Another Media Blackout In NJ-1

In New Jersey’s First Congressional District, everyone seems to know the eleven-term Representative Rob Andrews.  He’s also been a household name since before I could speak or walk, Save Jerseyans, owing in part to his aggressive constitutent services operation.

Now Andrews is well known in political circles across the country because of his allegedly improper use of campaign funds.  Whether it be widely-published reports that he flew his daughter to-and-from California in order to help her fledgling career as an actress and singer, or allegedly using the money to fly to Scotland to attend a wedding, Rob Andrews is reeling for the first time in his Congressional career.  This information is coming to light at the worst possible time for a politician: an election cycle.

Yet strangely, the local media has given little more than passing notice to what should be a big story. Where are the editorial board calls for further investigations? Or the flashy subdomains at news websites to filter scandal-related news?

Even Andrews’s Twitter account account has been dormant since July 11th when he commented on Republican criticisms of the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare).  A quick Google search will reveal that Andrews has essentially gone underground since news broke that the House Ethics Committee was considering whether to formally investigate him for questionable uses of campaign funds; the results of the ethics inquiry are revealed on August 31.  Where is the Fourth Estate to demand answers from the Andrews campaign?

And how many of the articles about Andrews that actually see the light of day include the name of his Republican challenger?  The media is not only refusing to demand answers from Andrews but is content to ignore candidate Gregory Horton (R-Haddonfield), his principal opponent.  Mr. Horton’s campaign has been struggling to gain media traction even during a time of crisis for the incumbent.  

A source within the Horton campaign has informed me that, in their opinion, it is not because of a lack of effort on the campaign’s behalf.  Numerous press releases have been dispersed by the candidate but have yet to be acted upon by local media outlets.  The MSM is working against democracy by burying real news; adequate coverage could produce a real race in the First District.

As I alluded to at the beginning of this post, Rob Andrews has been my Congressman since I was eleven-months-old, Save Jerseyans.  The district has also been a Democrat stronghold for as long as I can recall; that doesn’t mean real media scrutiny couldn’t make for a close race and force the power-that-be to not take their voters for granted (see Rangel, Charles for a good example).  Americans of all political orientations have a problem voting for individuals whom feel they are above the law.

Unfortunately, the established media in this country continues to defend the American Left by ignoring the opposition in many districts.  Winning in spite of the MSM’s bias will only make the taste of victory that much sweeter come November; I just wish someone with a spine in the print, radio or television world would give NJ-1’s taxpayer a fair chance at a real choice!