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» Candidate/Organization: Tom Kean, Jr
» Other Candidates Mentioned: Bob Menendez, Tom Kean, Jr
» Year: 2006
» State: New Jersey
» Race: Senate, District N/A (About This Race)
» Party: Republican
» Funded by: Party
» Disseminations: TV, Web

Ad Content

» Cues: Candidate Present, Cited sources
» Issues: Corruption, Crime
» Tone: Negative
» Types: Attack
» Characters: Supporters
» Narrator: Male
» Language: English

Analysis

By The Washington Post: The Republican challenger's ad against an appointed Democratic senator -- which uses a scratchy audiotape obtained by the Philadelphia Inquirer -- is nothing short of dramatic. It also goes way beyond the available facts and never mentions that the recording was made seven years ago. There is no "Menendez kickback scheme" and, as local newspapers have noted, no evidence that there are any "federal criminal probles" aimed at Menendez.

The taped conversation is between Oscar Sandoval, a psychiatrist who bribed a former Hudson County executive, and Donald Scarinci, a longtime Menendez ally. Menendez has denied that Scarini was speaking on his behalf in urging Scandoval, as a favor, to share contractual payments with another doctor. The ad unfairly creates the appearance of underhanded conduct by Menendez. In his own ad, Menendez also tries to tar Kean, son of a former governor, with the brush of corruption.

The Democrat's commercial says Kean "conspired with a convicted felon to smear his opponent." The improsioned former county executive, Robert Janiszewski, has corresponded with a staffer for Kean's media consultant who is doing opposition research.

-Howard Kurtz More...