Quote of the Day: "Take it like a man, you lost"

by: Jason Springer

Mon Sep 14, 2009 at 10:24:00 PM EDT

"Donny, what the hell are you doing?" says one enraged Democratic Party member. "Take it like a man. You lost."

"I'm not going to support Dougherty because of what they did to me in the last week of the campaign," says Cresitello. "They ran flyers with bags of money in front of me, saying I never saw a development project I didn't like. They damaged my reputation by telling voters I'm a racist. They told people I hated Obama. They damaged my reputation with African Americans, which was an outstanding reputation."

And you thought Donald Cresitello was bad...

by: Scott Weingart

Wed Sep 03, 2008 at 08:35:49 PM EDT

$75,000 a year.

What's the matter with Warren County?

by: Juan Melli

Wed Jun 04, 2008 at 12:49:58 AM EDT

Quote of the Day: Sexual Specialties

by: Rosi Efthim

Sun Jun 01, 2008 at 11:39:18 AM EDT

Paraphrasing:

Yes, I had to decide whether as mayor of Morristown I would perform civil unions for gays, lesbians and for other kinds of sexual specialties.

In other news, Happy Sexual Specialties Day 2008 Pride Day, everybody, kicking off in just a few minutes in Asbury Park!

Today's Debate

by: Hopeful

Tue May 27, 2008 at 10:26:48 PM EDT

If you find yourself watching a man kissing a pig, you're playing the wrong video.

Update: I see that the debate is available at the Courier-Post multimedia section but you need to scroll past other videos, and it is cut into pieces.

Silly Season comes to New Jersey

by: Thurman Hart

Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 01:41:52 PM EDT

One of the lawyers challenging whether Morristown Mayor Donald Cresitello should be on the ballot for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate today said she was working for Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1st Dist.), who has already announced his own candidacy.

I want to be fair to Rob Andrews - the story reports that there was confusion among the two lawyers as to who they represented (shouldn't that be the first thing a lawyer knows before going into court?).  Just to be sure there is no confusion, I believe Mr. Andrews should publicly denounce the effort to remove Cresitello from the primary ballot.  And just to be sure there is not a wink-and-nod type of agreement (because those never happen in Jersey), he should offer to counter-sue on behalf of Mr. Cresitello.  Then he should, I don't know, punch the litigant, John Kwasnik, right in the face on the steps of the courthouse and then cry out, "I strike a blow for freedom!  I pledge my life and my land against tyranny and oppression!"

I'm not a fan of Cresitello.  I think he's a laughable Goober that should be thrown head over heals out of the Democratic Party for pandering to the Klan and neo-Nazis.  But if we're going to have an open primary, let's make it wide-open.  Let's let in all the crazies and nut-jobs and freaks that can scrape together enough signatures to make it.  

I'm willing to bet that Cresitello would get less than two percent of all votes cast anyway.  So why make him feel important by trying to keep him off the ballot?  Well, that's business as usual in Jersey politics - common sense does not apply.

Update
Via email, I have been informed that Bill Caruso says "They are not our attorneys and they do not represent us."

Update II
As it turns out, John Kresnik - the lawyer who knew he wasn't representing Rob Andrews - serves as legal counsel for the Prodigal Foundation (which, incidentally, looks to be a worthy cause).  Also serving that organization, as a Honorary Trustee, is State Senator Joe Vitale (as well as Middlesex Freeholders John Pulomena and H. James Polos).  Vitale has endorsed Andrews, and the Middlesex Dems have thrown their weight to Andrews.

So how likely is it that Kresnik is actually doing this of his own volition?  His bio from the Prodigal Foundation doesn't list any experience in elections law:

Mr. Kwasnik concentrates his practice in the areas of real estate, trust and estates, community association law, land use, civil litigation, commercial transactions and corporate law.

Yet Cresitello's lawyer finds it hard to believe that this case filed itself:

Cresitello's lawyer, Paul Bangiola of Morristown, said earlier the challenge raises "every conceivable, arcane minutiae of election law" to question the validity of more than 700 of the 1,384 signatures on the mayor's petition. Lautenberg filed 4,950 signatures while Andrews filed 5,970.

"I might be darkly cynical," Bangiola said, "but I have a feeling either Congressman Andrews or Senator Lautenberg or the state Democratic Party are at work here."

I believe Mr. Andrews when he says he has nothing to do with it.  But I don't understand how Kwisnik, who has no experience in the area, suddenly files a lawsuit focusing on "every conceivable, arcane minutiae of election law".  It looks like there might be a behind-the-scenes connection with the Middlesex Dems trying to work on behalf of Andrews - but sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

Cresitello: Hooked on a feeling

by: Thurman Hart

Wed Apr 02, 2008 at 11:40:14 AM EDT

Lautenberg, who just a few weeks ago had no opposition for the Democratic nomination for another six-year term, also may face a primary challenge from Morristown Mayor Donald Cresitello.

Cresitello said he has volunteers gathering the 1,000 signatures needed to get on the ballot and planned to file Monday. But he said he would reconsider if Andrews gets his name on the ballot.

