If The Democrats Don't Dump Menendez They'll Deserve What's Headed Their Way-- A Loss Of The New Jersey Senate Seat

Bad optics

This week the biggest newspaper in New Jersey, the Newark Star-Ledger endorsed corporate multimillionaire Democrat Phil Murphy for governor-- but what a crappy endorsement! "New Jersey deserves so much better," True enough, but what a headline for an endorsement! "Someday," wrote the editors, "somewhere over the rainbow, New Jersey voters will have a choice between two impressive candidates for governor. But not this year. Our choice is Democrat Phil Murphy, by default... Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, the Republican candidate, is the worst nominee of either major party to come along in decades. Her knowledge of the issues is paper-thin, she's failed utterly to separate herself from the disastrous legacy of Gov. Chris Christie." Murphy's net worth is estimated to be several hundred million dollars, not the kind of politician I think of when I think of someone who understands the aspirations and travails of working families. But that's what the Democratic Party has turned itself into.

Quinnipiac released a new New Jersey poll Wednesday. Murphy is leading Guadagno 57-37% among likely voters. What kills Guadagno is what is killing Republicans everywhere-- Murphy is beating her 52-39% among independents. Furthermore she's been pulled down by Christie's and Trump's low approval ratings, respectively by 15% and 33%.

But Trump and Christie aren't the only politicians hated by New Jersey voters. Corrupt Democrat Robert Menendez is a disaster. Voters disapprove 49-31% of the job U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez is doing and 59% say he doesn't deserve to be reelected next year. Only 19% say he does deserve reelection.

Now remember, Menendez, who has always been one of the sleaziest guys in Congress has been charged with using his office to trade official favors for Salomon Melgen (a co-defendant), in exchange for $750,000 in campaign contributions and many thousands more in hotel stays at least half a dozen private jet flights. Menendez hasn't been charged with having sex with underage prostitutes in Melgen’s house in the Dominican Republican but those accusations are hovering over the trial. The trial has featured Menendez staffers willing to lie for him. Yesterday, the NY Times reported on a top Menendez aide, Robert Kelly, who just spouted incredible bullshit meant to help Menendez.

The aide, Robert Kelly, who has worked for Mr. Menendez since 2006 and is now his deputy chief of staff for operations, said in Federal District Court in Newark that he did not think the senator needed to disclose the flights, or nights in a luxury hotel room in Paris because the accommodations came courtesy of his friend Dr. Salomon Melgen.

“This was my understanding of the friendship exception at the time,” said Mr. Kelly, who had filled out Mr. Menendez’s financial disclosure forms and submitted them to be reviewed by the senator since 2010.

Mr. Kelly testified that Dr. Melgen called Mr. Menendez multiple times a week for years “to ask how his friend was doing.” He said that together, the doctor and the senator would act “very friendly, jovial and lighthearted.”

Mr. Menendez, a Democrat representing New Jersey, and Dr. Melgen, a wealthy eye doctor from Florida, face charges of bribery and fraud related to the gifts. Both men have denied any wrongdoing.

...In a tense exchange, Ms. Abrishami asked Mr. Kelly if Mr. Menendez’s 2007 form was accurate. He replied that he had not seen that form, so she showed it on the screen, revealing that Mr. Menendez had again said that he had not received any reportable gifts, despite having flown on Dr. Melgen’s plane. Around the courtroom, several of Mr. Menendez’s supporters variously sighed and hung their heads. The senator himself, stoic throughout most of the trial, chuckled.

Mr. Kelly testified that he had “scanned” the financial disclosure form rules and was “vaguely familiar” about what types of gifts could go unreported. Ms. Abrishami [prosector] went through the rules and pointed out to the jury that the word “friendship” never appeared.

“I haven’t read them word for word,” Mr. Kelly said.

Judge William H. Walls cut in.

“You were preparing these forms without more than scanning them, is that what you’re telling the jury?” Judge Walls asked.

