The Star-Ledger — Sunday, October 29, 2006

If half-truths and smears were the criteria for picking a candidate in the New Jersey election for a seat in the U.S. Senate, campaign ads would suffice. We believe, however, the decision should be based on a candidate's positions on vital issues, his ability to articulate those positions, and his experience.

For those very reasons, The Star-Ledger endorses Robert Menendez.

For example, Menendez, who served in the House of Representatives for 13 years before he was appointed to the Senate earlier this year, has consistently opposed the war in Iraq.

He voted against authorizing the invasion in October 2002 when most – including scores of Democrats – bought into the White House argument that removing Saddam Hussein was crucial to the war on terror.

His opponent, state Sen. Tom Kean Jr., has adopted President Bush's position that establishing a timetable for pulling out of Iraq would devastate any hope of implanting democracy in that region. Kean, apparently sensing the mood of the public, does acknowledge that many mistakes have been made.

Menendez advocates a well-planned, gradual redeployment of troops. He correctly notes that America's continued presence in Iraq is making the situation worse, providing insurgents from all factions with a common enemy. And he grasps the war's cost – in both lives lost and the domestic social programs being shortchanged because of the billions the Iraq war demands.

Bush's tax cuts provide another reason for electing Menendez. He opposes making them permanent; Kean embraces making them lasting.

We believe the nation simply can't afford to hand windfall tax breaks to the wealthy few while amassing a smothering debt for our children and grandchildren. And Menendez would wisely use a portion of the billions realized by eliminating those tax breaks to pay down debt and the balance to resuscitate programs choked by Bush's fiscal policies.

Kean backs the Bush tax cuts. He says they should be coupled with restraints on spending. That's unrealistic. The Republican-led Congress has shown it can't say no to more spending, and Kean isn't going to be the one to change that. So the deficit will continue to mount.

On immigration, Menendez accepts reality: 12 million illegal immigrants who make up a significant part of the nation's economy simply can't be rounded up and deported. Rather, he endorses the McCain-Kennedy legislation that would offer a route to citizenship for illegal immigrants, provided they undergo criminal background checks, pay back taxes and learn English.

Kean's immigration plan is fuzzy. He calls for tighter border security and tougher penalties on businesses that hire illegal immigrants. But he isn't clear about the 12 million already in this country illegally.

As for experience, Menendez's tenure of nearly 14 years in Washington, where he compiled an impressive résumé, clearly overshadows Kean's five years in Trenton.

Although Menendez has served in the Senate for just the past 10 months, he spent 13 years in the House, deftly navigating the congressional system to become caucus chairman, the third-highest-ranking Democrat.

We endorse Menendez fully aware of the ethical questions that have plagued his candidacy. The most serious is the U.S. attorney's probe into a rental deal he had with a Hudson County community organization that also received federal funds. Clearly, Menendez exhibited poor judgment in this case, but that's not reason enough to disqualify him.

We also question the quality of Kean's campaign. Most New Jerseyans hear the name "Kean" and think of the candidate's father, who is seen as a representative of integrity. The relentlessly ugly campaign waged by Kean Jr., however, doesn't reflect that reputation.

Moreover, Kean Jr. has spent little time in his political advertisements telling voters where he stands on the issues.

In addition to his positions on the issues and his experience, Menendez gets our support for another reason. New Jersey has emerged as a pivotal state in the struggle for control of the Senate. A Republican victory in New Jersey could tip the balance toward the GOP.

A continued Republican majority will result in two more years of a docile, incompetent Congress unwilling to challenge Bush's imperial presidency.

Democratic control of the Senate will send a signal that citizens want to reverse the destructive domestic policies of the past six years, to see the nation reclaim its position as a champion of democracy and to eliminate the "us-or-them" mentality that has led to continuous confrontations around the world.

Copyright 2006 The Star-Ledger