Posted on 09/30/2006 12:33:41 PM PDT by okstate
It appears the ethics investigation targeting New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez is hurting his chances to return to Washington.
A new WNBC/Marist poll released on Friday shows that, if this were Election Day, Rep. Tom Kean, Jr. would defeat Menendez 42 percent to 37 percent.
This is a big change from two polls taken earlier this week, where likely voters were polled, and Menendez was slightly ahead.
More than half of those polled in this survey were aware of Menendez's recent troubles. The federal government is investigating his leasing of a building he owned to a non-profit agency who also received federal money. There are also concerns about possible unethical dealings while in Hudson County government.
Overall, 52 percent said they were aware of the Menendez investigatio, while 47 percent were not.
Corzine resigned from the U.S. Senate in January to become governor and appointed Menendez to fill the final year of his U.S. Senate term.
But Menendez repeatedly has found himself defending alleged ethical missteps and, despite representing a state that hasn’t elected a Republican to the U.S. Senate in more than 30 years, is in a tight race with Republican state Sen. Tom Kean Jr.
This race is our best pick-up opportunity in the Senate by far. I think if the election were held today Kean would win by 2-3 points. However, will the huge undecideds number break for the Dems given NJ's blue state status? Hard to say. Polling in NJ is weird in that it usually favors us instead of the Dems like in the rest of the country (you may remember Strategic Vision and Quinnipiac polls in late October showing a Bush-Kerry tie; Kerry won by 6 and Survey USA and Rasmussen actually overestimated Dem support).
Poll ping, Kean up 5 in NJ per Marist
How many days before the election was Torricelli replaced in the last Senate election in NJ?
Now, there's a surprise!
Bob Grant used to say that when a Hudson County politician dies they can't be buried in the usual fashion. They're so crooked they have to be screwed into the ground.
I don't recall the exact number of days but it was after the state mandated deadline. So, the state legislature just rewrote the law so they could circumvent it. It's just business as usual in Trenton.
I believe I read here that the equivalent date this year would be October 2nd.
Don't you mean the dead voters will break for the demonrats?
Poritz is resigning at the end of October and is unwilling to have another fiasco as her legacy.
She had intended to approve gay marriage but there is consternation among the demonrats that it would be a fatal blow to Menendez if she went there.
Of course, it IS New Jersey and anything at all is possible.
Does this poll count in democratic illegal votes?
Think Menendez is in trouble? Think again:
1. Due to sliping poll numbers Dems get both Menendez and Lautenberg to resign because they've confessed to having had a gay relationship in the Senate Cloakroom.
2. Corzine then appoints Menendez to finish out Laut's term.
3. Dems pull Menedez from ballot because he resigned.
4. Dems put Laut on the ballot after the legal deadline and NJ Supremos make it iron clad.
5. After prolonged court appeals Kean can't switch gears fast enough. Besides, Laut won't debate claiming Kean is homophobic.
6. Corzine heralded as being sensitive due to his appointment of a gay politician to the Senate.
7. Laut wins election since people are too stupid to realize there was even a ballot switch.
8. Lautenberg & Menendez both get six-figure book deals for outing themselves!
9. People of NJ go back to sleep.
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