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New Jersey Supreme Court to Hear Democrat's Request for Candidate
Aired October 01, 2002 - 14:10 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: The New Jersey Supreme Court says it will hear a Democratic petition to tap a new candidate for the state's U.S. Senate race. For now, Senator Robert Torricelli remains on the ballot, despite withdrawing yesterday.
CNN congressional correspondent Jonathan Karl shows us the latest on this political earthquake, I guess you could say, being felt all the way to Capitol Hill and under Jonathan's feet.
Hi -- Jon.
JONATHAN KARL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: How are you, Kyra.
This is really incredible. If Democrats back there in New Jersey are scrambling to find a candidate without knowing whether or not they will be able to get that candidate's name on the ballot. That's up to the New Jersey Supreme Court. They will have those oral arguments starting tomorrow.
But the Democrats still don't know who they are going to put on the ballot. And what's been happening today is they've been watching some of their top choices say no how, no way, they don't want to run for U.S. Senate under these circumstances. Bill Bradley, the former U.S. senator from New Jersey, said no, he's not interested. And Bob Menendez, a congressman from New Jersey, said he's not interested in the race.
That leaves right now the two top candidates, I'm told, former Senator Frank Lautenberg and Congressman Frank Pallone. The decision ultimately is up to the Democratic governor of New Jersey, Jim McGreevey.
But it is an earthquake both in New Jersey and right here in Washington.
PHILLIPS: So Jon, why are they saying no?
KARL: Well, this is a situation where you're getting into a race 35 days before the election, so you have almost no time to do the fund-raising you need to set up a campaign, so that's very problematic. But these people are being asked to jump into a race when they don't even know if their name will be on the ballot. So it's a pretty tough sell. You've got to really want it.
PHILLIPS: Meanwhile, Jon, what's this Clinton connection you've been talking about, the jinx roaming the Hill?
KARL: This is fascinating. And a lot of Democrats in Washington are watching this very carefully. Bill Clinton played an interesting role here. Bill Clinton spoke with Bob Torricelli and helped him along in making this decision. And it's a very similar role that Bill Clinton played with Andrew Cuomo, who dropped out of the governor's race up in New York after having conversations with Bill Clinton, consultations with Bill Clinton. So some Democrats are watching this and looking at Bill Clinton as kind of a party boss of the Tristate Area, and wondering if you're a Democratic politician from the Tristate Area of New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and Bill Clinton calls, do you pick up the phone, given that two of those who have picked up the phone are now no longer running for office.
PHILLIPS: Thank goodness for caller ID.
Jon Karl, on the Hill. Thanks, Jonathan.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Candidate>
Aired October 1, 2002 - 14:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The New Jersey Supreme Court says it will hear a Democratic petition to tap a new candidate for the state's U.S. Senate race. For now, Senator Robert Torricelli remains on the ballot, despite withdrawing yesterday.
CNN congressional correspondent Jonathan Karl shows us the latest on this political earthquake, I guess you could say, being felt all the way to Capitol Hill and under Jonathan's feet.
Hi -- Jon.
JONATHAN KARL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: How are you, Kyra.
This is really incredible. If Democrats back there in New Jersey are scrambling to find a candidate without knowing whether or not they will be able to get that candidate's name on the ballot. That's up to the New Jersey Supreme Court. They will have those oral arguments starting tomorrow.
But the Democrats still don't know who they are going to put on the ballot. And what's been happening today is they've been watching some of their top choices say no how, no way, they don't want to run for U.S. Senate under these circumstances. Bill Bradley, the former U.S. senator from New Jersey, said no, he's not interested. And Bob Menendez, a congressman from New Jersey, said he's not interested in the race.
That leaves right now the two top candidates, I'm told, former Senator Frank Lautenberg and Congressman Frank Pallone. The decision ultimately is up to the Democratic governor of New Jersey, Jim McGreevey.
But it is an earthquake both in New Jersey and right here in Washington.
PHILLIPS: So Jon, why are they saying no?
KARL: Well, this is a situation where you're getting into a race 35 days before the election, so you have almost no time to do the fund-raising you need to set up a campaign, so that's very problematic. But these people are being asked to jump into a race when they don't even know if their name will be on the ballot. So it's a pretty tough sell. You've got to really want it.
PHILLIPS: Meanwhile, Jon, what's this Clinton connection you've been talking about, the jinx roaming the Hill?
KARL: This is fascinating. And a lot of Democrats in Washington are watching this very carefully. Bill Clinton played an interesting role here. Bill Clinton spoke with Bob Torricelli and helped him along in making this decision. And it's a very similar role that Bill Clinton played with Andrew Cuomo, who dropped out of the governor's race up in New York after having conversations with Bill Clinton, consultations with Bill Clinton. So some Democrats are watching this and looking at Bill Clinton as kind of a party boss of the Tristate Area, and wondering if you're a Democratic politician from the Tristate Area of New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and Bill Clinton calls, do you pick up the phone, given that two of those who have picked up the phone are now no longer running for office.
PHILLIPS: Thank goodness for caller ID.
Jon Karl, on the Hill. Thanks, Jonathan.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
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