Community Corner

Gloves Come Off In Final U.S. Senate Democratic Debate

Everyone takes their shots at Newark Mayor Cory Booker in the second debate.

Newark Mayor Cory Booker may be light years ahead in fundraising, miles ahead in the latest polls, but at the second debate of Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate seat Thursday, he could not get away from the target on his back.

U.S. Reps. Frank Pallone (D-6) and Rush Holt (D-12) and state Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver (D-34) – all vying for the Democratic nomination for the Senate seat of the late Frank Lautenberg – took shots at Booker during a debate held in the Newark studios of WBGO-FM, the last time the four would be in the same room before the Aug. 13 primary election.

The scrappy debate was markedly different from Monday's largely cordial affair at NJTV studios in Montclair.

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Pallone went on the offensive early and never let up on Booker, taking him to task for his out-of-state speaking engagements, for what he called a "close relationship" Wall Street and his involvement in a Silicon Valley internet startup company funded by some of his campaign contributors.

"I wanted to point out that there were clear differences between the candidates," Pallone said in an interview after the debate. "We haven’t had the opportunity to have the kind of give-and-take that you’d normally have in an election, so if I don’t draw him out and say ‘Where do you stand?’ the public’s never going to hear it."

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Pallone wasn’t alone. Holt also went after Booker several times -- on Social Security, climate change and for answers Booker gave that Holt thought were too vague.

"I must say, there goes Cory again," Holt said following Booker’s answer to a question about climate change. "Let’s get specific here. Our positions shouldn’t be top secret. He said let’s put a carbon tax on the table. Well, are you for it or are you against it?"

Oliver also got in on the act, criticizing Booker for knack relating many of the questions to his experience in Newark and for not doing enough to promote the arts in New Jersey’s largest city.

"The state of New Jersey is a lot bigger than just the city of Newark," Oliver said. "The next senator has to focus on what’s important to communities across a broad spectrum."

But Booker showed he could give as well as he could receive, calling out Holt and Pallone for voting to repeal Great Depression-era financial legislation that Booker said helped create the economic meltdown in 2007 and for voting in favor of the Patriot Act before trying to repeal it.

"It's obvious my opponents tonight came to attack me, but again want to get back to talking about you," Booker said. "Time and time again Congress has failed to act. We’ve got 40 years of Congressional experience here between the two gentlemen and they haven’t gotten it done. It’s time to put new energy and change agents in Washington."

Booker defended his trips outside the state saying it helped bring in "hundreds of millions of dollars" into Newark to plug fiscal holes where state and federal aid fell short. He also defended his relationship with Gov. Chris Christie, who he said he disagrees with the majority of the time by pointing to it as an example of his ability to see past partisanship to accomplish a goal.

"I'll meet with anyone, famous or not, if I think it will help my city," Booker said.

But aside from the frequent jabs, the candidates agreed on more issues than not. All favored passing a marriage equality bill in the state, each supported a pathway to citizenship for undocumented residents and all agreed that the Affordable Care Act is a good piece of legislation, although more work needs to be done to bring in more uninsured Americans.

The winner of the Democratic primary will face the GOP candidate – either Somerset County physician Alieta Eck or Steve Lonegan, former Bogota mayor – in a special election set for Oct. 16.


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