Has Christie Bought off Lonegan?( no more primary batles!)

" Boss " Christie tolerates no opposition (3.00 / 1)

The Republican State Senators and Assembly Representatives have been relegated to nothing more than marionettes in the Christie political play.

Apparently so has Lonegan.

Any Republican who dares speak out gets " called to the office" and is muzzled.

The only real boss left inside the State is Boss Christie.  

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by: firstamend07 @ Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 11:23:57 AM UTC

firstamend07 (0.00 / 0)

I wouldn't count on this. The farther right-wing will probably want to regroup - given that their brand has been muddied in the public eye by the antics of the Tea Party. Lonegan and company see themselves as the real GOP, and Christie as a poor excuse for a conservative. The playing field shifts now to the state legislative races; I imagine theirs will too.

Of the state organizations in Americans for Prosperity (AFP), NJ's - headed by Lonegan - is either the strongest or among the strongest. Do I think they're going to go away now? I do not.

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 @ Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 18:32:31 PM UTC

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He had a big election night party in Parsippany (0.00 / 0)

This is about the most ridiculous conspiracy theory I've ever seen and wishful thinking from Team Christie.  What's the basis for this anyway?

We are everywhere!

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by: RedSpy @ Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 17:09:03 PM UTC

Lonegan & Koch brothers (0.00 / 0)

The only way Lonegan goes away is when the Koch brothers are bankrupt.  As long as they keep funding his traveling freak show he'll always be with us, just like mosquitos in summer.

All of Lonegan's endorsed candidates, except for Scott Garrett and Anna Little, went down in the primary, but you can bet your tea bags he and rightwing operatives like Rick Shaftan will be recruiting candidates for the next primary.

No GOP incumbent is safe from the wrath of Lonegan other than Mike Doherty, Mike Carroll and Alison McHose.

http://christiegonewild.blogsp...

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by: ken bank @ Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 21:53:50 PM UTC

Interesting!So you think Lonegan will go after GOP regulars? (0.00 / 0)

I must admit,I am not privy to much Tea Party information. Do you think Lonegan will go after Republican legislators in next years primaries?

Can Christie control Lonegan?  

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by: firstamend07 @ Thu Nov 04, 2010 at 22:56:21 PM UTC

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Lonegan uber alles (0.00 / 0)

"Do you think Lonegan will go after Republican legislators in next years primaries?"

Did Hitler go after Jews?

"Can Christie control Lonegan?"

Can Pat Robertson control the weather?

It's not just Lonegan.  TNut operatives like Rick Shaftan will be looking for work in an off-year election, so he'll be recruiting candidates for his meal ticket.  

http://christiegonewild.blogsp...

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by: ken bank @ Fri Nov 05, 2010 at 00:13:21 AM UTC

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very possible (0.00 / 0)

I could see Anna Little taking on Sean Kean or Mary Pat Angelini.  Just because Kip Bateman and Jen Beck disappointed us on the marriage equality vote doesn't mean that they won't be targeted by the teabagging wingnuts.  Diane Allen is also a likely target, assuming that she is even healthy enough to want to run for another term.

It would take a lot of hubris on the part of Lonegan and Shaftan to take on Tom Kean Jr. and Jon Bramnick, but since that is not something that either are lacking in, I would not be shocked to see them get behind a primary challenge from Nancy Munoz (Is she Eric Munoz's wife?  When did that happen?), Martin Marks, and/or possibly Bruce Baker, the teabagging wingnut from Westfield, who was one of three to take on Leonard Lance earlier this year.

I also wouldn't be surprised to see teabagging wingnuts in Kevin O'Toole's district come out of the woodwork to take him, David Russo, and Scott Rumana on.

It is just a shame that there isn't more interest on the part of progressives to take on the Democratic establishment in Trenton to the same degree as the teabagging wingnuts, who seem to have no problem challenging the Republican establishment.

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by: Bertin Lefkovic @ Fri Nov 05, 2010 at 05:23:22 AM UTC

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Will Christie help or hurt tea baggers? (0.00 / 0)

What makes this site so great is that there are people who are knowledgeable about both ends of the spectrum!

Will Chrisite come to the aide of the moderate republican legislators to prevent an all out primary blood bath?

Would he dare draw the anger of national tea party leaders and pick sides?

Should the democrats begin to prepare and recruit stong candidates for these Districts that might "go tea party?"

Will Lonegan come out openly and challenge Christie to "go more right?"  

