Among the scores of Democratic politicians in today's crowded Marriage Equality press conference was one federal official, Congressman Rush Holt. Holt represented the entire New Jersey congressional delegation - all seven congressmen and both senators - in expressing their support for the Marriage Equality bill, S1. Holt's brief remarks are below; the text of the letter is after the fold.
Blue Jersey has learned that Jun Choi is calling Frank Pallone to give his endorsement to Pallone's candidacy, and dropping out of contention for a seat in the 2012 election. Choi had outraised Leonard Lance during the cycle, but because of redistricting no longer lives in the 7th district. He now lives in Pallone's district.
That leaves Blue Jerseyan Ed Potasnak as the presumptive candidate against Lance next year. Ed's website is at http://edpotosnak.com/ and you can volunteer or donate there.
We're nearly a week out of Hurricane Irene and the GOP is strangling FEMA at the very time Eastern Seaboard states are crying for federal dollars. You heard some of this in the very different view of government between Sen. Dick Codey and Rep. Scott Garrett and from Senator Lautenberg.
Frank Pallone was on Rachel Maddow last night, with fill-in host (and until recently Princetonian) Melissa Harris-Perry, on this very topic:
I believe that creating jobs and helping the economy grow should be America's top priority. Unfortunately, the Republicans in Congress don't seem to agree. It's been 205 days since Republicans took control of the House and in that time Speaker Boehner has not posted any legislation to help put America back to work. In fact, the Republicans have devoted themselves to budget cuts that hurt working families and to protecting tax cuts for the wealthy, tax breaks for Big Oil and tax loopholes for companies that send jobs overseas.
I am working with my Democratic colleagues to advance an economic plan we call "Make It In America." This is a multi-part plan that help rebuild the manufacturing base in America with good jobs and companies that will contribute to long-term economic growth.
To highlight the Make It In America agenda I visited Seimens in Piscataway yesterday to showcase a manufacturing success story. Siemens has brought jobs back from China to a facility that combines manufacturing, Research and Development and marketing. Watch the video below to find out more about my trip to Seimens and the Make It In America agenda.
Washington has been consumed with a protracted and distracting debate that tied the need to raise the Nation's debt limit to budget cuts. All reasonable people know that default was not an option. The failure of the country to pay its bills would have a catastrophic effect on the economy and on the lives of all Americans for years to come. This was a debate we shouldn't have been having. Every day and every hour that was spent in this battle was time that wasn't devoted to job creation or economic growth.
I voted against the deal that was made to end the crisis that paralyzed Congress and threatened the economy. A default had to be avoided, but this was not the best way to do it. First and foremost, the plan does nothing to create a single job and does nothing to aid the ailing economy. In fact, it could cause both immediate and long-term harm to the country's economic well being and to our ability to pursue economic opportunities.
We don't always talk about our ads. And we take ads from all kinds of businesses, campaigns, issue groups, and candidates. (Want to talk advertising?)
But this one is a little different. PCCC - that's Progressive Change Campaign Committee - is run by AdamGreen, a friend of some of ours here, and the former Communications Director of the state Democratic Party. PCCC's pretty alert to what's been going down in New Jersey since the dealmaking that led to the intentional weakening of public worker bargaining, and the fractures this produced in the Democratic Party. And they put their campaign together partly in intel from Blue Jersey.
PCCC's looking down the line at 2013, and looking for your name on a petition seeking support for a better candidate than Sweeney when it comes time for Democrats to choose a candidate for Governor.
We saw it today. The sliding approval ratings of our headstrong governor (more on this later) are being driven downward by New Jersey's women. Women unimpressed by gubernatorial bluster, who may wonder what Chris Christie's attitude towards their gender might be, given that he is incapable of speaking about or to women legislators - like Loretta Weinberg ("take a bat to her"), Valerie Huttle ("a jerk") Sheila Oliver ("liar") and Bonnie Watson Coleman (responsible for a murder) - without unprofessional conduct and insulting language.
On the other hand, maybe New Jersey women don't have to wonder, since everything in Gov. Christie attitude toward his female constituents, particularly those of lower income, is crystal clear. He removed from the state budget the $7.5 million the state was funding women's health and family planning programs, of critical need. He has ignored or resisted all attempts to find alternate ways to restore that funding, while spending freely on other things. And he's caused the state to lose $9 of federal funding for every $1 New Jersey isn't spending on these programs.
