January 26, 2008 - 4:13pm
Lautenberg running against what he sees as failed GOP leadership
By Max PizarroU.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg looked east Friday, high above the industrial wasteland crammed into the swamp and river beds, and the lights on the commuter traffic on the Turnpike in the distance, and the packed trains just below boring into Newark Penn Station.
"When I first became a senator I knew I wanted my office to be here in Newark, in the center of things," said Lautenberg, who turned 84 this past week while looking at a favorable job rating of 43% in the latest Monmouth University/Gannett poll.
It’s in an election year for New Jersey’s senior senator, which is why after voting on the floor earlier in the day he returned to New Jersey to make some fund-raising calls in anticipation of his general election showdown with Republicans.
The Democratic incumbent leads two Republican primary candidates: 38%-24% against millionaire developer Anne Evans Estabrook, and 40%-25% against State Sen. Joseph Pennacchio. The Monmouth poll did not include Ramapo College Professor Murray Sabrin, who entered the race after the survey was taken.
In another sign that the campaigns are revving up, the National Republican Senatorial Committee last week unveiled an attack ad against him, which notes that New Jersey rates last in return on federal taxes. Featuring a 1982 clip of a bushier side-burned Lautenberg vowing to get a better rate of return than 45th in the state on tax dollars, the ad states, "Twenty-six years after his promise... New Jersey isn’t 45th anymore, it’s dead last."
Lautenberg dismisses the charge as "politics," and bluntly counters that the Republican candidates must answer for the dismal record of their party and the presence of a man in the White House whom he acknowledges has been "painful" to behold.
"We have failed to make necessary investments, and we are falling behind in health standards and longevity standards," said Lautenberg. "This administration has disregarded our domestic needs."
At GOP venues around the state, Estabrook and Pennacchio mutually side-step the issue of President George W. Bush and a mismanaged war with an estimated $2.4 trillion price tag, by invoking both the troops, and the late Ronald Reagan as the complete conservative leadership package. Their attempt at symbolic resonance in the memory of Reagan is understandable, said Lautenberg.
"America has lost its leadership over the last few years, and there are no badges of honor due for anyone except our brave troops in Iraq," Lautenberg told PolitickerNJ.com in an interview on Friday. "We may have seen the worst of the presidents."
As for Reagan, "He was a good communicator," said Lautenberg. "He brought an image of comfort and leadership." But reaching back to those years cannot dispel the Bush years, he maintained.
"We’re in a war that’s costing us $3 billion a week - with supplementals on top of that," said Lautenberg. "The war has been directed by Republicans, by a vice-president who has taken the word ‘mismanagement’ to a new level."
Estabrook on the campaign trail casts the issue in terms of politicians who won’t let the generals in Iraq do their jobs. At a local party function in Clark Township on Thursday, Estabrook said the troop surge in Iraq is working, and criticized lawmakers’ efforts as meddlesome.
"Announcing a specific departure date on a billboard in Bagdad is irresponsible and dangerous," said the Republican candidate.
Lautenberg said he doesn’t want to be an armchair general on the war, but says "there should be a definite withdrawal date."
"We can’t just walk away, and the political situation has to be ironed out," said Lautenberg. "We’ve lost our coalition. With the right leadership we could make a serious appeal to other countries about the price they pay for failure in Iraq, but we cannot continue with a war that has demoralized our country."
He mentions his own experience as a WWII soldier in the Army signal corps as a way of connecting with the troops he says have been battered by a misfit administration.
"The surge has had only a temporary effect," said the senator, deriding Bush-Cheney as "chicken hawks" whose fundamental lack of understanding has played havoc with the lives of military families whose people have been deployed multiple times to Iraq.
In Estabrook’s stump speech, she plugs the fact that she has no experience in public office. "I am a businesswoman," she says. "Like any businessperson, I am allergic to government regulation and red tape."
On the stump in Riverton on Monday night, she said, "It’s time for a change. Together, let’s change. Let’s change and have our government work for us, for a change."
