New Jersey takes a lot of abuse from late night comedians and others who haven't a clue. Where I live in South Jersey, you could drive for miles and see nothing but pine trees and corn fields. Granted, Northeastern Jersey is a sewer that we'd like to cede to New York but they won't take them, but I digress. We don't need anymore bad press than we already get so the arrests of 11 politicians in a bribery scandal is not helping our case.

Corruption in the Garden State is nothing new, hell, this is the state that the Soprano's was filmed in and it wasn''t too long ago that organized crime was flourishing from Bayonne to Atlantic City and over to Camden. Unions now rule and the politicians will do anything to secure their votes. Our long, proud history of corruption also includes the Abscam scandal--one of Representative John Murtha's shining moments. In the last five years, over 100 politicians in the state have been convicted of some crime.

As we speak, former Senator and now Governor Jon Corzine is fighting serious charges related to his ex-girlfriend who he showered money upon and leads one of the most powerful unions in the entire state. Add that to the resignation (for corruption of course) of U.S. Senator Bob Torricelli and the scandalous way the Democrats cheated state law to get Robert Menendez on the ballot (Menendez stayed true to N.J. Democrat form and got himself into an ethics scandal) and you have an idea of just how strong the Democratic machine is in this state. I haven't even mentioned Jim McGreevey and his secret trysts with anonymous men at truckstops throughout the state.

Update (9/7/07 1606): Another Dem scandal and guess whose name arises again? Rep. John Murtha and this one is $9-million+ in lost funds.

New Jersey is a deep blue state (John Kerry won by 7% in 2004 and Al Gore by almost 16% in 2000) where the political machine rules. Political bosses wield enormous power and those bosses are all Democrats. I wouldn't say New Jersey is liberal like, say, Manhattan. It's a state that is blue-collar, union and affluent at the same time, old school Democratic in other words.

That said, it's surprising that the attorney general of the Garden State passed down that the immigration status of those arrested will be established by the arresting officers:

It's just seven pages long. But Directive No. 2007-3 could fundamentally change the lives of New Jersey's immigrant population.

On Friday, civil rights and immigrant advocates expressed deep concerns about a mandate that police ask citizenship status of those arrested for indictable crimes, such as theft, rape and assault, along with drunken driving in New Jersey.

Many said they support the spirit behind state Attorney General Anne Milgram's decision to create a transparent statewide system for police handling of immigration status. They responded positively to a provision barring police from asking victims and witnesses about their status.

This is a reaction to the horrific execution deaths of three college-bound kids behind a school in Newark, a city not far from Manhattan. The alleged leader is a man named Jose Carranza, an illegal immigrant from Nicaragua.

There's an interesting article at NJ.com about speculation that Democrat Senator Frank Lautenberg might resign, primarily because of new polling that shows that New Jersey voters think that the senator, at 83, is too old to seek another term next year. In that case, it would be up to Democrat Gov. Jon Corzine to appoint a new senator, his second senatorial appointment. That would enable the newly appointed senator to run as an incumbent, a huge advantage.

First, the poll:

But the Quinnipiac University Poll July 9 was more unkind toward Lautenberg. It said 54 percent of those polled believe Lautenberg, 83, is too old to serve another six-year term in the U.S. Senate. Another 40 percent said he's not too old. Even Democrats, by a 49-44 percent margin, said Lautenberg is too old. So did Republicans, 62-35 percent, and independents did the same, 51-41 percent...The poll found only 31 percent said he deserved to be re-elected; 42 percent said he doesn't.

Next, the all too familiar New Jersey Democrats' solution:

If Lautenberg stepped aside, merely speculation, Gov. Jon S. Corzine of Hoboken would be expected to appoint Andrews {Rep. Rob Andrews, D-Haddon Heights} - just as he did then-Rep. Robert Menendez of Hoboken, which could become a habit in Democratic New Jersey.

Nothing can stop the New Jersey Democratic Party from doing this, but I'm wondering if the electorate in that state might be getting a bit tired of the party's gaming of the system.

