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Who Will Replace Torricelli?

Aired October 01, 2002 - 13:40   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Who will replace Senator Bob Torricelli? New Jersey Democrats are going to court seek clearance to replace the senator on the November 5 election ballot. Republicans say it's too late for that. Torricelli, or the "Torch" to both friends and foes alike, dropped his reelection bid yesterday, throwing the race and perhaps control of the U.S. Senate up for grabs.
Deborah Feyerick in Trenton now with more.

Hi -- Deborah.

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Kyra.

Top Democrats right now meeting at the governor's mansion. They are trying to pick the next candidate. This as the Supreme Court makes a pretty big decision, saying that they will hear Democrats' case, thereby both bypassing a lower court which is supposed to hear this case at 3:00 this afternoon -- they're also upholding a court ruling there that said no new ballots can be printed.

The Democrats say they are just fighting to try to get a new candidate into the race and on the ballot.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOUG FORRESTER (R), NEW JERSEY: The laws of the state of New Jersey do not include we-think-we're-going-to-lose-so-we-get-to-pick- someone-new clause. What makes America unique is that this is a nation founded on the concept of the rule of law, not the rule of man.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: That was Doug Forrester. He is the Republican. And that was his analysis of the situation. He says what the Democrats are doing is not the right thing to be doing. He says that they did have a candidate; that was Senator Robert Torricelli. But when he dropped out, Democrats effectively missed a 51-day deadline which would have allowed them to swap candidates.

The Democrats, though, saying they have every right, that all they're doing is they're following the law. Even though they missed the deadline, they say their party is entitled to have their candidate in the race.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANGELO GENOVA, NEW JERSEY DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIRMAN: We are not about changing the law. If you heard anything from me today, must have heard one thing: We are about enforcing the law as it presently exists. We are about enforcing voter rights. We are about ensuring a competitive race. We are about preserving the electoral process and the integrity of the election.

I thank you very much.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: The Supreme Court has asked both the Democrats and the Republicans to file papers by this afternoon: two sets of papers effectively, one at a 2:00 deadline, the next, a 4:00 deadline. They want several questions answered, including what happens to the military ballots that have been sent out, what happens to the absentee ballots? And the voting machines? Again, there is a stay, which means no new ballots can be printed, but the Supreme Court wants these other questions answered. They also want to know how long it would take for new ballots to be printed up.

Right now, the Democrats just fighting to make sure they do have somebody on the ballot come November -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Debby Feyerick, thank you.

If they get court permission to replace Torricelli on the ballot, top New Jersey Democrats will meet in the next 36 hours to choose that replacement.

More on these developments from our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider.

Two of those popular possible replacements already said they're not interested, right, Bill?

BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: That's right. Bill Bradley, who would be the star candidate, could probably easily hold that seat for the Democrats, said he's not interested -- been there, done that -- he has higher aspirations, perhaps, again. Bob Menendez, who is a very attractive Democratic congressman of Cuban- American dissent, says that he wants to stay in the House, where is trying to become one of the leadership members of the Democrats in the House of Representatives. And he sees a green light there for him to go ahead and compete for that position. So he doesn't want to jeopardize that by running for the Senate. So those were two of the top picks for Democrats.

PHILLIPS: Bill, looking at the situation, is dropping out going to be a popular thing, or do you think this is one-time-wonder event?

SCHNEIDER: For Torricelli, I think his party's greeting this with relief because this was a seat that he was going to lose. He was getting in more and more trouble since last week. A judge released records of the investigation into Torricelli's ethical problems. The prosecutor did not seek an indictment against him, but the e-mails that were released I think were very damaging. And the Republican campaign of Doug Forrester was really running on one issue, which is Bob Torricelli. Forrester would always come out when he campaigned and say, Hi, I'm the guy running against Bob Torricelli. If Torricelli's not on the ballot, if he's not a candidate, the Republican has sort of lost his issue, and that's why he's fighting to keep the ballot the same, with Torricelli's name. He can beat Torricelli, active or inactive.

PHILLIPS: I'm sorry, Bill, I probably should have clarified when I was talking about dropping out: I meant future senators, other situations besides Torricelli. I mean are we going to see it become easier maybe for senators just to drop out when things get going rough or there is pressure on them?

SCHNEIDER: This rarely happens. It happened in this case because Torricelli had big problems. But you might see some states looking into their election law, making it easier to revise the ballot at the last minute if something like this happens, because this is a little embarrassing, but they really don't know how to handle it.