Fortunately, there is leadership in both houses of the legislature - with Sen. Loretta Weinberg & Asw Linda Stender in the lead - who will not give up. Yesterday was a killer day in Trenton, and the disgraceful votes in the Senate and Assembly Budget blotted out the rest of the day. So, reaching back a day, here are some pictures from yesterday's rally calling for a full restoration of the funds removed from family planning and women's health programs.
I want to note the delegations from National Council of Jewish Women and Planned Parenthood, who showed in numbers. And that among the men who showed up - sexy beasts all of them - was Rep. Frank Pallone, who towered over everyone else at the podium, and LD-8 candidate Carl Lewis, who pointed out that sometimes it takes a man to stand up for a woman. I have to say it: Feminist men are hot.
New Jersey's two senators and the congressman New Jerseyans most closely associate with health care reform are joining forces to speak out against Governor Christie's "draconian" cuts to Medicaid, which will result would result in the loss of medical care for tens of thousands of residents of their home state.
Christie has shown repeatedly that New Jerseyans falling through cracks are not high priority for him - low-income women and people suffering from pain or cancer can attest to that - but in this case the governor is actually widening those cracks.
President Barack Obama's decision to commit the American military to the United Nations action in Libya has come about without a Congressional vote and can safely be described as controversial. Evidently the President thinks Col. Gaddafi will be overthrown quickly. Our two senators are strongly in favor. Naturally, most of our Representatives have taken the opportunity to say nothing--as you'll notice I'm doing too. As for our regular users, Couch Potato Politics thinks Obama's Libya war is unconstitutional and unwise. Here's what I've found...
"It is welcome news that the Security Council has voted to stop Qaddafi's slaughter of thousands of Libyan people who are seeking freedom" stated Lautenberg. "The madness employed by Qaddafi's guns, tanks, planes and artillery against innocent men and women seeking human rights must be stopped immediately."
"Muammar Qadhafi is a terrorist - plain and simple. Just days ago, Qadhafi said he would hunt down every person opposing him. After years of violently oppressing the Libyan people and silencing political opposition, we cannot - and should not - take Qaddafi at his word. The announcement today is nothing more than an attempt to distract and deceive the international community while internally pursuing his hunt. The international community must follow through, impose an immediate no-fly zone, provide desperately needed humanitarian assistance, and extend a hand of friendship to the Libyan people. This is our opportunity to effect change and end Qadhafi's rule of terror."
As reported by the fine folks at CrooksandLiars, watch Democrat Representatives Anthony Weiner (NY), Charles Dingell (MI), Jan Schakowski (IL) and our own Frank Pallone completely own Subcommittee Chair Joe Pitts, Joe "Poor, poor BP" Barton and many others on the lack of a constitutional basis for HR 358, The Protect Life Act, a.k.a. the House abortion bill. The fun starts at 34:45 or so, with Rep. Pallone's biting remarks coming at around 39:00 and then again at about 60:00.
Bob Menendez: Banking (chairs the Housing, Transportation, and Community Development subcommittee); Energy and Natural Resources; Finance; Foreign Relations (chairs the International Development and Foreign Assistance, Economic Affairs, and International Environmental Protection subcommittee)
Frank Lautenberg: Appropriations (chairs the Homeland Security subcommittee); Commerce, Science and Transportation (chairs the Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security subcommittee); and Environment and Public Works (chairs the Superfund, Toxics, and Environmental Health, Chair subcommittee)
Turn on C-SPAN (live feed link). This is a reading of the US Constitution, uh ... well, the current Constitution, by the House GOP, which invited Democrats to join with them in reading aloud one of our founding documents. Clearly, they anticipated Democratic disinterest, given that this is an obvious pander to corral the Tea Party, which assumes none of the rest of us have a clue about the Constitution.
But in fact, this morning the Consitution reading was a bi-partisan affair.
But some of the GOPers, flush with new power, can't seem to rein in the disrespect for duly-elected Members of Congress from the other party. During Rep. Frank Pallone's reading, some asshat shouted:
Get Obama Out!
