Andrews complains about lack of debating time with Lautenberg

Number of debates between Rob Andrews and his Republican opponent in the 1st District over the pass 18 years = ZERO.

Number of debates between Rob Andrews and his Republican opponent for Camden County Freeholder in the late 1980s = ZERO.

Number of debates between Andrews' "wife" and the other 2 Democrats in the June Primary for 1st District HR = ZERO.

camdenbeer@yahoo.com

Unfortunately for Rob Andrews, his whole campaign appears to be constructed on a flawed and feculent foundation.

Unless he comes up with a rationale for his candidacy that doesn't stink up the joint....nothing else he can say has any credibiity. Character counts.

Congressman Andrews...

1) Do you disagree, in any way, with what all your colleagues in the New Jersey congressional delegation have told us about the dinner meeting you took part in, at which you all agreed and gave your word to refrain from a primary challenge?

2) After the meeting did you feel obligated to honor your word as given?

3) At what point in time (assuming that your answer to the last question was "yes".) did you start to have questions about honoring your word?

4) What were those questions and what brought them on?

5) At, precisely, what point in time did you decide to run against Lautenberg?

6) Was this a decision you came to on your own?

7) Or were the views of other people solicited?

8) Did other people contact you to "recruit you" to run?

9) If your decision was made in conjunction with other people, what were the understandings/conditions that were reached between you and them?

10) Specifically, what was the content of your discussions with Norcross and Adubato?

11) Why did they support your run?

12) Were any specific quid pro quo's discussed?

13) Or was it just implicitly understood that it would be good for them in the future if you were to become a Senator?

14) It was widely reported that Joe Ferriero was supporting your candidacy, but then backed off when it seemed it might cost him more in the short run than he might gain by staying loyal to you; are these reports true?

15) Was Ferriero backing you?

16) If yes, then why?

17) What was in it for Joe?

18) Was it a matter of high principle that Ferriero was supporting you?

19) Or a matter of political opportunism?

20) If the former; how do you feel about Ferriero now that he's officially abandoned you?

21) Your campaign is thoroughly laced with implications that Frank Lautenberg is somehow too old to competently do his job; did you have any factual proof/knowledge of this before you announced?

22) If yes, when did you get it and why didn't you share it immediately with the public?

23) How do you justify making your announcement and filing at the last minute thereby precluding any response from your potential rivals who would have also run if they had known the agreement was "busted"?

24) You've claimed that the reason you violated your word and broke the agreement was because Lautenberg, somehow, was't holding up his end....you made vague statements about how he wasn't being sufficiently vigorous in his campaigning; but, prior to your primary challenge on April 2nd there was no active campaign (the Republicans were/are in virtually total disarray)....so how do you justify your failure to inform Lautenberg and the rest of your colleagues of your alleged concerns prior to dropping the bomb of your announcement?

Until you answer these questions in great and specific detail; your campaign has zero credibility.

PS In the event that Congressman Andrews fails to answer all these questions it is my hope that the NJ press corps actually does its job and presses for detailed responses.

From Frederick Douglass

If there is no struggle there is no progress......Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.

Congressional candidate and front-runner
in U.S. Senate race ask why Andrews
funnels taxpayer money to wife’s workplace

BARRINGTON – The Philadelphia Inquirer today further exposed the unethical earmarks arranged by Rob Andrews to fund his wife’s employer.

According to The Inquirer, Andrews funneled $2 million in taxpayer dollars to the law school at Rutgers University-Camden, where his wife, Camille Andrews, worked.

Dale Glading, candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in New Jersey’s 1st District, called Andrews’ earmarks “borderline unethical” and added that “from my perspective and those who share my concerns, Rob might as well have taken $600,000 in small bills, wrapped them in a brown paper bag, and put them on Camille's desk.” (“Andrews defends earmarks for wife's school”, The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 14, 2008)

Glading added, “If you’re going to bring back money to Camden . . . there are a whole lot better ways to spend it than on tuition scholarships to law students.” (“Andrews defends earmarks for wife's school”, The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 14, 2008)

Camden is the poorest and third most dangerous city in the entire United States, and yet it is traditionally a stronghold for the Norcross political machine, despite the machine’s abject failure to improve the city.

Camille Andrews, for her part, is now serving as the placeholder candidate for her husband’s congressional seat.

Julie Roginsky, campaign spokeswoman for Senator Lautenberg, added, “It seems Congressman Andrews owes New Jersey taxpayers an explanation as to why he constantly directed taxpayer money to a program his wife controls, even when Rutgers didn't ask him to.” (“Andrews defends earmarks for wife's school”, The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 14, 2008)

Although the machine politicians arranged for his own wife to stand in as a placeholder candidate in the 1st District, Rob Andrews says he is not running for re-election to the House, even if he loses the June 3 primary against Senator Frank Lautenberg.

Andrews told The Courier-Post, “I will not serve in the Congress next term under any circumstances.” (“1st Congressional District primary a free-for-all”, The Courier-Post, May 11, 2008)

In a poll released late last month, Senator Lautenberg led Andrews by 15 points in their race for the U.S. Senate. (“Poll: Lautenberg leads Andrews in Senate race”, The Daily Journal, April 30, 2008)