The people of Morristown are entitled to pick whatever goober they want to run their city.  Given Cresitello's trackrecord - his 23 percent pay-raise has been put on hold until it can be shot-down by local referendum and the refused to cooperate with his crack-down on illegal immigrants (because it contradicted directives from the state Attorney General and it would bankrupt the county) - I'd be hardpressed to come up with a reason for any thinking person to support his candidacy for dog-catcher.  But that's the wonderful thing about this country - even Goober can aspire to something more.

Cresitello the Chameleon

by: Scott Weingart

Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 05:25:57 PM EDT

Cresitello first won election for Morristown Mayor as a Democrat back in 1977. He served one four-year term as mayor. In 1982, he ran for US Senate in the Democratic primary but lost to Frank Lautenberg. The next year, Cresitello won a seat on the Morristown council, which he held until 1991.  He ran for the seat again in 1995 and defeated Republican George Burke, who died of a heart attack in late September.

In 1997, Cresitello switched parties to run for Mayor, but lost the primary to Jay Delaney. Cresitello won re-election to his council seat in 1999 as a Republican, but switched back to the Democratic party in 2001 to challenge Delaney for Mayor. Cresitello lost, but held onto his council seat in 2003. In 2005, he won a fairly competitive Mayoral race against an independent candidate.  

Lautenberg is Outstanding

by: vingopal

Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 04:54:26 PM EDT

Lautenberg has a challenger (Update: rumor?)

by: Juan Melli

Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 03:29:56 PM EDT

Not the one anyone was expecting (PolitickerNJ):

Morristown Mayor Donald Cresitello is preparing to challenge incumbent Frank Lautenberg in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary, and will launch a petition drive tomorrow morning in Morristown, according to Gayle Kesselman, Co-Chair, New Jersey Citizens for Immigration Control.

"This is very good news," Kesselman said in an e-mail. "Mayor Cresitello has steadfastly understood the illegal immigration problem in the country and his town. He has instituted 287G training for his police officers and argued with the Democrats in NJ about the immigration problem. The current NJ Senator, Frank Lautenberg, is up for reelection in 2008.  He is probably in his middle 80's.  And Lautenberg has a very pro-illegal immigration voting record in the U.S. Senate. Mayor Cresitello wants to challenge him for the seat."

"To the Communists across the street, and the Marxists, we know your motives, and we will not continue to let you go forward with your intent to take over our country."

Cresitello's chances are somewhere between slim and none, and slim just left town. But this could open the door for others to jump in, including Tom Byrne and potentially even some of the Congressional delegation.

Cresitello: Give "illegals...a pathway to legalization"

by: Juan Melli

Thu Jan 17, 2008 at 12:38:08 PM EST

"To the Communists across the street, and the Marxists, we know your motives, and we will not continue to let you go forward with your intent to take over our country," he said.

Now, maybe he's had a change of heart. He now things we should "permit all illegals who are in this country to be granted a pathway to legalization immediately."

From Morristown Green:

At the Hillary Ball

by: Juan Melli

Tue Jul 31, 2007 at 09:59:05 AM EDT

The event was packed with over 200 guests including Governor Corzine, Assemblywoman Valerie Huttle, Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes, former Congressman Bill Hughes, Highland Park Mayor Meryl Frank, Englewood Cliffs Mayor Joe Parisi, Morristown Mayor Donald Cresitello, 5th district Congressional Candidate-American Paul Aronsohn, 39th district Senate candidate Joe Aryan, and Camden County Clerk Jim Beach.

I was surprised to see that the mayor of Morristown was there. He's called those who oppose his anti-immigrant plan "Communists and Marxists". If I had to guess I don't think Clinton would support his plan, but he's apparently a big supporter of hers anyway.

Though there are those who legitimately believe in her, it's no secret or surprise that the state's political establishment is lining up behind Clinton simply because she's the frontrunner and they expect her to win. It's kind of lemmingish and boring, but that's how people play the game. They did it with Howard Dean to some degree, too. Publicly they'll say things like she's the "most qualified" or has the "most experience." But privately, a surprising number will admit that it's just about getting on the winning bandwagon.

I heard a few people mocking Edison mayor Jun Choi and Congressman Steve Rothman for not falling in line and instead endorsing Obama. Not on the merits - just because they think they're getting behind a losing candidate. "What's the point once the county chairs have gotten behind her?" And they really believe that.

I Hate New Jersey Nazis

by: Hudson Observer

Sun Jul 29, 2007 at 07:24:57 PM EDT

When he took the stage, the mayor, who is seeking to deputize local police officers as federal immigration agents, condemned his opponents for stalling his efforts.

"How dare they, how dare they question my right as mayor of this community to move this program forward?" he asked.

Then, as counter-protesters began chanting loudly, "Shame, shame, shame on you!" in an effort to drown the mayor out, Cresitello retaliated with a warning.

"To the Communists across the street, and the Marxists, we know your motives, and we will not continue to let you go forward with your intent to take over our country," he said.