Ms. Abrishami then stressed, over objections from Mr. Menendez’s lawyer, that the burden of truth on the senator’s disclosure forms fell not on Mr. Kelly, but on the senator.

Again, New Jersey deserves better. What a cesspool!

Not many politicians want to be seen with Menendez

Who Better To Replace Robert Menendez Than Rush Holt?

-by Jersey Jack

"Everything's legal in New Jersey."
-Alexander Hamilton

How is the State of New Jersey like the Democratic Party? Both have image problems. And those image problems converge in the corruption trial of Robert Menendez, the state’s senior U. S. Senator.

Menendez is facing bribery charges stemming from his intercession with various federal agencies on a variety of matters for his friend, contributor and co-defendant, Dr. Salomon Melgen, a Florida ophthalmologist. (The indictment is available here.)  His trial began on Wednesday, September 6, and it’s expected to last six about eight weeks, but could go past November 7, when New Jersey will elect its next governor.

If Menendez is convicted, he won’t automatically lose his Senate seat. He won’t have to resign, and he may not resign until he’s exhausted all his appeals.

And the Senate won’t expel him, either. Expulsion requires a two-thirds vote. At least 15 Democrats would have to vote with all 52 of their Republican colleagues, and they won’t do that before Republican Gov. Chris Christie’s term ends in mid-January-- not when it looks like New Jersey’s next governor will be a Democrat.   Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Murphy holds a commanding lead in the polls over his Republican opponent, Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno. Governor Bridgegate is the most unpopular governor in the state’s history, and it’s hard to imagine any member of his administration, even one not implicated in the Bridgegate scandal, winning the election.

If Murphy wins-- and if Menendez leaves office after Murphy is sworn in-- Murphy could appoint a Democrat to complete Menendez’ current term.

Of course, the Republicans won’t want to expel Menendez next year if it means giving Murphy the chance to appoint another Democrat, who could then run for a full term as an incumbent next year. But if the trial doesn’t go well, Menendez will face pressure to step down both from the New Jersey Democratic establishment and from his fellow Democrats in the Senate.

And if Menendez does resign, who will Murphy pick to replace him?  Former Congressman Rush Holt would be the ideal choice.



Holt is the polar opposite of a corporate Democrat. He supports single payer health care, a financial transaction tax, and strengthening Social Security by eliminating the cap. And perhaps most important, Holt, a physicist by training, understands anthropogenic climate change. He knows that we need better environmental regulations, and that we need to develop renewable energy as quickly as possible—and his scientific background would make him a formidable opponent of climate denying Republicans in Senate debates.



As longtime DWT readers may remember, Blue America supported Holt in the special August, 2013 primary for an unexpired Senate term, following the death of Frank Lautenberg in June. Holt lost that race to consummate corporatist and shameless self-promoter Cory Booker, who enjoyed generous financial support from Wall Street, as well as the backing of the New Jersey Democratic establishment, most notably that of South Jersey machine boss George Norcross.

And now,according to Newark Star-Ledger columnist Tom Moran, Norcross wants to move his brother Donald, who currently represents New Jersey’s First Congressional District, into the Senate-- and he still wants to control the House seat, too. From Moran’s August 27 column;

Rep. Norcross, of course, is the kid brother of George Norcross, the political boss from South Jersey whose team controls seven votes in the Senate and 16 in the Assembly, give or take. By appointing Norcross, Murphy would be doing a huge solid for a man he’s going to need to govern successfully.

And it could set off a game of musical chairs that would help Murphy even more, many Democrats say. Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-Gloucester) could fill the vacant seat in Congress. And Sweeney's post as Senate president could go to a Democrat from northern New Jersey, presumably a close ally of Murphy’s. Everyone wins.

Murphy is trying to present himself as an outsider and a progressive—not an easy sell for a former Goldman Sachs executive. Toward that end, he’s now an advocate of public banking, and that’s helping. He’s even had one of his campaign videos on that subject embedded in a page on the website of the non-profit Public Banking Institute.

