On the November 5 edition of MSNBC's Decision 2006: Battleground America, host Tucker Carlson said that Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) is leading Republican challenger Tom Kean Jr. in the polls because "[President] Bush is, I guess, less popular than the Mafia in New Jersey" and asserted that “Kean has made it pretty clear that Senator Menendez is a dues-paying member of the Mafia.” Carlson also repeated Kean's charge that Menendez is “under federal criminal investigation,” even though, as Media Matters for America has noted, CBS News reported on October 26 that “it is unclear whether the allegation is true.” He was responding to a report by MSNBC correspondent JJ Ramberg in which she described the campaign as “Kean saying, 'Hey, a vote for Menendez is a vote for dirty politics,' and Menendez saying, 'Listen, a vote for Kean is just a vote for George Bush.' ” Ramberg also noted that “Menendez says none of those accusations [made by Kean] are substantiated.”

From the November 6 edition of MSNBC's Decision 2006: Battleground America:

CARLSON: The nasty and costly senate race in New Jersey is almost over, which is great or a shame, depending on how you stand on that. The Republican Party has spent three and a half million dollars for Tom Kean Jr. The Democratic Party, meanwhile, has spent $4 million to portray Kean as merely a mouthpiece for President Bush. According to new polls, Kean's opponent, Senator Bob Menendez, now leads the Republican 48 to 41 percent. JJ Ramberg joins us now from Jersey City, New Jersey. Is this where it stands? It looks like that's a pretty sizable lead, JJ.

RAMBERG: Yes. Suddenly, this is a lot different than it was last week, when it was still pretty much neck-and neck. And now, Bob Menendez is doing everything he can to try and hold on to that lead. Now, both candidates have spent the day doing a series of meet-and-greets this morning. Later on this afternoon, Bob Menendez is going to be lent a little bit of star power by Governor [Jon] Corzine, who's going to be campaigning with him. And then, both of these candidates will end up the day at pre-election rallies, which they hope will get everyone excited about going to the polls tomorrow. They're starting to concentrate a lot on these get-out-the-vote campaigns because they know people actually have to go there out and vote in order for this to work for them. And then, finally, you mentioned those commercials, those nasty commercials that everyone in here New Jersey has been seeing for months, are still going on. There are just a barrage of them on television here. Tucker?

CARLSON: Well, JJ, Kean has made it pretty clear that Senator Menendez is a dues-paying member of the Mafia. So I wonder why he's leading. I mean, what are -- what are the issues? Kean from day one has said, “This guy's under federal criminal investigation,” and people are voting for him anyway. Why?

RAMBERG: You know, Bob Menendez says none of those accusations are substantiated. And really, the candidates have pitted themselves against each other, Kean saying, “Hey, a vote for Menendez is a vote for dirty politics,” and Menendez saying, “Listen, a vote for Kean is just a vote for George Bush.” Make your choice.

CARLSON: Yeah, that's right. Bush is, I guess, less popular than the Mafia in New Jersey. JJ Ramberg, thanks for joining us.