Dump Mike Ferguson (NJ7)

Three articles popped up re: the 7th Congressional Race today.

• The New York Times endorsed Linda Stender : "Mr. Ferguson, who is regarded as a backbencher in the House, has in the past opposed some of the administration's efforts to backtrack on environmental protection, but he has shifted recently to a more compliant position. To his credit, he continues to support gun controls.

  "Over all, however, we consider Ms. Stender, a member of the New Jersey Assembly since 2002, as someone who would better stand up to the Bush administration for the district's best interests. She wins our endorsement."

• The Courier News ran a puff piece on Mike Ferguson, including outright lies the reporter didn't bother to fact check: "I have been a very strong proponent of a clean environment," he said. "I've opposed drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve. That's something that our Republican leadership and the president have been very strongly trying to encourage. I've opposed it every step of the way." Every step of the way except the four times he voted for drilling in ANWR . Letters to the editor are appropriate!
• The Courier News ran a nice piece on Linda Stender, as well, including this line from a 911 mother: Diane Horning of Scotch Plains lost her 26-year-old son, Matthew, when the first tower of the World Trade Center tower collapsed on Sept. 11, 2001. She believes his remains ended up in the Fresh Kills landfill in Staten Island, New York.

  Horning, with no money to hire an attorney to pursue the return of her son's remains, was approached by Stender with a plan to require the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to give Horning's family the chance to bury her son, Horning said.

  Their efforts were unsuccessful in New York, but thanks to Stender, a New Jersey law calls for a more dignified resolution to the cleanup -- which Horning calls "a scoop-and-dump operation."

  "When she sees an injustice, she works tirelessly to fix it," Horning said. "She's not confrontational. She can work with opposing entities in a reasonable way, in a measured way, without being confrontational, and looks for a solution that works for everyone. I don't see any hidden agendas with her. I really don't. I see her as one of the few people who really wants to be a public servant."

• Newsweek's Jonathan Alter wrote on the 7th District race: Neither candidate can afford broadcast TV time, but Ferguson, a 36-year-old Roman Catholic conservative with family money, will likely have twice as much cash on hand. Snail mail, the medium of choice in House races, gives him a chance to depict himself as a moderate, surrounded by children. Instead of defending his consistently pro-Bush voting record in Congress, he hammers Stender for her record in Trenton.

That's it for today! Be sure to donate to Linda Stender to help her beat Mike Ferguson this year!