Disservice
The 2006 New Jersey Senatorial campaign has been disappointing, to say the least. Start with an undistinguished incumbent with a questionable past, throw in an inexperienced challenger, and have them compete for the attentions of a very distracted electorate in a race that could decide which party will control the U.S. Senate and you have a recipe for a low down dirty campaign. Unfortunately, with the mud already flying, a publicity stunt from a group one would hope to see taking the high road has helped to turn the campaign into even more of a circus and to divert the candidates even further from the serious issues that ought to be addressed throughout campaign season.Teaneck resident Paula Rogovin and the New Jersey branch of Military Families Speak Out, a group strongly opposed to the campaign in Iraq, have called for Republican challenger Tom Kean Jr.'s withdrawal from the race on account of his alleged unwillingness to answer all of the questions posed to him at a candidates' forum. The group has made the determination that Kean's behavior renders him so unfit to serve that he ought not even remain a candidate. This group is suggesting that, on account of its dissatisfaction with Kean, the voters must not even be allowed to choose whether such a man ought to represent them.
This is a far cry from simply endorsing Sen. Menendez, who everybody already knows is the anti-war, anti-administration candidate in this race. That would have been the honorable (and completely predictable) thing for this, and any other like-minded group, to do. Making waves by issuing brazen demands that insult the intelligence of the voters is not. This group, and New Jersey as a whole, would be better off without the petulance and histrionics. There are too many important issues to be discussed to crowd the airwaves and newspapers with spectacles such as these.
posted by Teaneck Blog @ 10:18 AM
18 Comments:
Agreed, it is silly to call on the waffler to step down instead of calling on the electorate to reject the waffler.
On the other hand, it appears that this stunt did eke another day's worth of coverage of a two-week-old story on Mr. Kean's not-so-alleged refusal to answer each and every question the group asked him.
If that's a "disservice," don't bame Paula Rogovin. Blame the people who took the bait, from the AP that wrote the story, to the many newspapers that picked it up, to the Teaneck Blog who's been punting lately and appears to have found it to be useful filler.
Next issue, please. How about McNerney's meddling in a Teaneck development issue?
Yeah, it's a stunt. So what?
Last I heard Menendez's seat was the only Democratic seat in either the house or senate that was at risk.
In light of how the Bush administration has poisoned our credibility with our allies, squandered the goodwill of the entire planet following 9/11, started a needless and endless war which created a breeding ground for terrorism in Iraq that wasn't there before, failed to defeat the Taliban in Afghanistan, failed to capture Bin Laden, emboldened and strengthened the power of Iran, undermined the safety of our troops by not sending enough reinforcements or providing proper protective gear and flushing the Geneva Convention and Habeas Corpus down the crapper plus loads of domestic fiascos which I need not remind anyone of, all with the rubber stamp of a corrupt Republican-controlled House and Senate, any "stunt" that gets an anti-Republican message into the news cycle is OK with me.
Next issue, please. How about McNerney's meddling in a Teaneck development issue?
This story shocked me so little that I couldn't even summon up enough righteous indignation to join in the chorus of condemnations.
On the other hand, the continuing deterioration of the discourse on issues of global import still concerns me. Case in point is Swurgle's willingness to endorse any and all tactics in the interests of discrediting anyone linked in any way to the President's political party. If a rational, refined, socially engaged individual is ready to turn to the politics of demonization and hatred rather than civilized discourse, the time-tested tool of representative democracy, what does that say about where we are today and where we are headed in the future? Perhaps the actions and attitudes of this Administration deserve the lion's share of the blame for the situation, but the opposition has certainly lowered its standards tremendously as well.
... but what about family values?
sezme why don't you confront McNerney yourself. he will be in teaneck 7;30 thursday at Poppy's bagel shop. GO FOR IT!!
7:30 am that is
My goodness, TB. If you were really so concerned about "any and all tactics in the interests of discrediting someone" and "the politics of demonization and hatred," one could have hoped you would have seized on something that was the real deal.