To the charge that he is an out-of-touch Beltway denizen, Lautenberg said, "I am a businessman. I founded a business (Automatic Data Processing) that employs 46,000 people." But for the Republicans to make an argument for Bush’s war while railing against federal spending, even as the infrastructure needs of the country are out-of-date, makes no sense, said the senator.
"Look at that bridge down there," said Lautenberg, indicating a hulking, faded gray structure spanning the Passaic River. "That’s exactly the kind of thing we need to be looking at replacing as we seek to move people out of their cars and into mass transit."
He talked about his senate fact-finding mission trip to Greenland last year to observe the ice melts and to confirm the threat of global warming.
"We need change, yes," said Lautenberg. "Change absolutely, in the way we think about our highways and skyways and the technology we apply to improve the lives of our citizens."
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Good strategy
If I were him, I wouldn't want to talk about my record of over a quarter century in Washington either.
Lautenberg's a Fool
The surge has had a "temporary effect?" How the hell does he know? For a guy who claims to be a WWII vet, he should know that mistakes are always made in wars as evidenced by the fact that tens of thousands of men were lost in Anzio, Italy in 1944 in just 2 months time due to poor leadership. Iraq has had less than 4,000 casualties in 5 years. Our fighting men and women have done and continue to do a tremendous job of shutting down al Qaeda's operations and this clown claims it's temporary? The nerve!
We need leaders in Washington who are on our side, who want to win the war so our soldiers can come home instead of feeding the hope of our enemies with their constant bickering and defeatist comments. Can you imagine leaders making such commments during WWII? Of course not! Lautenberg is not and never has been a leader. I cringe every time I pass the Secaucus transfer station and see his name atop the building. Let's hope New Jerseyans have enough sense to finally get rid of this guy once and for all!
"The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers." - Thomas Jefferson
Hey Frank, it's 2008 not 1968
Frank, it's not 1968, we are winning this war (no help from you), the economy was doing great until all of the extra spending your democratic friends added on finally caught up to markets, but where is New Jersey's share of the ear-marks? I know you are old but that fossil Byrd gets 3 billion for his state, and what do we get from you, nothing.
"The only man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything."
--Theodore Roosevelt--
Hey Frank, your bud Queen Jean and the NJ BPU are
about to be, one would have to guess, federally indicted -- perhaps you should concentrate your efforts there where you can be behind the scenes with "your people", you are making a fool of yourself out in the public speaking of things on the national level only reveals you either can't hear what's going on in the "houses" or worse, you can't remember!
Lautenbergs Vision of America
Is the land of the freaks and the home of the illegals.
Frank exit at 15 X and stay there
Whiney Republicans!
As usual, Lautenberg is driving Jersey Republicans crazy -- and he'll keep driving them crazy all year. They cant beat this guy -- he's a true blue Jersey progressive, and he makes the GOPers bananas, because he constantly beats them! At least these guys won't be out several million dollars like Estabrook will...
ya think???? What's he gonna do with Jeanie Fox's husband you
know Steve Di' Micco(sp); we're not worried; we know the AX will not fall on Queenie Jeanie without Stevie taking a hit..., we the people are tired of you DEMS "for the people by the people", going on, show me ONE DEM who respresents me, LEGAL citizen, taxpayer, employeed, college education (thanks to republican), etc., who is out there representing me!
Lautenberg drivin' me crazy as a republican? Don't think
so he's drivin' me crazy because there are many more qualified Dems out there who were cheated for an opportunity to honor the "ELDERY AND THE IMMEGRANT" PUHLEEEEEZE, Definition of Democrat, for the people of the people, these millioniares do not represent me!
Republicans cannot beat this guy.
We are fooling ourselves that present crop of Republican candidates could beat the old fool. We need change, that's simple. Let's find candidates that can change NJ's role in Washington.
