Tom Kean Jr. may not be as independent as he claims — at least that’s what Herb Jackson, one of the deans of New Jersey political reporting wrote today.
Kean’s record as a legislator shows he may not be the independent fighter he says he is. Not only does he serve in the Republican leadership in Trenton, a database analysis by The Record found that Kean voted the same way most of his GOP colleagues did at least 93 percent of the time.
the voting record, when placed along side the very real impact that a Kean victory might have on the composition of the U.S. Senate — ensuring that it stays in the most conservative of Republican hands — should dispel any notions that the young state senator might have a moderating effect on his party in Washington.
And Jackson hits Kean on his signature issue — ethics reform:
Kean’s criticism of ethical lapses has been aimed almost entirely at Democrats, with no discussion of Republicans’ transgressions, either in New Jersey or in Washington.
Kean’s response is to be expected:
“This goes beyond politics,” Kean said. “It just so happens that the last several years Democrats have been in charge of the State House.”
True enough — but also incredibly disingenuous, as has been the entire GOP push in New Jersey for pay-to-play reforms. No peeps from the GOP when Whitman was handing out contracts. Nothing about Tom DeLay or the Jack Abramoff mess being uttered by young Kean, raising questions about his commitment to ethics reforms.
In the end, Tom Kean Jr. appears to be nothing more than your standard political entity, no more principled or groundbreaking than his opponent but considerably more conservative. And that seems to be what the November vote should be about.
South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press
The Blog of South Brunswick
Hank Kalet 