New Jersey senator to lead Democratic campaign effort
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/11/25/art.m.gi.jpg caption="Robert Menendez will lead the organization that is charged with trying to get Democrats elected to the Senate."]
WASHINGTON (CNN) - Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, was appointed Tuesday to head the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the political organization charged with helping to elect Democratic senators.
Menendez succeeds Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York, as DSCC chair. Schumer held the post for four years and is credited with helping Democrats pick-up at least seven seats in November.
Senate races in Georgia and Minnesota remain unresolved. In Georgia, a run-off will occur Dec. 2, while a recount is underway in Minnesota. Democrats currently hold 58 seats in the Senate, and victories in Georgia and Minnesota will give them 60 seats - a filibuster-proof majority in the chamber.
Schumer is also credited with engineering a six seat gain in the 2006 midterm elections that gave the Democrats control of the Senate.
Menendez joined the Senate in 2006 to fill the unexpired term of Sen. Jon Corzine, who resigned after winning election as New Jersey governor.
Menendez, who is Hispanic, won his own six-year term in the 2008 elections. For the past two years, the New Jersey senator served as the DSCC's vice chair.
The DSCC in its news release stated that Menendez is the first Hispanic to chair a House or Senate campaign committee, and noted he became "the highest ranking Hispanic in Congressional history" when we was elected to lead the House Democratic Caucus before joining the Senate.
Senate Republicans chose Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, to lead their political efforts in 2010 as chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee shortly after the elections.
Having lived in New Jersey for two years while Menendez was Senator, I can say firsthand that he does NOTHING for New Jersey.
The pending scape goat for the upcoming democratic outser due to the enormous socialistic damage about to be unleased on the America dream.
Correction – Sen. Menendez won election to a full term in 2006. NJ's other Democratic Senator, Frank Lautenberg, was just re-elected to a new six year term in 2008.
There is an error in the article. It says Menendez "won his own six-year term in the 2008 elections". This is incorrect. Menendez won his term in the 2006 elections against Tom Kean Jr.
Lord, please bless the intellectually less fortunate souls that believe in trickle down economics. Grant them enough intelligence to see through the fear tactics of those that seek to use them for their own gain. Please allow them to see that you cannot blame Clinton for the eight years after his presidency (Future) while blaming the Democratic Congress for our current situation (Present) and Obama for the two months prior to his Presidency (Past). Please show them that people with different colors on their skin are every bit as good if not better than themselves. Grant them the humility to realize that they have no right to project their own flawed morals upon others that seek to share their lives together in peace and tolerance. Show them that you cannot drill for more oil and protect our planet at the same time. Lord, please raise the price of gas continuously until we finally find something else. Please teach them how to spell so they don't look so dumb when they try to respond to this.
Senator Schumer had a pretty easy job this year. it might be a whole different story for Senator Menendez in 4 years. Lets hope not but who can tell?
To Mark Preston,
Myself being a so-called "Hispanic-American," the proper way to refer to Sen. Bob Menendez would as a Cuban-American. It's that whole thing of nobody saying they're European American, but Norwegian American or Italian American or Irish American, etc... Same with our people, we're Guatemalan American or Mexican American or Chilean American, etc...
Some background to identity politics in the US senate:
Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL) and Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) are Cuban Americans and Sen. Ken Salazar (D-CO) is a Mexican American.
Chuck Schumer is smart to quit while he's ahead. But maybe Bob Menendez can follow up with another good cycle.
IS BUSH STILL THE USA PRESIDENT?
JUST ASKING
This article is 2 years off on the dates. Menendez won his two year term in '06.
So Senators have committees solely for the purpose of getting other people from their party elected. Oh yeah, that's really representing the people who voted for them. It's okay, Senator, don't you worry about that nasty economic mess back home or those folks without jobs down here in your state. You just spend plenty of your taxpayer-funded time serving on that "get-my-buddy-elected" committee.
Boise, ID November 25th, 2008 10:27 am ET
Lord, please bless the intellectually less fortunate souls that believe in trickle down economics. Grant them enough intelligence to see through the fear tactics of those that seek to use them for their own gain. Please allow them to see that you cannot blame Clinton for the eight years after his presidency (Future) while blaming the Democratic Congress for our current situation (Present) and Obama for the two months prior to his Presidency (Past). Please show them that people with different colors on their skin are every bit as good if not better than themselves. Grant them the humility to realize that they have no right to project their own flawed morals upon others that seek to share their lives together in peace and tolerance. Show them that you cannot drill for more oil and protect our planet at the same time. Lord, please raise the price of gas continuously until we finally find something else. Please teach them how to spell so they don't look so dumb when they try to respond to this.
Now that's a PRAYER that I will say before Bed EVERY NIGHT.
Thank You
RealityKing--What is the color of the sky in your delusions?
Maybe you should read Boise,ID's post and pray on it.
He will have his work cut out for him in two years-about the time I predict the American People will be calling for Obama's Impeachment!
We are a nation of moderate conservatives and after two years of Liberal Left Failures we will be ready for change we can Believe in!
Lord please bless the elitists within our society that believe that their ideas are the only ideas worth talking about. Allow them to see two sides to a story, and have them be as generous with their own money and time as they are with other peoples'. Allow them the patience to not take a dig at inferring that those who disagree with them are racists or corrupt before first looking at their own side and slinging the mud equally. Finally, give them the common sense to know that those that disagree with them do not necessarily agree with the other side either, and that the obnoxious replies that come in to their inflammatory antagonistic post are meant with no intent other than to keep an open mind and stop being a sheep.
Another blow hard democratic ignoramus. This is CHANGE I say.. Yes we can.. all the way to the toilet.
Robert Menendez (D-NJ). The investigation, of course, is no secret, but after a controversy raged over subpoenas issued shortly before the 2006 election, the investigation has shifted direction entirely. Now the focus seems to be whether Menendez steered lobbying contracts to his former girlfriend and then delivered government funds to those client once they'd hired her.
Change we can all believe in!!!!
the highest-ranking hispanic politician is bill richardson. and he got shafted to please queen hillary and team.
Eric-
Problem is when you start the rant with a term like "elitist", you tend to undercut the rest of your argument, especially the part about being open-minded.