Warming to Senate Bid, Geraldo Slams GOP

Warming to Senate Bid, Geraldo Slams GOP

Geraldo Rivera recently announced on his radio show that he was considering a run as a Republican for the Senate from the state of New Jersey. But as is Geraldo’s wont, he’s already criticizing the very party whose blessing he seeks.

On Jan. 31, Rivera told his radio audience that he is “truly contemplating” a run for Senate and he wants to represent the Republican Party. But only a day later, on Fox News’ “Studio B With Shepard Smith,” he was heard criticizing the GOP as a “party of scolds” and saying it had better go back to being “the party of inclusion.”

Rivera said that the Republican Party had “drifted away from the party of business, the party of free enterprise,” and into a “party of scolds.” He went on to say the GOP has become, “The party of no, you can’t have an abortion. No, if you’re gay you can’t be married. No, if you’re an immigrant you can’t possibly think you are going to get on line to become a citizen of the United States.”

Fox News contributor Rivera said he feels the GOP needs to change to, “The big tent Republican Party where we say to the Democrats, ‘listen, we’re not forfeiting the black vote to you just automatically, or the Latino vote, or the Asian vote.'”

Rivera also slammed the “nativist” wing of the party for abandoning George W. Bush on his push for comprehensive immigration reform.

“They made the brown skin people and other immigrants the enemy,” Rivera said. “Talking about machine guns on the border and self-deportation and concepts like that, why would a Latino person want to vote for a Republican under those circumstances?”

Rivera said he had not made a final decision and has about a year to do so, but he felt being elected to the Senate might be a good way to end his public life.

The Senate seat in New Jersey might end up being an open seat for 2014, as many imagine that current Democrat Senator Frank Lautenberg may not run for re-election. Lautenberg has not yet announced what he intends to do.

On the Democrat side of the aisle, Newark mayor Corey Booker has already announced his interest in the seat, though he hasn’t affirmed he is running.

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