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Abate WILL support Shulman

by: Erik Preuss

Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 01:55:32 AM EDT

[Promoted - This is an interesting diary, and it notes that Camille Abate is endorsing Dennis Shulman to take on Scott Garrett. I might not have promoted it, but wanted to note that Shulman came to Blue Jersey and commented on the diary! Other candidates should take note that that's an excellent way to quietly and quickly engage us and get our respect -- huntsu]

My name is Erik Preuss, I follow this website quite frequently but I have chosen tonight to sign up for it...most of you don't know me...I am Camille Abate's son. The purpose of this diary is not to slander or smash anyone it is to make several points that some of you may not know or have refused to believe.

My mother is a compassionate, caring, and wonderful human being. She has dedicated her entire life towards helping individuals and putting them above herself. However, since declaring to run for Congress and in this entire run up until yesterdays primary she has been painted as a self-centered egotist who cares nothing about anybody or the party except to get herself into Congress. Nothing could be further from the truth. She is VERY passionate about the Democratic party and ran for Congress in 2006 and 2008 because she believed that she would stand the best chance to beat Scott Garrett in the fall.

Last night in her speech that she gave to her whole campaign team and to all of the volunteers who were on her campaign she told everyone that we needed to support Dennis Shulman against Garrett because beating Garrett has been the objective since day 1 and still is the obective. She further told anyone who still has a vested interest in getting Garrett out of Congress that they should go and volunteer for Mr. Shulman. This morning she called Dennis and left a voicemail in which she told him that he needed to fight hard against Garrett and that she would be completely behind him and do whatever he needed her to do to help him beat Garrett in the fall.

Now you all may say to yourself that this is what any good democrat should do, however the purpose of me writing this is because my mother has repeatedly been painted as a disloyal Democrat who cares nothing about the party and I am trying to prove to everyone that this is in fact not true. Her mailer's that went out that were percieved as "attacking" Mr. Shulman were meant to show a comparison as to why she was the better candidate, granted maybe they could have been more tactful but when you run against the party line you need to try to do something that will shake things up and possibly give you an edge, They were not meant to hurt Shulman and she will campaign and get all of her supporters out for him in the fall. I myself and our campaigns field director Steve Carroll plan to call the Shulman campaign tomorrow to volunteer to help the effort to beat Garrett in the fall, he is the real detriment to our country and he is the ENTIRE reason that our campaign existed to remove a radical right wing Republican and try to make this country a better place. That is still mine and my mothers aspiration(to have Garrett out of office this fall) and i want to congratulate Dennis Shulman on a race well run and i hope he plows through Garrett this November.

Erik Preuss :: Abate WILL support Shulman

Tags: Camille Abate, Dennis Shulman, (All Tags)

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Abate WILL support Shulman | 15 comments

Re: (4.00 / 5)

Welcome, Erik. I hope you become a regular contributor here.

We don't have a big megaphone here, but we do want to try to keep candidates honest, as herculean a task as that may be. That's why, for example, various posters here were critical of both Lautenberg and Andrews at times, regardless of who they support. Various front pagers here have been accused of being in the bag for one candidate or another, when in fact they were planning to vote for someone else.

I know the point of your post wasn't to dredge up or revisit the primary, but accuracy is important to me. I'm sincere when I ask for corrections to anything inaccurate I may have written. Campaign literature can be harsh, but when it's inaccurate I believe an equally harsh honest criticism is in order. If anyone can provide evidence that what I wrote is inaccurate, I welcome the criticism and will issue a prominent correction. I haven't seen or heard that evidence yet.

by: Juan Melli @ Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 07:10:45 AM UTC

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Welcome, Erik (4.00 / 5)

I know your mom well, and I agree that she is a passionate Democrat. I know she will do everything she can to help Dennis win against Garrett. She has always expressed that to me and I believe her.

Although Dennis appeared on the BCDO column - he is definitely not in the Ferriero mold. I saw him appear at the Garden State Equality event as well as the first NJ Asian American Festival in Bergen County. He was everywhere showing his support. Like your mom, he is compassionate. I think his heart is in the right place. I was also very impressed by his staff of young volunteers. They ran a very positive, hopeful campaign. I think he has an incredible chance to be our next Congressman.

I appreciate the work and effort Camille put into the race, and I know she would have been an amazing Congresswoman for us, but I know she will help Dennis in any way she can.

One Vote. Yours. It really does matter.

by: carolh @ Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 09:00:55 AM UTC

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Thank You and Welcome! (4.00 / 8)

Erik,
Thank you so much for your post.
We will of course welcome you, and all who supported your Mom, to work with us to bring back sensible leadership to NJ-5.
To victory for all of us in November,
            Dennis

by: Dennis Shulman @ Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 12:45:12 PM UTC

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Well done Erik (4.00 / 2)

and welcome.

by: Jeff Gardner @ Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 16:33:50 PM UTC

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Glad to see you here (2.67 / 3)

Even without my name being mentioned, I can't help but believe this is written, in some part, with my posts in mind. That's fine. I stand by what I write.

