Vernon Walters

In a strongly worded editorial, The (Bergen) Record endorsed blind Rabbi Dennis Shulman in his bid to unseat three-term GOP U.S. Rep. Scott Garrett.

"Scott Garrett is afraid. And he wants voters to be afraid. But the only thing voters should fear is Garrett's reelection to the House of Representatives," the editorial said. "The race in the 5th District is less about who is challenging Garrett and more about what Garrett is challenging. He is challenging the basic tenets of common decency. The high-minded, fiscal conservative has resorted to the lowest form of campaigning. In a post-Sept. 11 world, Garrett is shouting 'terrorist' in a crowded room. The congressman has been running television ads, in addition to sending out a direct-mail campaign piece, that link Shulman to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Garrett wants voters to believe that Shulman, a rabbi, would sell out Israel. It is beyond the pale."

Democrat Frank Lautenberg also won The Record's endorsement in his bid for a fifth term in the U.S. Senate. This is a pickup for Lautenberg: in 2002, The Record endorsed Ted Glick, the Green Party candidate. "Six years ago, we wrote that Frank Lautenberg did not 'have his good stuff' when he reentered politics to run for a fourth term in the U.S. Senate. Six years later, a clearly energized Lautenberg has the right stuff to serve six more years."

After a three hour interview with FBI agents investigating a grants consulting company, Bergen County Freeholder David L. Ganz insists he’s not the target of the federal probe.   The U.S. Attorney’s office won’t confirm or deny that – as is their policy – and Ganz said the investigators told him that they just needed him to verify documents relating to grant business in Fair Lawn when Ganz was the mayor.  Still, since Ganz is up for re-election in November (among Democratic candidates, he was the low vote getter in the 2005 general  and the 2008 primary, and lost re-election to his Fair Lawn Borough Council) and some Democratic are concerned that he is the weak link on the Democratic ticket. 

There is some speculation that Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero, although emboldened by deep splits within the county Republican organization, could change candidates before the general  election if he believes his incumbents are in danger of losing.