This was no "swiftboating," no dropping of bombshell charges. The "reasons" why this group was calling on Kean to drop out of the race were there for all to see, and they were so undamaging, so patently didn't make the case, that no one could possibly take this group seriously. This was silly of them, not sinister, and certainly not worthy of "summoning up" any sort of "righteous indignation."
That's part of my point, Sezme. We're at the point where a constituency with a serious gripe sinks to these tactics and we don't even consider it a big deal because others have done far worse. I agree that the events in question are more laughable than contemptible in this case, but the fact that this is what the Senate race boils down to in a significant midterm election year is disappointing.
[Dictionary.com
Gripe: to complain naggingly or constantly; grumble.]
Nice choice of words to describe people who are worried about their sons and daughters dying for Bush's war.
One could only wish that this is what the race boils down to. If so, than the supporters of this war would be swept out of office not only in New Jersey but throughout the nation.
Good point. Yours is a gripe, theirs is a disagreement.
In any case, the American Heritage Dictionary defines the word as "a complaint." You mistakenly provided the definition for the verb form, which I did not use. If you're going to nitpick, you had better pay close attention to details like that.
As usual you're too busy being clever to address the point. Let me be more direct. I believe you deliberately chose the word "gripe", to minimize the grief and fear of the members of Military Families Speak Out.
I did no such thing, as should be clear both from the original context and the citation from the dictionary showing that the word does not necessarily have a negative connotation.
No doubt you would say that the use of alleged in "his alleged unwillingness to answer all of the questions" was not to cast doubt on their integrity either.
No, I used the word "alleged" because the facts of the case are disputed in the article by representatives of the Kean campaign. Leave it to you to cry bias at an obvious attempt to remian impartial.
Have you figured out yet what exactly it is that you are accusing me of? At first, you said I was minimizing their grief and fear. Since you couldn't make that stick, you have changed your tune, suggesting that I seek to "cast doubt on their integrity." With this unfounded accusation dismissed, I am curious to see what you will dream up next.
In any case, it appears that the group has had some second thoughts about its stunt and has elected to advertise today's 3 pm press conference at the Teaneck Armory without any reference to its earlier call for Kean to withdraw from the race. I'll take this as a positive development.
The Kean people did not dispute the facts. They did not say he submitted answers but rather that he didn't need to, because his position is known.
If you had any idea what was going on in the world you'd know that the subject of the press conference will be the same refusal to answer questioms.
Feel free to declare victory on this point too.
Here's what their email about the press conference said:
"At a press briefing on Saturday, October 6, Jo Ann Sohl, a military mother and member of Military Families Speak Out - Bergen County (and our Wednesday vigil), asked State Senator Tom Kean, Jr. to answer the group's questions about the war/occupation of Iraq and about our troops. A member of Mr. Kean, Jr.'s staff rudely prevented her from communicating with Mr. Kean, Jr., who then walked away from Jo Ann. Jo Ann's only child, already injured in Iraq, recently had his tour of duty extended."
"As most of you already know, on August 14, four members of MFSO met with State Senator Kean, Jr. At the outset of the meeting, the group asked whether he wanted the meeting recorded on tape or whether he would put the answers in writing so that we could guarantee accuracy when sharing them with the public. Mr. Kean, Jr. said that he did NOT want us to tape the meeting, so he agreed to put all of his answers in writing. He answered some of the questions at the meeting. MFSO members received a call from Mr. Kean, Jr.'s staff on August 28, to tell us that Mr. Kean, Jr. would not be putting any of the answers in writing."
"Having candidates answer questions from the public is vital during an election campaign. The troops, their families, and the people of New Jersey must have the answers in order to be properly informed before they vote. This is part of the democratic process." (Italics mine)
"Not only did Mr. Kean, Jr. not answer all of the questions, but he reneged on his promise to put all of his answers in writing. If Mr. Kean, Jr. and his staff continue to insist that he has answered them, then the matter can be resolved simply by sending a copy of the answers to MFSO-Bergen and Essex County so they can be shared with the public."
