Cardin declines debate

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3:53 p.m.

Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin this afternoon declined to participate in an NAACP-sponsored debate with the other two candidates for U.S. Senate tonight in Charles County, Md.

"I just spoke with Mr. Cardin about an hour ago, and he said he had three other engagements," said the Rev. Willie Hunt, pastor of New Community Church of God in Christ in Waldorf.

Mr. Cardin's forgoing of tonight's debate comes one day after the 10-term congressman stammered and stumbled through a debate with Republican nominee Michael S. Steele and Green Party nominee Kevin Zeese.

Mr. Hunt and the Rev. William Braxton, president of the Charles County chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said Mr. Cardin, the Democratic nominee, had not officially confirmed that he would attend.

"We were actually in talks with [Cardin spokesman] Oren Shur, and we were under the impression that this thing was going to work out and [Mr. Cardin] was going to be here," Mr. Braxton said. "Initially when we talked, he said they had some scheduling problems they had to work out, and his final comment was that they could not work them out."

Mr. Shur said in an e-mail that Mr. Cardin "never confirmed his attendance."

"He's campaigning at community events in Prince George's County tonight and has accepted an invitation to debate at the statewide NAACP conference on Saturday. We expect to see Michael Steele there," Mr. Shur said.

Mr. Steele said he was "disappointed" that Mr. Cardin would not be attending the debate.

"I don't know why," said Mr. Steele, the lieutenant governor. "Both our teams negotiated with the pastor and the NAACP."