But if Murphy cuts a deal with Norcross, he’ll instantly destroy whatever credibility he now enjoys with progressives. The Norcross brothers are opposed to single payer health care and GMO labeling, and in favor of charter schools, fracking and pipelines. They’re anathema to progressives.

If Murphy appoints Donald Norcross to the Senate, he will further tarnish not only the image of New Jersey, but also that of the Democratic Party.

On the other hand, if he appoints a real progressive like Rush Holt, that would help improve the image of his state and of his party. And if the Democratic Party is going to take over Congress next year, it will need all the help it can get.

The News For Republicans In New Jersey Could Hardly Be Worse

The recent Bedminster fundraiser, headlined by Señor Trumpanzee and Governor Chris Christie, for embattled Republican Congressman Tom MacArthur, showed how aware Republicans are of the toxicity of Trump and of the GOP agenda. There are no photos of MacArthur and his two party leaders, Señor T and Governor Lard Ass. The press were prevented from getting anywhere near the event and photos were strictly prohibited. What are they hiding? Who are they hiding from?

In New Jersey, at least, the stealth is too little too late. A newly released Quinnipiac poll of the state’s voters carries catastrophic predictions for the Republican Party in the Garden State. A fairly unattractive Democratic hack candidate, Wall Streeter Phil Murphy “buries” the GOP candidate, Christie’s Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno. Buries? Sure— 55% to 26%. “The blue wave,” explains Quinnipiac, “sweeps across the ballot as New Jersey voters say 57 - 29 percent that they want Democrats rather than Republicans to control the State Legislature… [I]f New Jersey is a weather vane, the wind is blowing in the Democrats' direction."

"Hobbled by eight years in a little noticed job and her ties to a remarkably unpopular governor, Lt. Gov. Guadagno is little-known and little-liked," Carroll added. "Half the state doesn't know enough about her to judge her as a candidate.

"The last New Jersey governor from Goldman Sachs, Jon Corzine, failed to win a second term, but only one-third of voters hold Murphy's Wall Street career against him. Guadagno's experience as lieutenant governor seems to be hurting her more."

Murphy gets a 33 - 18 percent favorability rating from New Jersey voters, while 47 percent haven't heard enough about him to form an opinion of him. Guadagno gets a negative 20 - 28 percent favorability, with 50 percent who haven't heard enough to form an opinion.

Murphy's 23 years at Goldman Sachs leaves 33 percent of voters with a negative impact on their opinion of him, with 7 percent saying it has a positive impact and 56 percent who say it has no impact on their opinion.

Guadagno's service as Gov. Christopher Christie's Lieutenant Governor leaves 54 percent of voters with a negative impact on their opinion of her; 9 percent of voters with a positive impact and 35 percent who say it has no impact on their opinion of her. Gov. Christie, President Trump Approval Ratings.

Christie makes history again as New Jersey voters disapprove 81 - 15 percent of the job he is doing, the worst approval rating for any governor in any state surveyed by Quinnipiac University in more than 20 years. Even Republicans disapprove 58 - 31 percent.

President Donald Trump also is at a historic low, as Garden State voters disapprove 66 - 28 percent of the job he is doing.

No wonder MacArthur insisted that no pictures of himself and Trump or himself and Christie— let alone himself and both of them— be allowed. He was happy to take the $800,000 Trump raised for him from about 100 fat cats, but his upcoming contest with Andy Kim is going to be difficult enough— with Kim tarring him as one of the principal authors of TrumpCare— without connecting him viscerally to the detested Republican president and the even more detested Republican governor. Only 19% Boo New Jersey voters approve of TrumpCare. 69% disapprove— including 67% bow independents. The closer Kim’s campaign can tie MacArthur to TrumpCare, Trump and Christie, the easier it will be for him to win in 2018. Photos from begone days, like the one below, won't help MacArthur.

Don't Fall For The Hype: John Wisniewski Is Not Bernie Sanders And Is Not A Real Progressive

Want Wisniewski to be more pro-Choice? He says he's not a "vicious ideologue."