I'm glad to see Camille is endorsing Shulman, even if the report is through a surrogate. I would much rather see her comments posted under her own name - at this point it isn't up on her website - but tihs is at least a step in the right direction.

An old leadership axiom is "Praise in public, punish in private". Since it is impossible to run a campaign in private, I think it is not asking too much to praise in public to the same extent one has spoken out against a candidate.

by: Thurman Hart @ Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 17:26:40 PM UTC

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this is not through a surrogate (4.00 / 3)

She called Dennis Shulman personally and reportedly by several media outlets, at her concession speech spoke very passionately about supporting Mr. Shulman.

Unnecessary to make an issue out of something which isn't an issue.

by: vingopal @ Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 19:47:22 PM UTC

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THIS is a surrogate (0.00 / 0)

Abate had no problem putting her own name on material attacking Dennis Shulman - but I can't find anything about her supporting Shulman that actually comes from her.

Yeah, that's an issue. It's the difference between a staffer who works for Clinton saying she supports Obama and having it come from Hillary.

by: Thurman Hart @ Fri Jun 06, 2008 at 01:12:10 AM UTC

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but its on bluejersey (0.00 / 0)

She doesn't have to come on BlueJersey to say it - She said it at her concession speech.

by: vingopal @ Fri Jun 06, 2008 at 02:39:53 AM UTC

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I didn't say she had to come on bluejersey (2.50 / 2)

I'm saying that a private phone call is not the appropriate way to make up for publicly atttacking someone. She could post it on her campaign site, her "Justice for All" website, or she could send a press release to PNJ. It's a very simply principle - if you attack in public, then you should support in public. Attacking in person and then having someone else say you are supporting the person that beat you is simply not kosher. It is, for lack of better words, childish.

by: Thurman Hart @ Fri Jun 06, 2008 at 08:11:27 AM UTC

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Thank you Erik (4.00 / 3)

I voted for your mother Camille in the 2006 primary and as well this past Tuesday. I really appreciate her personally calling my house and leaving a voicemail message that had my mom, my brother, and my name all mentioned in it. It solidified our family's support for her and we were proud to support her.

I will definitely support Shulman this fall and I hope he gets some national support from the DCCC. But thanks to your mom Camille for running a great campaign and being an excellent progressive.

-Mike C.

"Give me a lever long enough... and I shall move the world." - Archimedes

by: mconvente @ Fri Jun 06, 2008 at 02:54:32 AM UTC

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The Future and opportunities (0.00 / 0)

The story about Abraham Lincoln's troubled (to put it mildly!) political career before getting elected President has been told many times. There are plenty of second or even third or fourth chapters in politics.

One of the most difficult areas to master is discerning the difference between fighting for your own ambition or "truth, justice and the American way." We always need to be careful about burning bridges that we may want to use in the future. This is something that Hillary is going to be dealing with. It would be hard to plan out a course from Super Tuesday to now that could have done more damage to her political future than the one that she embarked upon supposedly trying to strengthen her chances.

It may be better to figure out helping with the locals in Glen Rock and building a record of accomplishment that way. This may result in a great deal of satisfaction from "acting locally" while "thinking globally" or it may provide a better path to moving up.

Obviously, working for Dennis in a very difficult campaign helps to build those bridges for the future as well.

by: Creed Pogue @ Fri Jun 06, 2008 at 16:20:22 PM UTC

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Erik, your post touched me very much (4.00 / 1)

It is not easy being a loved one of a candidate running for office.

One of the hazards of being involved in public life, whether as an officeholder, candidate, activist, clergy member, what have you, is the role criticism plays compared to praise.

You can get a 100 compliments a week, but if you also get one or two harsh criticisms, somehow those stand out and make it all too easy to forget the nice words.

In your mom's case, truly the overwhelming majority of people who know her, or even know of her, think so highly of her. The praise for her, in both quantity and passion, hugely outweighed the criticisms about her that you very understandably found hurtful.

So try to focus on the vast majority of reactions, all so positive, as yet another reason to be proud of your mom.

by: Steven Goldstein, Garden State Equality chair @ Mon Jun 09, 2008 at 14:35:25 PM UTC

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You will probably never serve in elected office, (0.00 / 0)

but don't sabotage an educational opportunity for people who are hoping to do that.

Now, if you believe that Camille Abate's campaigns have been fair, right and smart, then just give Erik a pat on the head. If you agree however, as many who posted here have stated, that she has expressed herself in ways that alienate potential supporters, then enabling that behavior to continue is just wrong.

by: Creed Pogue @ Mon Jun 09, 2008 at 15:44:49 PM UTC

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Res ipsa loquitur (4.00 / 2)

by: Steven Goldstein, Garden State Equality chair @ Mon Jun 09, 2008 at 22:57:52 PM UTC

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more winning advice n/t (0.00 / 0)