When was the last time Lautenberg was in your part of N.J.?

by: Martin

Mon Apr 21, 2008 at 06:41:57 PM EDT

The following list represents the last-known appearance by Lautenberg in every county in the state. I used a variety of sources, all electronic, to compile it, ranging from Lautenberg?s own press releases to his own senate gallery to basic google search results to my own personal knowledge of his work. I encourage others who have knowledge of when and where Lautenberg visited these counties and towns in those counties to post such information; if your local or county Democratic committee has met with Lautenberg or he has worked with you recently, please do post such information. In short, I?m not trying to be dishonest towards Lautenberg in the least in the information below.

If you don?t feel like reading further, then let me summarize: according to my research, Lautenberg hasn?t been to a dozen or so N.J. counties, most South Jersey and Republican-leaning ones, in months, if not years; he only makes quick media appearances (Monmouth, Ocean) in other counties; and spends the majority of his time in the state in Essex, Hudson, and Bergen counties, if he is in the state at all.

Lautenberg, by published accounts, doesn?t even live in the state of New Jersey

many Democratic insiders say it is common knowledge that when the New Jersey Senator isn't in Washington, is real residence is at the Park Avenue apartment of his wife, Bonnie Englebardt, whom he married in 2001

This is because Lautenberg owns a vacation home in Martha?s Vineyard, Mass., where he divides time between there and the New York apartment of his wife. One wonders whether the Cliffside Park home in Bergen County is even really occupied. When pressed by the North Jersey Herald
about Lautenberg?s residency, his campaign provided a non-response:

His chief of staff, Dan Katz, would not say how much time Lautenberg spends at the New York apartment.

I?m not sure how a U.S. senator is supposed to be in touch with the concerns and issues of his constituency if he (most likely) doesn?t live in the state he represents, nor does he talk with his constituents in many New Jersey counties. How, for example, would Lautenberg know about the rising price of peaches in Salem County or the rejection of school budgets in Hunterdon County if he hasn?t been in those parts of the state for months, if not years?

There?s a narrative that?s building with Lautenberg, and it may be an accurate one: Lautenberg is a senator who has done a decent job but a) isn?t active within the state b) hasn?t done much for local candidates and c)  is only coasting along for this possible final term, with no real roots in the state. In my town, Haddonfield, for example, I couldn?t tell you if Lautenberg has ever visited, met with the town?s Democratic committee, or done any campaigning for a CC Democrat ? I?ve never heard of such a thing.

Compare Lautenberg?s rather inactive schedule and disconnect with the state with how active Andrews was on just one day this weekend:

"I started this day with a flea market in Bellmawr, spent time with the students of the Robert Treat Academy in Newark, did a fund-raiser in Somerset, this - and we?re not done," says the congressman on his way to a fund-raiser to fight breast cancer in Deptford.

Andrews will provided this kind of tireless effort every day for the state ? if he is elected senator. Meanwhile, Lautenberg can barely be torn away from his wife?s New York apartment for a day to talk to voters in N.J., much less visit voters in several N.J. counties.