[TruthShallSetYouFree]

What political difference is there, after all, between Menendez and Kean --except that a Kean victory will help keep the odious Joe Biden from becoming chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the even more odious Ted Kennedy from being able to control whether the president's future SCOTUS nominees even make it to a floor vote.

Sounds like you answered your own question.

[shhrubbery!]

Well there IS no real difference, politically, between Menendez and Kean.

Kean's only value, if elected, will be as a placeholder, much as Lincoln Chafee is now. I.e. Kean will be simply one more warm body to add toward a total of 51 Republican senators, to hold the majority.

Kean if elected will be a royal pain in the arse. He likely will not vote for excellent SCOTUS nominees like Sam Alito (Chafee didn't).

He will be a thorn in the side of President Bush, just as Arlen Specter is now, only even more annoying because he's a cocky smartass kid.

That said, yes, I am going to vote for Kean.