I can understand why the Democrats might be worried about Lautenberg's age. They could have resolved that in last year's Democrat primary, but they chose steady experience (Lautenberg) over youthful exuberance (Andrews). I would be against this type of switcheroo if it were tried by either the Republicans or the Democrats. But if it must be done, the Democrats would be wise to pick anyone but Corzine. Frank Pallone would be a good choice. He is known up and down the state. His work on the Commerce Committee would mean he would have little trouble raising money for a year-long campaign. That would be if the New Jersey Democrat could MAKE Lautenberg step down. Thus far, I haven't gotten an answer yet on just how they could induce him to do it when he appears perfectly happy (and healthy) where he is.

I don't believe that the majority of democrats would be foolish enough to want to see Corzine get beaten 2 years in a row ....just so he could splash more of his money on the party.N.J has seen enough of this interloper with his socialist ideas .But it would be worth a lot to see him arm and arm with Obama ,while bobbling his head again

Progressive is the wrong word.

I just don't like rich people picking on poor people -- which is what our society is all about. Republicans do not represent working people's interests, and yet working people fall for Republican hype every time. Working people are against affordable housing because some republican developer tells them it is bad. Working people are against healthcare when some rich insurance Republican tells them its bad. Working people are against everything that is in their best interest because rich republican tell them these things are bad. I just want working people to wake up and realize that Republicans are out for rich people, not working people.

I always thought those of your political philosophy were "progressives" who like to move forward. For such a presumably "forward-thinking" philosophy, so many seem so mired in the past. Bush is so yesterday. Let's overlook the Bush Derangement Syndrome for a minute and try to address how the New Jersey Democrats can make Sen. Frank Lautenberg step down from a Senate seat to which he was duly reelected last year.

No theories. Just the observation that Republicans are just as capable of misdeeds as Democrats, only they do it on a large scale, selling their souls out on a national level. Such as Bush crafting a retirement package that favored drug companies, oil agreements that favored his friends and other creepy groups and that NJ voters elected a guy governor who not only was in with that crowd, but had business dealings with the same creeps.

This is the man who is going to cure our problems? NOT

The failure to address the issue at hand and launching into conspiracy theories speaks volumes. In law the saying goes "When the law is on your side, pound the law. When the facts are on your side pound the facts. When neither one are on your side pound the lectern." That lectern is taking an awful thumping up there! The question this article addresses is on the subject of political musical chairs as it relates to the outgoing governor and an aging U.S. Senator. I don't think Lautenberg will go along with it because he is one of the more principled politicians in either party in New Jersey.

I guess hanging chads in Florida in 2000 would be considered clean politics or arranging for voting machines -- made by Republican-owned companies -- which erace votes such as in Ohio in 2004.

Let's just bring back the Republicans with every possible cheating method possible. Democrats shouldn't try to even the playing field and just let the lying republican roll over them. That sounds fair to me

Oddly enough, this type of gamut is not unprecedented. Back in late 1998, there were musings in the press about asking Strom Thurmond (who was 96 at the time) to step down before an incoming Democrat (Hodges) could take the governor's office and potentially appoint Thurmond's successor. That sounded like dirty politics to me and I'm glad it never came to pass either because party leaders knew it was wrong or because Thurmond rejected it if it ever got to him. Would you have been just as O.K. with that type of gamut in South Carolina 11 years ago or is it just OK if a Democrat is the beneficiary? You still haven't told me how the Democrats could make Lautenberg resign. The people have spoken both in 2008 and 2009. Bush has nothing to do with this. Why not do things the old-fashioned way and let the people's say stick?

I do agree cannonball that Democrats acted foolishly in not addressing the situation sooner. But considering that Bush stole two elections, I don't see anything particularly wrong with the Democrats keeping control of congress. Why ask for trouble by giving republicans another opportunity to mess the country up. Most of what's wrong with NJ started because Reagan stripped the state of federal social aid since then it's been all down hill

Of course they're stupid.

Call it uninformed or manipulated by rotten republicans or whatever. Plato opposed Democracy because stupid people got the same vote as intelligent people, and often were controlled by brokers who steered them through fear -- much the way Republicans operated under Bush. Scare people enough, lie to them enough, and they'll vote for a fool like Christie.

