No debate in topsy-turvy New Jersey Senate race (Lautenberg Out Of Circulation)

CNN ^ | 10/21/02

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

SOUTH ORANGE, New Jersey (Reuters) -- Election Day is only two weeks away, but former Sen. Frank Lautenberg says it's too early for him to debate Republican Douglas Forrester in New Jersey's topsy-turvy Senate race.

The 78-year-old Democrat, who retired in 2000 after 18 years in the Senate, returned to politics only three weeks ago, when the state's Supreme Court ruled he could replace scandal-plagued Sen. Robert Torricelli on the November 5 ballot.

[vin-one]

If this old senile Dem, is dismaying the crowds he is losing votes without a debate.
keep him in the public eye, nobody in NJ. would vote for someone senile,
well maybe they would too.

anyway nice find and BTTT.

[laconic]

"his remarks gave way to rambling at times, provoking distracted looks from his supporters". This, ladies and gentleman is why the 78-year old Lautenburg will NOT debate. If you had witnessed his impromptu performance the night the NJ Supreme Court overrode the election law, you would have seen the same thing: a man much older than his age, babbling about laws passed twenty years ago with no connection from one statement to the next. The Democrats are trying to hide this, and Lautenburg, from the public.

[Wild Irish Rogue]

"But during his remarks, the Democrat's self-assurance gave way to rambling at times, drawing distracted looks from the audience. "

If Lautenberg has early Alzheimer's-it is disgraceful for the DNC and Lautenberg's family, to subject him to this kind of stress.

[ambrose]

I bet some of the other Dems (Pallone, Menendez, Bradley) that passed up on this race are kicking themselves. They probably didn't realize that the Switcheroo would have gone over so well with the Sheeple.

[Wphile]

...babbling about laws passed twenty years ago with no connection from one statement to the next. The Democrats are trying to hide this, and Lautenburg, from the public.

No kidding. He was absolutely horrible. The Dems don't want him to debate because he can't put two coherent thoughts together. And this guy is supposed to serve six years? Yeah, right.

GO DOUG!

[Afronaut]

"I've been out of circulation for two years,"

Drooling for 2 years...

[genefromjersey]

Lautenberg doesn't really NEED to debate-IMHO he's going to win without really trying.

What we have here is two arrogant candidates: Forrester, who said, in effect : "Never mind what I stand for. Just remember, I'm NOT TORRICELLI ! ";and Lautenberg, who has all the name recognition he needs, backing of organized labor, backing of the media, AND a major share of the so-called Jewish vote -( He's a dove when it comes to the US, and a hawk when it comes to Israel-go figure ! )-and who says, in effect : "Never mind what I stand for. Just vote Democrat !"

[Dems_R_Losers]

This is SOOO outrageous coming from the man who first won election to the Senate by smearing and sliming the great Millicent Fenwick as too old. It's too bad the New Jersey, New York, and Philly media are so much in bed with the Democrats that they cannot see this rank hypocrisy.

I think the NRSC and Forrester should be blanketing the airwaves in NYC with ads slamming Lautenberg's record on funding for defense, the CIA, the Gulf War, etc. This may be a domestically liberal state but it was galvanized by the loss of so mnay of its citizens on 9/11/01. My uncle is a northern New Jersey fire chief who has never voted Republican in his life, but is voting for Forrester because he is afraid of the Democrats getting into power and blowing the war on terrorism.

[Earl B.]

But during his remarks, the Democrat's self-assurance gave way to rambling at times ...,

He'll fit right in with the other eminent Dems in the Senate - Robert Byrd, Ted Kennedy, ...

[gubamyster]

f Lautenberg has early Alzheimer's-it is disgraceful for the DNC and Lautenberg's family, to subject him to this kind of stress.

All day, today, on his show, Sean Hannity kept referring to Lautenberg’s rambling & hiding from the media. He has tried to get Lautenberg, a previously frequent caller & guest on H&C, to call in, but has not made contact w/ him.

Hannity also said he had information that would be a “blockbuster” but would not reveal it at this time. He insinuated that if Lautenberg did not call in w/ in the next few days, Hannity would go public w/ the info.

At the end of the show, a “trash-the-lines” caller said that Lautenberg is rambling in his speeches. Hannity cryptically said “we’ll be looking into that.”

It seems to me that Hannity has info & is waiting for confirmation that Lautenberg has Alzheimer’s -just my opinion.

[sharktrager]

OK. The guy is mentally competant, and sufficiently informed, to be Senator.

He is not, however, able to participate in either debates or public apperances.

Hmmm

[copycat]

"I really think it's important that I touch base with people in the flesh, before they see me on TV in a debate."

Weak...

[Wild Irish Rogue]

" It seems to me that Hannity has info & is waiting for confirmation that Lautenberg has Alzheimer’s -just my opinion."

I have 2 older relatives with Alzheimer's right now and Grandpa Frank is behaving like they did in the beginning-very friendly,slapping people on the back,maybe a little too loud and too emotional-but,that was a compensating mechanism for their failing memory. Grandpa Frank looks just like them,in the beginning and the DNC is disgusting for using an old man like this. I did hear part of Sean's show-good for him.