"Menendez Haunted"

[AX10]

http://observer.com/20060925/20060925_Steve_Kornacki_opinions_wiseguys.asp

"By Steve Kornacki

New Jersey’s Democratic elite has developed a well-worn reputation for cockiness.

And for good reason: Since 1972, only two Republicans—Tom Kean Sr. and Christine Todd Whitman, each elected and re-elected governor—have won statewide elections in New Jersey, and only once did their victory margin exceed one percentage point.

But cockiness also explains the predicament that Garden State Democrats now face: Six weeks before what figures to be the most Democrat-friendly midterm election in a generation, it is very possible—if not probable—that they will squander what should have been one of their party’s safest Senate seats.

Through scandals that would have killed off an ordinary state party, New Jersey’s Democrats thrived this decade, growing more confident with each win that they’d found a recipe for immunity. But now there is fear that they overreached and, in 2006, nominated the one man to whom their misdeeds will actually stick."

This is very bad.

[AX10]

1. Anyone care to respond? What should we do at this point to...

keep this seat in our hands?

[xxqqqzme]

2. wow, thats some list....

looks like the NJ Democratic party is a mess. There is a need to clean house in the party.

[BlueStateBlue]

3. I'm from NJ, and I'm doing everything I can to explain to people

that the balance of power in the Senate could be in the hands of the NJ voters this year. To my mind, it's more about stopping Bush than anything else.

[AX10]

4. Did Corzine make a mistake in choses Menendez to replace him?

Menendez has $7.5 million to Kean's $2.3 millions. Can Menendez run enough commercials to bring him ahead?

[karynnj]

8. Same here

It looked like a huge percent of people understood that in 2002. The stories about Torricelli were worse - unless there are more shoes to drop on Menendez.

[AX10]

10. I hope that nothing else comes out against Bob. We cannot afford...

to lose this seat.

[brentspeak]

5. Why did Corzine appoint Menendez to replace his Senate seat?

Menendez has had a reputation as a political boss for 20 years. His votes in Congress have been excellent, but it's not hard for the GOP to make him look like Tony Soprano.

On the topic of NJ Democrats and corruption: it's a huge problem in Hudson Cty, but the writer of this piece evidentally forgot to mention how NJ Republicans are reeling from corruption scandals of their own (Larrison, Treffinger, Philly area NJ).

[AX10]

6. Could you give us more details about the GOP's scandals.

Please post them in their own thread too!

Thank You.

[brentspeak]

7. Well, I'll just post some details here

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/278-04272005-482020.html

NEWARK, N.J. - The former top elected official in Monmouth County was charged Wednesday with taking cash bribes from developers in the latest official corruption case to emerge from the area.

Harry Larrison Jr., who retired in December after a 39-year tenure on the county's freeholder board that made him the longest-serving freeholder in New Jersey's history, was charged in U.S. District Court with accepting corrupt payments in matters involving local governments that receive federal funds. The charge carries a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

(Note: Larrison died soon after he was charged. This occured a couple of years ago.)

http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/corruption/stories/030531sl_treffinger_plea.html

Saturday, May 31, 2003

By JOHN P. MARTIN
STAR-LEDGER STAFF

Former Essex County Executive James Treffinger pleaded guilty yesterday to federal corruption charges, ending 13 months that transformed him from a leading U.S. Senate candidate into another New Jersey politician convicted of graft.

Treffinger, 53, admitted obstructing an FBI probe into his dealings with United Gunite Corp., a sewer-repair firm that won hundreds of thousands of dollars in no-bid county contracts. The once rising Republican star said he coached aides to lie to federal investigators and create phony documents to conceal $10,000 worth of campaign contributions from the company.

http://slerp.rutgers.edu/retrieve.php?id=131-1

Despite recent press coverage of questionable real estate transactions and allegations of unethical
conduct while serving as Scotch Plains City Attorney, acting Governor Donald DiFrancesco is flying
under the public radar. Nearly two-thirds of New Jersey residents say they are unfamiliar with the recent
controversy over his real estate and business dealings with major state contractors.
However, in what could be an ominous sign, among the third of the public reporting at least some
familiarity with the questions surrounding DiFrancesco’s actions, six-in-ten feel he did something either
unethical or illegal. Just one in five believe he did nothing wrong.


The current NJ GOP director of communications is a former indictee:

http://politicsnj.com/kornacki121503_riffle.htm

December 15 - A Republican operative working for ex-Assembly Speaker Garabed "Chuck" Haytaian's failed comeback bid earlier this year has been indicted on charges stemming from opposition research work he did during the campaign and could face jail time.

Todd A. Riffle, 32, a former aide to Gov. Christine Todd Whitman and a staffer on several statewide GOP campaigns, was indicted on October 2 and charged with unlawfully obtaining and/or disclosing personal information from a motor vehicle record and false-swearing.

http://politics.nexcess.net/insideedge/somerset_county/

January 20, 2006
797 shirts, 232 pairs of pants, 84 sweaters, 54 uniforms, 47 suits, 28 jackets, 27 pairs of jeans and five ties

Somerset County has been relatively corruption-free -- with some exceptions, like former Prosecutor Nicholas Bissell, who killed himself rather than go to jail for corruption -- so the probe of Sheriff Frank Provenzano for allegedly billing taxpayers for his dry cleaning and other seemingly personal expenses will be taken more seriously than if this happened in a county more accustomed to this kind of behavior. Provenzano is not up for re-election until 2007, but any hint of scandal -- even if Prosecutor Wayne Forrest declines to prosecute the Sheriff -- could mean the end of the ex-Bridgewater Policeman's political career.

[karynnj]

9. Not to mention the more high profile

Christie "the air is safe to breathe" Whitman and even Gov Kean in terms of his involvement with the Clinton bashing film.

Whitman's is the most horrendous - if even one clean up worker was sloppy in using his mask because of her comment, he is on her conscience.