(Cross-posted at my blog, An Enduring Democratic Majority).
Tim Moran of the Newark Star-Ledger wrote a very good column last week that shows embattled NJ-7 Republican Congressman Mike Ferguson's rocky road to reelection.
Yet another Republican is looking for the exits
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Republican Rep. Mike Ferguson has supported President Bush on every vote over the Iraq war, from the invasion to the surge.
But he talks today like a man who's getting ready to switch sides.
"I am beyond frustrated," he says. "Either we get good news by September, or something radical has to change. And it's tough to imagine a scenario where they will meet the benchmarks by then."
Ferguson has every reason to be "frustrated." He barely survived his reelection bid in 2006, edging Democratic challenger Linda Stender by less than one percent - around 3,200 votes. And with President Bush at 21 percent, according to the most recent Quinnipiac poll, Ferguson is realizing it may be time to change the course in Iraq.
Ferguson is facing another kind of math at home in New Jersey. His 7th District stretches across the belly of the state, from Pennsylvania in the west to the outskirts of Newark in the east. It is among the wealthiest congressional districts in the nation, and supported Bush in both 2000 and 2004.
But the war has created an opening for Democrats. Ferguson won re-election last year by less than 1 percentage point, his smallest margin ever.
And both Bush and his war have become more toxic in New Jersey since then. The latest Quinnipiac poll puts Bush's approval rating at 21 percent, the lowest ever. And by a lopsided margin of 19 points, New Jersey voters want Congress to set a deadline for the withdrawal of all troops.
Additionally, much to Fergie's chagrin, Stender has already announced that she is coming back for round 2 in 2008. Last week the Union Assemblywoman chimed in on Ferguson's recent change of heart:
"He's running scared," says Democratic Assemblywoman Linda Stender, who nearly unseated Ferguson in 2006 and is seeking a rematch. "Now he's going to run and hide and pretend he wasn't part of making this mess. But he's been with the president every step of the way. I think people are plain sick and tired of it."
Damn right Linda!
But when Mike Ferguson says that he's getting frustrated, what does that really mean? Well, apparently his frustration wasn't high enough to stand up to the President when he announced his surge earlier in the year.
He was blistering in his criticism of Democrats during the debate over the surge in February, saying they were "playing politics" and committing an "unforgivable disservice" to the troops and their families.
Support the troops, right Mike? And what better way to do so then to keep them embroiled in a civil war with no end in sight.
In 2006 Linda Stender's loss was one of the few sad stories the Democrats had to endure during the entire cycle. She ran a beautiful campaign, focusing on Stem Cell Research and the war in an attempt to unseat Ferguson. Her campaign garnered all sorts of newspaper endorsements, ranging from the New York Times, to the Newark Star Ledger and numerous other local publications.
If you access the link on her web site, I strongly recommend listening to her radio ad entitled "Life." Powerful stuff.
Ferguson is Pro-Life, Anti-Stem Cell Research and pro-war congressman who can legitimately be taken out of power by a candidate who is the polar opposite of him on the issues. Linda Stender is a candidate that netroot advocates dream about.
Help Send Linda To DC.