Lautenberg
If we're being intellectually honest, then all of us must admit that Lautenberg is right when he says that those who decry the lack of federal funding for N.J. cannot, in good conscience, then wave the freedom fry flag for an endless, costly war in Iraq which undoubtedly detracts from domestic spending. He's also right in pointing out that Republicans look back to the halcyon days of Reagan (which, with Reagan's borrow-and-spend policies and lack of reaction against the AIDS crises, borders on the delusional) because the current administration is so terrible. What Republicans don't recognize is that the failed policies of the Bush administration isn't so much an indictment of Bush as it is of conservative policies, which have repeatedly failed this country in each of its incarnations.
Lautenberg is a good, just senator who represents the state well. He's got my vote and my boots for this upcoming election.
It's my understanding his
It's my understanding his strength is in bringing a lot of federal money into our state.
Why would you want to lose that kind of leverage at a time when there is so much noise about NJ being in financial trouble? Hypocritical?
You've got to be kidding?
We pay the highest taxes in the country and are 50th out of 50 states in money we get back from DC.
Lautenberg has spent his entire career raising taxes on New Jerseyans so he can send the money to Montana, Minnesota, Missouri and Mississippi. We'd be a lot better off without Frank Lautenberg's "help."
Time to go, Frank.
So if I am against the war I can run as far as I want with the fact that he is an abysmal failure? I'd love to hear about all the good things he's done for this state with out bringing in any money. You ought to be ashamed to support such a man. But I guess a "no" vote on the Iraq war got all of these Blue State failures carte blanche in their home states.
I'm not too sure how US
I'm not too sure how US senators work in terms of state policy versus national policy and bringing in funds versus taxing so I was only asking the question.
Martin, Are you Joking?
MartinOne, you do realize that the war has got nothing to do with the fact that NJ has never gotten a decent return from Washington on the tax monies we send there, right? This was the case loooong before the war ever started. And Lautenberg's got a helluva lot to do with that.
Just think, if we had decent Senators in Washington getting us even an average amount of return on our tax investment, we could probably fix the roads and bridges in this state without Corzine's "monetization" fiasco.
"The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers." - Thomas Jefferson
lautenberg -Paterson, Liberals
Sen. Lautenberg's idiotic attempt to connect with the soldierrs of WWIII reminds me of the good senator's efforts to connect with his "humble:" roots in Paterson
As the story goes... good old Frank and his brother founded their ADP business in a garage in paterson... I think his brother did most of the work... Anyway Frank would drop by Paterson to see the old neighborhood and get a haircuut at his old barber.. or so the spin goes... Frank would then drop in to the Paterson News, to tell reporters and editors that had not forgotten his old hometown....and that he just loves coming back to the city....That was more than 20 years ago..
So after decades of Lautenberg's paternal regard for Paterson.. and decades upon decades of Democrat rule... has Paterson gotten any better????
No it hasn't...It is sttill a crime ridden mess, with abysmal housing and no industry....the Great Falls...is still awaiting its national park status... even after two terms of Clinton...
The trouble with Liberals like Lautenberg and his pal Bill Pascrell is that they are all hot air.. They talk a good game and never get anything done -- Paterson is the perfect example of the liberal agenda...
"So what did you do in the Great War On Terrorism Sen. Lautenberg... "
"I sat on the sidelines and whined, like all good liberals "
And when Terrorists killed our boys on the USS Cole... what did you did then Mr. Lautenberg...
"I wrote a letter --then I whined some more."
"But i di my damndest to make sure that law abiding people don't get their hands on guns that might protect them "
Mixed metaphors, mixed facts
If you're concerned about federal funding for the state, JoeS, then the best thing you can do is support Democratic candidates in November; a Democratic president with a Democratic congress (building on the current numbers of Dems) would virtually ensure greater federal funding for the state. Of course, Lautenberg, since taking office this decade has mostly had a) a Republican president setting the budget and b) Republican congressional leadership -- if that isn't an oxymoron -- setting their own budget priorities. And Lautenberg still pulls in massive amounts of federal funding for public transportation and other endeavors, including a December bill crafted by Lautenberg that included $176 million for waterway projects.
And surely you don't believe that there is a disconnect between the hundreds of billions spent on the Iraq War and the lack of federal funding available for domestic spending, do you?
