Lautenberg is stepping down. Some folks have been talking about perhaps picking up the seat on behalf of the GOP. I have to agree with Jim Geraghty on this count:
For those hoping for a GOP pickup with Lautenberg retiring, remember that to most NJ Democrats, the opposition party is the FBI.
Zing! Of course, the retirement of all these old, white people, as Glenn Reynolds like to mention, won’t be a good thing for the future of gun control.
Booker seems to be the number one candidate, and he seems to be saying largely the right things about our issue.
“remember that to most NJ Democrats, the opposition party is the FBI. . .”
Isn’t it for all Americans?
unless the outgoing class of anti-gun Democrats turns this into a core and winning (or at least non-losing) social issue for the next class. Democrat allies are certainly trying to make it such.
The new class will also not be personally invested in their predecessor’s anti-gun legislation. Lautenberg would defend his namesake amendment to the death, Booker will have no real reason to care. Rangel rammed through the Hughes Amendment, Hughes is gone and Rangel may not be running in 2014.
With personalities out of the way it should be easier for the new class to blow with the political winds and repeal some of their predecessor’s anti-gun “legacies.”
As so
A news article that I saw pointed out that there won’t even be a contested primary- the county party managers will decide who is on the primary ballot. Better hope it’s Booker, because the other guy is MUCH MUCH WORSE.
Would be nice to get a RINO in there