Democrats' New Jersey Nightmare

Loss In Close Garden State Race Could Scuttle Party's Hopes To Win Senate

(CBS)  By CBSNews.com's Christine Lagorio.

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Sen. John McCain likes to tell a joke about New Jersey.

"I don't know if you ever heard the one about two inmates in state prison, and they're in the chow line," the senator says. "One of them says to the other one, 'The food was a lot better in here when you were governor.' "

New Jersey has been the butt of a blizzard of bad jokes, but it's highly unusual to see a politician insult the state where he's trolling for votes. In this case, however, McCain's little diss produced nothing but appreciative laughter from a group of GOP donors in Edison who had ponied up $250 apiece for the party's U.S. Senate candidate, Tom Kean Jr.

That's because Kean, a state senator, has made corruption the centerpiece of his campaign against Sen. Bob Menendez. Though it is unclear whether the allegation is true, Kean has endlessly proclaimed Menendez to be under "federal criminal investigation."

If you haven't seen any of Kean's TV ads that suggest Menendez is corrupt, the candidate will happily tell you himself.

"We need to clean up corruption at every level of government. I am tired of seeing politicians of both parties run out of county courthouses with raincoats over their heads," Kean says. "I am tired of our state and our leaders being made fun of on Jay Leno and David Letterman."

If nothing else, Kean has stayed on message and scrupulously obeyed two of the GOP's cardinal commandments for this midterm election: Thou shalt go negative and thou shalt dwell in the land of local issues.

So far, it's worked. Most major polls show the race to be very close in a blue state the Democrats must hold in order to have any reasonable chance of winning the Senate.

A new CBS News/New York Times poll shows the candidates at a dead heat, with Menendez leading Kean by one percentage point, with a three percent margin of error.

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Read about the poll results.
See the entire poll.

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"It's absolutely critical," says University of Virginia Center for Politics Director Larry Sabato. "If Republicans can pull this off, they can probably prevent the takeover of the Senate from the Democrats."

Democrats are worried. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee recently tossed $2 million into the race to buy more TV ads attacking Kean. Both parties have rushed in big names like McCain and Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and John Kerry to boost their candidates.

The Kean assault on Menendez' integrity is resonating with voters for several reasons. New Jersey has a long and storied history of public corruption. According to The Economist, nearly 200 Garden State public officials have been indicted in the past five years.

Menendez, 52, is a veteran Democratic congressman and the product of the machine politics of Hudson County, which has its own gamy history of corruption.

Kean claims Menendez is under federal criminal investigation for profiting from the leasing of office space to a nonprofit group that received federal funding. The U.S. Attorney's office won't confirm or deny the existence of such a probe.

"Tom (Kean) throws out allegations like other people throw out their garbage," Menendez complained at a recent debate. "I'm under no federal criminal investigation."

Kean has another important asset in the race — his name. The Kean family has a long, distinguished history of public service in New Jersey. Kean is the son of Tom Kean Sr., the revered former governor and the chairman of the 9/11 Commission. So-called "legacy" candidates often benefit from their relationship with a prestigious father, mother, husband or wife. Kean is no different.

Quinnipiac University pollster Clay Richards notes that in a September survey, 18 percent of likely New Jersey voters said they supported Kean because they liked his father. (That number has decreased recently, but still stands near 10 percent.)

Kean, 38, hasn't exactly clawed his way to the top. He was appointed to a seat in the state Assembly and later to a seat in the state Senate. But his surprisingly tenacious campaign against Menendez has surprised observers in both parties.

For his part, Menendez is giving as good as he gets. He has taken the campaign national with the same single-minded passion Kean has brought to bear on the local issue of public corruption.

[janeymcgreev]

fano,

whoooo weeeee boy, you are hysterically funny - not to mention stupid. You accuse me of hate, but you convienently ignore all the spew here towards Bush that would fill up Hoover Dam.

Go back to your crayons. You are obviously in a grade less than 2nd.

[fanofjaxjags]

It truely is amazing when you get to read the true stupidity and bigotry of people like JaneyMcGreev. Name calling just shows individuals immaturity and fear. No matter who controls congress there will be gridlock for the next two years as both parties jockey to get in position for the presidential race in 08. I hope the dems take control of at least one of the chambers in congress. I am not a fan when either party controls the presidency and both houses of congress. It leads to arrogance and abuse of power. America is about compromise and discussion of the issues, in the last 6 years we have seen very little of that.

[janeymcgreev]

Vote for Kean - Mendenez is too much of a crook and he is MEAN.

Stay focused American voters. Time to throw out the Klansmen, the bigots, the cowards, the ILLEGAL moddycuddlers, the high taxers, the *** who practice hypocrisy on the Packwoods and Thomases, but God forbid they do so on the Clintons or the Chappaquidick kid.

Vote for a man with courage like Lieberman, NOT a Gay Nazi like Lamont.

Throw all of the Dems out unless they take back the party of Humphrey. We don't need the party of the Clinton perverts, the screamer Deans, or the 'ho Pelosi. We Americans do NOT need their ILLEGALS shoved down our throats; their surrender to Bin Laden, their high taxes for more welfare and less security, and for THEIR perverts, cowards and racists.

Prove otherwise, Dem goosesteppers. Prove you have a party of decent men and women with integrity and courage. I have a bridge in Brooklyn I'll sell to you for $24 worth of trinkets if you can.

[vincan-2009]

Everyone has to get out there and vote for the Democratic candidate or we will be at the mercy of the Bush war mongering party for 2 more years. Bush and his rubber stampers will get busy with their plan to take down social security, torture people whether innocent and guilty, and continue to make our government the most corrupt ever known!!!!