And, StalinInASweaterVest, if your ideal of good governance is right-wing Republicanism, replete with special interest influence, pro-war directives, and the policing of morality, then I would consider your calling Lautenberg a "failure" (notice the evidence provided to support said claim is, well, nonexistent) to be a good thing.
Lautenberg -Estabrook
Lautenberg will win if the Reps don't wake up. Estabrook needs a lot of work as far as her speaking and presentation skills. She also needs to know national issues that affect NJ-AMT among others. It appears that the people that advised Forester are advising her.It was Doug's to lose and he lost. It is January so there is still time.
Pop quiz!
Wow way to re-characterize my statement as something far more easy to attack. Your argument really takes me back to freshman year of college. Now let's see, which of the following could the vomit above be an example of?
A) Red herring B) Straw manC) Begging the question D) Appeal to ignorance
There was a clue in there, but I honestly don't expect much from someone who can't even figure out what I meant by the opening sentence in my last post. Then again, I am a war mongering right wing nut!
Still clueless after all these years
Mikie Martin - recent hisotry will show that you had the White House, a House and Senate controlled by Democrats with Senator Lautenberg on the Appropriations Committee and NJ still was at the bottom of the ladder when it came to return of our tax dollars. Nothing will change. And for all of your bluster and general BS, Reagan did not formulate the approrpations bill which passed the Democrat cotnrolled House and Senate. Tip O'Neill was Speaker and his party had that power. US Government 101 should have made that clear.
The operative word in Estabrook-land
On the stump in Riverton on Monday night, she said, "It’s time for a change. Together, let’s change. Let’s change and have our government work for us, for a change."
Kudos to Anne Evans-Estabrook. Win or lose, she has established a new world record for the use of the word "change" in a sound bite of 20 words or less.
Some facts for the little guy, "theoc"
Well, theoc, the president presents an overall spending bill to Congress, which is then fenagled and compromised before being sent back to him. I'm not sure why you think Lautenberg, who was in the minority these past six years, should have more influence than Bush in this process. Again, a Democratic congress with a Demcoratic president would invariably lead to more funding for Democratic states such as our own; this is common sense and basic political knowledge. With (probably) increased Democratic majorities after 2008, and probably a Dem president, more money will begin to given equitably to a variety of states, including our own.
And Lautenberg has been effective at bringing money back to N.J.; just last year, Lautenberg and Menendez had to hold up one of Bush's nominees for secretary because N.J. wasn't given a promised $300 million for transportation funding. Bush, not Lautenberg, is to blame for this.
Speaking of which, Lautenberg voted for SCHIP funding for the state, which Bush then vetoed, making N.J. have to incure the costs of insuring children under the proposed plan which passed both the senate and house. And yet you oppose this funding...
Say what?
You just did not write that - and actually believe it? Let's make this REAL simple. According to the US Constitution - you know that document with all the writing on it that you liberals don't believe in - states very clearly that all spending bills generate from the House of Representatives - not the White House. To say the President's budget is "fenagled" and sent back to him is ridiculous. The Appropraions Committee is not beholden to the President's budget, or their own for that matter, when they draw up their spending bills. And please remember that you had a Democrat President, with a Democrat Senate and House, and a Democrat named Lautenberg on the Appropriations Committee, and the State of NJ still got shafted. Nothing will change.
I'm Out
OC, I gave up with him. Some people just do not know what they are talking about. No point discussing matters with them when they refuse to seek out the facts to begin with.
The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers. - Thomas Jefferson
waking up, smelling the coffee, conservative style
JoeSchilp: You contended that domestic spending had "nothing" (your exact, unfortunate words) to do with war spending and that federal funds available to give back to states is something completely unrelated to the off-the-book expenses of an endless war. Your argument is as equally specious as it is untenable and its lack of merit is readily apparent.
theoc, guardian of the Constitution.. or GOP corruption?
theoc, You'll understand if I don't take lessons on constitutional law from someone who defends an indicted criminal like Tom DeLay because of party affiliation, as you do? And the Fiscal Year budgets are certainly written by the President and his office, per the precedent from The Budget and Accounting Act of 1921. Don't be so dense that you can't see the forest through the trees, dear theoc. The President's veto power and congressional footsoldiers hold much more power than a senator from the minority party, but that hasn't stopped Lautenberg from fighting for federal funding nonetheless.
