Reuters: U.S.: Political elite attend Senator Lautenberg's funeral

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Political elite attend Senator Lautenberg's funeral Jun 5th 2013, 15:11 U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) looks up as he announces new legislation with regards to online and mail-order sale of ammunition at City Hall in New York July 30, 2012. Credit: Reuters/Brendan McDermid By Noreen O'Donnell NEW YORK | Wed Jun 5, 2013 11:11am EDT NEW YORK (Reuters) - Scores of dignitaries filled a New York City synagogue on Wednesday for the funeral of U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg, whose death has set off a partisan dispute over his replacement. The service for Lautenberg, a liberal Democrat from New Jersey, drew some of the politicians jockeying for position to take his seat after his death on Monday at age 89 from complications of viral pneumonia. New Jersey voters elected Lautenberg, a self-made multimillionaire, to five six-year terms in the U.S. Senate. He was the Senate's last surviving World War Two veteran. Lautenberg's accomplishments were to be remembered at the service at Park Avenue Synagogue by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and his fellow New Jersey senator, Robert Menendez. During his time in the Senate, Lautenberg championed smoking bans, gun control, airline safety and rail transportation. First elected in 1982, he left office in 2000, saying he was tired of raising money for his campaigns. But two years later, he came out of retirement when former Senator Robert Torricelli was forced to drop his re-election bid amid corruption charges. The controversy over replacing Lautenberg, who had already planned to retire when his term ended, started almost immediately as New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a Republican, on Tuesday called for a special election on October 16. He said he would appoint a replacement until then within the week. Christie's own political aspirations were seen to be at stake in his decision, which prompted charges of self-interest and wasteful spending. Christie is up for re-election on November 5 and is widely considered a possible Republican presidential candidate in 2016. If he wins the gubernatorial contest by a large margin, he could position himself as a Republican who can be victorious in a Democratic state. For that reason, Republicans would rather he not appear on the same ballot as Newark Mayor Cory Booker, a rising star in the Democratic Party. As a popular black politician, Booker could attract a strong minority turnout at the polls. Booker has expressed interest in Lautenberg's seat. Other potential Democrats include Representatives Frank Pallone Jr. and Rush Holt. On the Republican side, possible candidates include Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno and state Senator Thomas Kean. Christie could have chosen to select his own replacement to fill Lautenberg's seat through 2014, when the term ends, but any pick would have posed political danger. A more conservative choice would have pleased Republicans angry over Christie's close working relationship with President Obama in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, but could have endangered Christie's standing with Democrats in his home state. A primary election on August 13 will decide the Republican and Democratic nominees for the October vote. (Editing by Barbara Goldberg and Grant McCool) Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints

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