Corrupt, Selfish Senator Puts Seat Needlessly At Risk
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To his credit, Al Franken did the right thing and resigned, clearing the path for a solid Dem replacement to cruise to victory in November. Bob Menendez, conversely, did not, and it complicates Democratic chances of taking over the Senate:
But despite the advantages, Mr. Menendez has shown signs of weakened support. In the primary, Lisa McCormick, a small-business owner and unknown candidate with virtually no money, managed to win nearly 40 percent of the vote. A significant number of voters view Mr. Menendez unfavorably, according to recent polls. Real Clear Politics, a nonpartisan polling aggregate site, downgraded Mr. Menendez’s chances from “likely Democrat” to “leans Democrat.”
His Republican opponent, Bob Hugin, 64, a wealthy former pharmaceutical executive, has already spent $15 million of his own money on the race, largely on negative attack ads. New Jersey residents tuning into the World Cup were constantly reminded of Mr. Menendez’s federal corruption trial. A recently formed separate super PAC called Integrity NJ that focuses on defeating Mr. Menendez has already raised over $2 million.
“Look, this isn’t a race that should be on our radar at all,” said Jennifer E. Duffy, a senior editor at the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. “But why do we pay attention? One, that primary result,” referring to Ms. McCormick’s vote count, adding that “you can’t take that lightly. And then you’ve got a Republican who’s going to put in — the number moves around a lot — but anywhere from $25 to $50 million.”
My guess is that Menendez pulls it out. But even if he does he’s forced the party to use resources that are desperately needed elsewhere. And given that a cassette copy of Lucky Town would have a 100% chance of winning on the Democratic ticket the fact that there’s any risk of losing the seat is completely unacceptable.