[bluestardad]

Guys you can feel it in the air there is an awakening of the American Electorate and we are the sleeping giant our oppressors have feared all this time. We need to make sure that we take someone to the poles on Election Day. Americans will vote against this administration in so great of numbers that Carl Rove%u2019s election stealing programmers cannot up date the election theft code fast enough to stop the landslide victory.

[bluestardad]

CALL TO AMERICAN VOTER
STAY FOCUSED AMERICA IT IS ABOUT TO GET TOUGH. WE HAVE A FEW MORE DAYS OF INTENSE ATTACK ADS, SMOKE SCREENS, DIVISION OF ELECTORATE, DECEPTION, MISREPRESENTATION, AND LIES, TO ENDURE BEFORE WE CAN UNCOVER THE ELECTION FRAUD, RECOUNT THE VOTE, AND THROW THESE CRIMINALS OUT OF OFFICE. THEN WE CAN START HEALING AMERICA.

[sim828524s]

LOOK!
All I know is that the Democats are going to win it all.

It looks like they are here to stay, and are in control.

Oh well, I guess I'll have to get use to that.

[janeymcgreev]

FOR Blondmadison,

Hey, I was here. It's hilariously funny, isn't it. The Dems are once again eating themselves up because they have another crook running against Kean. Mendenez is a laugh. a crook, a hack - just like Lautenburg. Too bad he ain't a pervert like - well, you know - the fruitcake governor. Oops, that's why I was deleted. Evidently it's ok to talk Foley - but not the Dem perverts!
Tee Hee.

[janeymcgreev]

for blondmadison,

I

[cbsisajoke]

Unemployment is less than 4.7% and the Dow is at yet another record close. Darned Bush economy!

You know, after reading the posts on this CBS site, I'm sure either Rush Limbaugh is behind this or Dan Rather knows of another bogus document that prove what Karl Rove knows and when he knew it!

[sharncedar]

Menendez points out one of the Dems greatest weakness - their position on illegal immigration. The Dems position is unacceptable to most MAericans and to any nation for that matter on this issue, and it is a real nightmare scenario if they take the Congress. How much faster can illegals be imported into the country? The Dems are talking about no limits at all, in fact they are making noises that any attempt at limits will be treated as racial hate speech. They have lots of new tools to enforce political correctness, certainly one reason the Dems didn't fight the patriot act or other new intrusive laws is that this kind of thing is right up their alley. How quickly you forget the Clinton years and the erosion of civil liberties under an intrusive "leftist" state.

While GW Bush's fascists trolled the Interent for Islamic key words, Hillary will be looking for words like "*******" or anything she finds offensive, wait until you see how much more intolerant these fake Dems can be, how intrusive and self-righteous they are, how smug and arrogant. Wait until you start paying the new tax rates, my friends, before you celebrate the rise of the Dems.

[pcdeb]

I admire and respect Tom Kean Sr. But his son No.He is a nasty and dirty politician who is interested in throwing mud on his oponent,instead telling us what he is going to do for us. That's a shame being the son of a such a popular and respectable person. Menendez, who has been telling us what issues he will work on for us certainly deserves our vote. So Please vote for the deserving cadidate MENENDEZ.Thank you all.

[mh4cbs1]

When the New Jersey corrupt political machine installs a political HACK like Menendez, what do they expect. I will never vote for Kean, who will another rubber stamp for this fascist Bush regime. B

But vote for Menendez? I don't think I can stomach the thought... Time for the Green Party, Libertarians, anybody other than this two party system of corporate representation that we are trying to survive under.

[pakaal]

We'll get there, RonnieHM. Considering the way the press walked in lock-step with the GOP talking points from when Bush got appointed President it's no wonder the Dems have had it tough getting their message out. But with such a stunning lack of cohesion on military strategy and the Republicans having to answer to all these investigations, Democrats are finally seeing some openings in the media to tell their side.

[ronniehm]

"Skilled jobs are being replaced by service industry jobs at an alarming rate. You GOPers won't be happy until everybody is working for Wal Mart selling nothing but products made in China. I just hope it's your job next!"

I wasn't aware that assembling skateboards was a skill. Also, you may want to let the idiots who gave up skilled jobs to work for Walmart that many corporations are experiencing shortages in skilled labor. The jobs are there, assuming they actually have the skills you claim they have.

[huskerarmy]

Thanks for your service Captain.

[huskerarmy]

Great post Captain.

[huskerarmy]

"the unemployment rate is 4.6%"

And what is the under-employment rate? Skilled jobs are being replaced by service industry jobs at an alarming rate. You GOPers won't be happy until everybody is working for Wal Mart selling nothing but products made in China. I just hope it's your job next!

[ronniehm]

Nice to see that the Democrats are more worried about jobs than terrorism when the unemployment rate is 4.6%. Whatever you say, double BS dad. No wonder you're not winning in a landslide.

[bluestardad]

STEP BACK FROM FEAR!
We in America need to pull back from this Frenzy of Fear that has spellbound us since September 11, 2001. I am not saying to let down our guard or not be prudent with our Law enforcement, Intelligence agencies or Military as their constant job is to protect the American people and they do it well. Rationally speaking it is more likely that a person will be killed in a car accident on the way to get milk than killed by a Terrorist in America. Hispanics coming across our border for work are not the terrorist or the enemy. Unfair trade practices initiated by our government are the cause of our jobs leaving and the demise of the Middle Class in America not some Terrorist plot. Political Parties have been using fear in an attempt to maintain power in this country. Americans do the math you are more likely to do yourself bodily harm than to be harmed by a Terrorist. America is a Land of Opportunity and hopes where people live in Freedom. America is not a land were people will be governed by Fear.

Michael C. Boetjer
Captain U. S. Army
Double Blue Star Father