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The death, at age 89, of Democratic senator Frank Lautenberg has put a wrinkle in the reelection plans of New Jersey governor Chris Christie. The cantankerous Republican enjoys high approval ratings and a chasmic lead over Barbara Buono, a Democratic rival so weak that former governor Brendan Byrne, now the Garden State’s Democratic elder statesman, has hinted she should think about dropping out. But the need to appoint an interim replacement for Lautenberg, and to schedule a special election to fill out his term through 2014, has created a pair of new challenges. First, does Christie hold the special election...

Frank Lautenberg, the Democratic senator from New Jersey who died today at age 89, will be remembered by others for his career in government. To me the more fascinating story is his career in business. Because the company where Lautenberg spent the 30 years between 1952 and 1982 — longer than the time he spent in the Senate — is a classic example that manages to encapsulate both the genius and the risks of a certain kind of American business. It was the success of that company — now Automatic Data Processing, Inc., or ADP — that made Lautenberg the...

Obama knew that Senator Lautenberg was dying and needs to trick Christie into naming a Democratic replacement to the Senate.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie can name a successor for Frank Lautenberg, who died at the age of 89 on Monday, becoming the 299th Senator to pass away in office. But it's yet another moment when what's good for Christie in 2013 might not be good for him in 2016. Christie, after all, is a Republican running a state that voted for President Obama by almost 18 points. "Replacing a Democrat with a Democrat and then saying the voters should decide what happens next in November would no doubt be very well-received by Democrats and moderates," The Washington Post's Sean...

Goodbye to my friend, my role model and the greatest public servant I know, New Jersey Democrat Senator Frank Lautenberg, who died Monday at age 89. Goodbye to the last member of the Greatest Generation in the United States Senate and the last of the liberal lions. Goodbye to the man who is likely responsible for saving more lives than any other politician of his generation. In 2000, Lautenberg retired from the senate seat he loved so dearly and instantly regretted it. After all, this was the man who had authored laws that prevented tens of thousands of deaths from...

The death of Senator Frank R. Lautenberg of New Jersey poses new complications for the White House and Democrats on Capitol Hill as they try to push their agenda through a Senate where even a single vote can derail legislation. So crucial was Mr. Lautenberg’s reliably liberal vote in a Senate where his party held a 55-45 majoritythat Democratic leaders twice asked him in recent weeks to return to Washington to vote despite his failing health. He died Monday morning of complications from viral pneumonia. Just last month, Mr. Lautenberg, 89, made a special trip to the Capitol to supply...

The wires say Frank lautenberg is dead. The New Jersey Democrat Senator was 89.

Sen. Frank Lautenberg died this morning of viral pneumonia at age 89, his office said

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Tuesday introduced a bill that would require background checks to be run on anyone buying explosive powder, a reaction to last week's Boston Marathon bombing. Reid introduced the bill, S. 792, for Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), who has been out sick for much of the year. But in a press statement, Lautenberg said the Boston bombing shows that background checks are needed for explosive materials. "It defies common sense that anyone, even a terrorist, can walk into a store in America and buy explosive powders without a background check or any questions asked,"...

Dear Friends, President Obama wanted three things on gun control -- to ban assault weapons, limit magazine sizes, and expand background checks. Fortunately, he lost on all three. I’ve always been confident if the Senate debated the Second Amendment, the Second Amendment would win. Yesterday, the Senate took up, debated, and voted on gun violence legislation. I am very pleased we had this debate, and was always ready and willing to vote in support of what I believe. Here’s how I voted yesterday: Voted Against the Manchin-Toomey Background Check Amendment (Failed 54-46, required 60 votes) No matter how well-intentioned, the...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—In the wake of the deadly bombing attacks in Boston, U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) today announced that he will reintroduce legislation he has proposed in a prior Congress to require that sales of explosive powder be subject to a background check. He will also file the legislation as an amendment to the gun violence prevention bill currently on the Senate floor. Current law allows an individual to purchase as much as 50 pounds of explosive “black powder” without a background check, and also permits an individual to purchase unlimited amounts of dangerous “smokeless powder” and “black powder...

