Rabbi on the Roof: N.J. Candidate Gets Taste of Washington

That's really the underlying message tonight, running below the Izze sparkling juice drinks and falafel balls with mustard: Traditional politics have become such an odious thought this campaign cycle that some people have more faith in psychologist-rabbis with no political experience than incumbent congressmen. Or, as www.shulmanforcongress.com puts it, "It may very well take a blind man to show Congress the light."

Ba-dum-bum.

It's a tough road ahead, but not a hopeless one: Congressional Quarterly changed the district's classification from "safe Republican to Republican favored." In the last quarter, Shulman and Garrett raised nearly the same amount of money: $199,259 for Shulman, $199,926 for Garrett.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has labeled the 5th District as one of 15 "emerging races," a term used for candidates who have "generated excitement" in their home districts. Continued excitement generation could lead to Shulman becoming a "red to blue" candidate, meaning the DCCC would provide him with strategic support and a fundraising boost.

And then there's the moral support from New York Gov. David Paterson, who is also visually impaired. Recently Shulman shared something with him that a friend had observed. "I told [Paterson], 'Blindness is the new gay!' " The governor thought that was funny.

The Garrett campaign, however, remains unimpressed. "The profile pieces that our opponent is getting in national media may be exciting for him," says campaign adviser Matthew Barnes, "but the fact of the matter is, people care about the issues." And furthermore, he adds, "we have twice the cash on hand than our opponent, and at this stage that doesn't bode well."

But on Thursday night on the deck, the blind rabbi is unfazed, laughing with his new D.C. contingent, and convincing them that more "citizen legislators," as he calls himself, are just what the country needs.

Is it the rabbi aspect of your citizen credentials that people find the most comforting? a reporter asks.

Actually, it's more the shrink angle: "I get a lot of 'I don't know if your couch is going to be big enough for all of Congress.' "