Updated: Menendez Gets Vague on Lamont

not cool, bob (0.00 / 0)

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by: Matt Stoller @ Thu Oct 19, 2006 at 18:29:47 PM UTC

Let it go. (4.00 / 3)

With less than twenty days from the election, it is neck and neck. Now that Kean Jr's father is doing his dirty work and Texas millionare Bob Perry is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to flood the airwaves stereotyping trash, Menendez needs to tread lightly.

Like it or not, to many people Lieberman has rightfully claimed the mantle of 'moderate' that Kean Jr is so desperately grasping for. While Menenedez shouldn't let the definition of moderate slip to the right, he has less than twenty days to win this election.

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by: JRB @ Thu Oct 19, 2006 at 19:02:42 PM UTC

So anything goes? (0.00 / 0)

One of the things that I find striking about reactions here to Menendez is how willing some are to forgive every smarmy political move the candidate makes. Anything seems to go so long as he wins, an attitude I find abhorent and that I think plays into the cynical campaign being run by Junior Kean. Remember, young Tom wants to paint Menendez as lacking in ethics. Seeming to back both Lieberman and Lamont might be viewed as confirmation of this.

I need to state here that I plan to vote for Bob Menendez, but we do ourselves and the progressive movement a great disservice when we attempt to explain away this kind of stuff by saying it is late and close. Bob Menendez is either for Lieberman or Lamont. He is either for civil liberties or the president's torture rules (check his vote on this and tell me you're comfortable with it).

He has a generally decent record, wants to bring hte troops home and his win is necessary if progressives have any chance of stripping conservatives of their committee chairs in Washington and getting investigative power.

But he deserves criticism when he tries to split the difference like this. Pandering is not exactly the best way to inspire confidence.

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by: Hank Kalet @ Thu Oct 19, 2006 at 20:36:59 PM UTC

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It's not worth it. (0.00 / 0)

Bob Menendez will have no impact on the Connecticut race, but the Connecticut race may have an impact on Bob Menendez because of misconceptions some voters have.

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by: JRB @ Thu Oct 19, 2006 at 21:16:05 PM UTC

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I will hold my nose (0.00 / 0)

...and vote for Menendez for ONE reason only:  Because this is a Democratic seat that I don't want to lose.  But between pandering to the "All Jews Stick Together" meme and voting for torture, I'm quite frankly disgusted with the man.  And if, as I suspect will happen, the Republicans steal every seat where the Democratic challenger has a six-point lead and the Democrats once again wuss out and don't complain, he will NEVER get my vote again (and neither will any other capitulating Democrat).  I am sick and tired of sellouts telling me I have to vote for them because I have noplace else to go.  I am an American citizen.  I am entitled to representation from my party.  And I will not settle for less.

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by: brilliantatbreakfast @ Fri Oct 20, 2006 at 17:32:50 PM UTC

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Voting for Bob, but.... (0.00 / 0)

I'm not exactly holding my nose, but I agree with brilliant and I am disappointed in the slew of people posting here who call themselves progressives who are willing to make excuses for Menendez's behavior. Criticism is valid and necessary at all times, even in the waning moments of a close election. Progressives too often cede their independence and critical faculties because they fear the outcome, but we must hit even our own candidates occasionally -- if only to keep them honest and to show that we come from a place of conviction.

I agree that the ethics complaint appears a red herring, but his Lamont flip and the pandering that caused it only feed into the questions about his character (did anyone see the Kean ad that focuses on the Lamont gaffe?). It is only right that progressives call him on it and on his torture vote. At another time, Menendez's torture vote might have sent me scurrying to an obscure third-party hopeful.

But not this time. I'll vote for Menendez because of his stance on Iraq and Social Security and because, as brilliant says, the seat has to stay Democratic for the Democrats to have any chance of taking back the Senate. That's what's at stake.

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by: Hank Kalet @ Sun Oct 22, 2006 at 04:56:46 AM UTC

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That Perry ad (0.00 / 0)

could only have been produced by someone whose entire knowledge of New Jersey comes from watching The Sopranos.  It's the kind of dumb, mindless crap typically spewed by a know-nothing reactionary cracker like Perry, who's probably never set foot in the state.  If and when it runs, it will only appeal to the wingers and country club set who are already planning to vote for Junior anyway.  Most Jerseyans will find it offensive.

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by: Rufus T Firefly @ Thu Oct 19, 2006 at 19:28:53 PM UTC

Official Statement of Support for Ned Lamont (4.00 / 1)

This is the final, official word on the matter from the Menendez campaign:

“Bob Menendez endorsed Ned Lamont after his primary victory and that endorsement stands today.  Last night, he was asked about Joe Lieberman during a forum and he restated his admiration for Senator Lieberman, as he has always done, and said that he would look forward to serving with him again should he be re-elected.  After the forum, he was asked by a reporter what he meant by that and reiterated that his endorsement has not changed.  His endorsement of Ned Lamont has not changed -- period.”

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by: Scott Shields @ Thu Oct 19, 2006 at 19:44:47 PM UTC

On Joe's Blog (0.00 / 0)

Also, it seems that Lieberman's blog picked up on this and took it as an endorsement of Joe.  I sent Eric Blankenbaker an e-mail asking him to edit the post accordingly.  Here it is.