This case just keeps getting more interesting. In 2004, the Senator Jon Corzine broke up with his girlfriend Carla Katz. As she does now, Katz is the leader of Communications Workers of America Local 1034. The CWA is one of the strongest unions in America.

It was previously revealed that Corzine forgave a $470,000 loan to Katz she used for a mortgage. The media have been burying this story to this point, but now it's too big to cover up any longer:

It (the NY Times report--ed) said its investigation found no clear explanation as to why Corzine paid the money, although it said Katz once threatened to stage a news conference to embarrass Corzine as they were breaking up.

According to the newspaper, the agreement included a trust for Katz's two children, now 12 and 15, to attend college; a sport-utility vehicle that cost about $30,000; and a cash payment used by Katz to buy a $1.1 million condominium in the same building where Corzine lives.

All told, it adds up to $6,000,000. Now the next logical question would be why would Corzine give an ex-girlfriend all that money? What could she have said in the news conference that would "embarrass" Corzine? It just doesn't make sense that Corzine would pay an ex six million big ones, even with his money. It just doesn't add up.

New Jersey Republicans are going for the jugular and if more details come out that implicate Corzine in paying hush money, things could ge ugly for the Guv:

"The time line established by the New York Times leaves little room to conclude anything other than that candidate Corzine paid Ms. Katz $6 million to keep her silent and that the payout schedule was designed to give her the appropriate incentive to keep quiet," said Wilson. "If that's true, Gov. Corzine would have no choice but to resign immediately."

New Jersey, it's not only the Garden State but the state where every governor gets involved in deep scandal as fast as possible.

New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine was seriously injured in a hit and run accident on the Garden State Parkway in South Jersey:

When Corzine arrived at the hospital, doctors said he was conscious but had suffered several injuries: a femur bone broken in two places that had lacerated his skin, a broken sternum, six broken ribs on each side, a head laceration and a minor fracture on a lower vertebrae.

Ostrum said Corzine did not have any brain or spinal damage. And the governor's injuries were not considered life-threatening.

Corzine was on his way to a meeting between Don Imus and the Rutgers women's basketball team at the time of the crash. A breathing tube was inserted to ensure that his breathing is steady.

Jon Corzine is a major money man for the Democrats. He is a serious fund-raiser who will be courted by every presidential candidate. With the NJ state legislature moving the primary up to February, the state will become a major campaigning area for the candidates, especially the Democrats as New Jersey is about the bluest of the blue states.

Previously on 'The Stump':
· Endorsements, Endorsements, Endorsements
· The Man Who Could've Been President

The GOP is set to keep the Senate according to the latest numbers:

Just days from the midterm elections, the final round of MSNBC/McClatchy polls shows a tightening race to the finish in the battle for control of the U.S. Senate. Democrats are leading in several races that could result in party pickups, but Republicans have narrowed the gap in other close races, according to Mason-Dixon polls in 12 states.

Rhode Island is back in play, Ford in Tennessee is getting beat soundly and Menendez holds on in N.J. if these polls are correct.

How the heck can this be happening? Republicans are getting their brains knocked out around the country. One Republican incumbent after another is fighting for their political life. However, in New Jersey, incumbent Bob Menendez is fighting to get re-elected. One week ago, Tom Kean Jr. was ahead by 2%. In the most recent Rasmussen poll, Menendez is ahead by 5%. Why is this such a tough race for Menendez?

Well, you might point to the decision by the New Jersey Supreme Court that gave the green light to gay marriage or at least civil unions. This could remind the voters about their last Democratic governor who turned out to have a male lover. But, I don't think this is the problem. Instead, I think that New Jersey voters are being awakened by corruption scandals that are erupting all over the country. Though most of those officials are Republicans, in New Jersey, it has been the Democratic party that has been touched by corruption. Tom Kean Jr. is the knight in shining armor coming to rescue the state.

If one was placing bets on Tuesday night elections, I think, with the right odds, I would put my money on Tom Kean Jr.

