Kean, Menendez, and the Same-Sex Marriage Ruling

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.


Today’s New Jersey Supreme Court decision in favor of same-sex marriage may well be a factor in galvanizing conservative voters to turn out for Tom Kean Jr., the GOP’s candidate for Senate. Interestingly, both Kean and his opponent, Senator Bob Menendez, have basically the same stance on the issue. Both are against gay marriage but in favor of domestic partnerships.

Kean is in a tight race against Menendez, with polls showing the democrat slightly ahead. The Dems ought to take New Jersey, but Kean, a well known name in the state (his father was governor and most recently head of the 9/11 Commission), is running uncomfortably close. As in many tight races this year, this campaign has turned nasty, with both candidates running attack ads. And Menendez may have been somewhat tarnished by the recent disclosure of a secret tape recording, made 7 years ago, that shows a former close political advisor urging a Hudson County contractor to hire a certain individual as a favor to Menendez.

Kean has voted against the minimum wage, offered tepid criticism of Bush on Iraq, wants to get rid of the inheritance tax, and has supported some sort of privatization of Social Security. He is for stem cell research but voted against using tobacco tax monies to support such research.

Menendez wants a phased withdrawal from Iraq.

PLEASE—BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things it doesn’t like—which is most things that are true.

We’ll say it loud and clear: At Mother Jones, no one gets to tell us what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. The deadline’s almost here. Please help us reach our $150k membership goal by May 31.

payment methods

PLEASE—BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things it doesn’t like—which is most things that are true.

We’ll say it loud and clear: At Mother Jones, no one gets to tell us what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. The deadline’s almost here. Please help us reach our $150k membership goal by May 31.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate