June 10th, 2010
06:39 PM ET
13 years ago

Top Dem. senate campaigner blasts GOP candidates, tries to define them

[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/06/10/art.menendez.0610.gi.jpg caption ="Sen. Robert Menendez said Thursday that Democratic candidates will win in November because Republican candidates are either ‘poster childs’ for failed policies or ‘fringe candidates.’"]Washington (CNN) - The man responsible for electing more Democrats to the U.S. Senate believes that his party's roster of candidates will win in November because Republican candidates are either "poster childs" for failed policies or "fringe candidates."

Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, is Chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. On Thursday at the headquarters for the Democratic National Committee he spoke with reporters about the results of a round of primaries on Tuesday.

"You've got two types of crops of candidates, Republican candidates, on the ballot this fall," Menendez said.

"You have the establishment candidates – like Roy Blunt, Rob Portman, Dan Coats. You know, when we talk about outsourcing, when we talk about economic policies that were promoted and taking us back to those times that created the circumstances we're in now, lack of regulatory oversight – boy, they're the poster childs for it."

Blunt is the Republican congressman hoping to become Missouri's next senator, Portman is the former Bush administration official hoping to represent Ohio in the Senate, and Republican Coats – a former senator – hopes to reclaim that job for Indiana.

Menendez added, what he called, a second group of Republicans running in the general election.

"And then the fringe candidates, who not only take us back to those failed economic policies, but who like privatizing Social Security, eliminating Medicare and putting radioactive waste in Yucca Mountain."

Menendez did not mention specifically who those so-called "fringe candidates" are. But his comments come two days after a primary win by Nevada Republican senate candidate Sharron Angle. The Tea Party Express backed candidate favors privatizing Medicare and Social Security. And Angle takes a controversial stand on Yucca Mountain. She will face Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in the general election.

Menendez added, "I think that those are great contrasts for all of our people. And that's why I think we will do much better than people expect us to moving into the November election."

Menendez also talked about conservative Republican candidates beating others that were favored by the Republican establishment.

"Across the spectrum, you have the extreme – beating the mainstream," he said.

In stark contrast to that message, the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee feels its candidates are better suited to deliver for Americans – and to win.

In a statement to CNN, NRSC National Press Secretary Amber Marchand said, "It's no wonder the Democrats are trying to gloss over their own party's contentious divisions and failed policies, but the facts speak for themselves.

"While the Democrats are still reeling from costly and divisive primaries in Arkansas, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Ohio, Colorado, and Kentucky, Republicans are united behind our Senate nominees. The Democrats are defending a number of embattled incumbents and sitting members of Congress who eagerly voted for the stimulus debacle and unpopular health spending bill, and there's no doubt that voters nationwide are eager to hold the them accountable for their failed economic agenda, which has driven our nation's debt to a record $13 trillion while failing to create much-needed jobs."


Filed under: Republicans • Robert Menendez
soundoff (16 Responses)
  1. ib

    Boy are some people going to be woke up in Nov. The democrats are the ones that are cutting funds for medicare not republicans. Nothing but more lies coming from the far left. Remember in Nov. and kicked the out.

    June 10, 2010 06:48 pm at 6:48 pm |
  2. Dave

    It will not help, the democrats are in charge and they do a terrible job on all fronts!

    June 10, 2010 06:50 pm at 6:50 pm |
  3. phoenix86

    Menendez is such a joke. I wonder if he recited the correct lines he got from Nancy Pelosi.

    June 10, 2010 07:00 pm at 7:00 pm |
  4. Four and The Door

    Yeah. Let's give the Democrats 2 more years of a fillibuster-proof supermajority so that America can actually reach $20 trillion in debt with nothing to show for it except happy unions. Really?

    June 10, 2010 07:05 pm at 7:05 pm |
  5. Georgia, Joe

    I can't believe the American people will have as short a memory as the Republicans would like. The $13 trillion in debt that the NRSC is referring to belongs largely to the past three Republican administrations. The deficit spending spree began under Reagan and hit full bloom during the George W years. Remember Dick Cheney's quote, "deficits don't matter."? We are beginning to recover from the failed policies of Bush and the Republican controlled Congress. They spent with no regard for the future and left a legacy of huge deficits and average job losses of 500,000 per month. The economy is finally beginning to recover and grow jobs again after years of job losses. I simply don't believe the American people are going to want to go backwards by electing the same type of people again that got us into this mess.

