Sen. Barack Obama (CNS-TV photo)

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Democratic Sen. Barack Obama and former U.S. Senate candidate Kweisi Mfume urged their party to focus on issues, not race or negative campaigning, in the strongest recent show of support by prominent black politicians for Maryland's Democratic Senate nominee, Ben Cardin.

For the first time since he lost to Cardin in the primary, ex-NAACP chief Mfume campaigned with his rival on Wednesday morning at the University of Maryland, College Park.

From a stage shared by most Maryland Democratic candidates, party authorities and representatives, Mfume said less time should be spend "demonizing" Steele, and more should be invested in talking about how to solve problems.

Mfume also asked the state party to promise that a Democratic ballot containing all white male candidates will not happen again.

CNS-TV story on the event (1 minute 46 seconds; RealPlayer file)

"Kweisi is exactly right. We can't just say we've had enough" of the Bush administration problems, Obama said. "We also have to recognize that we have to represent an affirmative policy of opportunity and hope in the future, and common sense.

"The days of ideological bickering have passed," said Obama. "It's time for us to come up with some common-sense solutions."

It has been a long time since leadership stood united, he said, showing people that politics can make a difference in their lives in a good way. Democrats should shape the agenda of the country to answer where America is going, Obama said.

Health care, energy dependence, security and war against terrorism should be among the issues discussed -- particularly how the Bush administration has dealt with them, Obama said. He praised Cardin, saying that his integrity has never been questioned.

"Maryland, you have to put this guy in the Senate," he said.

He joked about the Republican nominee's ad campaign, which features him talk show host style with a Boston terrier.

"I know the other guy is taller, and he's got that local news anchor style," Obama said about Steele. "My sense is he is an affable guy. I bet he likes puppies. But that is not what this election is about. The election is about the future."

Mfume also emphasized that Democrats must discuss issues and give voters a reason to cast ballots in their favor.

"We have to stand up and deal with the issue of race squarely right in its face," Mfume said. "Because we have to learn; if we don't learn how to live together, we will all perish together."

Mfume's support for Cardin's candidacy is considered crucial to turn out black voters for the Democratic Party in November, because Steele could become the first African-American senator in Maryland's history, and also because the Democratic ballot is topped by four white male candidates.

Cardin has Mfume's support, as Mfume said immediately after the primary, but he's been resting since and declined to appear with Cardin until Wednesday.

"Ben is the nominee and the nominee we support," he said. "He is going to make a damn good senator."

But Mfume also used Wednesday's high-profile opportunity to offer advice. The Maryland Democratic Party should "realize its obligation and responsibility to speak to its base and not to ignore them when the Democratic ticket of four nominees for statewide offices in 2006 still looks like the one in 1956."

"We expected the party to say we didn't plan it this way and it ended up this way, but we promise you it will never be this way again," Mfume said. "We need women in leadership positions in the state. We have to find a way that African Americans and other minorities are represented statewide in office."

It was Sen. Barbara Mikulski, Mfume said, who caused Wednesday's meeting. She'd asked the two candidates long before to be together with Obama. "I'm here to honor that commitment," he said.

After his speech, Mfume said that the party could not act "as if nothing happened" in the primary. He also said he has not yet met with party leaders to determine his role in the general election campaign.

Cardin thanked Mfume and Obama and all the leaders on stage with him, especially Maryland Democratic congressmen Al Wynn and Elijah Cummings.

"We are united as Democrats," he said.

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Banner graphic by Maryland Newsline's April Chan, incorporating original photos and images provided by Annapolis.gov and Ace-Clipart.com.

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