The Record backs Shulman for Congress; newspaper backs Democrats for national office, Republicans in county races

In a strongly worded editorial, The (Bergen) Record endorsed blind Rabbi Dennis Shulman in his bid to unseat three-term GOP U.S. Rep. Scott Garrett.

"Scott Garrett is afraid. And he wants voters to be afraid. But the only thing voters should fear is Garrett's reelection to the House of Representatives," the editorial said. "The race in the 5th District is less about who is challenging Garrett and more about what Garrett is challenging. He is challenging the basic tenets of common decency. The high-minded, fiscal conservative has resorted to the lowest form of campaigning. In a post-Sept. 11 world, Garrett is shouting 'terrorist' in a crowded room. The congressman has been running television ads, in addition to sending out a direct-mail campaign piece, that link Shulman to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Garrett wants voters to believe that Shulman, a rabbi, would sell out Israel. It is beyond the pale."

Democrat Frank Lautenberg also won The Record's endorsement in his bid for a fifth term in the U.S. Senate. This is a pickup for Lautenberg: in 2002, The Record endorsed Ted Glick, the Green Party candidate. "Six years ago, we wrote that Frank Lautenberg did not 'have his good stuff' when he reentered politics to run for a fourth term in the U.S. Senate. Six years later, a clearly energized Lautenberg has the right stuff to serve six more years."

The Record endorsed Bergen County Clerk Kathleen Donovan for re-election to a fifth term, saying she has done an "excellent job" and that Democrat Diane Testa has offered "no substantive ideas." In the race for Bergen County Freeholder, The Record is supporting Republican challengers Chris Calabrese, Paul Duggan and Jeffret Heller, saying that incumbents David Ganz, Bernadette McPherson and Vernon Walton "are too closely tied to Joseph Ferriero, the chairman of the county Democratic organization who has taken a leave of absence while he fights a federal corruption indictment.. It is time for Bergen County voters to slow down the party machine." The Record is also backing Republican challengers for Freeholder in Passaic County.

Other endorsements from The Record: Barack Obama for President and Bill Pascrell for re-election to Congress in the 8th district.