Corzine doesn't discount Dean's appeal

[Khephra]

Corzine doesn't discount Dean's appeal
By Fred Snowflack, Daily Record

You wouldn't expect U.S. Sen. Jon Corzine, D-N.J., to be shouting allegiance to a presidential candidate at the top of his lungs.

Of the nine would-be Democratic candidates, four of them are his colleagues in the Senate: John Edwards of North Carolina, Bob Graham of Florida, John Kerry of Massachusetts and Joe Lieberman of Connecticut.

Picking one in that group, or, God forbid, endorsing one of the other five, would ruffle feathers in the Senate, which seems at times more like a private club than a democratic body.

In a meeting Friday with Daily Record editors, Corzine admitted he had a favorite in the race but said he would keep it private.

He was willing to talk in public, however, about Howard Dean, the former Vermont governor, who has electrified the Democratic base.

more.........................

http://www.dailyrecord.com/news/columnists/snowflack/news16-column10.htm

[vi5]

1. I really like (my senator) Corzine.....

Especially living in a heavily republican area (Morris County) he makes me feel like NJ isn't a lost cause politically.

Plus, for as much crap as he's gotten for "buying a senate seat" (Oh the horror...he did it with his OWN money rather than every other candidate who buy their seats with somebody else's). But to my mind even though he's done some things I haven't totally agreed with, he definitely has seemed to work for respect. Good article in the Star Ledger today about how he's working hard and getting out here in heavily republican Morris County even though he lost it by 48,000 votes. At least he's not writing us off as a lost cause.

[DrFunkenstein]

2. Hardly An Endorsement

"Some say the liberal push for Dean would be equally disastrous for Democrats.

Corzine wasn't so sure. He noted that Dean deserves a lot of credit for energizing party activists. Many of these activists have been frustrated by Democratic candidates kowtowing to President Bush, especially regarding the war in Iraq.

Corzine said that even if Dean appeals to only "20 percent to 25 percent" of the electorate, he's appealing to an important part of that electorate: one that gives Democrats their vigor."

He is giving props to Dean for appealing to the activist class of the Party. Which is undeniable. But I am not so sure that Corzine is behind Dean, even with his "no" vote on the resolution. Corzine is a thoughtful and progressive voice in the Senate. It is not difficult to believe that he might not get behind Dean's centrism. It is also not difficult to believe that he might support a Senator that voted with him 98% of the time.

2002 According to the National Journal - Composite Liberal Score's calculations, in 2002, Senator Corzine voted more liberal on economic, defense and foreign policy issues than 87 percent of the Senators.

2002 According to the National Journal - Composite Liberal Score's calculations, in 2002, Senator Kerry voted more liberal on economic, defense and foreign policy issues than 87 percent of the Senators.

http://www.vote-smart.org/

[blm]

4. He's acknowledging part of the base which is a good thing.

They are part just like the millions of union workers, environmental groups, and minority activist groups.

[goobergunch]

3. Interesting...

Corzine's the head of the DSCC, so he knows a bit about electability.

Also, I noticed a typo in the article:

Few New Jersey Democrats are taking sides yet. An exception is Rep. Frank Pallone, R-Middlesex, who is backing Dean.

Pallone's a Democrat.

[SyracuseDemocrat]

5. True

And a damned good Democrat at that.