"At the August 14 meeting, we asked a question on behalf of Little Ferry resident John Fenton, whose son Matthew died from injuries suffered in Iraq, "Have you been to Bethesda or other Veterans hospitals to visit wounded troops or veterans?"
"State Senator Kean, Jr. said, "They won't let candidates for office into Bethesda or the veterans hospitals. I am an official candidate, so I am not allowed to visit those hospitals." It was reported in The Record (September 21) that officials at Bethesda Hospital have made clear that this is not true. We have yet to hear Mr. Kean, Jr. acknowledge the fact that he is allowed to visit the military hospitals or to say that he has since visited a hospital."
"The questions MFSO members asked are not just critical to the troops and their families who bare the human cost of the war, but effect every citizen of this state. With each passing day the human and financial costs of this war escalate. The stakes are too high (and too precious) to accept candidates who are unwilling or unable to answer critical questions."
Here's what their email about the press conference said:
"At a press briefing on Saturday, October 6, Jo Ann Sohl, a military mother and member of Military Families Speak Out - Bergen County (and our Wednesday vigil), asked State Senator Tom Kean, Jr. to answer the group's questions about the war/occupation of Iraq and about our troops. A member of Mr. Kean, Jr.'s staff rudely prevented her from communicating with Mr. Kean, Jr., who then walked away from Jo Ann. Jo Ann's only child, already injured in Iraq, recently had his tour of duty extended."
"As most of you already know, on August 14, four members of MFSO met with State Senator Kean, Jr. At the outset of the meeting, the group asked whether he wanted the meeting recorded on tape or whether he would put the answers in writing so that we could guarantee accuracy when sharing them with the public. Mr. Kean, Jr. said that he did NOT want us to tape the meeting, so he agreed to put all of his answers in writing. He answered some of the questions at the meeting. MFSO members received a call from Mr. Kean, Jr.'s staff on August 28, to tell us that Mr. Kean, Jr. would not be putting any of the answers in writing."
"Having candidates answer questions from the public is vital during an election campaign. The troops, their families, and the people of New Jersey must have the answers in order to be properly informed before they vote. This is part of the democratic process." (Italics mine)
"Not only did Mr. Kean, Jr. not answer all of the questions, but he reneged on his promise to put all of his answers in writing. If Mr. Kean, Jr. and his staff continue to insist that he has answered them, then the matter can be resolved simply by sending a copy of the answers to MFSO-Bergen and Essex County so they can be shared with the public."
"At the August 14 meeting, we asked a question on behalf of Little Ferry resident John Fenton, whose son Matthew died from injuries suffered in Iraq, "Have you been to Bethesda or other Veterans hospitals to visit wounded troops or veterans?"
"State Senator Kean, Jr. said, "They won't let candidates for office into Bethesda or the veterans hospitals. I am an official candidate, so I am not allowed to visit those hospitals." It was reported in The Record (September 21) that officials at Bethesda Hospital have made clear that this is not true. We have yet to hear Mr. Kean, Jr. acknowledge the fact that he is allowed to visit the military hospitals or to say that he has since visited a hospital."
"The questions MFSO members asked are not just critical to the troops and their families who bare the human cost of the war, but effect every citizen of this state. With each passing day the human and financial costs of this war escalate. The stakes are too high (and too precious) to accept candidates who are unwilling or unable to answer critical questions."
If you had any idea what was going on in the world you'd know that the subject of the press conference will be the same refusal to answer questioms.
Feel free to declare victory on this point too.
I am standing here in front of a large banner that reads "Mission Accomplished" because MFSO clearly did not repeat its call for Kean to withdraw from the race at yesterday's press conference. Of course, the press release I referred to (also cited by Swurgle) also did not contain any reference to their earlier call for Kean to withdraw from the race, so I am not surprised. It seems that the leadership of MFSO has reconsidered its earlier position, which was precisely my point.
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