Regarding Lautenberg's abilty to get federal funds for the state, Slate magazine mentioned: "As a legislator, Lautenberg became known for ... nursing New Jersey with the bottle of federal largesse." Any basic search of Lautenberg shows that he has raked in millions in funding for Amtrak, health services and other vital needs in the state.
Not making any sense
You are not making any sense. Just follow the money trail. Look at the appropriations bills over the last decade or more. Nothing in the Constitution which you abhor and ignore states that the President submits a budget. In fact, Congress does not even have to follow that budget, nor do they have to follow their own which is formulated after the President submits his. It clearly states even for someone with Coke glasses such as yourself that the House has the power of the purse. You continue to claim that the President does which is 100% false - like most of your statements. Yes the President has the power to veto - duh - another constitutionally protected power. But the Congress has the power to override. If Lautenberg has done such a wonderful job at bringing home the bacon to us here in NJ, why have we remained at the bottom of the list in money received? He had been chairman of subcommittees on Appropriations in the past with a President in his party at the White House. Yet, NJ remained in the bottom three of getting federal dollars back compared to what we send to Washington. Why? Bush is to blame? You are ridiculous. And I love how you continue to claim that people are guilty until proven innocent. Doesn't work that way. Another constitutionally protected right we have - which you continue to ignore. DeLay will not be found guilty after four plus years of investigations and millions of tax dollars wasted. Maybe you should have the guts to ask for the investigation to officially close so Lautenberg can try to grab those scraps?
Criminal
What is criminal is your attempt to demonize someone who has not been found guilty of a thing. An indictment whether you like it or not is not the same as been found guilty. And the definition of criminal as you use it pertaining to DeLay is false. He has not been found guilty of a thing. Are the Duke lacrosse players guilty of rape? According to your definition they are because they were indicted. So I guess that would make Bill Clinton a criminal because he was indicted as well?
My money's on
My money's on Sabrin.
Most people in New Jersey agree that Lautenburg has to go. The question that remains is "who" should take his place.
In my opinion, Estabrook isn't the candidate capable of taking on Lautenburg. She has no real prior political experiance, many voters in the Northern New Jersey area feel she's just trying to purchase her senate seat, (proof of this is her purchasing of the county lines on the ballot) and her performances publicly when asked about the issues of the day clearly shows her lack of knowledge and preparedness.
Joe Pannaccio isn't even a contender at this point, his famous "I'm one of you" slogans isn't resonating, in fact, its chasing people away. The Campaign is supposedly being run out of the basement of someone's house, and few people are paying attention to him. Plus, he gets frustrated too easily when someone asks him a hard question.
And then we have Murray Sabrin. He has a record that is traceable in regards to both his stances on policies and has previous experiance running for office. He has been graciously embraced by the same grass roots effort that has supported Ron Paul throughout the state. His campaign is winding up like a spring, ready to bounce, and when the time comes to stand toe to toe with Lautenburg in a debate (assuming Frank doesn't go into hiding) he can definitely handle him and his miserable record as Senator in New Jersey.
Point being here is this, If we want to really win in New Jersey this time, you need to get behind the guy who is a REAL REPUBLICAN, who is running a professional campaign, who has been in the world of politics for a long time, who won't flip-flop depending on the current political climate, and has an army of volunteers who will go the extra mile and beyond to make him famous throughout the state.
The train is leaving the station soon, my advice, best to get on board now...
J. Douglas Fisher
Check Out: http://www.murraysabrin.com
Martin 1,2,3 and 84
How the heck can a Ron Paul supporter talk all this smack about Republicans losing their fiscal way and then turn around and vote in Lautenburg?
I have no clue as to who I should vote for regarding the GOP nomination for US Senate. Does Estabrook even have policy positions? Do Jersey Joe and Sabrin have a website yet?
Someone help me....