WASHINGTON — As a crucial series of gun-control votes approaches in the Senate, lawmakers on Capitol Hill are suddenly preoccupied with one question in particular: when is Frank Lautenberg coming back? Mr. Lautenberg, a New Jersey Democrat and the oldest member of the Senate at 89, has been out for weeks dealing with health complications from cancer treatment. But with Democrats scrambling to come up with enough votes to overcome resistance to the most sweeping gun-control legislation in a generation, Mr. Lautenberg’s presence (or absence) is shaping up to be critically important. Aides insist that Mr. Lautenberg, who has been...

Sen. Frank Lautenberg Says He Won’t Seek Re-election In 2014 February 14, 2013 3:32 PM WASHINGTON (CBSNewYork) – Senator Frank Lautenberg announced Thursday that he will not seek re-election in 2014. “I will be traveling to my hometown of Paterson tomorrow to announce that I will not seek re-election in 2014,” Lautenberg said in a statement. “This is not the end of anything, but rather the beginning of a two-year mission to pass new gun safety laws, protect children from toxic chemicals, and create more opportunities for working families in New Jersey.

Geraldo contemplating run for Senate By Jonathan Easley - 01/31/13 02:02 PM ET Television personality and radio host Geraldo Rivera announced Thursday he’s “truly contemplating” a run for Senate in New Jersey. “I mention this only briefly, fasten your seatbelt,” Rivera said on his radio show. “I mentioned this only briefly to my wife ... but I am and I’ve been in touch with some people in the Republican Party in New Jersey. I am truly contemplating running for Senate against Frank Lautenberg or Cory Booker.” 
New Jersey Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D), 89, is up for reelection in 2014 but...

New Jersey Democratic Sen. Frank Lautenberg told a reporter that Newark Mayor Cory Booker, who has announced that he plans to run for Lautenberg’s U.S. Senate seat in 2014, needs a “spanking,” because he is “disrespectful.”

THE MISDEMEANOR GUN BAN: Congress slides dangerously far from the Constitution by Alan Korwin The new federal Gun Ban For Individuals Convicted Of A Misdemeanor Crime Of Domestic Violence removes civil rights for anyone who violates it, or anyone who violated its requirements before it was passed. Congress has exceeded its delegated authority here, even though the intention is a noble one. The new law increases the list of prohibited possessors people who may not have, ship, transport, or get firearms or ammunition under federal law. Anyone ever convicted of a minor violation involving use or attempted use of physical...

Aides to five-term U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg are rejecting a report by NBC tonight that the 88-year-old senator will not seek re-election in 2014. "NBC 4's report that Senator Lautenberg has decided to retire has not been confirmed by our office or anyone in our organization. The Senator has not made a decision on his re-election." said Lautenberg spokesman Caley Gray, adding the report "is simply not true." The report came from veteran local NBC reporter Brian Thompson who cited un-named sources.

By Rabbi Dr. Daniel M. ZuckerNew Jersey's senior U.S. Senator, Frank R. Lautenberg, published an article[1] ("Romney must stop playing politics with Israel") in the August 15, 2012 edition of The Jerusalem Post for which he should be thoroughly ashamed; it is a political smear and loaded with distortions and outright lies. It is a desperate attempt to stop the erosion[2] of Jewish votes from supporting the re-election of President Barack H. Obama that several polls[3] over the past few weeks have indicated is occurring.  Lautenberg's article is truly an ugly case of the kettle calling the pot black, and...

Over the course of my last several articles, I have written about the rush by Democratic senators to use the Aurora tragedy as a means of advancing their gun-control agenda. The first bill to emerge was an amendment to the Cybersecurity bill drafted by Democratic Senators Chuck Schumer, Frank Lautenberg, Barbara Boxer, Jack Reed, Bob Menendez, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Dianne Feinstein, which would have banned the sale, transfer or possession of normal capacity magazines. Thankfully, the Cybersecurity bill failed to pass the Senate. Following close on the heels of the Cybersecurity amendment, Democratic Senators Frank Lautenberg and Dianne Feinstein announced...

‘‘You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that it’s an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before.’’ - Rahm Emanuel --IMAGE HERE-- Over the course of my last several articles, I have written about the rush by Democratic senators to use the Aurora tragedy as a means of advancing their gun-control agenda. The first bill to emerge was an amendment to the Cybersecurity bill drafted by Democratic Senators Chuck Schumer, Frank Lautenberg, Barbara Boxer, Jack Reed, Bob Menendez, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Dianne Feinstein, which would have banned the sale,...