I wish there was a great and plausible candidate for the New Jersey governorship this year. I would love to be endorsing Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka or former Congressman Rush Holt. But they're not running and the whole weight of the Democratic Party seems to be coming down on the side of Phil Murphy, a former Goldman Sachs billionaire/bankster endorsed by the whole establishment, from Machine hacks like Joseph DiVincenzo and Stephen Sweeney (as well as the Bergen and Monmouth county Democratic organizations) to Senators Cory Booker and Robert Menendez, Congressman Frank Pallone and... Jon Bon Jovi, always the weather vane for pathetic establishment politicians. Not on board with Murphy-- quite predictably, the Bernie crew.

State Senator Ray Lesniak and Assemblymen John Wisniewski are the more progressive options in the race, though neither seems to be making any progress against the bankster. Lesniak is the better progressive but Wisniewski has something else going for him: he was the chairman of Bernie's New Jersey campaign. It doesn't seem to matter to many people, though, that he was the worst Bernie state chairman ever and harmed the campaign far more than doing anything to help it. Thanks in part to Wisniewski's jaw-droopingly bad performance, Hillary killed Bernie in the Jersey primary-- 542,927 (63.3%) to 315,327 (36.7%). She won all the machine counties where the party bosses count the votes and all Bernie won were two small counties Warren and Sussex. All the most corrupt counties-- Essex, Union, Bergen, Camden, Atlantic, Hudson saw Bernie come in with ridiculously low numbers, under 40% in every one of them. When people talk about how party bosses stole the primary for Hillary, they're talking about DiVincenzo, for example, delivering Essex County for her 75,071 (73.2%) to 27,449 (26.8%). I bet that even Wisniewski would have complained if DiVincenzo announced that the vote was 99% for Clinton and 1% for Bernie.

This week, The Observer reported that Wisniewski was doing for himself what he never did for Bernie: fighting. He "took his gubernatorial campaign to South Jersey today, criticizing fellow Democrat Cory Booker for joining Senate Republicans to vote down an amendment sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders that would have allowed Americans to purchase cheaper prescription drugs from Canada."

“That vote against it was about protecting the pharmaceutical industry,” said Wisniewski, who served as chairman of Sanders’ presidential campaign in New Jersey campaign chairman, told a forum in Evesham sponsored by Our Revolution New Jersey, a grass roots group whose genesis was Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign.

Wisniewski pledged to put pressure on New Jersey-based drug manufacturers “on day one,” if he is elected Governor.

But when challenged about bad votes he had taken in the Assembly-- supporting two Republican anti-Choice measures-- he responded with extraordinary lamesness, attacking, in effect, the progressive base he was trying to reach out to: "You would hope that in your elected leaders that they are able to go through an evolution of thought and grow with the times and not be vicious ideologues at every turn." Gee-- "vicious ideologues" is a pretty strong term for people who care about Choice, Wiz; and very revealing.

The thing is, for many Bernie supporters, especially the more naive ones, crap Democrats who glommed onto Bernie's campaign for their own agendas-- Tulsi Gabbard (HI) and Shawn O'Conner (NH) were easily the worst, but Wisniewski is right up there as well-- they don't look beyond someone's backing for their hero. "Wisniewski," explained PoliticalNJ writers, "took a considerable political risk in becoming the sole elected official to back Sanders against an establishment that was otherwise unanimous in its support of eventual nominee Hillary Clinton. But the gamble seems to have paid off; when Clinton lost the presidency to Donald Trump, the shock and dismay felt by Democrats coalesced around the Sanders wing of the party. One would expect Wisniewski to benefit from that energy, especially in a Democratic primary. Unfortunately for Wiz, despite saying Wisniewski would make an 'excellent governor for New Jersey,' Sanders has chosen to remain neutral in the race. And just yesterday, Sanders’ son Levi campaigned with Phil Murphy." Jeff Weaver, who many grassroots Bernie supporters mistrust, endorsed Wisniewski.

