U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey died yesterday, leaving Senate Democrats and New Jersey’s Republican governor in a bit of a quandary.
Lautenberg, a multimillionaire businessman and Democratic liberal who was called out of retirement for a 2nd tour of duty in Congress, passed away yesterday from complications of pneumonia. The 89-year-old Lautenberg suffered from a myriad of health problems, including a February, 2010 diagnoses of lymphoma of the stomach, which required chemotherapy and kept the senator away from important votes.
Lautenberg’s death is the huge loss of a liberal vote in the senate, although Democrats will still maintain the majority with 54 senators.
However, NJ Gov. Chris Christie now has a dilemma on his hands. Christie must appoint an interim senator to replace Lautenberg, until an election for a permanent successor can be held. Christie, a Republican, could tow the party line and name a Republican to replace Lautenberg. But Christie could also surprise everyone with his independent streak and pick a Democrat, which could go over well nationally as a quality bipartisan move, should Christie run for president in 2016.
Adding 1 more Republican senator to the already comfortable Democratic majority will not move the needle for the GOP, although it could show conservatives that Christie is one of them. However, picking a Democrat could go a long way with Independents and be a plus for Christie’s future political endeavors, especially if he seeks the presidency.
Hmmm…. What to do?
