"Everything's legal in New Jersey."-Alexander Hamilton
How is the State of New Jersey like the Democratic Party? Both have image problems. And those image problems converge in the corruption trial of Robert Menendez, the state’s senior U. S. Senator.Menendez is facing bribery charges stemming from his intercession with various federal agencies on a variety of matters for his friend, contributor and co-defendant, Dr. Salomon Melgen, a Florida ophthalmologist. (The indictment is available here.) His trial began on Wednesday, September 6, and it’s expected to last six about eight weeks, but could go past November 7, when New Jersey will elect its next governor.If Menendez is convicted, he won’t automatically lose his Senate seat. He won’t have to resign, and he may not resign until he’s exhausted all his appeals.And the Senate won’t expel him, either. Expulsion requires a two-thirds vote. At least 15 Democrats would have to vote with all 52 of their Republican colleagues, and they won’t do that before Republican Gov. Chris Christie’s term ends in mid-January-- not when it looks like New Jersey’s next governor will be a Democrat. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Murphy holds a commanding lead in the polls over his Republican opponent, Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno. Governor Bridgegate is the most unpopular governor in the state’s history, and it’s hard to imagine any member of his administration, even one not implicated in the Bridgegate scandal, winning the election.If Murphy wins-- and if Menendez leaves office after Murphy is sworn in-- Murphy could appoint a Democrat to complete Menendez’ current term. Of course, the Republicans won’t want to expel Menendez next year if it means giving Murphy the chance to appoint another Democrat, who could then run for a full term as an incumbent next year. But if the trial doesn’t go well, Menendez will face pressure to step down both from the New Jersey Democratic establishment and from his fellow Democrats in the Senate.And if Menendez does resign, who will Murphy pick to replace him? Former Congressman Rush Holt would be the ideal choice.Holt is the polar opposite of a corporate Democrat. He supports single payer health care, a financial transaction tax, and strengthening Social Security by eliminating the cap. And perhaps most important, Holt, a physicist by training, understands anthropogenic climate change. He knows that we need better environmental regulations, and that we need to develop renewable energy as quickly as possible—and his scientific background would make him a formidable opponent of climate denying Republicans in Senate debates.As longtime DWT readers may remember, Blue America supported Holt in the special August, 2013 primary for an unexpired Senate term, following the death of Frank Lautenberg in June. Holt lost that race to consummate corporatist and shameless self-promoter Cory Booker, who enjoyed generous financial support from Wall Street, as well as the backing of the New Jersey Democratic establishment, most notably that of South Jersey machine boss George Norcross.And now,according to Newark Star-Ledger columnist Tom Moran, Norcross wants to move his brother Donald, who currently represents New Jersey’s First Congressional District, into the Senate-- and he still wants to control the House seat, too. From Moran’s August 27 column;
Rep. Norcross, of course, is the kid brother of George Norcross, the political boss from South Jersey whose team controls seven votes in the Senate and 16 in the Assembly, give or take. By appointing Norcross, Murphy would be doing a huge solid for a man he’s going to need to govern successfully.And it could set off a game of musical chairs that would help Murphy even more, many Democrats say. Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-Gloucester) could fill the vacant seat in Congress. And Sweeney's post as Senate president could go to a Democrat from northern New Jersey, presumably a close ally of Murphy’s. Everyone wins.
Murphy is trying to present himself as an outsider and a progressive—not an easy sell for a former Goldman Sachs executive. Toward that end, he’s now an advocate of public banking, and that’s helping. He’s even had one of his campaign videos on that subject embedded in a page on the website of the non-profit Public Banking Institute.But if Murphy cuts a deal with Norcross, he’ll instantly destroy whatever credibility he now enjoys with progressives. The Norcross brothers are opposed to single payer health care and GMO labeling, and in favor of charter schools, fracking and pipelines. They’re anathema to progressives.If Murphy appoints Donald Norcross to the Senate, he will further tarnish not only the image of New Jersey, but also that of the Democratic Party.On the other hand, if he appoints a real progressive like Rush Holt, that would help improve the image of his state and of his party. And if the Democratic Party is going to take over Congress next year, it will need all the help it can get.
