Thread: Kean - Menendez - Dead Heat in NJ

Friday, September 29, 2006

WASHINGTON - New Jersey's Senate candidates remained locked in a tie, according to a poll released yesterday that also showed confusion about the candidates among state voters.

Among 404 likely voters, 45 percent preferred Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez while 44 percent backed Republican challenger Tom Kean Jr., according to the Rutgers-Eagleton poll. The error margin was plus or minus 5 percent.

Among 660 registered voters, 42 percent backed Kean while 40 percent chose Menendez. This survey had an error margin of 4 percent. The survey of both likely and registered voters was conducted Sept. 24-26.

The poll showed there was ample opportunity for either candidate to take this race. Murray Edelman of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling said about half of all registered voters said they have not heard of the candidates or do not have an opinion of them.

Only 36 percent of voters correctly identified Menendez as their senator. Menendez was appointed to the seat in January by Gov. Jon Corzine to serve out the remaining year of his term. He served 14 years as a congressman from the 13th District.

Eight percent of registered voters said Kean Jr. was the governor of New Jersey, an office held by his father, Thomas Kean. Another 8 percent thought that Kean, a state senator, was a U.S. senator.

"The candidates have a ways to go to capture the attention of the voters," Edelman said. "The major campaign advertising has yet to begin, and the ads could have a considerable effect considering the lack of voter knowledge about the candidates."

The survey also showed that 51 percent of voters associated Kean closely or somewhat closely with President Bush, while 50 percent said Menendez was very closely or somewhat closely associated with Corzine.


http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/index.s ... xml&coll=3

I think from the below article coming from the front page of the Asbury Park Press in New Jersey, Menedez is sinking. His ethics are constantly in question and he was appointed senator not elected. He took Gov. Corzines post after he won the NJ govenor's race. Tom Kean his who he is running against is for the fence and enforcement of immigration laws.

http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/articl ... /609290403 INFORMANT: Lobs 1999 ethics accusation at Sen. Menendez
RACE GETS ROUGHER
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 09/29/06
BY GREGORY J. VOLPE
GANNETT STATE BUREAU

TRENTON — The campaign of U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., was once again dogged by ethics accusations Thursday after an FBI informant released audiotapes of Menendez adviser Donald Scarinci pressuring the informant — in Menendez's name — to rehire a former employee or risk losing $1 million in Hudson County contracts.

Union City psychiatrist Oscar Sandoval, 55, says he was pressured in 1999 by Scarinci to hire a doctor, Vicente Ruiz. In a recorded conversation, Scarinci told Sandoval that Menendez, then a congressman representing Hudson County, would consider it "a favor." Failure to do so would result in "the law of the jungle" prevailing, Scarinci said.

Court filings show Sandoval believed that he would have to share his earnings from a county contract with Ruiz, Scarinci and Menendez.

"Absolutely false," said Menendez spokesman Matt Miller.

Sandoval said a lawsuit filed by Hudson County against him and other vendors seeking restitution for alleged bribes paid to former County Executive Robert Janiszewski was retaliation for his being an informant for federal investigators. Janiszewski is serving a 41-month federal sentence after pleading guilty to taking more than $100,000 in bribes.

"They know that I was the person working voluntarily for the FBI and the prosecutor's office on my own," Sandoval said. "This was more of a retaliation for having done that and to show the rest of the people of the machinery what happens when you go against the family."

The Menendez campaign severed ties with Scarinci, a fundraiser for the effort and longtime friend of Menendez, after word of the taped conversation emerged Wednesday.

"Certainly what you see is Donald Scarinci speaking without Bob Menendez's knowledge or approval," Miller said. "Because of that, he no longer has any role on the campaign."

Scarinci did not return calls but issued a statement saying Menendez was not involved.

"None of my dealings with Dr. Sandoval were either directed or requested by Bob Menendez," Scarinci said.

Scarinci did not elaborate on the recordings, saying they were part of a pending lawsuit.

GOP speculation


While Democrats stood by Menendez, immediately painting Sandoval as someone seeking to protect the $7 million he's earned from Hudson County medical contracts, Republicans cranked up talk that Menendez might be replaced on the ballot.

Lawyers for state and national Republicans announced they were preparing their case if the Democrats tried to switch candidates after the deadline. That's what they did in October 2002, replacing then-U.S. Sen. Robert G. Torricelli, who was sinking in the polls and plagued by scandal, with former U.S. Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg.

Lautenberg won that race. Republicans haven't won a Senate race in New Jersey since 1972, but opinion polls suggest GOP nominee Thomas H. Kean Jr. may win this year, which would deal a blow to Democrats' chances of retaking a Senate majority.

"As the ethical allegations against Sen. Menendez in this campaign begin to mount, we are doing our due diligence in preparing for the possibility that the Democrats may try to switch . . . for another candidate," said William McGinley, counsel for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. "The Democrats in New Jersey have a track record of pulling last-minute stunts if they believe their chosen candidate cannot succeed in the general election."

