With other congressmen silent on his decision to seek another term, Andrews hopes to mend fences

Democratic committees from the three counties that comprise the 1st Congressional District will meet tonight to put U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews back (D-Haddon Heights) on the ballot.

Pretty much everyone acknowledges that's a foregone conclusion.  Everyone, that is, except Andrews.

Andrews said that he doesn't take his candidacy for granted, and has reached out to over 500 county committee men and women from Camden, Gloucester and Burlington counties.

"All I know is I've made an effort to reach out to as many county committee people as I can," he said.  "I just think people want to be asked, and these are the people that have been most instrumental in my political success.  The committee people are really the heart and soul of the party, and I wanted to make it known that I respect their judgment."

Andrews dropped out of his reelection bid in the ultra-safe 1st Congressional District to run an unsuccessful primary campaign against U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-Cliffside Park). His wife, Camille Andrews, took over his House ballot spot as a placeholder, although Rob Andrews continued to insist that, win or lose, he would not return to the House.

Now, Andrews acknowledges, he has to repair his relationship with members of his own delegation, who took him to the woodshed for challenging Lautenberg in the first place (three other New Jersey congressmen have senatorial aspirations as well), and some of whom warned him away from going back on his pledge not to return to the House. 

Since Andrews made his decision, all of the New Jersey delegation except Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson) -- who said he was not ready to forgive Andrews a week before he announced his intention to return and who called Andrews's reversal "disingenuous" to the New York Times -- have been silent. 

"I realize I have some fences to mend," he said. "I'm going to try to work with them. It's our responsibility to our constituents and I'm going to work with everybody."

While South Jersey Democrats have held out hope that Andrews would return to his house seat ever since he lost his senate bid, Andrews said that his decision to run again was also aided by out-of-state colleagues and national leaders in the House. Among them was George Miller (D-Calif.), who chairs the Education and Labor Committee that Andrews sits on, and is a key ally of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

"Frankly it's also important to have a good relationship with the members of the committee you're on," said Andrews. "(Miller) is very enthusiastic about me coming back. In fact, he asked me to." 

Although Andrews said Pelosi didn't speak to him directly about the prospect, she "made it known that she'd be happy if this happened."

Another leader who reached out to Andrews was House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), who before becoming an elected official himself worked for Andrews as an opposition researcher.

Providing he gets the party's nomination and wins the November general election against Republican Dale Glading, Andrews said he'll continue the same legislative pursuits he's focused on during his 18 year career, and will continue to commute between Washington and Haddon Heights during most work nights.

"In Washington my focus will be and has been health care and pensions and labor law. In the district my focus will be job creation and opposition to the dredging project protecting the Delaware River," he said, adding the caveat that his return is not definite. 

And while Lautenberg easily rolled over him in the primary, and despite his gubernatorial dreams being dashed by Jim McGreevey in 1997, Andrews wouldn't say whether this year's Senate bid would be the last of his attempts at statewide office.

"I think it would be presumptuous for me to speculate on anything but the immediate. I need to earn the nomination of the party," he said. "I think to look beyond that would be disrespectful."