Representative Donald Payne doesn’t think that "Vice President Bob Menendez" sounds too absurd.
“If he became vice president, I would think that some of our issues could certainly be heard more in the executive branch of government, so I certainly think it would be a very big plus for New Jersey,” said Payne.
Payne endorsed Hillary Clinton early this month, and served with Menendez for 13 years in the House of Representatives. In Menendez, Payne sees a politician like himself, who worked him self up from the lower rungs of local government to a prominent position at the federal level.
“Senator Menendez is certainly an able person, that’s for sure,” he said. “He’s worked his way up from school board member right on up to about next to the highest level of government you can be elected to. He certainly has a record of achievement.”
But Payne said it’s too early in the process to speculate whether Menendez would be a realistic choice. Especially considering that it’s far from settled who the Democratic presidential nominee will be. And he doesn’t think that U.S. Attorney Chris Christie’s investigation of Menendez, which has still not been resolved, makes him any less of a viable candidate.
“I think that probably most of the vetting that needed to be done has already been done – he’s been in office, he’s gone through allegations up until now – they’ve all been found to hold no
