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Booker responds - or does he?

    by Jonathan Tamari
    Published 
WASHINGTON -- Officially, Cory Booker’s campaign team declined to comment on Sen. Frank Lautenberg’s words today suggesting he had to “spank” the Newark mayor for disrespect.
But, minutes after the no comment e-mail arrived, Booker wrote this on Twitter: “Often your best words are those you choose to keep to yourself.”
Of course, maybe he was just making a random philosophical observation, but somehow we doubt it.
Not after Lautenberg, speaking publicly for the first time since Booker said he was considering a run for Senate in 2014, said, “I have four children, I love each one of them. I can't tell you that one of them wasn't occasionally disrespectful, so I gave them a spanking and everything was OK." (More of his comments here).
Lautenberg, a New Jersey Democrat, was responding to a question about his aides anonymously telling other media outlets that Booker has been “disrespectful” as he openly flirts with a run for the seat Lautenberg holds.
Booker, also a Democrat, has filed to create a Senate campaign committee, but has not officially said he’s running. Lautenberg today also declined to say if he will run again.
Lautenberg had one other comment that may have been a more subtle dig – or just banter. You be the judge, but consider that Booker has come under criticism for being a national star, but not spending enough time in Newark:
“He and I both are committed to working in Newark,” Lautenberg said. “I go there every day, I can tell you that.”
As we’ve said here before, neither man is officially running yet, but it’s already a feisty contest.
    JT
    Jonathan Tamari