October 28, 2008
For decades, New Jersey has been ably served by two proud sons of Paterson: Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg and Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. Through the years, the two Democrats have displayed a steadfast commitment to the issues and concerns that affect their constituents most, including the environment, public transportation and public and higher education. Both men provide consistent, effective constituent services.
Further, although Pascrell and Lautenberg supported resolutions that led to the nation’s war with Iraq, they have long opposed the unpopular war that has claimed the lives of thousands of Americans and tens of thousands of Iraqis.
Consequently, we support their re-election, Lautenberg to the U.S. Senate and Pascrell to the U.S. House, representing the Eighth Congressional District. Lautenberg lives in Cliffside Park. Pascrell continues to live in his native Paterson.
Dick Zimmer, of Delaware Township and a former congressman, has run a low-voltage campaign that fits his retiring personality. Despite being outspent, Zimmer, a smart and courtly Yale-trained lawyer and lobbyist, has waged a measured but relentless campaign.
Zimmer has tied his campaign to the notion that Lautenberg, who has been reluctant to debate, hasn’t done enough to ensure that the Garden State, which is among the nation’s most heavily taxed, has spent its money wisely. If elected, Zimmer has promised to root out wasteful spending in Washington.
Lautenberg, who holds a business degree from Columbia, has been a successful businessman. He was among the Senate champions of the balanced budget of the late 1990s. Now, he maintains it’s the Bush administration’s budget priorities, including spending on the war in Iraq, that have been out of whack. He’s voted to tie Iraq funding to a timetable for pulling out American troops; he’s sought to limit Iraq expenditures to "on-budget" funds rather than by "emergency" stipulations.
For those and other reasons, we believe that during his two stints in the Senate (he retired after three terms in 2000 and returned in 2002), Lautenberg has been aligned with the views and top priorities of most of New Jersey’s residents. He’s sought to get assault rifles off the street. He’s stood against President Bush’s attempt to privatize Social Security, and he’s been a staunch supporter of Amtrak, a critical transportation option for the people of New Jersey and the rest of the Northeast Corridor. He deserves to be re-elected.
Still, it is troubling that he’s debated Zimmer just a couple of times. The people should be able to see and hear incumbent lawmakers and their challengers express and defend their views and votes. As a frontrunner who might fear falling victim to gaffes, Lautenberg’s debate-light campaign makes sense. But his desire to limit debates has been a disservice to the voters.
Since Pascrell’s election to the House in 1996, the percentage of votes garnered by his opponents has fallen in each subsequent election. There are many reasons, ranging from Pascrell’s record and popularity to the quality of his opponents.
In recent years, Pascrell has championed everything from the designation of the Great Falls historic district in Paterson as a national park to getting veterans with brain-trauma injuries state-of-the-art treatment. He’s also sought to increase funding for institutions that serve black and Hispanic students, two groups that have been underrepresented in higher education.
Pascrell faces Roland Straten, a Montclair-based businessman. Like Zimmer, Straten has campaigned with an eye toward making government run more efficiently and less expensively.
Still, for the most part, he has campaigned as if he believes that listing problems is the same thing as having a plan to solve those problems or the background and ability to put such a plan into effect.
If the Republicans hope to recapture the Eighth District seat held by Pascrell, the party is going to have to start offering better-prepared and better-funded candidates than Straten has been.
Lautenberg and Pascrell have served their country in the military and in Congress. They have been steadfast and reasoned in their approach to government and legislation. At a time when America faces wars abroad and economic turmoil at home, capable federal legislators like Lautenberg and Pascrell become more important than ever.
They should be re-elected.
