Live from Collingswood, it's Bill Clinton, Jon Corzine and Loretta Weinberg

3 people (4.00 / 1)

I'm headed into the city for a funeral, but on my way filling up at the gas station, 3 separate cars of people stopped me, asked me to roll down the window, and let them know if they could still get in to see Bill Clinton.

The Big Dog. He's still got it.  

It's not a particularly snappy signature, but here's what I think we need in the next NJ Democratic State Chair.  

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by: Rosi Efthim @ Tue Oct 20, 2009 at 14:57:45 PM CDT

Andrews runs down Christie (0.00 / 0)

first talking about education, says he can't even meet with the teachers.  They need to teach him something.

Then on jobs, he says he's created 1 good job over the years, unfortunately it went to John Ashcroft.

Andrews says he's wrong because he's a Mets fan, not a Phillies fan. He says he's wrong about that too and the Mets finished 23 games behind the Phils and he's not gonna come that close to us when we defeat him on election day at the polls. (Welcome to South Jersey.)

Now it's time for the invocation.

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by: Jason Springer @ Tue Oct 20, 2009 at 14:59:28 PM CDT

After the invocation (0.00 / 0)

we get the introduction of Donald Norcross. He asks if anyone from Labor is in the house to chairs.

He introduces Assemblywoman Nilsa Cruz Perez.  She says Si Se Puede. Yes we can. She talks about the action that Governor took when NJ was in trouble.  She talks about funding for schools, more health insurance than ever. She introduces Senator Steve Sweeney.

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by: Jason Springer @ Tue Oct 20, 2009 at 15:03:28 PM CDT

Sweeney says (4.00 / 1)

we've come to far and worked to hard for Christie.  He doesn't believe in what we believe in.

He points to the ports in Paulsboro, the light rail as some of what Governor Corzine has done.

He says he doesn't wanna be looking at Chris Christie to deal with.  Sweeney introduces Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts and talks about his accomplishments.

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by: Jason Springer @ Tue Oct 20, 2009 at 15:05:43 PM CDT

Big cheers for Joe Roberts (4.00 / 1)

Roberts says this is the trifecta in NJ this week. Yesterday Biden, today Clinton and tomorrow Obama for Corzine.

He says the Governor inherited the most difficult budget anyone could imagine. With all those challenges, put more money into classrooms.  Preserved property tax rebates for many. Expand Senior rebates.  Put more children on healthcare roles.  He thinks thats a record to be proud of.

Roberts talks about the Phillies win last night and says Corzine reminds him of the Phillies, even though he's prob not the biggest Phils fan. He fights and he fights and he never gets up.  He always gets the job done and is fighting to make a difference.

It's up to all of us to get the job done over the next two weeks. Roberts introduces Senator and soon to be Mayor of Camden, Dana Redd.

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by: Jason Springer @ Tue Oct 20, 2009 at 15:08:27 PM CDT

Redd starts asking (0.00 / 0)

if we're fired up and ready to go to elect Jon Corzine.  She says it's an honor to have everyone here.  The momentum and energy is with this campaign.  They're working door to door, person to person.

She says Democrats worked to hard in 2008 to take back the white house from Bush and his cohorts.  Here in NJ, we have to work equally as hard to re-elect Jon Corzine back to the statehouse. She says she knows that our governor puts our families first, our children first.  Our Governor stands up and makes the right decisions in the most difficult times.  Talks about Obama asking to help craft stimulus package.  She welcomes Governor Jon Corzine with Bill Clinton.

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by: Jason Springer @ Tue Oct 20, 2009 at 15:12:31 PM CDT

Corzine starts by saying (4.00 / 1)

you're all here to see me, right? To cheers from the crowd as Clinton stands to his side on the stage.

Corzine runs down Clinton's record and gives a shoutout to everyone in the room.

He says that in 13.5 days, we go to the polls.  Elections matter, they make a big difference.  He points to how it could have been different under Gore rather than Bush.  He talks about how Clinton took on out of control deficit and left us in position to pay down the debt. Then he says we have a huge deficit because Republicans don't know how to manage the economy.

As the Governor continues, I was just told the building can hold 1100 people and they're at a capacity crowd.

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by: Jason Springer @ Tue Oct 20, 2009 at 15:18:23 PM CDT

Corzine talks about Christie (4.00 / 1)

talking about how insurance company profits are more important than mammograms.  Elections matter.  These are important times.  His opponent says he'll turn down $5 billion of stimulus, I guarantee that will raise your property taxes by $2 billion. Elections matter.

