There's a primary going on in New Jersey between Rob Andrews, a conservative business oriented Democrat from South Jersey, and Frank Lautenberg, and old and liberal Senator. Andrews is frustrated that he's going nowhere, and the South Jersey machine is feeling its oats and taking on North Jersey. It's portrayed as young versus old or North versus South, but the reality is, policy-wise, it's conservative versus liberal. And Andrews knows it, which is why he's trying to portray himself as identical to Lautenberg on the issues, only younger and more vital.
In a interview, Andrews did not want to characterize his political philosophy. "People we represent don't care what label we have. They care whether we are getting the job done, and I'm in the race because people want a change, the country wants a change," he said.
Andrews said he and Lautenberg have mostly the same policy goals, but suggested he has "more energy" to meet the challenges.
Andrews is just lying. Aside from his ridiculous cheerleading on Iraq and his unapologetic support until relatively recently, there's his fealty to corporate interests.
Andrews, for example, joined GOP colleagues in supporting a fence along the Mexican border; backed legislation pushed by banks and credit card companies making it more difficult for people to erase their debts through bankruptcy; supported a constitutional amendment to ban flag burning; voted for the estate tax repeal; and opposed permanent normal trade relations with China.
So Andrews supported the Bankruptcy Bill, a fence along the Mexican border, the Iraq war, and eliminating the estate tax. Other than that, there are no differences, he's just younger.
It is utterly disgusting that Andrews can so cavalierly dismiss real policy differences he has with Lautenberg. If he wants to back putting poor people in hock to credit card companies, he should have the guts to do it instead of lying and pretending he shares the same policy goals as Lautenberg. He doesn't, he never has, and it's reprehensible he would pretend otherwise. Obviously they know their own state quite well, but I would hope that to the extent that they can, progressives in New Jersey work to defeat Andrews. |
