deep wounds in his own party.
Castor can be fairly criticized for introducing the Al-Arian issue into the campaign to portray herself as tough on terrorists and for her attempt to link Martinez to a 2000 photo of Al-Arian and candidate Bush. To her credit, however, Castor agreed in the debate to drop the Al-Arian issue if Martinez would do the same. He refused, and in these final two weeks of the campaign, it's clear Martinez intends to keep pandering to post-9/11 fears.
Correction
On Tuesday the Times recommended U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite for re-election in the 5th Congressional District but incorrectly described her party affiliation in a headline. Brown-Waite is a Republican.
Also, the piece incorrectly stated the number of terms former U.S. Rep. Karen Thurman served in Congress. She served five terms.
