To find the worst that New Jersey politics has to offer, go to the regions where one party dominates. The machines there are so cocky about their winning streaks that they've lost all perspective.

The latest example is Sandra Cunningham, who is running for Senate as the choice of the infamous Hudson County Democrats.

It's been a rough few months for her. First came the revelation that a convicted child rapist was working for her campaign, even collecting signatures for her.

Then the Jersey Journal reported that a foundation she runs has been spending almost all its money on parties and overhead, including a salary for her.

Add her conviction for drunken driving in 2005, and the fine she paid for riding the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail without a ticket in 2006, and you have a candidate with lots of explaining to do.