I have lived in Northwestern New Jersey in CD5 for over 30 years, but for the last 9+ years I have had the misfortune of having Scott Garrett as my Representative in Congress. Assemblywoman Connie Wagner would be my choice to unseat him. Having served in the Assembly since 2008, representing the 38th District, she has proven to be a champion of progressive ideals and values. I also think that Connie will be able to raise a significant amount of money in order to compete against Garrett and the Tea Party money.
Dr. Tom Sacks-Wilner lives in Medford, CD3. For several years I have been a donor to Tom's fundraising/bundling group. He is a person who raises money readily and efficiently. With an expansive donor base that he has fashioned, he can easily raise at least $6 million from now to November 6. His ability to fundraise will provide the mandatory funds needed to define Jon Runyan. He has been politically active behind the scenes, especially in progressive causes.
In light of the Republican-favorable redistricting, Connie and Tom would each have a mountain to climb to defeat their respective opponent; however the challenge is certainly not insurmountable. I believe both would make their races interesting, should they choose to run.
A lot has been said, both here at Blue Jersey and in the traditional media, about the recent Congressional redistricting - and more specifically with an eye on the new Fifth and Ninth Districts. Here in the Fifth, where I (still) live, the District is better in terms of the ability to beat radical right winger Scott Garrett, but the District is still a fairly Republican district. Where things are very interesting in terms of just how serious the New Jersey Democratic Party is, not to mention the national Democratic Party, lies right here in Bergen County.
When Rep. Steve Rothman decided to run against Rep. Bill Pascrell in the Ninth as opposed to running against Garrett, my thought on the bigger picture is that there will be a lot of money spent on a Democratic Primary (assuming there is one) that could have been much better spent knocking down one of the worst Representatives in the truest sense of the word "representative" in that Garrett does not represent the best interest of most of his constituents.
PolitickerNJ is reporting that according to "two sources with knowledge of the offer" say that DCCC offered a cool $1 million to Steve Rothman if he stayed in the 5th to challenge Scott Garrett. And that the offer would slide up to $2 mil if polling showed the matchup competitive.
The sources are unnamed.
What would be the motivation for somebody to tell politicker this?
DCCC? No. Rothman has already declared his intentions in the 9th, no reason to screw a 15-year House member. Even if the story's true, it doesn't serve DCCC to embarrass a congressional Dem.
Rothman's team? Obviously, no. Only hurts the boss.
There's a lot of anger directed at Rothman now from some corners. You can read it all over our pages, but not from me. Disappointment, even for some a sense of betrayal, that Rothman would "take the easy route" and compete with another Democrat in the district Pascrell now lives in, but with constituents the bulk of which Rothman represents. Resentment that Rothman declined to challenge a Tea Party love-object in a district with a clear GOP advantage.
I have no idea if the item is true or not. But I can't help thinking who gains in a story without evidence or confirmation from the players that makes Rothman look bad, or look like somebody DCCC might write off. Am I too cynical?
This past week, we've seen a lot about the impact of congressional redistricting and the positioning of candidates in North Jersey for the upcoming election. Congressman Steve Rothman has declared that he will move and challenge his colleague Bill Pascrell in a primary rather than face incumbent Republican extremist Scott Garrett. Whether or not Rothman's decision is a good one, it hurts me to see two Democrats spending a million dollars to knock each other off when the money could be better spent in an all-out effort to oust Garrett, one of the worst members of Congress.
It also bothers me that the Fourth Estate has virtually ignored the important race in the Third District. Another member of the "worst congressman's club" is former NFL bad boy and current congressman Jon Runyan. Runyan's voting record is as bad as Garrett's, and over time if Runyan builds up seniority in the House, his impact will be just as deleterious.
Found this 1-minute floor statement by Rep. Rush Holt at the website RH Reality Check (that's RH as in prescription, not for Holt's initials).
Holt reminds us the GOP-majority House is still short on jobs creation and once again indulging themselves in yet another version of their legislative assault on women's health rights, with the Orwellian-titled "Protect Life Act" (H.R. 358).
CREDO Action's pointed out the hypocrisy of the DCCC using H.R. 358 as a fundraising tool (calling it the "Let Women Die" Act, then giving money to 15 Dem candidates, 3 of whom in fact voted to "Let Women Die" - voting for H.R. 358.
