On Monday, Senator Robert Torricelli (D-N.J.) announced that he would no longer seek re-election to his senate seat. He was formally denigrated by a bipartisan Senate ethics committee this summer for accepting illegal gifts and contributions in his 1996 election campaign. Torricelli once held a large lead over his opponent, the unknown Republican Doug Forrester, but after a poll this weekend showed him trailing significantly, he announced that he would “not be responsible for the loss of the Democratic majority.” If only it were that simple.
Torricelli’s actions were illegal and unethical. How bad? So bad that some of the people who gave him gifts during his campaign are now serving significant prison sentences. Yet Torricelli admitted no guilt in his press conference; in fact, he spent vast stretches of time touting his successes. Additionally, instead of resigning from the Senate in a timely fashion when these allegations came to light, he selfishly remained in office, where he will continue to serve out his term. Torricelli’s actions should have come sooner, and he should have acknowledged his illegal activities as the true cause for his departure.
It is obvious that Torricelli is withdrawing not because he is losing, but because his sudden unpopularity with voters stems from his well-publicized crimes. Whether he will not admit to his offenses for legal reasons or just to save face, at least he recognizes that his actions have made him unsuitable to hold public office, and for that he can be commended.
However, if it were not bad enough that Torricelli chalked up his departure as homage to the golden calf of partisan politics, his reasons for withdrawing may now be irrelevant. Democrats wish to replace Torricelli’s name on the ballot with that of former New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg, but New Jersey law allows substitutions or vacancies only up to 51 days before an election, and that deadline has passed.
Though a state Superior Court judge has ordered the printing of ballots to cease, Republicans have vowed to appeal all the way to the Supreme Court if the New Jersey statute is overturned. Thus, it remains likely that in November voters will face the undesirable ballot choice of Robert Torricelli, briefly retired candidate, vs. Doug Forrester, stealth office seeker in a state where Republicans have not held a national Senate seat in 30 years.
By not resigning his Senate seat this summer, Torricelli has put New Jersey voters in a bad spot. His reasons for resigning from the race were faulty. He shamelessly emphasized his dedication to partisanship when he should have been apologizing for running a crooked campaign. By uniting to censure Torricelli, the U.S. government has given him an example of the usefulness of bi-partisanship that he would do well to heed: Ethics can still trump politics, and still take top polling.
