Cardin hit from right, left on new Iraq stand

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Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin has firmed his stance against the Iraq war by demanding an immediate troop withdrawal and now faces criticism from his rivals in Maryland's U.S. Senate race for "pandering" to anti-war voters and jeopardizing the war effort.

"Start the process now," Mr. Cardin, a Democrat, said in a campaign speech last week at Towson University. "We don't need a time schedule, but we should start redeploying now so it is a clear signal to the international community [and] a clear signal to the Iraqis that they need to take responsibility for the defense of their own country. We need to do that now."

Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele, the Republican nominee for senator, called Mr. Cardin's comments "irresponsible."

"It is pandering to a political mind-set that would ... endanger our soldiers for a political price," Mr. Steele said. "I don't think it is worth playing politics here at home to put our troops in harm's way in Iraq."

President Bush has said that he opposes major changes to the Iraq war plan.

Mr. Cardin, a 10-term congressman from Baltimore, has made his vote against the Iraq invasion the cornerstone of his campaign and often cites it as an example of how he "stood up toPresident Bush."

Still, he has moved his anti-war position steadily to the left from early calls for a "new strategy" in Iraq to his recent support of an immediate exit for troops.

"Mr. Cardin needs to decide what exactly he thinks the policy in Iraq should be," Mr. Steele said. "He's always said that he didn't want a timetable, now he has called for one. He didn't want immediate withdrawal, now he has called for one. I don't know which Ben Cardin we should expect tomorrow."

Mr. Cardin's redeployment plan also drew criticism from anti-war activist Kevin Zeese, the Senate nominee of the Green, Libertarian and Populist parties.

"His election-year rhetoric is inconsistent with his voting record on Iraq," said Mr. Zeese, who advocates a complete troop withdrawal within six months. "He's voted for staying the course, and now he comes up with a vague plan for withdrawal."