From: Scott Shields
Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2006 3:26 PM
To: Eric Blankenbaker
Subject: RE: NJ Senate Candidates give Joe bipartisan support

Hi Eric,

While Senator Menendez has a great deal of respect for Senator Lieberman and considers him a friend, he is supporting the winner of the Democratic primary in the Connecticut, Ned Lamont.  Here’s the official statement on the matter:

“Bob Menendez endorsed Ned Lamont after his primary victory and that endorsement stands today.  Last night, he was asked about Joe Lieberman during a forum and he restated his admiration for Senator Lieberman, as he has always done, and said that he would look forward to serving with him again should he be re-elected.  After the forum, he was asked by a reporter what he meant by that and reiterated that his endorsement has not changed.  His endorsement of Ned Lamont has not changed -- period.”

I hope that clarifies matters.  I’d appreciate if you would edit your post to reflect our statement.

Thanks so much!

Scott Shields
Director of Internet Operations
Menendez for Senate

And for good measure, I should note that I reiterated our support for Ned Lamont to Tim Tagaris of his campaign, as well.

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by: Scott Shields @ Thu Oct 19, 2006 at 20:10:07 PM UTC

Menendez was palying to a crowd (4.00 / 1)

with an inner conflict, and the question was designed to get a bad response no matter the answer. The forum was at the Temple Beth Shalom. The faithful are torn between one of their own and one of their own. Most democrats are opposed to the Bush illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq. Joe Leiberman supports Bush on the Iraq. The audience members have a conflict and the questioner was trying to elicit an answer that could be used to hammer Menendez, Leiberman's fellow Democrat in the Senate who has promised to caucus with the Democrats if elected in Connecticut. Personally I don't trust Lieberman, especially after tongue kissing Bush prior to the State of the Union message. Made me want to puke.
Truth is Lieberman needs to be purged from the Party. Al Gore made a terrible error that may have cost him his home state in 2000. We all should have known about Liebermann when he ran for the Senate and Vice President in the same election. It was as if he sabatoged the Gore campaign.

Restore democracy and the Constitution for which it stands.

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by: The Wizard @ Thu Oct 19, 2006 at 21:22:37 PM UTC

If Ever A Wiz There Was.... (0.00 / 0)

Ditto!

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by: Nick Lento @ Thu Oct 19, 2006 at 23:31:36 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Juan I Share Your Emotions; But Not Your Evident Shock/Surprise... (4.00 / 2)

Menendez is an establishment pol.  So is Junior for that matter.

Menendez would be about 10 time better in the Senate than Junior.

I am not willing to give Menendez a "pass" on anything; but now is not the time to call him to task for the kind of weasel words that ALL establishment pols engage in.

Junior is a complete ass, and a Senate with him in it would be greatly impoverished on all levels.

If we do our jobs right; by the time Menendez is up again in six years progressives will have gotten rid of the corruption in BOTH parties in NJ and we'll be in a position to Primary him out of office if he sells out the people like Lieberman did.

Meanwhile, the only real chance of "changing course", in Iraq and on all manner of issues, is to take the House and Senate out of George Bush's hands.

It's so Ironic.  Whatever corruption there may be in Hudson County, or anywhere else in NJ, pales in comparison to the systematic raping of the American taxpayer by the organized criminality of the whole Republican Party.  What these bastards have done is to, in effect, legalize a system of bribery and revolving door croneyism.  Meanwhile 99.99% of white collar criminals never get called to task, never mind charged or convicted.

If the American people ever understood that Iraq is mostly about war profiteering and crass cynical exploitation of the fear/anger/hate/rage over 9-11, Bush and company would be impeached and then tried for treason and likely spend the rest of their lives in Leavenworth.

If there is a hell, one dimension of it would be that Bush and Cheney (and crew) spend an eternity of eternities in "binary confinement" in an eternal Guantanamo where they get to eternally experience every single act of injustice, privation, brutality and death their "orders" have wraught. (Saddam, Pol Pot, Hitler and the rest would have their own just "rewards" too ;-) 

Puting aside metaphysical revenge fantasies, back on Earth, in the present moment, we can only do the best we can do...and Bob Menendez for Senate is clearly the best candidate on the ballot that has any chance of getting elected.

Menendez's flaws/defects are relatively trivial in comparison to the absolute and total fucked-up-edness of the Bush/Kean Republican party.

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by: Nick Lento @ Fri Oct 20, 2006 at 00:01:31 AM UTC

Bravo Nick (0.00 / 0)

There are no perfect candidates. We support the ones closest to our best interests who have a chance of getting elected. We have two candidates from which to choose. One is unacceptable and supports the most corrupt government since Caligula. The other is Bob Menendez.
I don't agree with Senator Menendez on a few issues, but for the love of Zeus, Tommy Boy looks out for the wealthy and everything else comes after that. I'm a bit tired of the wealthy who reap the greatest benefits from this country carping about the greater good. They always whine about tax and spend Democrats, yet have no problem with borrow and embezzle Republicans.
Brown Brothers Harriman Bank was where Bush's Grandfather was laundering Hitler's money. This is the same Brown as in Kellog Brown and Root, the current Bush money laundry. No wonder they're building secret internment camps around the country. Some things never change.

Restore democracy and the Constitution for which it stands.

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by: The Wizard @ Fri Oct 20, 2006 at 05:24:20 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

"Bush and company would be impeached and then tried for treason and likely spend the rest of their lives in Leavenworth." (0.00 / 0)

From your mouth to Gods ears.

Check out my 3 paragraph primer on Polywell Fusion.

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by: FogerRox @ Fri Oct 20, 2006 at 05:50:09 AM UTC

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Why Leavenworth? (0.00 / 0)

Why not shipping them off to a foreign country for rendition? Or how about The Hague for war crimes trials? Let the international community absorb the costs for trials and rope.

Restore democracy and the Constitution for which it stands.

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by: The Wizard @ Fri Oct 20, 2006 at 13:36:28 PM UTC

[ Parent ]