Do You Support Trenton's A.C. Takeover? 
A Tale of Two Democrats
| March 15, 2010 What do you do when your party is headed off an electoral cliff, Save Jerseyans?
Do you stubbornly dig in, ignore popular sentiment and hope for the best? Or do you change course, spin like crazy and pray that the party leadership gives you a pass to save your own butt? Welcome to the unfolding twin dramas of Rep. Rob Andrews (D-NJ) and Rep. John Adler (D-NJ) respectively.
Andrews is a committed liberal who, without the benefit of upward mobility in the New Jersey Democrat Party following his failed attempt to overthrow Frank Lautenberg, decided that moving up within the Democrat Congressional power structure was a better option. That's fine work if you can get it!
Just don't "run me over," Rob. This isn't fooling anyone: the White House summit you attended was little more than staged theatre. Rahming ObamaCare through was always the plan, and you admitted it back in June '09:
John Adler, for his part, is running scared from Republican football star Jon Runyan who will formally launch his congressional campaign later this week. His district's profile makes it very, very difficult for the freshman incumbent to support the President's expensive "reforms." NJ-3 is lean Republican and deeply opposed to ObamaCare, so at least on some level, he instinctually recognizes that another "no" vote on health care would be advisable if he wants to get reelected in November. However, complicating Adler's calculus is pressure applied directly from the White House.
What's a born-again budget hawk to do? Poor confused Adler doesn't seem to know.
Just listen to the reaction Adler received this weekend at the Toms River Library town hall meeting in Ocean County. He still won't take a definite stand, but he comes right out and admits that the Senate bill is deeply flawed and that the House bill "has made things worse"... certainly sounds like a "no" vote to me, unless of course Pelosi needs the votes and starts pulling his (remaining) hair:
So which Democrat strategy is superior, Save Jerseyans?
Neither, if we're being honest. The best policy is principled opposition to big government intrusion from day one. This year, I've got a sneaking suspicion that November voters won't tolerate endless vacillation from their elected officials (sorry, John) any more than they'll suffer a politician who continues to support government's growth and expansion in our daily lives (sorry, Rob). But hey - it's their political grave, right? Let'em dig it. My advice and sympathy won't do them any good.
Either Andrews is bulletproof, or the GOP keeps picking lame candidates to run against him. He got in despite his open support for former Gov. Corslime's "asset monetization" plan, so it seems like he can get away with almost anything. That's OK - I'm sure the GOP has a nice multi-millionaire candidate with a Scozzafava-esque platform waiting in the wings to challenge him. On that note...
Adler, whether this is his true stance or not, at least seems to vote on behalf of his constituents. He has declared that he plans to vote "No" on the bill, so whether he actually is a "born-again budget hawk" or not, it makes a pretty strong case for him to get a second term - and this is coming from a solid fiscal conservative. Better him than Jon Runyan, who thus far seems to fit the profile of the token GOP candidate I described at the end of the last paragraph. I'm not going to vote for just anyone that has an (R) after their name. If I don't agree with their positions, I refuse to support them. That's the same reason I hope RINO Chris Smith finally gets the boot, either by Alan Bateman or a Democrat.
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Rooting for the defeat of a good and might I add, extremely popular congressman like Chris Smith at the hands of a no shot Lonegan loser or a Democrat. Wha am I not surprised by that?
I told you last year and I'll say it again. You don't matter and nobody cares who you support.
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The number of us are growing. We're tired of big-spending big-government people calling themselves Republicans. They belong in the Democratic Party since they obvious don't share our values. We are the lower tax, lower spending, smaller, more efficient government party. And unless we run that way, we will continue to get a beatdown from the Democrats. If the Runyan anointing turns out to be successful, I for one will have no problem voting for a Democrat that went against his party on an expensive and oppressive piece of legislation that a Scozzafava Republican would probably vote in favor of.
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