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What has happened in a nut shell is that the senate race in NJ was showing a Republican way ahead in the polls so the Democrat candidate bowed out of the race at the last minute to save the senate for the Democrats. They want to appoint another candidate that has a chance of winning now and circumvent the NJ election laws. Do these people ever learn anything?
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October 1, 2002
Democrats Seeking a Willing Replacement for Torricelli
By THE NEW YORK TIMES
emocratic leaders scrambling to replace Senator Robert G. Torricelli on the Nov. 5 ballot asked Representative Frank E. Pallone today to be that stand-in, but Mr. Pallone declined, according to a party official involved in the negotiations.
The official, who asked not be identified by name or affiliation, said Mr. Pallone, a seven-term member of the House of Representatives, was offered the slot during a meeting this afternoon with Gov. James E. McGreevey. But after briefly mulling it over, Mr. Pallone, who is seeking re-election to the House, could not overcome concerns about whether he would have enough money to successfully fend off the Republican candidate - Douglas Forrester, a millionaire businessman who has financed much of his campaign - and whether the party could find a replacement to protect his House seat for the party.
Earlier in the day, one of the Democrats' leading choices to fill the Torricelli slot, Representative Robert Menendez, removed himself from consideration, saying he wanted to remain in the House to fight to regain a Democratic majority. And former Senator Bill Bradley, another potential stand-in who was favored by Democratic leaders in Washington, reportedly rejected the idea, too.
A senior party official said leaders were now trying to pave the way for former Senator Frank R. Lautenberg, who retired in 2000 after serving three terms, to step in. But Democratic leaders said Mr. Torricelli was adamantly opposed to the party's turning to Mr. Lautenberg, with whom he frequently clashed when they were in the Senate together.
Mr. Lautenberg has said he will ``seriously consider serving again if asked,'' and he was reported en route to the governor's mansion early this evening for talks with Governor McGreevey.
Senator Jon Corzine, who succeeded Mr. Lautenberg, was the mediating the effort to get Mr. Lautenberg onto the ballot.
Governor McGreevey had said that he expected the party leaders to settle on a new candidate by tomorrow at the latest.
But the Democrats are facing much more than the fast-approaching Election Day deadline. The New Jersey Supreme Court agreed today that it would bypass lower courts and hear arguments over whether the Democrats could replace Mr. Torricelli on the ballot. The hearing is set for 10 a.m. tomorrow.
The legal and political maneuvering came a day after Mr. Torricelli announced that he was ending his bid for re-election, acknowledging that his campaign had become overwhelmed by questions about improper gifts he accepted from a contributor.
Under New Jersey law, a political party can replace a statewide nominee on the ballot if the person drops out at least 51 days before the election. As of today, however, only 35 days remain, and it would require a court ruling to get a new candidate approved.
Democrats argue that county clerks have ``ample opportunity'' to replace Mr. Torricelli's name on ballots, and they say that if his name is not withdrawn voters will be confused.
Both parties argued their case through the media today.
``We don't want the political process to be manipulated so badly just because they're behind in the polls,'' Mr. Forrester said in an interview on WABC-TV in New York City.
Mr. Forrester rejected the notion that his campaign had so far consisted mostly of attacks against Mr. Torricelli, and he said that he welcomed the chance to lay out his agenda.
``This means we can talk about the issues,'' he said.
Governor McGreevey told reporters this morning that placing a new Democratic candidate on the ballot would be the fair way of resolving the issue.
``This would give New Jersey voters the chance to speak,'' he said. Mr. Torricelli's conduct, which led to a rebuke by the Senate Ethics Committee in July, has dominated the campaign, leading Democratic Party leaders in Washington to warn in recent weeks that his election was in danger and that his defeat might cost them control of the Senate.
After a judge made a damaging memorandum from federal investigators public last week, Mr. Torricelli, 51, spent the weekend in strategy meetings with Democrats in New Jersey and Washington, and yesterday afternoon informed the Senate majority leader, Tom Daschle, that he was definite in his decision to withdraw.
