(NJ-Sen) This morning was one of the TV debates in the hotly-contested race for the NJ Senate Seat. The debate pitted appointed US Senator Robert Menendez, who replaced Jon Corzine as Corzine won NJ Governor, against Repub candidate and current NJ State Senator in Trenton, NJ. The debate was not live, per the decision of the networks (not the candidates). But there were enough fireworks to show off Repub candidate Tom Kean Jr's. trademark stumbling and bumbling style, and a parade of mis-statements from the Repub side to give independent voters who hadn't read anything about the issues a clear choice between the two candidates.
Of course, I am a partisan Democrat, so root for Menendez. But trying to look at it through the eyes (jump!)
of an independent, there were three questions raised in the debate which really laid bare the differences between the two candidates and the two parties:
* Stem cell research. CBS TV reporter Marcia Kramer put the question starkly to Repub Tom Kean Jr.: You've said you're for stem cell research, yet every time it's come up for a vote to actually build a facility, you've voted against it. Which is your position, for or against? First off, Kudos to Marcia Kramer for real research and a real question. I have been researching this issue as well, and I must say that I did not find any information on Kean's actual anti-stem cell building votes. So this may well come as a real revelation to a lot of voters, even political junkies. Kean Jr. really had to pause a bit on that one, and came back with an answer that said that he favored stem cell research, but for him it was a matter of process, that stem cell research questions should also be submitted to voters as a ballot referendum issue.
This of course, is dissembling, because Kean Jr. knows that there are enough right-wing fundamentalists, formerly united under Jersey City mayor and candidate for Gov. Brent Schundler. So Kean Jr. knows 1) such a ballot process would only delay stem cell building and 2) that the ballot question approach is doomed to failure, just like the Schundler candidacy. The Repubs don't have the votes to block stem cell research.
But major kudos, IMO, to reporter Marcia Kramer for getting this on the public record. Kean Jr. will spend the next few weeks trying to squirm away from this one.
Menendez, IMO, really aced the question by humanizing it: talking about his mother with Alzheimers, the people who come to his office with juvenile diabetes, and spinal chord injuries. In that moment, an independent had a real shot at seeing the difference between the two parties.
The war. The reporters asked questions on the war, policy in Iraq, and Iran. Here, the debate became almost a shouting match, as repub Kean repeatedly interrupted Menendez, and it became difficult to hear some of the answers. IMO, Menendez was caught a bit off guard by Kean Jr.'s tactics in the beginning, but then regained a statesmanlike recovery. A couple of answers stand out: Menendez seemed very clear on measures to deal with Iran diplomatically, and artfully tied the W. Administrations failure of policy in Iraq with likelihood of policy failure in Iran; Kean Jr. was less than convincing, and it became clear that Kean Jr. was tied to the stay the course policy on Iraq.
Homeland defense. The reporters properly raised the issue that NJ is home to "the most dangerous two miles" in the US, in terms of vulnerability to terrorist attack on railroads and chemical plants. Menendez pointed out that the chemical and railroad lobbies have blocked any rules that would require the industries to spend more money on homeland defense measures. Kean Jr. lamely denied that the industries were the problem, and Menendez interjected (brilliantly, IMO) that with a failed policy in Iraq, spending $8 billion a month, it's hard to get the financial resources spent at home on items that are priority to US defense.
Again, I rooted for Menendez, but I thought that someone coming cold to the debates would at least have some of the major issues sharply defined. I leave it to others to analyze what I thought were obvious falsehoods from the Kean Jr. statements. And, as much as I often detest the shallow coverage by TV news, my hat's off to Marcia Kramer for the stem cell question, and the staff of CBS TV for forcing both candidates to go on the record as to their positions on property tax relief--where NJ is either Number one or Number two in the nation for the most expensive property taxes.
Maybe Viacom/CBS is thinking about trying to preserve its TV licence in the future by paying some attention to the public interest. IMO, Viacom/CBS are still the sleezebags who encouraged Opie and Anthony to pull the shock jock stunt of simulated sex at St Patrick's Cathedral, on a Holy Day of Obligation. But, where the reporters have actually tried to do a good job, then they deserve some praise--and believe me, coming from me, it is very grudging praise.
The station says the full debate is on the web at CBS-TV, and CBS-TV channel 3 (I guess Philadelphia). So don't take my word for it, look yourselves.