New Jersey voters do what Senate wouldn't

Remember how the United States Senate refused to censure Democratic Sen. Robert Torricelli, D-New Jersey, for accepting gifts from businessman David Chang at a time when he was actively intervening on Chang's behalf with the U.S. and foreign governments? Well, the people of New Jersey have had the final say -- by literally chasing him out of his re-election race.
A poll released last weekend showed that only 34 percent of the 547 registered voters surveyed said they would vote for Torricelli, while 47 percent selected Republican Douglas Forrester, a millionaire businessman. The message from the poll was clear: New Jersey voters aren't willing to overlook the senator's unethical behavior as easily as his colleagues in the Senate had done.
Torricelli's decision to abandon his bid for another term is a victory for all law-abiding citizens who expect their public officials to be honest, forthright and, above all, open in the conduct of their public duties.
The Democratic senator from New Jersey failed the test and for that his legislative career on Capitol Hill will come to a screeching halt at the end of the year.
What the Senate refused to do in addressing Torricelli's misbehavior, the people did: Punish him. Merely asking him to repay his ill-gotten gains and to promise to toe the line, as the Senate ethics committee did, showed the disconnect between Washington politics and the real world.
Admonishment
The ethics committee "severely admonished" Torricelli for accepting a wide-screen television set and stereo CD player from Chang without paying full value and for looking the other way while his sister, an employee and a friend received expensive earrings from the businessman. The senator also accepted the loan of two bronze statues from Chang for display in his office.
Chang is in jail for obstruction of justice and making $53,700 in illegal contributions to Torricelli's 1996 campaign.
But the Senate's kid-glove treatment of one of its own stands in stark contrast to the attitude of the people of New Jersey, who obviously don't take kindly to corrupt politicians.
Now compare such an attitude to the one that prevails in the Mahoning Valley with regard to another crooked politician, who not only was expelled from Congress but who is currently serving time in the federal penitentiary. Former U.S. Rep. James A. Traficant Jr., convicted of using his public position for personal gain and for shaking down his congressional employees, has shown little remorse for his criminal ways and, in fact, wears his conviction as a badge of honor.
Shamelessly, he is on the ballot in the November general election as an independent candidate for the 17th District Congressional seat -- and the public's reaction has been muted, at best. It doesn't matter whether he is a contender or not -- there is a Democratic and Republican candidate in the race -- the mere fact that a convicted felon will be on the ballot in the Mahoning Valley is a black eye for the region.
We hope our voters are as perceptive as those in New Jersey.