If you haven't heard about the purported Tea Party candidate/"plant" story that broke today in South Jersey, welcome back to the planet. It's not especially pretty. Courier-Post:
Camellia sinensis. (It's Latin for Tea Plant)
On a balmy evening last May, about three dozen members of the South Jersey Young Dems convened at the Camden County Democratic Committee HQ (where) Freeholder Jeff Nash warned the assembled crowd of party volunteers and legislative aides that the sour economy would make the coming election season difficult.... To give (incumbent Congressman John) Adler an edge, (CCDC) recruited a then-unidentified man to run as a third-party candidate. That candidate would act as a conservative spoiler... But first he had to get on the ballot. With the filing deadline just weeks away, CCDC needed volunteers to hit the streets and collect signatures -- fast.
For what it's worth, I happen to live in NJ-3 and cast my vote (by mail) for Adler which I don't regret it. Also, I was a staffer on the historic 2008 campaign when Alder became the first Democrat to represent this district in over 125 years.
But I still have an uneasy feeling about how this story emerged. It's not illegal or uncommon for candidates to enhance their chances at the polls by helping get 3rd party candidates on the ballot. Mother Jones:
Republicans have a long history of such shenanigans, typically propping up the Green Party in recent election cycles. In Arizona, a Republican operative was particularly brazen in recruiting three homeless people to run for state office. And in Texas, Republicans spent a half-million dollars in an effort to put the Texas Green Party on the ballot in the state race-backed by sketchy operatives who also tried to help Ralph Nader in the 2004 race.
t's my personal philosophy that you win campaigns by whatever legal means you have at your disposal. If you don't use every legal tool you've got, you should be fired for campaign malpractice. So I guess I am glad they hatched this plan because I think Adler's opponent would be infinitely worse choice. You can bet your entire Franklin Mint red ceramic elephant collection the BurlCO GOP would do the same thing if they thought it'd give them an edge. Both play hard and play to win; Politics isn't tiddlywinks.
I would however deduct a few style points for how this plan was executed. If you're not gonna be totally discreet about your strategy you should at least own it right?
Consider this an open-thread. How does this look/smell from your perspective?
Something happened on the way to Jon Runyan self funding a campaign flush with cash and cruising to a challenge against John Adler in November. With his fundraising numbers lagging and endorsements going against him, Jon Runyan is attacking the primary opponent. Here's the latest straight negative mailer Runyan sent to voters against Murphy:
Front
Back
It's funny that the candidate who held a press conference to clean out his own closet is attacking someone else's problems. It's unlikely Murphy, who has only raised $12,000 total actually could pull of a victory. But the fact that Runyan has had to spend precious resources in a primary they never expected to have on defining his opponent and not himself is certainly something to take note of. So much for that clear path leaving a strong candidate for the general.
As things shape up for a packed primary, everyone is jockeying to show their influence and now the Camden County Republicans are feeling their oats:
The truce between Ocean County chairman George Gilmore and Burlington County chairman William Layton seemed headed south in December, when Layton reiterated his support for NFL player Jon Runyan's candidacy. But the three chairmen, along with state party head Jay Webber, sat down shortly before the New Year in an attempt to calm the storm.
The plan, Camden County chairman Rick DeMichele said in an interview on Wednesday, involves Camden County Republicans holding off on an endorsement until the Ocean and Burlington parties name their pick.
"I discussed with them my desire to be the last county party to endorse," DeMichele said. "If they can't come to a consensus, then wherever Camden goes gives that candidate a clear advantage."
So his 15% will decide he says, while 42% of the district is in Burlington County and 43% in Ocean. And about that double secret meeting:
None of the chairmen would divulge details of what was said in their meeting, however. Asked if his organization would switch its endorsement if Camden and Burlington went the other way, Gilmore would not commit.
"We'll cross all those bridges when we come to them," he said.
Oh boy do I hope they cross that bridge. This is starting to be some real fun. Camden County has never felt the power to really play and even if they don't have it, I'm enjoying them trying to flex their muscles. If the party chair power struggle wasn't enough, enter new candidate to the field Joe Rullo:
While Runyan and the party chairs grab local headlines, one prospective candidate is sitting in frustration. Joseph R. Rullo isn't persuaded by assurances that all potential challengers will get a fair hearing. He's already up with a campaign Web site -- rullo4congress2010.com -- and has announced a Feb. 18 fundraiser.
"He's counted me out," said Rullo, a 40-year-old solar energy consultant. "It hurt my feelings."
Hurt feelings? Uh ok. This is politics and bare knuckle with who he's playing. He needs to get a thicker skin if he's upset that they don't want him to take their power. Layton for his part could care less what anyone else says. He's had enough Runyan Kool Aid to last the cycle:
"The excitement is overwhelming, quite frankly," Layton said, describing voter reaction to Runyan's candidacy.
