Bob Menendez knows how to deliver a speech

Bob Menendez

Being around politicians, one tends to hear a lot of speeches: ranging from the very good to the outright terrible. In 20 years of being around elected folk and politicians, no one has come near Bob Menendez, currently one of the U.S. senators from NJ in DC, where it involves delivering a speech: absolutely inspirational.

This shot was taken in Atlantic Highlands, NJ several years ago. That night, Mr. Menendez had given the best speech I ever heard live. It would have to be, because if we were talking about "all-time" oratories then recorded speeches would come into the game and as awesome as Sen. Menendez is at oration, I wouldn't want to go up against FDR, JFK or Winston Churchill if I was him. He's good but let's not get nuts.

Was this 2004 or 2005? Maybe. Sen. Menendez came to Atlantic Highlands at the behest of former Middletown Democratic Chairman Joe Caliendo, a good guy and once-close friend. It was a great night. Everyone had their photos taken with the senator and I even got the Color Guard for the North Jersey Chapter of the 82nd Airborne Division Association to show up. The late Blair Rush was still color sergeant of the guard, which I served in for a few years before giving it up, and he liked the night a lot. Blair was awesome.

Someone from the senator's office asked myself and someone I was with at the time to come up to his office when we went to DC on a vacation. The last thing either of us wanted to do, though, is wait around someone's office for yet another photo-op with another politician of any caliber. Hey, he is and was an incredible U.S. senator but a politician is a politician.

It was a great night, though.