http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/12/09/ap/politics/mainD8ECSCJO3.shtmlRep. Robert Menendez has formally accepted New Jersey Gov.-elect Jon Corzine's offer to serve out the remaining year on his Senate term, Democratic congressional aides said.
Corzine will appear with Menendez on Friday at 2 p.m. at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, N.J., to formally announce his choice, the aides said a day earlier. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the official announcement had not yet been made; Corzine's office did make plans for a news conference at the same time and place.
Corzine decided Wednesday to choose Menendez over several other Democrats, but he did not formally offer Menendez the job until Thursday night. Corzine was elected governor last month and state law gives the governor the authority to fill Senate vacancies. Corzine's Senate term expires in 2006.
Menendez, the son of Cuban immigrants, will be the first minority to represent New Jersey in the Senate and his selection comes after dozens of Hispanic groups lobbied heavily for Corzine to select him. He will join Sens. Ken Salazar, D-Colo. and Mel Martinez, R-Fla. as the Senate's only Hispanics.BTW, if you're keeping score - as a representative he voted against the 2002 war vote. He's pretty liberal except in the area of Cuba in which he falls pretty much into the Anti-Castro group. I think this is a good choice because New Jersey has a strong Hispanic population which hopefully will help Menendez when he runs against Tom Kean Jr for the senate seat in 2006 (Corzine's term would have ended in 2006 so technically Menendez is filling in until then)
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