The most dedicated of the Berniecrats in New Jersey was Alex Law, who took on the most corrupt machine in America, the powerful South Jersey Norcross Organization. He ran for Congress against slimy conservative Little Brother Norcross and directed all the energy of his grassroots campaign to fight for Bernie as well as for himself. And then along comes Wiz-- sees an opportunity to suck up the Bernie grassroots energy-- and endorses Bernie and becomes chairman of his state committee. He also immediately endorsed Norcross and did absolutely nothing to help any of the Bernie candidates running anywhere in the state. In fact, he undermined them at every opportunity. But don't just take my word for it. This is what Alex Law had to say about Wiz 3 weeks after the election:

Last week, Bernie's NJ Chair John Wisniewski announced he would be running for Governor. As the first person running for office in New Jersey to endorse Bernie Sanders, I was closely involved with the progressive movement in New Jersey. I met personally with nearly every progressive organizer in the state, John included. In my opinion, John Wisniewski appeared only to take part in the Bernie Sanders movement for his own gain. In my estimation, he did not seem concerned about Bernie Sanders winning, or even doing well in New Jersey, unless any action he took towards that would give him more state-wide name recognition or access to email lists.

During my race, he endorsed the Democrat from New Jersey that voted against Bernie and President Obama more than anyone else from our state, Donald Norcross. To any real progressive, endorsing someone like Donald Norcross would be impossible. John seemed to encourage Norcross to then say that Bernie Sanders had endorsed him, even though nothing could be further from the truth. Until we publicly called him out for this shady move, likely spurred because of lucrative contracts his law firm receives as a result of the South Jersey machine's largesse, he didn't make it clear that it was only his [Wisniewski's] personal endorsement that he was offered, not the Bernie Sanders for President campaign's.


Back to his efforts as Bernie Sanders' state chair: John only participated in Bernie Sanders events that allowed him to speak and build his own name recognition, giving no time to what should have been the backbone: volunteer driven organizing. I met with volunteer groups across the state that had absolutely no direction and no access to data. When they called John for help, they always got the same response: we are working on it. The problem is, very few solutions ever came forward. The organization in New Jersey was so bad that it ultimately failed to be a competitive state in the Presidential Primary.




I met with John to make him aware of a odd quirk in New Jersey election law, a quirk that was immensely important to the Sanders campaign but that they had no idea about. I only found out through looking at historical ballots and ultimately suing my county clerk to get the transparency they refused to give us. In New Jersey, ballot position is determined by county candidates. So, Bernie, running for President, would have been out in column 6 or 7, while Hillary would have been in column 1, because the establishment Democrats are typically the only group to run candidates at every level of office. I had put together a slate in multiple counties of committed progressives that actually had a chance to win. Because John's first loyalty was to himself rather than progressives actually winning and supporting Bernie Sanders, he refused to give my candidates the "line" with Bernie Sanders (aka put everyone in the same column) instead finding inexperienced volunteers that had no idea what the real situation was to run. We reached out to these folks and some reached out to John after hearing the full story, imploring him to work with us because otherwise the progressive vote would be split and it would guarantee the corrupt, establishment county officials an easy win. What did John do? He refused to take any of these calls. Why? His relationship to Donald Norcross and their disgusting empire was more important to him than seeing progressives win in New Jersey. 
Does this sound like a man that is a "true progressive?" Does this sound like someone who is really cut from the same cloth as Bernie Sanders?


Nonetheless, now John Wisniewski cries foul about party politics even though he has consistently bent over backwards to ingratiate himself to any machine boss that would take his call. He has used the emails he took from the Bernie Sanders campaign to pump the real progressives in the state for money, despite the fact that very few of us ever signed up to get such emails from him. John Wisniewski is not Bernie Sanders and is not a real progressive. 
For those of you considering who to support for Governor, you may be tempted to think John is your guy because he says he supported Bernie. I would encourage you to reconsider that belief and find another candidate to support.

So... what to do? Unless Rush Holt jumps in-- it's still a possibility-- I'd probably vote for Lesniak. There's no way I'd ever vote for anyone like Phil Murphy or John Wisniewski.