NJ-02

Whether on the air or here at DWT, whenever I want an example of the worst of the worst DCCC recruits for Congress, I invariably turn to south Jersey (NJ-02) and state Senator Jeff Van Drew. He has no saving grace... other than his ability to placate conservatives. That's because he is one himself. Next year, when he's in Congress, there will be virtually no crucial issues on which you will find Van Drew voting with the Democrats.

Even if the blue wave is huge, the neo-Nazi/KKK wing of the GOP is safest. The districts they represent are deep red and without enough Democrats and independents to make a difference. It's the mainstream conservatives who are going down, not the extremists.

Jeff Van Drew, the personification of a 2018 DCCC recruitIt's hard to say which DCCC recruit will likely be the worst POS if he gets into Congress. But it's impossible to draw up a short list without including New Jersey Blue Dog/New Dem Jeff Van Drew. Van Drew has a record as a state legislature so we already know absolutely what a total turd he's going to be in Congress. And it's the reason why the DCCC selected him.

Once Frank LoBiondo announced he wouldn't be running for reelection, no one doubted that grotesquely corrupt right-wing Democrat Jeff Van Drew would jump into the race. He's the perfect DCCC candidate-- disgustingly bigoted, Republican-lite, corrupt as you can be without going to prison... when the DCCC chieftains see Van Drew they think they're looking right into a mirror. And, of course, imagine voters will be clamoring to elect him.

My sister just moved to southern New Jersey, to the large swing district that takes up the bottom 5th of the state, NJ-02, the seat the Democrats always shoulda/coulda/woulda won-- but never do. It stretches from Little Egg Harbor Township south through Atlantic City down to Cape May and west through Millville to the Wilmington suburbs and Philly exurbs along the Delaware River.

Republican Christopher Smith was elected to Congress 37 years ago, in 1980, age 27. He had been a Democrat but switched parties in 2 years earlier and ran against crooked Democrat, Frank Thompson, who had been convicted of taking bribes in the Abscam scandal. The Democrats have coveted taking the district back ever since-- but have been highly unsuccessful in ever getting anywhere near doing so.

Norcross, Christie, Van DrewThe new Quinnipiac Poll of likely Iowa caucus goers shows New Jersey Governor Chris Christie falling behind in the dust with just 3% support.

Hopefully you've been following Dave's inspiring campaign for the south Jersey seat currently occupied by conservative Congressman Frank LoBiondo. We were going to endorse him anyway but the move the FCC made against net neutrality, one of Dave's signature issues, pushed out schedule up to… immediately.

This week, several of the Blue America candidates were at the PCCC training in Washington. Some of them called me and e-mailed me and told me they were really impressed with a smart young guy we hadn't been writing about, Dave Cole, the progressive who wants to take on Frank LoBiondo. So I called Dave and started the conservation. I can see why everyone is so impressed. He's a software engineer and former technology advisor at the Obama White House.