Layton is like one of those pull string dolls. Pull string... Jon Runyan is the greatest. Pull string... Jon Runyan is exciting. Pull string... Everyone loves Jon Runyan.
My guess, George Gilmore is not amused and that must've been a fun meeting in December when they all sat down to make public peace in private.
Currently, a permit is pending with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to import 20,000 tons of Italian low-level radioactive waste for disposal in the United States. This would be the largest importation ever of foreign-generated radioactive waste. Permits to import and dispose radioactive waste from Mexico and Brazil are also pending. If these permits are approved, the nuclear waste shipments would be sent to Tennessee for processing and later disposed in Utah.
According to the bill sponsor, we are the only nation in the world that accepts nuclear waste from countries for disposal. Well 111 Republicans decided to vote against the bill and want to keep importing nuclear waste. While Scott Garrett normally joins them, even he voted with the majority to prohibit on this one. Rodney Frelinghuysen on the other hand, was the only member of the NJ delegation to oppose the measure.Here's what the DCCC said about the opposition:
The Radioactive Import Deterrence (RID) Act (H.R. 515) would prevent foreign-generated radioactive waste from being imported for processing and disposal in the U.S. If those 111 Republicans had their way, America could become a dumping ground for other nations' radioactive nuclear waste. Instead of protecting Americans from the dangers of nuclear waste, Republicans including Michele Bachmann (MN-06), John Boehner (OH-08), and Pete Sessions (TX-32) voted to put corporate interests ahead of the health and safety of America's families.
Why would Rodney vote against prohibiting the importation of radioactive waste?
We hear he's turning to vulnerable Republicans and telling them he can get the DCCC to "go easy" on them next year if they vote for the Supplemental tomorrow. And Eric Cantor's office is really pissed.
It's one thing if he makes a deal with Vern Buchanan in Florida or Chris Smith in New Jersey, but we're hearing that he's offering to protect Republicans who have been slated as major DCCC targets, like Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), Bill Young (R-FL), Leonard Lance R-NJ) and Charlie Dent (R-PA).
This is not a deal to get universal health care passed, which I could certainly forgive. This is a deal to vote for A. The Iraq War, B. Bailing out European banks via the IMF, and C. Covering up abuse photos. There's not much reason any Democrat should vote for it, much less make a deal to protect Leonard Lance.
Let's hope the rumor is not true, or the DCCC has the guts to tell Rahm he's not their boss.
Join us and sign the petition at www.StopFakeReform.com. You'll be joining dozens of progressive bloggers - including several of us - and more than 2,500 signers, more every minute.
We're sending it to our Senator, Bob Menendez, because he is in the position to make great change, as Chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), which he chairs. We call on him to follow the example set by our president.
President Barack Obama pledged not to accept PAC and lobbyist contributions. That puts him way ahead of the curve in Washington in terms of making efforts to avoid conflict-of-interest, or the appearance of conflict-of-interest, which is itself an issue for weary voters who fear the worst from the cozy relationship between, for example, corporate interests and those who make decisions every day who those corporate interests want to influence.
But Obama stands alone there. At least so far. DSCC and DCCC, the two campaign committees responsible for electing Democrats to the Senate and Congress respectively, still accept contributions from PACs and lobbyists.
Except on June 18, when the Dems have a star headliner coming in to help them rake in cash: Barack Obama. And for that one day, they're giving up PAC and lobbyist money.
Generally people like honors, but Leonard Lance is not thrilled with his inclusion by the DCCC in their "Hypocrisy Hall of Fame." Lance was inducted after he started claiming credit for projects he opposed. Here's what vmars said at the time:
You never heard Lance say this before the stimulus vote. It would have gone against the GOP bosses position that stimulus spending was bad if Lance had suggested we should put the Green Brook Flood Control Project in the stimulus package. And going against the bosses can be bad juju for a freshman Rep.
Further proof that this was a partisan effort to take credit for a bill he voted against, Lance toured the area solely with Republican Pilato -- former staffer for Mike Ferguson -- and none of the Democratic council members from Bound Brook.
He didn't invite the Democratic Mayors of Green Brook, Manville or North Plainfield either, three towns that flooded massively in the 1973 storm that spawned the Green Brook Flood Control Project, flooded again in 1999 when Hurricane Floyd hit and gave new impetus to the effort. Manville again flooded in 1997 when the Nor'Easter hit.
No, after voting in lockstep with his party against the Democrats in the House Lance blocks out Democrats from working with him in protecting their homes and businesses from flooding.