The fact is Corzine did a pretty good job and voters were led by the noses into believing otherwise. I call that stupid and stand by it.

I can see that some people believe the Democrats can do no wrong and any political gamut is OK with them. Calling the people who just voted a Democrat out of office "stupid" is an odd way to win back their good graces. Living to be a healthy 90 isn't as rare as it used to be. No one has posted yet how the New Jersey Democrats could MAKE Lautenberg resign. In 2002, when he was called in as a convenient stand-in after Toricelli stepped down, Lautenberg was the go-to guy. Now that Lautenberg is a little older, it's almost like the Democrats are telling him he's past his "sell-by" date. The New Jersey Democrats could have addressed that issue last year (a good year for Democrats in NJ too) by supporting Rep. Andrews (who is 33 years younger) at that primary. Lautenberg won the primary and general election fair and square. He should not be muscled out by party bosses. If I were Lautenberg, I would reject the requests by party leaders who would propose it, because there would be nothing they could do about it until 2014.

Boy, everybody hates Corzine so much they are blinded to the fact that Christie hasn't got a clue as to how to cure the state's problems. What he'll do next year is blame Corzine for everything so that all of the voters who kneejerked Corzine out of office will still believe they actually did something smart when they elected Christie. It will take a few years for even the brightest of this stupid group to finally realize that Corzine actually did a pretty good job.

Lautenberg will be 90 -- if he lives to see the end of his term. Republicans are salvating to get the Senate back. Any scheme is better than a return to Bush tactics.

Now that I think about it I wish the Dems WOULD try this, but I still say its not going to happen. Lautenberg loves his seat, he's not going anywhere until 2014 barring scandal or illness, or death. Is there something about Lautenberg's health that we don't know about? I wish this scheme was true because the backlash against it would be immense. What does Codey get out of the deal? If he went through with it, he'd be tainted too. Imagine after someone gets rejected by the voters, then gets installed back into power by party bosses? It's a maneuver that would make Hugo Chavez blush. Corzine would be a goner against any semi-credible Republican, Kean Jr. could definitely win. He would have beaten Menendez in any other political environment but 2006. The lesson to learn from this is that Corzine moving from Senate to Gov. and muscling out Richard Codey, was a major blunder for Jersey Democrats. Corzine was a mediocre Senator who would have gotten a second term in 2006. Codey would have won in a landslide in 2005, and again in 2009. Thinking politically, Corzine should have stayed in the Senate, luckily for New Jersey, he didn't.

actually the scheme makes perfect sense. If Frank dies in office, then the Republicans choose a replacement, stripping democrats of a filabuster proof majority.

Local and national democrats have every reason to be concerned.

Christie is likely to screw up the state between now and November, and the backlash would help Corzine, who can fund his own campaign.

Corzine also has experience in the US Senate, and Kean Jr. is very weak.

I'm sceptical of this scheme for 4 reasons:

1. What if Lautenberg doesn't WANT to resign early? They can't make him. He IS 85, but he's in reasonably good health. He was duly reelected in 2008 and that seat is his until 2014 barring a serious ethical scandal or extremely serious illness.

2. I can see no immediate gain for Democrats. They would be replacing one Democrat with another.

3. The special election, if I'm not mistaken, would be in 2010. Do the Democrats REALLY want to have to defend one more Senate seat in this kind of political environment? In that type of environment, Kean, Jr. would make a good candidate and give Corzine the unique distinction of being defeated statewide twice in as many years.

4. I think this rumoured plot is too wild even for New Jersey.

Oh please this Corzine is like a leach you just can't get rid of him

mr. goldman sach is still trying to suck New Jersey dry. He should go back to Chicago Illinois where he came from.

This will probably happen and it will give the Republicans the opportunity of picking up a senate seat for the first time in 30 years.

Corzine will become even more reviled by participating in this scam and the Republicans will line up by the boatload to run against him and he'll lose unless the R's nominate and even bigger loser like Kean Jr. again.

This is just more Democratic BS. Didn't Lautenberg get his seat from another "ethics violator". When do the people of New Jersey get to elect our Senators.