Frank Lautenberg, at 84, is still the sharp-tongued, wise-cracking, mix-it-up political brawler that he always has been, and he is still the best choice and best fit for New Jersey's particular needs and tastes in a U.S. senator. Voters can support Lautenberg's quest for another term on Nov. 4 confident in the knowledge that he will represent their interests with his usual crisp sense of wit, of purpose, and aggressive agenda, qualities his opponent is unable to match.
Republican Dick Zimmer, 64, a former congressman from New Jersey's 12th District, is a conservative to the core, a completely fine quality for a less progressive electorate in some other part of the country, but wholly out of step with this state and its current state of mind.
Lautenberg is fond of laying into Zimmer as a George Bush clone, but he's wrong. Zimmer is several steps to the right of the outgoing president, and it's that narrow point of view, a tendency toward set-in-stone beliefs in an age when flexibility of thought is a most valuable asset in assessing and repairing what ails the nation, that makes the GOP challenger a less-than-perfect option for New Jersey and the nation.
To wit: Lautenberg has morphed from Iraq war supporter to Iraq war critic. Cynics might suggest that his change of position is due entirely to political advantage, as national opinion has turned against the occupation. Those critics might be right. But Lautenberg's stance, at least on its face, suggests a politician who is willing to change, to admit mistakes, to adapt to shifting realities.
Lautenberg still favors an increased U.S. presence in Afghanistan, a tack that hardly anyone can disagree with as internal strife in that nation continues to mount. As for Iraq, he favors a withdrawal timetable, something close to 18 months.
Lautenberg voted for the $700 billion U.S. financial bailout, noting, "We are looking at something that is intended to be a rescue operation." Zimmer has said he would have voted against the plan in the form it was passed.
On energy, Lautenberg is a longtime advocate of greater federal investment in wind, solar and other forms of alternative power sources. Many New Jerseyans will like this position, too: He is opposed to drilling for oil off the state's coast. Long a doubter, he's also inched into the nuclear power camp, provided strict regulations are applied.
Lautenberg has been one of the biggest voices for reinstatement of the federal Superfund tax on corporations, once used to fund the cleanup of contaminated industrial properties, of particular importance to New Jersey, which is home to more dirty former manufacturing and chemical sites than any state in the country.
New Jerseyans have a known quantity in Lautenberg, one they have liked and trusted in the past, and one they can like and trust in the future. Getting rid of him is change the state doesn't need.