He then stops himself and says he can get wound up, but that we want to hear somebody else still.

He says this election is about the things we value and he needs our help to carry that message. Someone from the crowd yells out Si Se Puede.  The crowd started chearing yes we can.  Corzine

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by: Jason Springer @ Tue Oct 20, 2009 at 15:20:44 PM CDT

Corzine introduces Bill Clinton (4.00 / 1)

Clinton starts and says what the states do matters in how fast America comes back.

Clinton says for 12 years before he was President, he was a Governor.  Took office in times like this, during a deep recession.  Says he worked for 9 years solid to turn state around, so he knows what difference a Governor makes to the people who live there.

He says it's true that the Governor is his friend, but he'd be here if none of it was true.  He says there is no way Corzine doesn't win this unless we don't get the message out and tell people why the need to vote.

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by: Jason Springer @ Tue Oct 20, 2009 at 15:24:10 PM CDT

There are 2 things that get voters in trouble (4.00 / 1)

when times are to good and when times are to bad, because it makes you ignore reality.

Points to Bush's phone compassionate conservative, which is like a narcotic. He says people took the prosperity for granted.  Here we have the reverse. In normal times it wouldn't even be a race.

He points to Corzine's reduction in the # of people w/out insurance.  NJ ranks 2nd in improving people w/out insurance.  We rank 1st in the country in high school graduation rates.  We rank 3rd in the country in closing achievement gaps. We rank 2nd in the country in the development of clean energy jobs tied to solar and wind.  We were the first state in the country to have mortgage foreclosure program giving us rate lower than national average.  He doubled the earned income tax credit.  Became the 2nd state in the country to have paid family leave. And we were the first state in the country that actually paid people to higher works. The Fed Gov is following after the state now on this.

If in the middle of a crisis, you have a governor that has put you 1,2, or 3 in every relevant category, why are we having an election?

Plus, his opponent says the solution to the healthcare problem is to no longer have mandates that require mammograms and 48 hour hospital stays. He would turn down part of the stimulus and we don't need to play w the assault weapons ban. In NJ, if these were the real choices in normal times, this would be a runaway election for the Governor.  The only reason it's a real election, is because people are hurting. And they figure how could it be worse because I was to busy looking for a job to see if we are doing better or to think about his opponents positions.  This is tough and throw the rascals out.

First of all, the voters are never wrong.  This is a hiring decision and you have 2 weeks to make this not a close race.

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by: Jason Springer @ Tue Oct 20, 2009 at 15:30:32 PM CDT

Clinton continues (4.00 / 1)

saying people like the Democratic performance when they are free to evaluate it.  He said he is pleading with us, one thing people can do one on one is to give them the space to vent, and then give them permission to think again.  Voters always do the right thing if they have the space to do it.  People are hurting and they're vulnerable.  If you give them statistics, it becomes meaningless unless you can do it one on one.

Why would any state turn out a Governor who has a smaller budget than when he started and still increased education funding.  Why would any state vote out a Governor who has personal wealth, but concentrated tax cuts on people in need. Why would you walk away from someone who has proved you can generate thousands of jobs in green energy.

Clinton says NJ reminds him of Germany.  Germany became #1 in generation of Solar power.  Unlike America, their wages went up and unemployment went down, because they made a jobs based commitment, just like Corzine has done here in New Jersey.

Bill brings up Hillary in the Senate, which gets a cheer from the crowd. Talks about them talking about home mortgage crisis.  One Governor listened, Corzine and thats why our foreclosure rate is less than national average.  Don't do this for Corzine, do this for you, your kids and your future.  Give people the space to think again.  

They would never vote for someone who would run the risk for radical mastectomy's or to run the risk of complications because you don't have 48 hour stay in the hospital, they would never turn down stimulus.  First time we got more money than the people we have and he's turning people away.

Clinton says we get in trouble when we're desperate and in distress and it causes us to stop thinking.  He talks about Fleetwood Mac and don't stop thinking about tomorrow as his theme song.  He wishes we could say that to people of NJ.  If you think, he wins, you win and our children and grandchildren win.  You have 2 weeks, God Bless you.

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by: Jason Springer @ Tue Oct 20, 2009 at 15:37:17 PM CDT

And that's it folks (0.00 / 0)

I'll post video and photos later.

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by: Jason Springer @ Tue Oct 20, 2009 at 15:43:12 PM CDT