In the State Senate Lance had a reputation for bi-partisanship and working to solve problems without being a blind party follower. In just a month as a member of Congress he's giving up that hard earned image to become another drone in the national Republican party.
Making an appearance at the special convention at the Clinton Township Middle School after attending the Union County Republican Convention today, Lance said he preferred a GOP alternative stimulus package proposed by Republican Whip U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Richmond) to what he saw ultimately as a bloated Democratic offering.
"I favored the Cantor package totaling $500 billion, which included money for shovel-ready projects," Lance told PolitickerNJ.com.
But which shovel ready projects? Lance's claim is he supported the bill put forth by the minority whip, whose job it is to keep members of the party in line? Did that bill even include specific funding for the Green Brook project he's claiming, or just other projects? That would indicate he played follow the leader with his party rather than standing out as a maverick for his district. By the Lance standard, everyone could claim credit for supporting everything if the standard is legislation that doesn't go anywhere. Lance opposed the stimulus package that was signed and will fund the projects he's standing with for photo ops. And it's more insulting to see him stand there after opposing, while the NRCC hammers John Adler for having the courage to vote for the package before touting its results. Where was the Lance amendment in this package dealing with Green Brook if he was so passionately committed to the project? He could have introduced that to be included in the final package. Instead he's hoping you either don't realize or aren't paying attention.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), chaired by Congressman Chris Van Hollen, today announced the DCCC is launching the second phase of the Putting Families First campaign on the economic recovery bill by running automated calls in seven targeted Republican freshman districts. The calls focus on the Republicans' out of step priorities by putting partisan politics before the needs of the jobs in their districts.
Naturally, Leonard Lance (NJ7) is one of the targets of the calls, which go something like this:
Did you know Congressman Leonard Lance voted against economic recovery that would immediately create and save nearly 106,000 New Jersey jobs?
Yes, he did not merely vote to do nothing in a crisis, as I would put it, but against recovery itself. Come to think of it, it's probably true.
Let me know what you think of the DCCC calls. Are they an important step, a waste of time, or are you just bitter that the calls would have done more good in 2006?
Post-mortems are a sad duty in any world, in no small way because it means "after death." The death in this case are the hopes of thousands of volunteers, donors and staff to send Linda Stender to Congress to represent New Jersey's 7th Congressional District.
This has been a four year effort for many of us, starting before Linda even decided to run in 2006. It is hard for some of us because we know Linda personally and like her very much, and worked so hard and invested so much in getting her to the finish line.
In 2006 we came within 1.5 percent of the vote against a three term Republican named Mike Ferguson. It was a stunningly unexpected effort that shocked the national party which gave secondary support to the campaign while dumping millions in others where the margin was seven points or more.
In 2008 Linda lost by a little less than nine percent, a stunning defeat in a race where we saw polls putting Stender even or just behind State Senator Leonard Lance in the days before the election. It was made all the more stunning in that 2008 was a better year for Democrats than 2006, yet the Stender campaign fell far behinds its previous result.
How could that happen? Lance didn't run a great campaign. Stender had lots more money. The DCCC dropped over a million dollars into the district, while the NRCC walked away and focused on NJ3. Registration for Democrats jumped dramatically. And then there was that guy running for President who brought Democratic turnout to amazing levels. The environment couldn't have been better.
But she lost anyway.
Because, as near as we can tell, they forgot all the lessons of 2006 that got them close. Instead of building on the energy and volunteers from the previous election they brought in an entirely new team from outside the district, ignored the organizations like Democracy for America that supported Stender in 2006, and blew off local expertise in favor of a cookie-cutter campaign.
The DCCC continues to try to push our open seat candidates over the top, this time releasing a new positive ad for John Adler:
Well, maybe my calling it positive shows I've lived in New Jersey too long. Only the first part is positive, touting Adler's endorsements. The second half criticizes Chris Myers.
For horserace politics, nothing is more anticipated or easily understood than FEC filings on campaign contributions. It's a cakewalk to look at the numbers and say Campaign A raised $X and Campaign B raised $Y, and to tell the difference.
Today is the last regular filing for the Congressional campaigns, including all contributions from October 1 to October 20. You can go to the FEC website to look for the reports, which are posted pretty quickly.
After today any contribution -- in kind, loan or money -- has to be reported to the FEC within 48 hours, so if there is late money coming in it will be seen within 48 hours.
So there will be a good bit of money news coming out in the next two weeks for our Congressional campaigns. Be on the lookout, and post diaries if the front pagers don't get to it first!
