April 22, 2008 - 9:03pm
Ballot woes persist for Team Andrews
By Max PizarroA Superior Court judge today upheld the Democratic Party's ballot process, dealing a blow to the Senate campaign of U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1).
Andrews, who is challenging U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, wants an open primary, requiring clerks to bracket candidates in column one on the ballots in all of New Jersey’s 21 counties.
As the underdog without a single county party line in the northern part of the state, Andrews fears falling prey to random placement in those counties where he lacks support. Come Election Day on June 3, the handicap of having no organizational backing could result in his name being banished to some far corner of a county ballot, while Lautenberg is affixed on the organization’s line A.
But Judge Mary Jacobson of the court's chancery division deferred to the county clerks, eschewing a uniform statewide bracket, and leaving Andrews’s team promising to appeal the judge’s decision in the court's appellate division.
Meanwhile, Lautenberg was fast to celebrate today’s ruling, the second time a judge has not seen the process the challenger’s way.
“Rob Andrews is now 0 for 2 in his attempt to manipulate the ballot process,” Lautenberg spokesperson Julie Roginsky said in a statement. “Hopefully, Congressman Andrews will now focus on the issues facing New Jersey and will explain to the voters why he co-authored the Iraq War Resolution, why he continues to mislead the public about introducing legislation to withdraw troops and why he voted three times against withdrawing our troops from Iraq and thereby finally putting an end to the war he helped sell.”
Assemblyman Joseph Cryan, chairman of the State Democratic Party, applauded the judge’s ruling. “I was concerned about the long-term impact of bracketing and how that could have potentially damaged the control of the counties,” Cryan said.
Michael Murphy, campaign manager for the Andrews campaign, took today's ruling in stride.
"Even if we’re unsuccessful here, it’s by no means desperate to attempt to rectify what is an unfair process," Murphy said. "What we’re seeking is fundamental fairness in terms of ballot geography."
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Welcome To The Soprano State, Rob!
The ballot process should be determined by chance, as in pulling numbers from a hat. Instead,it is controlled by county party bosses.
When going to the courts, they seem to always back the party in power - as most have been appointed by them and they get their bonuses and pension awards from the party. (gee this sounds a little like Russia) The courts seem to be endebted to the political machinery and will always have their back. Can't bite the hand that feeds you.
Andrews - I do not want to see you win because of your Toll Road support (in return for what, I don't know?), but I have to agree that the ballot position should be based on whomever draws the shortest stick and not by the party bosses. This gives too much power to the party elite up north and is a reason for South Jersey to secede from the North.
What drove Murphy away from Lautenberg?
I would love to know the story there!
What drove Murphy away from Lautenberg?
I would love to know the story there!
Andrews has a lot to learn about NJ politics.
Wait a minute, he is the NJ politics. So doesn't he know that bosses decide about it. Bumtag is right about the Soprano State. On the Republican side, we have back to the USSR Chairmen, and on the Democratic side we have plain mobsters, I mean bosses running the daily affairs. Does Frank know about it?
Murphy
With all things Norcro...I mean Andrews, Murphy was likely seduced by Norcross money or he was afraid of retrobution from Andre...I mean Norcross' organization.
interesting...
Rob Andrews never found the ballot placement process unfair before when he benefited from when running for Congress. Now all of a sudden he's whining about it...Nice try.
Lautenberg's hysterical rhetoric
It's fitting that the fossil would employ the likes of Roginsky. Her extreme, left-wing rhetoric in attacking a Democrat because he co-sponsored the Iraq resolution is the height of hypocrisy.
Every NJ Democrat voted for the intervention of Iraq. The country was behind the invasion. These "peace at all costs" appeasement does little help the Democratic Party in the area of national security where McCain will dominate the debates and the discussion.
Didn't Lautenberg endorse Joe Leiberman for the presidency in 2004?
What are we really fighting about? Which candidate flip-flopped first?
Is this the best Lautenberg has to offer?
Vote Column "A" - All the way!
Truth in Labeling
The Andrew's campaign lawsuit is not about creating an "open primary."
It's about deceiving voters into thinking he shares the County organizations' endorsement with Senator Lautenberg. By trying to create a back-door entrance to the first column, he seeks to take unfair advantage of the fact that most primary voters "know" from long experience that the first column implies some form of endorsement and hence credibility.
If he truly wanted an open primary, he would have asked for a separate column for the three candidates.
Veritas Speaks the Plain Truth...
On the other hand; open primaries would be a good idea in general. The bosses have too much power. Andrews doesn't want to reform the system; he wants to game it to his own advantage.....and the Judge figured it out. Andrews explicitly gave his word to the whole Democratic congressional delegation (unless they're all lying about it) and he violated that trust by going back on his word. Andrews is clearly a smart, competent articulate, intelligent, affable, and ambitious fellow; but he just blew all of his credibility with this absurd candidacy. If the electorate ever clearly understood the flawed and foul genesis of Andrews' campaign; he wouldn't get 25% of the vote. Does he have a right to run? Of course. That's not the issue. The issue is what kind of judgment and character did it take to choose to rub the way he did? There is still no credible/legitimate rationale behind his candidacy....other than the implicit/subtext that Lautenberg is old and "I" am young. It ain't gonna fly. No doubt Andrews will find highly remunerative employment in the private sector, I would bet in the MI complex or in the lobbying field...or some combination thereof. Lautenberg will win by at least 15 points. From Frederick Douglass