While Republicans failed to block the switch in 2002, the lawyers said they have a better case this year because Menendez was vetted twice by Democrats: when Gov. Corzine appointed him to fill his vacant Senate seat in January and by voters in the June primary. Torricelli did not have even token opposition in the 2002 primary.

"Gov. Corzine knows Sen. Menendez to be a man of character and integrity," said Corzine spokesman Anthony Coley. "His convictions and passion and his legislative achievements, and willingness to stand up for what he knows to be right, (are) why the governor appointed him."

Democrats said the only ones talking about replacing Menendez are Republicans.

"We're not changing any candidates because we're going to win," said Assemblyman Joseph Cryan, D-Union, state party chairman.

Cryan would not answer questions about Scarinci's taped conversation, and instead joined several who criticized Sandoval.

"Tom Kean Jr. pulled him (Sandoval) out of the sewer of New Jersey politics," Miller said.

"Absolutely not. These are desperate attacks from Democrats who know their candidate is in serious trouble," Kean spokeswoman Jill Hazelbaker said.

Sandoval said he is a Democrat, though he crosses party lines and has a picture of President Bush in his office. He said he was not working with the Kean campaign.

Harsh assessment


Democrats said Sandoval bribed several county officials and dated a patient, and Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise issued a similar scathing statement.

"Oscar Sandoval wormed his way into the pockets of our taxpayers through bribery and disgraceful professional practices," DeGise said. "He has manipulated a patient, the political process and now the media in an effort to hang on to taxpayer money he wasn't entitled to in the first place."

Sandoval and his lawyer said the doctor performed his contractual obligations and said Hudson County politicians were now smearing his name.

"They're going to say anything they can because this is how they proceed," Sandoval said.

Republicans kept their focus on the link between Menendez and Scarinci and the latter's role in state politics.

"It was very, very troubling," Kean, a state senator, said at a campaign stop in Lawrence. "Again, it is yet one more story of Bob Menendez's allies having poor judgment, and this hurts the people of the state."

Scarinci worked for three years as a legal counsel to Assembly Speaker Albio Sires, D-Hudson, earning $20,000 a year until his contract expired when Sires' term as speaker ended in January. In 2002, Sires paid Scarinci $1,500 — the minimum needed to earn a year of pension credit — as an employee of his legislative district office.

In 2002, Scarinci communicated with then-Gov. James E. McGreevey's chief of staff, Gary B. Taffet, to have the State Parole Board reconsider its decision to deny parole to mobster Angelo Prisco, who was granted parole two weeks later under unusual circumstances.

First Amendment lawyer Tom Cafferty, who works in Scarinci's firm, represents Gannett New Jersey newspapers.

Jennifer Duffy, who analyzes Senate races for the Cook Political Report, called the latest ethics attack on Menendez "interesting."

"I don't know how many more he can sustain," Duffy said. "I don't know how many more of these that are out there, but it certainly doesn't help his cause."

Duffy said she doubts Democrats will try another last-minute switch of candidates four years after swapping out Torricelli because of potential voter backlash and the fact they may not have another willing candidate able to topple Kean.

Tom Baldwin and Michael Rispoli of the Gannett State Bureau, Jason Method of the Asbury Park Press, Lonnie Mack of Gannett New Jersey and The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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CCUSA

Don't be to quick to elect Kean. Sometimes ethics problems are a bafge of honor in New Jersy. This race has a long way to go. We need to keep the pressure on and spread the word about Kean's anti-illegal positions.

UB

HOT DAMN!
For Kean to have tied this race is amazing with the powerful backing that Menendez has to his benefit.

Menendez is an ILLEGAL LOVER/Open Borders sob and marched with them on May 1st. Although I don't like nor trust little boy Kean, Menendez is very dangerous and must be crushed.

This 'lesser of 2 evils' has got to end!

I agree UB,

I'm only hoping it's a sign that he will lose. NJ has been known for corruption from city governments in this state, govenors and theCongress.

I'm sure it's not going to change anytime soon.

"Gov. Corzine knows Sen. Menendez to be a man of character and integrity," said Corzine spokesman Anthony Coley. "His convictions and passion and his legislative achievements, and willingness to stand up for what he knows to be right, (are) why the governor appointed him."

What would Corzine know about character and integrity because he has none?

Originally Posted by dman1200

"Gov. Corzine knows Sen. Menendez to be a man of character and integrity," said Corzine spokesman Anthony Coley. "His convictions and passion and his legislative achievements, and willingness to stand up for what he knows to be right, (are) why the governor appointed him."

What would Corzine know about character and integrity because he has none?

So happy that the word spread to Virginie, DMAN! Besides, Menendez' is Corzine's baby boy.