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by: firstamend07 @ Fri Nov 05, 2010 at 13:50:17 PM UTC

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some of your questions answer each other (0.00 / 0)

As I have said elsewhere, I think that redistricting will give us some sense about where Christie's focus will be over the next year-plus.  If his representatives on the legislative redistricting commission are instructed to go to war for the most Republican-friendly legislative map possible and the congressional commission is free to remain in incumbency protection mode, then his focus will remain on his statewide agenda.

However, if his representatives on both commissions are instructed to cut a deal with the people representing Adubato/Norcross on these commissions so that a Republican-friendly congressional map and a Democratic-friendly legislative map are created, then we know that his focus is on the national stage.

If his focus is on the state, then he undoubtedly will dare drawing the anger of national tea party leaders, pick sides, and help moderate Republican incumbents, especially in quasi-competitive districts where a strong Democrat with the ability to organize and raise money could win.

However, if his focus is on the national stage and he is spending most of 2011 outside of the state, running for President, it will be open season on moderate Republicans and Democrats should absolutely be prepared to field the strongest candidates possible with the expectation that they will not be running against a moderate Republican incumbent, but instead a teabagging wingnut with no track record whatsoever.

At the same time, progressives should be just as aggressive in their targeting of conservative/cowardly Democratic incumbents as the teabagging wingnuts are in their targeting of moderate Republicans.

Kim Guadagno might have her hands full, trying to govern in 2012 while Christie is away campaigning and the new legislature is full of progressives and teabagging wingnuts.  She could have a nervous breakdown and Acting Governor/Senate President Loretta Weinberg might have to take over.

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by: Bertin Lefkovic @ Fri Nov 05, 2010 at 18:27:19 PM UTC

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Lonegan speaks out (0.00 / 0)

"Will Lonegan come out openly and challenge Christie to "go more right?"  

He already has.  Under Christie's financial aid formula, the percentage of state aid going to Abbott distriocts actually increased even the the total amount of aid decreased.  This caused conniptions among the unreconstructed Loneganistas.  They also opposed Christie's budget, calling it a $2.6 billion tax increase because it eliminated property tax rebates while continuing state aid to Abbott districts.

Although Lonegan's legislative flunkies Doherty, Carroll and McHose opposed the budget and held out to the last minute, they finally caved when Christie threatened to pin them in a corner and do a big splash off the top rope.

http://christiegonewild.blogsp...

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by: ken bank @ Fri Nov 05, 2010 at 22:00:33 PM UTC

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Interesting scenario (0.00 / 0)

I have been away from NJ for the last 3 months (working to unsuccessfully stop the ultimate teabagging wingnut from becoming a US Senator but that's a diary for another day if Blue Jersey wants to hear about a Kentucky race).

As I look towards 2011 and my next career move, I am closely watching some legislative races where the Democrats have a chance to pick up.  After Sean Kean's foot in mouth speech on marriage equality, the best chance might be in my own district.

Another x-factor for the tea party is what they will do with their newfound power (thankfully not in my own district as Anna Little lost) and to see if they're about governing or obstructing (my guess is the latter).  A failure at the national level for the teabaggers/GOP could translate to success at the ballot box for the Dems (who do have issues of their own--- in Trenton and Washington they need to locate their spines and learn how to use them).  

I'd have to look at the map again to see where a good Dem pickup might lie.  I'll do that one of these days.  For now it's good to finally be back in NJ and connected again.

http://outspokenliberal.blogsp...

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by: tabbycat31 @ Fri Nov 12, 2010 at 00:39:47 AM UTC

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Welcome Back (0.00 / 0)

The current legislative map is somewhat irrelevant as a new map will be created in the weeks and months to come. Once that happens, I am sure that there will be lots of exciting opportunities, possibly in some primary elections.

Interestingly enough, Anna Little has said that she and her fellow teabagging wingnuts will not be challenging incumbent Republicans in 2011 primary elections.  I guess that Jen Beck, Sean Kean, and Kip Batemen bought themselves a primary-free election cycle with their betrayals on marriage equality.

Whether the same is true on the Democratic side depends on whether or not progressives decide to organize against the Democrats that voted against marriage equality and have capitulated to the demands of our state's Republican Governor over the last year.  

Unfortunately, this organization is late in starting if it is going to happen at all, so if I had to bet on it, I would say that these conservative and cowardly Democrats are going to get the same free ride that the aforementioned Republican cowards will get as well.

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by: Bertin Lefkovic @ Sun Nov 14, 2010 at 16:21:59 PM UTC

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