Vice President Dick Cheney came to New Jersey yesterday to praise Republican Doug Forrester as "an outstanding candidate for governor" and throw the Bush administration's weight behind his campaign.
"We need good partners at the state level," Cheney said. "He's the kind of man who tells it like it is, and when it's time for action, you can depend on him."
Cheney used a considerable portion of his 15 minute tribute to highlight the Bush administration's efforts on homeland security, the war on terrorism and increasing economic prosperity. He lauded Bush's nomination of John Roberts to the U.S. Supreme Court and recalled the recent elections in Afghanistan and Iraq.
"When future generations look back on our times, they will know that we met our moment with courage and know that America became a better nation -- stronger, more prosperous and more secure -- because George W. Bush was president," Cheney said.
In the days leading up to Cheney's appearance, the Democratic candidate for governor, U.S. Sen. Jon Corzine, has adopted a strategy of blasting Forrester's association with members of the Bush administration, saying White House policies have been bad for New Jersey. But Forrester showed no reluctance to embrace the vice president.
"No one has been more dedicated, standing up for America, keeping America safe, than Vice President Dick Cheney," Forrester said.
Cheney received a warm reception from the crowd of about 300 who paid $1,000 each to nosh on rare roast beef and sip cocktails in a small ballroom at the Westin hotel in Plainsboro, not far from Forrester's West Windsor home.
State GOP chairman Tom Wilson said he thought the turnout was good, especially on a sweltering Friday night in mid-July when many New Jerseyans were headed to the Shore.
After the event, expected to bring in $300,000, Forrester was beaming as he shook hands with Republican supporters. "It's pretty nice to stand up there and have the vice president make nice comments about us," he said.
Forrester introduced Cheney by suggesting they were in a bit of a dispute: "He wants Corzine out of Washington," Forrester said, "and I want to keep him there." Cheney played along with the joke, agreeing to a compromise: "He can stay one more year."
Forrester also dismissed the Democratic attack on Cheney's visit -- as well as earlier visits by Bush's top political adviser Karl Rove and Republican National Chairman Ken Mehlman -- as a smokescreen to avoid substantive debate.
"I kind of laugh at it," Forrester said. "Jon Corzine and his surrogates, there's a wagonload of them now, are dragging red herrings up and down the state because they have no issues to stand on."
The Democrats' efforts to tie Forrester to Bush administration policies come as the president's popularity in the state has declined. In a Fairleigh Dickinson University poll this week, just 38 percent rated Bush's performance as good or excellent.
Yesterday, Sen. Frank Lautenberg called a news conference to echo his senate colleague Corzine's criticism that Forrester is "too extreme" for New Jersey. Lautenberg also said it was appropriate to judge Forrester by the company he keeps.
"These are radical conservatives. They shouldn't be welcome here," Lautenberg said. "It makes you wonder what kind of people would be working in a Forrester administration."
A variety of protesters gathered outside Forrester's fund-raiser to protest administration policies in Iraq, on Social Security and other issues. About 150 union supporters, anti-war activists and others were roped off at the far end of the Forrestal Village mall, out of earshot of the event, chanting "1-2-3-4, kick Cheney out the door; 5-6-7-8 we don't want you in our state."