PHILLIPS: Our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider. Thanks a lot, Bill.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired October 1, 2002 - 13:40   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Who will replace Senator Bob Torricelli? New Jersey Democrats are going to court seek clearance to replace the senator on the November 5 election ballot. Republicans say it's too late for that. Torricelli, or the "Torch" to both friends and foes alike, dropped his reelection bid yesterday, throwing the race and perhaps control of the U.S. Senate up for grabs.
Deborah Feyerick in Trenton now with more.

Hi -- Deborah.

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Kyra.

Top Democrats right now meeting at the governor's mansion. They are trying to pick the next candidate. This as the Supreme Court makes a pretty big decision, saying that they will hear Democrats' case, thereby both bypassing a lower court which is supposed to hear this case at 3:00 this afternoon -- they're also upholding a court ruling there that said no new ballots can be printed.

The Democrats say they are just fighting to try to get a new candidate into the race and on the ballot.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOUG FORRESTER (R), NEW JERSEY: The laws of the state of New Jersey do not include we-think-we're-going-to-lose-so-we-get-to-pick- someone-new clause. What makes America unique is that this is a nation founded on the concept of the rule of law, not the rule of man.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: That was Doug Forrester. He is the Republican. And that was his analysis of the situation. He says what the Democrats are doing is not the right thing to be doing. He says that they did have a candidate; that was Senator Robert Torricelli. But when he dropped out, Democrats effectively missed a 51-day deadline which would have allowed them to swap candidates.

The Democrats, though, saying they have every right, that all they're doing is they're following the law. Even though they missed the deadline, they say their party is entitled to have their candidate in the race.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANGELO GENOVA, NEW JERSEY DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIRMAN: We are not about changing the law. If you heard anything from me today, must have heard one thing: We are about enforcing the law as it presently exists. We are about enforcing voter rights. We are about ensuring a competitive race. We are about preserving the electoral process and the integrity of the election.

I thank you very much.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: The Supreme Court has asked both the Democrats and the Republicans to file papers by this afternoon: two sets of papers effectively, one at a 2:00 deadline, the next, a 4:00 deadline. They want several questions answered, including what happens to the military ballots that have been sent out, what happens to the absentee ballots? And the voting machines? Again, there is a stay, which means no new ballots can be printed, but the Supreme Court wants these other questions answered. They also want to know how long it would take for new ballots to be printed up.

Right now, the Democrats just fighting to make sure they do have somebody on the ballot come November -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Debby Feyerick, thank you.

If they get court permission to replace Torricelli on the ballot, top New Jersey Democrats will meet in the next 36 hours to choose that replacement.

More on these developments from our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider.

Two of those popular possible replacements already said they're not interested, right, Bill?

BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: That's right. Bill Bradley, who would be the star candidate, could probably easily hold that seat for the Democrats, said he's not interested -- been there, done that -- he has higher aspirations, perhaps, again. Bob Menendez, who is a very attractive Democratic congressman of Cuban- American dissent, says that he wants to stay in the House, where is trying to become one of the leadership members of the Democrats in the House of Representatives. And he sees a green light there for him to go ahead and compete for that position. So he doesn't want to jeopardize that by running for the Senate. So those were two of the top picks for Democrats.

PHILLIPS: Bill, looking at the situation, is dropping out going to be a popular thing, or do you think this is one-time-wonder event?

SCHNEIDER: For Torricelli, I think his party's greeting this with relief because this was a seat that he was going to lose. He was getting in more and more trouble since last week. A judge released records of the investigation into Torricelli's ethical problems. The prosecutor did not seek an indictment against him, but the e-mails that were released I think were very damaging. And the Republican campaign of Doug Forrester was really running on one issue, which is Bob Torricelli. Forrester would always come out when he campaigned and say, Hi, I'm the guy running against Bob Torricelli. If Torricelli's not on the ballot, if he's not a candidate, the Republican has sort of lost his issue, and that's why he's fighting to keep the ballot the same, with Torricelli's name. He can beat Torricelli, active or inactive.

PHILLIPS: I'm sorry, Bill, I probably should have clarified when I was talking about dropping out: I meant future senators, other situations besides Torricelli. I mean are we going to see it become easier maybe for senators just to drop out when things get going rough or there is pressure on them?

SCHNEIDER: This rarely happens. It happened in this case because Torricelli had big problems. But you might see some states looking into their election law, making it easier to revise the ballot at the last minute if something like this happens, because this is a little embarrassing, but they really don't know how to handle it.

PHILLIPS: Our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider. Thanks a lot, Bill.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com