Hey Adubato - chew on this: http://www.wnbc.com/politics/9806805/detail.html

Federal Probe Launched Into Menendez's Finances
A federal investigation has been launched into the financial dealings of New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez and a nonprofit agency he has helped over the years, sources said.

The U.S. attorney's office has subpoenaed the agency's records pertaining to a house once owned by then-congressman Menendez, sources told NewsChannel 4's Brian Thompson.

Menendez, a Democrat, has denied there was anything wrong with his renting the house to the North Hudson Community Action Corp. for more than $3,000 a month, even as he was working to obtain millions of dollars in federal grant money while he was a congressman.

Menendez campaign spokesman Matthew Miller released a statement saying the senator's dealings with the agency had already been approved by authorities in U.S. Congress.

"This transaction was already approved by the House Ethics Committee, and the U.S. attorney will find that Bob Menendez did nothing but support a well-respected agency in the exact same manner that he has supported other non-profits in the state," the statement said.

"We're troubled by the timing of this subpoena in the middle of a political campaign, but the facts are that the NHCAC has received federal funds for over 35 years because they provide education and health care services to New Jerseyans who need it the most."

Menendez is locked in a close race with Republican state Sen. Tom Kean Jr. Both campaigns have traded ethics charges.

Also Thursday, a Republican state lawmaker alleged that Menendez violated ethics rules by trying to block a merger involving a company in which he holds stock.

State Sen. Diane Allen, R-Burlington, said she planned to file a complaint with the Senate Ethics Committee early next week. Menendez served in the House for 14 years before being appointed in January by Gov. Jon Corzine to serve out the remaining year of his Senate term.

Allen alleges that in 2003, Menendez sponsored legislation to ban media mergers he said would create monopolies in Spanish language broadcasting. Allen alleges Menendez wanted the merger to fail because his stock would have gone down. The merger ultimately went through.

"Ethics rules say you cannot lobby on behalf of organizations when you stand to make some money by it," Allen said. "I fear that Sen. Menendez has trouble discerning that line between what is ethical and what is not."

Menendez campaign spokesman Matthew Miller said Menendez, along with other Democratic lawmakers, fought the "mass media consolidation because it hurts consumers."

Kean campaign spokeswoman Jill Hazelbaker said this is just another example of Menendez "using his public office for personal gain."

According to Menendez's latest financial disclosure form, he holds stock in Florida-based Spanish Broadcasting System Inc. worth between $1,000 and $15,000. But Miller said Menendez sold his SBS stock earlier this year, taking a significant loss. He did not have a specific figure.

SBS is the largest Hispanic radio broadcasting company in the United States. Menendez has received nearly $25,000 in campaign contributions from SBS and its executives, according to documents filed with the Federal Election Commission.

I think we should note that this post appears on Adubato's blog, but was authored by "Wally Edge." Adubato generally signs his own entries. I don't know if "Edge" is another blogger's name or a pseudonym.

My guess is that any fellow who insists on putting his degree in his blog name is likely to be sensitive about having his name attached to such work product.

I can't imagine how anyone would support a pro-Bush, pro-war candidate such as Kean jr. over the principled, anti-war candidate Menendez. In the past few months, Menendez has done more for N.J. than any senator for any other state -- he has been superb.

"another one of those "independent analysts" who were formerly Democratic [activists/educators]".

I edited this a bit (guess where?). I guess we can add Zogby/Charlie Cook/Larry Sabato to that list as well.

Jim, "Wally Edge" has to be a pseudonym. NJ once had a Republican Governor named Walter Edge (1917-19; 1944-47), so that's obviously a play on the name.

Thanks, Exposer, I had suspected as much.

I still think this poster is someone besides Adubato. I mean, if a guy has to use a sock puppet on his OWN blog, he would be even more pathetic than Glenn Greenwald - which must surely be at least theoretically possible.