Maryland State Senator Anthony Muse (D) for District 26 will be meeting with his Prince George’s County Muslim constituents in a town hall style meeting later this month, hoping to gain their support in his campaign to unseat Congressional Senator Ben Cardin and move into national politics.
Muse, whose background as an active pastor and theology teacher puts him firmly on the side against Gay marriage and against slots, said America needs to focus on the foreclosure crisis and jobs before involvement on the world stage.
In a short interview with the Muslim Link, Muse said his childhood growing up between foster homes and not knowing his biological parents forced him to overcome many challenges, and he wants to help others overcome their personal challenges. “To whom much is given, much is required,” he said quoting a passage from the Bible.’
On gay marriage, Muse was frustrated with Maryland Governor O’Malley’s pushing the issue.
“I don’t understand why the Governor has seen fit to make gay marriage the priority of this legislative session [while] we have joblessness and foreclosure.” He added that he will work through a referendum to repeal the gay marriage bill which was signed into state law last month, and he will work to take the topic of gay marriage out of public school curricula.
When asked about his stance on US involvement overseas, Muse gave very broad answers, saying America should focus on the problems “at home” and that wars have helped “break the budget”. He added that foreign involvement should be coordinated with NATO.
When the Muslim Link pointed out that Maryland’s two congressional senators are top recipients of lobbying money from pro-Israeli groups like AIPAC, and when the Muslim Link asked Muse how he would deal with those groups, he did not answer directly. Instead, he said it was wrong for Maryland’s two senators to take money from banking lobbies while the nation is reeling under a foreclosure crisis. He said he would not eschew campaign contributions from lobbyists, but that “we have to be careful about the money we take, and their will be [groups] I won’t take from.” He emphasized that his campaigns have also run with “grassroots funding” and that he has never “run a race with the support of the ‘machine’, including the democrat [party] machine.”
Muse said he has never traveled to Asia, Africa, or the Middle East.
When asked why Muslims should vote for him, Muse said one reason is that – as an African American – he understands the discrimination and harassment American Muslims are going through right now, and that he will stand against it. “I will be the voice for the voiceless. We are not being represented. You have to have a fighter who will fix the wrongs,” he said.
To attend the town hall meeting with Maryland Senator and US Senate hopeful Anthony Muse, visit www.pgcmcmd.org.
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