Reasons I Don't Live in New Jersey

I know the Lord of Truth must be enjoying his Senate race. I'm reasonably certain Bob Menendez will win, because he's still elading in the polls, and I think Kean needs a 3 point lead in the polls at minimum going into Election Day to offset the New Jersey Democratic get-out-the-vote program (a.k.a. getting out the cemetary vote in Newark, Trenton and Camden). But Menendez is trying really hard to lose this race...

Connecticut U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman's tough re-election fight has caused his Democratic colleagues in the Senate to walk a fine line, and U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez sought to straddle that line at a forum for Jewish voters.

...A audience member asked Menendez why he was putting party loyalty ahead of a good candidate by backing Lamont. Menendez became indignant and he told the crowd of hundreds the premise of the question was dead wrong. He called Lieberman a "tremendous Senator," and said, "We wish him well. We hope he returns."

But after the event, safely away from the hundreds of audience members, Menendez had a different response when a reporter asked if he was endorsing Lieberman. No, he said, he is "officially" supporting Lamont, the party nominee.

Republican state Sen. Tom Kean Jr., who backs Lieberman, denounced Menendez for trying to have it both ways. "I think New Jersey voters who want to look into the character of Bob Menendez need to look no further than the treatment of Joe Lieberman. Menendez went before a group of concerned Jewish voters and he tried to hoodwink them . . .it's absolutely despicable," said Kean.

Hey, maybe it's not inconsistent -- maybe Menendez is advocating giving Joe Lieberman a permanent Senate office, with no voting privileges.

Clearly, Menendez is trying to have it both ways. There's nothing politically wrong with that, as long as you can get away with it. That's becoming tougher today than in the past. It's stunning how often politicians forget that.