NJ-7

Linda Stender today in Somerset County

MARTINSVILLE - Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-Fanwood) said the fact that her 7th Congressional District opponent accepted an endorsement from President George W. Bush, $5,00 from Exxon/Mobil, and advertising capital from the Bush-backing Freedom’s Watch, make it hard to classify state Sen. Leonard Lance (R-Hunterdon) as a moderate.

“It all adds up to someone who will continue Bush’s policies,” said Stender at a buck-up-the-troops stop here at Somerset County Democratic Party headquarters on Sunday afternoon.

She also objected to Lance’s tagline that he’s a fiscal conservative, citing his support for Gov. Christie Todd Whitman.

Phil Clinton, a.k.a. Phil Morin, endorses Lance

KENILWORTH -- Talk about a study in contrast.

Yesterday, Democrats attracted about 1,500 people to Union County College in Cranford to hear former President Bill Clinton stump for Assemblywoman Linda Stender’s (D-Fanwood) congressional bid.

Tonight, despite pitchers of free beer, the Union County Republicans attracted about 100 people to Kenilworth’s VFW hall to support Stender’s rival, state Sen. Leonard Lance (R-Flemington), and Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dick Zimmer.

Yesterday, Clinton was Stender’s main draw. Tonight, Union County Republican Chairman Phil Morin donned a mask of Clinton, called himself “Phil Clinton” and endorsed Lance.

“If anybody wants to join me, I’ll be at the Hooters on Route 22,” he said.

Somerset County Democratic Chair Peg Schaffer, local races

MARTINSVILLE – It looks like a joke at first or at least an appropriate back burner relegation for the Somerset County Democratic Party, which sits under a pizza parlor facing away from the road.

They don’t dominate here, haven’t for years, and that’s an understatement, but the little storefront plastered over with Democratic Party campaign signs belies the internal workings of what new party chair Peg Schaffer sees as a movement.

“I forgot how to practice law,” says Schaffer, sporting a “McBush” button and gulping coffee as she surveys headquarters where two dozen campaign workers stay on the phones.

Leonard Lance and Dick Zimmer in Kenilworth

KENILWORTH – Yesterday, Democratic State Chairman Joe Cryan challenged a room full of Linda Stender supporters to name a legislative accomplishment by Leonard Lance, and called the state Senator “as partisan as they come. Independent my ass!”

Responding to Cryan before his own, more low key rally tonight, Lance named a recent legislative accomplishment he said was also bipartisan: putting the “Lance Amendment” on Tuesday’s ballot.

“It couldn’t have gotten through the legislature without Democratic support,” he said. “It has been endorsed by Governor Corzine, and it’s one of my proudest accomplishments in the legislature. Number one it’s an accomplishment, and number two it’s a bipartisan accomplishment.”

Somerset County GOP Chairman Dale Florio

SOMERSET – Field general Dale Florio goes over the numbers again in Somerset County Republican Party headquarters.  He doesn’t appear overly confident but he believes his party can comfortably fend off the other side, which is making a big play here in a presidential year when their national ticket has a double digit lead in New Jersey.

In the next room, three volunteers work the phones as pedestrians blow in from Main Street and pick up handfuls of “McCain-Palin” lawn signs.

“I’ve been pleased with the energy level – that energy surge close to Election Day,” says Florio, Republican Party county chair, looking up from his desk. “You’d have figured with the war, the economy and the last eight years that we’d have less excitement, but McCain is his own man. Quite frankly, with the Obama campaign’s focus elsewhere, it’s taken the Democrats’ focus away from New Jersey.”

JERSEY CITY – Although the pro-Sen. Barack Obama (D-Il.) crowd in the student center of New Jersey City University was juked with polls showing their candidate in possession of a double digit lead in Jersey, they supplied no demonstration of shock and awe support three days before Election Day.

Waiting for keynoters New York Gov. David Paterson and Gov. Jon Corzine, local politicians warmed up the proudly attentive audience.

“If you don’t stand for this man (Obama), you don’t stand for anything,” state Sen. Sandra Cunningham (D-Hudson) cried. “Get up. Get up!”

The crowd jolted to its feet.

Getty Images Photo

Former President Bill Clinton with Linda Stender in the closing days of the 2006 campaign

CRANFORD -- Speaking in support of Assemblywoman Linda Stender's congressional bid at Union County College today, former President Bill Clinton said Hillary had sent him.

"She said that New Jersey had been good to me and good to her, and we needed to be good to New Jersey by helping Linda Stender get elected to Congress," said Clinton.

Clinton spent the bulk of his time giving his usual stump speech for Barack Obama, but he started off by rattling off some of Stender's accomplishments in the legislature.  He characterized her as an integral part of a sweeping change needed in Washington.

"I have reviewed Linda Stender's record very carefully, and if you look at the needs of America today, I think you can make a very compelling case that she has a record that is one of the finest not only in the legislature in New Jersey, but in the entire United States of America," he said.

Clinton specifically mentioned Stender's global warming bill, her previous work dealing with mortgages, her support for stem cell research and her bill to ban junk food in school cafeterias.

He also demonstrated some familiarity with her last race against now-retiring U.S. Rep. Mike Ferguson.

"She lost by 3,000 votes last time.  There are enough people in this room to turn 3,000 votes between now and Tuesday," he said.

He was less familiar with the margins he won New Jersey by in his two elections.  Clinton said he won the first time by one percent, and the second time by 15 percent.

"We haven't won by less since," he said. (John Kerry beat President Bush in the New Jersey by 6%).

Former President Bill Clinton is running late, leaving more than 1,000 Democrats waiting on the Saturday before the election at a rally for Democratic congressional candidate Linda Stender.  The rally began at 12:30 PM, with Clinton expected about an hour later.  It's now 2:20 PM and the former President has not yet arrived.  That's tough on the master of ceremonies, State Sen. Raymond Lesniak, who is trying hard to come up with new material to keep the crowd engaged.

CRANFORD -- Democratic State Chairman Joe Cryan took the stage today at Union County College not just to tout Linda Stender as a hard working public servant who always “does the right thing,” but to Pummel her opponent’s reputation as a moderate independent.

“Some people say to me the other guy’s nice, or he’s ok, or what’s unfathomable to me: that he’s independent,” he said.

Cryan spoke favorably of Stender's background, including her global warming bill and work as a freeholder preserve open space. Then he challenged the audience to name one thing Lance had accomplished in his legislative career.

“What a way to get a room quiet -- just ask what Leonard Lance has accomplished,” he said. “He’s not independent. He’s as partisan as they come. Independent my ass!”

A Union County Democratic party official suggests that if Linda Stender loses her race for Congress next week, she won't get a fifth term in the State Assembly when her seat comes up next year.  As Democrats see it, Stender has had two shots to move up (she lost a race to Mike Ferguson by one percentage point in 2006), and they believe she should win this year.  There is a long line of Union County Democrats who are interested in succeeding Stender in the Legislature, and party leaders feel their opportunity to run for the Assembly ought not be eliminated because Stender didn't run a strong enough House race.  If she loses, look for Stender to wind up with an appointed position, either in the state or in Union County.