    June 10, 2010 07:08 pm at 7:08 pm |
  6. Anonymous

    GO REPUBLICANS!!! UP WITH FREEDOM!!!
    I hope the Democrats, their big time lobbyist friends, and all of their big fat lies lose this year. DOWN WITH TYRANNY!!!!

    June 10, 2010 07:17 pm at 7:17 pm |
  7. Albo58

    Menendez forgot about the other candidate...you know, the one that believes illegal immigration is ILLEGAL and that amnesty is only rewarding BAD behavior; the one that will LISTEN to his constituency before voting with other party hacks; the one that believes "wealth redistribution" is nothing more than theft; the one that believes in the Free Enterprise system; and the one that has watched the tax/spend orgy over the last 16 months with disgust and wants to stand in opposition to the D.C. hogs at the trough!!!

    June 10, 2010 07:33 pm at 7:33 pm |
  8. George of the jungle

    Sure hope he is right. I have never seen so many crazy candidates in the repo party as now. The ideas spouted by the far right will set this counrty back generations with health care and immigration. It will no longer be the land of the free. It will be their way or the highway. Already trying to change the 14th amendment . So much hate spewing from the tea bag nut jobs it scares me to think what will happen to our society if the get elected. Hopefully enough fair minded people will see through all the lies.

    June 10, 2010 07:34 pm at 7:34 pm |
  9. Steve (the real one)

    Hey Menendez, I guess you haven't met your Dem Senatorial nominee from SC yet! Dude's got a felony charge pending. But according to you the GOP candidates have all the issues! If you say so! You haven't said squat about Mr. Green! Ashamed maybe? You may want to spent a lot more time being concerned about your party!

    June 10, 2010 07:54 pm at 7:54 pm |
  10. Freedom

    GO REPUBLICANS!!!! UP WITH FREEDOM!!!
    I hope that the Democrats and their tyrant friends lose this year's election!!! DOWN WITH TYRANNY

    June 10, 2010 08:07 pm at 8:07 pm |
  11. Padraig

    Another big mouth spouting crap.!

    June 10, 2010 08:20 pm at 8:20 pm |
  12. Mark Ferbet, KCMO

    Ha! Why do Republicans still think they talk for the Majority of America? They aren't really paying very close attention. Republicans FAILED America for 12 years. Their decisions are what led to this melt down in our economy. Their de-regulation of the oil industry led to this disaster, their corruption within the MMS also led to this current disaster. The Republicans continued abuse of spending for Military aircraft we don't need and the Pentagon doesn't want... etc... etc... etc... etc... Need I go on? The best they have to offer is Sarah Palin... and she doesn't have enough brains to realize she is the laughing stock of the Fringe Right.

    June 10, 2010 08:23 pm at 8:23 pm |
  13. Mike

    Menendez is out of luck because you cannot fix STUPID.

    June 10, 2010 11:32 pm at 11:32 pm |
  14. Orlando r.

    So since when did the republican party care about creating jobs for the middle class? They shouldnt be talking...

    June 10, 2010 11:36 pm at 11:36 pm |
  15. Mixed Bag

    So tell us, Senator Menendez, since you're involved in electing Democrats to the Senate...

    What kind of candidate is South Carolina Democratic Senate hopeful Alvin Greene?

    I mean, other than a candidate who is facing felony charges...and is on unemployment?

    It would appear that he won the right to run for office, based on the fact he received 60% of the vote from Democrats in South Carolina.

    Let's see some enthusiasm for the latest rising star of the Democratic Party, Alvin Greene.

    June 10, 2010 11:37 pm at 11:37 pm |
  16. silencer

    O boy here go the election. This is going to be fun.

    June 11, 2010 03:31 am at 3:31 am |