MyDD :: On Menendez and New Jersey

On Menendez and New Jersey

by Matt Stoller, Sat Nov 04, 2006 at 05:23:35 PM EST

So with the enormous amounts of cash you fine people sent me a few weeks ago, I bought a video camera last night and headed down to New Jersey for an IBEW event with Bob Menendez. I'll have a full write-up tomorrow; what interests me is the character of these politicians, and Menendez was surprisingly wonky, sincere, and plain-spoken. I mean he owns two bowling balls. Like, owns them.

New Jersey is considered corrupt, but it's actually more gossipy than corrupt, and the state has a loveable chip on its shoulder; right track/wrong track numbers tend to be more pessimistic in New Jersey than elsewhere as a kind of cultural phenomenon. It's a cranky and beautiful state, very heavily unionized.

Anyway, just a couple of thoughts. Menendez is a good guy and he's a good Senator. The notion that he's some sort of Hudson County boss is laughable. He's just kind of a normal guy who grew up in poverty and made good. He likes policy, loves politics, and works extremely hard. While he's a politician and compromises in some ways that offend me, he got the war vote absolutely right, and that's hugely significant coming from New Jersey, which lost almost a thousand people in 9/11.

I also got to see moderate Democratic candidate Paul Arohson running against Scott Garrett in NJ-05. Garrett is awful.

On the flip side, the Kean's are an interesting family, a kind of Bush family of New Jersey (without the Christian fundamentalism). They are hypercompetitive preppies, and extremely entitled and bratty. Tom Kean Jr is offended he's not running away with this race, and Kean Sr has been campaigning full bore for his son. How dare he should be Kean's slogan; Kean is throwing innuendo after innuendo after Menendez, the way aristocrats knee-deep in sleeze always do to honorable opponents who come from the wrong side of the tracks.

This is a good race, and Senator Menendez has and will do good things for New Jersey.

Tags: Bob Menendez, Tom Kean, NJ-Senate, New Jersey (all tags)

Permalink :: 9 Comments :: Post a Comment

Re: On Menendez and New Jersey (none / 0)

I just did 100 MoveOn calls for Menendez (from Maine) and encountered some people who were leaning towards Kean because "Menendez is a crook." None would explain; they all hung up immediately after. We were offline and so couldn't research. What gives? Are Republicans doing push-polling again?

by Alna Dem on Sat Nov 04, 2006 at 05:47:57 PM EST

Two Bowling Balls (none / 0)

Matt is not joking about this. I have never seen Senator Menendez happier than when he is bowling.

Need proof?

(Oh, and that's me taking photos over his shoulder.)

by Scott Shields on Sat Nov 04, 2006 at 05:49:01 PM EST

Re: On Menendez and New Jersey (3.00 / 2)

I first met Menendez during a Dean for President rally in 2004 in Tucson hosted by the wonderful Raul Grijalva. Menendez struck me as very candid, brilliant, and an unabashed supporter of Dean and labor (rally was held in a SEIU hall).

That was fucking good enough for me. He's a great senator and will continue to be. He frightens the other side...that's why they hate him so much.

McCain is defining Obama, and Obama is neither defining himself, nor McCain. This is awful.

by jgarcia on Sat Nov 04, 2006 at 06:32:31 PM EST

Re: On Menendez and New Jersey (3.00 / 1)

We need more Friday Night Bowlers in our party.

Northern equivalent of Nascar Dads.

by Bush Bites on Sat Nov 04, 2006 at 06:55:49 PM EST

Re: On Menendez and New Jersey (none / 0)

I'm glad to see the positive comments re Menendez and NJ...an important senate seat to hold.

Re the comment of the "Bush family" and fundamentalism, ironically the Bush family, at least Poppy and forbears, were NOT fundamentalists. It's Georgy boy who seems to be treading those waters. (Anyone know if Jeb mouths the same fundie pieties as his brother?).

by ManchesterConnection on Sat Nov 04, 2006 at 09:41:27 PM EST

Re: On Menendez and New Jersey (none / 0)

Jeb's a Roman Catholic and Knight of Columbus.

by joyful alternative on Sat Nov 04, 2006 at 11:43:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: On Menendez and New Jersey (none / 0)

Matt, you're a champ and a class act. It always gives me pleasure to read what you write and that special Stoller snap to your prose.

Ellen-

"There is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn"t mind who gets the credit" - Robert Woodruff

by Ellen Dana Nagler on Sun Nov 05, 2006 at 01:10:22 AM EST

Re: On Menendez and New Jersey (none / 0)

the Kean's are an interesting family, a kind of Bush family of New Jersey

It should not surprise you to learn that they're related ...

Fifth cousins a couple of times removed, as I recall -- Dubya is a descendant of Gilbert Livingston (1690-1746), like the Keans. Isn't it wonderful that we choose our leaders from a wide pool of about 5000 people?

by Dan Hartung on Sun Nov 05, 2006 at 03:12:15 AM EST

Re: On Menendez and New Jersey (none / 0)

Menendez is surprisingly thoughtful, smart, and unbombastic. Kean Junior is running nasty attack ads all the way to the end, and I think that must mean he's not in a good place.

by Bob H on Sun Nov 05, 2006 at 07:29:57 AM EST

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