EDISON — With 29 days to go until election day, the two candidates for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by retiring New Jersey Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D) — former Goldman Sachs CEO Jon Corzine and N.J. Republican Rep. Bob Franks — squared off yesterday at the News12 New Jersey studio in Edison in the first of four televised debates.
Before the candidates arrived, supporters of Franks and of Corzine — numbering fewer than 100 on each side — rallied outside the news station. Franks supporters attacked Corzine for using his personal fortune to "buy the election," while Corzine supporters rejected the accusations.
"I have never seen such rudeness like this," said Charley Jacobs-Mintz, a Corzine supporter. "They are putting signs in people's faces and in front of the cameras."
Three members of the Princeton College Democrats were on hand at the rally and the debate to show their support for Corzine and to talk about political issues with other supporters.
In part, the debate focused on abortion rights and the nomination of Supreme Court justices during the next presidency. With three justices likely retiring during the next four years, support for Roe v. Wade on the bench has become a campaign issue. And the U.S. Senate must vote to confirm any presidential nomination to the Court.
Corzine said he would support nominees who uphold Roe v. Wade. Franks, on the other hand, said that in some instances he supports a woman's right to choose, but that he also favors justices in the conservative style of Antonin Scalia. "I don't support litmus tests," Franks said, indicating he would consider a nominated justice's full voting record rather than focusing on one issue.
He added that he believes individual communities need to work to reduce the need for abortions. Both candidates agreed the issue of parental notification rights needs to be addressed.
The candidates also focused on foreign policy in light of the recent violence and unsuccessful peace negotiations in the Middle East.
Franks said he believes the United States should stand as a reliable friend to foreign allies. Corzine, in an interview following the debate yesterday, said he thought the United States should intervene if its national interests are at stake and if its "overall strategic alliances are effected."
Reporters' questions focused on the "800-pound gorilla of the election" — Corzine's record-shattering spending on the campaign. Corzine has spent about $1.5 million per week recently, mostly on television ad spots in Philadelphia and New York, and more than $50 million on the campaign.
In contrast, Franks has run a low-budget campaign and has asked voters to consider the experience and voting records of each candidate in the coming weeks.
During the debate, Franks called on Corzine to release his personal tax records, but Corzine countered that doing so would be in violation of a confidentiality agreement with Goldman Sachs.
Corzine — who has never held elected office — replied to Franks' accusations by describing his 25 years in the private sector and his consistent support for charitable foundations and volunteerism. Commenting about his campaign's strategy, Corzine said in an interview, "I have been consistent on issues . . . The issue that I changed my position post-primary is nonsense. I'm not going to raise taxes, and I'm not going to spend us into deficit."
In a poll conducted Sept. 21, Corzine led Franks 47 percent to 32 percent, with about 21 percent of voters undecided.
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