In what can only be seen as trying to halt historically Republican military votes from being tallied, Rep. Rush Holt from Princeton is questioning the voting procedures of our military men and women:

A New Jersey congressman raised questions Thursday about a new military voting program that lets service members request and submit their ballots by fax or e-mail.

The Defense Department, however, said the program is as secure as possible, and any risks are detailed for the military members when they access the e-mail system.

Why would Holt question the veracity of our military's vote? It seems at least as secure as the way we've voted in the past. This man is from a party that pushed for ex-convicts and illegals to vote, but has issues with our procedures for our military. Why does Ruch Holt wish to disenfranchise the good men and women in uniform? At the very least they can't be as stupid as those who voted for Pat Buchanan instead of Al Gore in 2000...at least if you ask anyone but John Kerry that is.

The Annenberg Political Fact Check's website, FactCheck.org, has been a must read for me since its inception two years ago. Overall, it accurately tears apart political ads, telling us what's factual and what's not. Though I've noticed a tendency to be harder on Republicans than Democrats, since TIME Magazine's Vivica Novak joined a while back, I still read everything they send me, and find them to be pretty accurate.

Today they sent out an e-mail written by Novak (whose husband Robert D. Lenhard is a Democrat insider, nominated for a seat on the FEC by Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid) on the ads in New Jersey, funded largely by the NRSC, against Sen. Bob Menendez.

The New Jersey race is, I think, going to be one of the closest next Tuesday. Menendez has been suffering quite a bit of bad press recently, most of it dealing with corruption. The NRSC ads targeting Menendez bring up a few questionable things, including a federal investigation into a lease that a non-profit signed with the senator years ago and a relationship he has with a convicted cocaine dealer.

Whenever we get to the end of an election, the Philadelphia Inquirer goes into overdrive shilling for the Democrats. Remember the 21-day endorsement of John Kerry?

This year looks to be no different as the Inqy essentially labels the entire state of New Jersey racist:

For the first time in New Jersey history, a major party is asking the state's voters to select a minority for statewide office, and the ethnic factor could be decisive in a close race.

Polls show Democratic U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, who was appointed to the Senate in January, locked in a tight race with Republican nominee Thomas H. Kean Jr.

And some analysts suspect the polls under-represent those who will not vote for him because he's Hispanic. The ethnic factor could cost Menendez as much as 3 percent, said David Rebovich, Rider University's managing director of the Institute for New Jersey Politics.

You've got to be kidding me, aren't we past voting or not voting for candidates based on ethnicity? Do the editors at the Inquirer actually think that has any bearing on voting preference? Evidently they do, and have pulled out their last plan. The racist plan.

As a resident of California, where our Senate race is a gimme (Democrat Feinstein), it's been fun to follow the other key races as an outsider who can't affect the outcome. One of the more interesting sources I have found is The Fix by Chris Cillizza.

Every Friday he blogs for the Washington Post and addresses all sorts of politically relevant issues. This week he wrote about key House races, but last week it was the key Senate Races. According to The Fix, those races (as of a week ago), show the Senate landscape shifting towards the Democrats. His analysis is as follows:

• Washington - Republican Mike McGavick's "free-fall" following his mishandling of a past drunk driving arrest had ended, but the damage was done. Two recent polls showed Democrat Maria Cantwell leading McGavick by 9 and 10 points.
• Maryland - Republican Michael Steele continued to impress with his unorthodox ad campaign, but his central problem is his stance as a long-time supporter of George W. Bush. Polling showed the democratic candidate, Ben Cardin, with a mid single digit lead. Steele's chances hinge on an improvement in the national political climate, a change seen as increasingly unlikely.
• Virginia - A new Mason-Dixon poll showed Republican George Allen and Democrat James Webb tied at 43 percent -- a stunning reversal for Mr. Allen, who started the year running for president in 2008. A key to the outcome may be whether the Democrat Senatorial Campaign Committee or the National Republican Senatorial Committee weighs in with television ads between now and November 7th.