``I will not be responsible for the loss of the Democratic majority in the United States Senate,'' said Mr. Torricelli, whose voice broke several times as he announced his decision at a news conference in the New Jersey State House. ``There is just too much at issue.''
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October 1, 2002
Democrats Seeking a Willing Replacement for Torricelli
By THE NEW YORK TIMES
emocratic leaders scrambling to replace Senator Robert G. Torricelli on the Nov. 5 ballot asked Representative Frank E. Pallone today to be that stand-in, but Mr. Pallone declined, according to a party official involved in the negotiations.
The official, who asked not be identified by name or affiliation, said Mr. Pallone, a seven-term member of the House of Representatives, was offered the slot during a meeting this afternoon with Gov. James E. McGreevey. But after briefly mulling it over, Mr. Pallone, who is seeking re-election to the House, could not overcome concerns about whether he would have enough money to successfully fend off the Republican candidate - Douglas Forrester, a millionaire businessman who has financed much of his campaign - and whether the party could find a replacement to protect his House seat for the party.
Earlier in the day, one of the Democrats' leading choices to fill the Torricelli slot, Representative Robert Menendez, removed himself from consideration, saying he wanted to remain in the House to fight to regain a Democratic majority. And former Senator Bill Bradley, another potential stand-in who was favored by Democratic leaders in Washington, reportedly rejected the idea, too.
A senior party official said leaders were now trying to pave the way for former Senator Frank R. Lautenberg, who retired in 2000 after serving three terms, to step in. But Democratic leaders said Mr. Torricelli was adamantly opposed to the party's turning to Mr. Lautenberg, with whom he frequently clashed when they were in the Senate together.
Mr. Lautenberg has said he will ``seriously consider serving again if asked,'' and he was reported en route to the governor's mansion early this evening for talks with Governor McGreevey.
Senator Jon Corzine, who succeeded Mr. Lautenberg, was the mediating the effort to get Mr. Lautenberg onto the ballot.
Governor McGreevey had said that he expected the party leaders to settle on a new candidate by tomorrow at the latest.
But the Democrats are facing much more than the fast-approaching Election Day deadline. The New Jersey Supreme Court agreed today that it would bypass lower courts and hear arguments over whether the Democrats could replace Mr. Torricelli on the ballot. The hearing is set for 10 a.m. tomorrow.
The legal and political maneuvering came a day after Mr. Torricelli announced that he was ending his bid for re-election, acknowledging that his campaign had become overwhelmed by questions about improper gifts he accepted from a contributor.
Under New Jersey law, a political party can replace a statewide nominee on the ballot if the person drops out at least 51 days before the election. As of today, however, only 35 days remain, and it would require a court ruling to get a new candidate approved.
Democrats argue that county clerks have ``ample opportunity'' to replace Mr. Torricelli's name on ballots, and they say that if his name is not withdrawn voters will be confused.
Both parties argued their case through the media today.
``We don't want the political process to be manipulated so badly just because they're behind in the polls,'' Mr. Forrester said in an interview on WABC-TV in New York City.
Mr. Forrester rejected the notion that his campaign had so far consisted mostly of attacks against Mr. Torricelli, and he said that he welcomed the chance to lay out his agenda.
``This means we can talk about the issues,'' he said.
Governor McGreevey told reporters this morning that placing a new Democratic candidate on the ballot would be the fair way of resolving the issue.
``This would give New Jersey voters the chance to speak,'' he said. Mr. Torricelli's conduct, which led to a rebuke by the Senate Ethics Committee in July, has dominated the campaign, leading Democratic Party leaders in Washington to warn in recent weeks that his election was in danger and that his defeat might cost them control of the Senate.
After a judge made a damaging memorandum from federal investigators public last week, Mr. Torricelli, 51, spent the weekend in strategy meetings with Democrats in New Jersey and Washington, and yesterday afternoon informed the Senate majority leader, Tom Daschle, that he was definite in his decision to withdraw.
``I will not be responsible for the loss of the Democratic majority in the United States Senate,'' said Mr. Torricelli, whose voice broke several times as he announced his decision at a news conference in the New Jersey State House. ``There is just too much at issue.''
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