Can Americans still have a sensible and friendly political discussion across the partisan divide? The answer is yes, and we prove it every week. Julie Roginsky, a Democrat, and Mike DuHaime, a Republican, are consultants who have worked on opposite teams for their entire careers yet have remained friends. Here, they discuss the week’s events with editorial page editor Tom Moran.
Q. In opening arguments at Sen. Robert Menendez’s trial Wednesday, his defense attorney blamed his wife for the corrupt scheme he’s charged with, and claimed he didn’t know about most of the gold bars hidden in a closet in a house they shared in Englewood Cliffs. She is scheduled to be tried separately in July, and those comments will likely be inadmissible. Could they both play this card, blaming the other?
Julie: Criminal defense lawyers I respect long ago predicted that blaming his wife was the best card for Senator Menendez to play. The senator and Nadine Menendez can’t be forced to testify against one another. It’s a smart strategy. Separately, I am sorry to hear about Mrs. Menendez’s health issues and hope she has a successful and speedy recovery.
Mike: If there are any gold bars hidden in my house that I don’t know about, I will also be very upset with my family for keeping that from me. And I will ask some serious questions about the obtained said bars of gold. I will be equally upset if anyone stuffed hundreds of thousands of dollars into one of my coach’s jackets with my name on it without my knowledge. And frankly, I will be upset with myself for not going through all my pockets, just in case there’s enough cash in one of them to buy a house. Kidding aside, Menendez may throw up just enough doubt here.
Q. President Biden and Donald Trump agreed to two debates, the first one coming on June 27. But details remain unsettled. Biden wants no audience, saying Trump supporters disrupted previous debates, and he wants an automatic cutoff once a candidate hits the time limit, noting that Trump routinely ran over the limit last time. Fair conditions? Will Trump agree? Will these debates really happen?
Julie: I have no idea whether Trump will show up, but if he does, I am all for his team raising the level of expectation for how hard he is going to wipe the floor with President Biden. In 2020, Trump’s behavior during the debates really turned voters off. He has not learned his lesson or discovered self-discipline since then.
Mike: Trump will debate. Unlike the primary where he had nothing to gain and much to lose with strong debaters like Christie, who would have gone at him hard, he has no such fear of Biden.
Q. The state Legislature passed a “reform” of the state’s Open Public Records Act that will enable government to hide more records and was vigorously condemned by grassroots groups, the press, and many others who lined up to protest at two public hearings on the bill. Any political fallout for Democrats on this? Is First Lady Tammy Murphy’s public opposition a sign that Gov. Phil Murphy might veto it?
Julie: We might see some kabuki theater from the front office and the governor may conditionally veto some elements of this legislation, but it is impossible to believe that leadership in either house forced members to walk the plank on this sh*t sandwich of a bill without getting agreement from the governor that it will become law.
Mike: I agree leadership would not have asked their members to vote for an unpopular bill without believing the governor would sign it.
Q. Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway will testify before Congress Thursday about unrest on the Rutgers campus, in what looks to be a prosecution. Committee Chair Virginia Foxx, a Republican from North Carolina, has called his response “inadequate” and charged that “Rutgers stands out for the intensity and pervasiveness of antisemitism on campus,” and that the Rutgers staff had “contributed to the development of a pervasive climate of antisemitism.” Wow. Thoughts?
Julie: I have no idea what Rep. Foxx is talking about, but that’s not new. Rutgers is not some hotbed of antisemitism, although I do think it is fair to ask why a group that disrupted finals suddenly found itself not just not suspended, but having some of its demands met in exchange for ending its disruptive behavior. As any mother can tell you, you give a toddler having a disruptive tantrum a timeout. You don’t reward poor behavior, because next time, the tantrum will only escalate.
Mike: I am annoyed by this unholy alliance between far-right members of Congress and far left college protesters to hurt higher ed in America. We have some Republicans who foolishly look down on the well-educated, and some far-left students who hate the very institutions that are preparing them up for success in life. People come from all over the world to go to universities in America. No foreign enemy can take us down. We can only destroy ourselves from within.
Q. Our state Senate cancelled hearings on a bill that embraces a definition of antisemitism drafted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. It regards opposition to the establishment of a Jewish homeland as antisemitic, as well as holding Israel to a double standard. Several Jewish leaders oppose that, including Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York, and Ken Stern, the author of the definition, who warns that it is subjective. Thoughts?
Julie: Good intent, bad law. I am a Jew who fled antisemitism in the Soviet Union and whose close family members have lived in Israel for generations. I know antisemitism when I see it, but I also know First Amendment violations when I see them.
Mike: Well said, in that the intent is good. But like many good ideas, we must watch for the unintended consequences.
Q. Finally, a question about the Trump trial. Looking past his legal prospects, do these stories about his having adulterous sex with a porn star hurt him at all? What do you make of polls showing evangelical voters, in particular, have flipped on the importance of character, with most now saying bad character is no impediment to being an effective president?
Julie: There is not one Trump supporter who does not know what and who Trump is. But despite his character, he gave evangelicals a Supreme Court that overturned Roe v. Wade, that may be poised to ban IVF next, and that has effectively promoted a Christian nationalistic agenda at every turn. They know that Trump will sign a national abortion ban the minute it lands on his desk. If he had to spend a short few minutes with an adult film actress to become their sword and shield, that’s a small price to pay.
Mike: Julie is right that evangelicals made a deal. They will take a bad person who gives them good policy by their definition. They think Biden is a nice guy but pushes policy antithetical to their views.
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A note to readers: Mike and Julie are deeply engaged in politics and commercial advocacy in New Jersey, so both have connections to many players discussed in this column. DuHaime, the founder of MAD Global, has worked for Chris Christie, Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, and President George W. Bush. Roginsky, a principal of Comprehensive Communications Group, has served as senior advisor to campaigns of Cory Booker, Frank Lautenberg, and Phil Murphy. We will disclose specific connections only when readers might otherwise be misled.