Also, during a reciting of the requirement that Presidents must be natural-born citizens, another jackwagon yelled out:
Not Obama!
I don't know if visitors in the Gallery or newly-elected Members did the yelling, because I'm listen-only. Anyone have any info?
It seems every day in December is a big day for legislatures as they work to finish up business for the year. Here's the significant news of the day from New Jersey's Members of Congress.
A minority of Republican senators blocked the Defense Authorization Act. Senator Lautenberg tells it like it is:
"Senate Republicans refuse to even begin debating a repeal of the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy. The other side has run out of excuses. Eliminating 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' is the right thing to do and would ensure that our military policy reflects the values of our nation.
"The fact that Republican Senators are willing to hold up a bill that provides vital resources to our troops and ends discrimination in our military is deplorable. I will continue working to pass a Defense Authorization bill that provides our military with the equipment and services they need while also bringing an end to discrimination within the ranks."
Of course, Democrats letting Republicans takes "hostages" will go on as long as our Senators and our President let them. Why did they add DADT to the bill if they give up anyway? What was the point?
More below on the Anthrax investigation, water supplies for the Delaware River Basin, 9/11 Responders, and Iran.
While we celebrate having avoided the Republican deluge in other states, let's not forget that the NJ landscape is now more slippery than before. The unexpected can happen: "No Way" can become "Yes Way." We better get our ass in gear for 2011 and 2012.
Let's pretend this is the News Roundup. Better yet, make it an Open Thread ...
The picture below is cold reality, but I am not going to waste my time mourning. New Jersey battled back. Good candidates fell all over the country Tuesday. In New Jersey, we held on by our teeth.
The big loss was John Adler, in a series of self-inflicted wounds. We knew months ago when Adler tried to play both sides on health care reform, that he'd sacrificed his base. We knew when Jane Roh's Courier Post account of the mechanics of Peter DeStefano's sham Tea Party candidacy that the Adler campaign had been pulled down the rabbit hole by the Camden County Democratic Committee. We can't be stung by that loss anymore, we grieved it a long time ago. But what fresh hell Jon Runyan will be, we'll leave to the light of day, or at least until tonight's Glenlivet wears off.
We held on to two key House progressives in the NJ delegation that we might have lost (Pallone in NJ-6 and Holt in NJ-12). These were the real nail-biters of the night. Anna Little was New Jersey's only Tea Party candidate running a viable challenger race. With Frank Pallone's win, she is not the only loser. The Tea Party itself is delegitimized in NJ, juiceless unless they regroup and figure out how to appeal to the citizenry without promising to ruin the environment, erase government and create false enemies to be terrified of. Twelve years ago, the last time the congressional races topped the ticket, Rush Holt won, an unlikely candidate without the flash and sizzle of most smooth-talkers, he was wonky and earnest. This year, the congressional topping the ticket again, science teacher Ed Potosnak ran in adjacent NJ-7, wonky and earnest. He lost - it was always an uphill race. But like Holt (who also lost his first time out), Potosnak should run again. Potosnak never dumbed down his progressivism.
Chris Christie did not have a good night. And that's damn gratifying. GOP candidates Little, Scott Sipprelle, and Tom Goodwin caved. GOP candidate Felix Garcia lost the Passaic Sheriff's race. I'll leave Bergen County to the Bergen scholars on this blog but it's worth noting that Christie would have a hard time claiming GOP's Kathe Donovan's win as County Executive for himself, given that Bergen Grassroots DFA crossed the aisle to back her, too. The state's most heavily-watched legislative special election - overshadowed by Adler drama - was Tom Goodwin's attempt to hold his thin incumbency (appointed in March, to Bill Baroni's vacant seat) against Linda Greenstein. This was a referendum on Christie's short months in office, and it didn't break his way. LD-14 has both conservatives and a band of resentful public workers. From the beginning, Goodwin hitched his star to Christie; Greenstein was the alternative, the promise of a stronger Democratic Senate. Let her help bring that now.
For the record, there will either not be a News Roundup in the morning, or it will come late. Late. Like a lot of you, I've been up for 24 hours; like more of you, I'm soaked in scotch.
In this morning's News Roundup, we had a link to a Press of Atlantic City piece about voter anger, speculating who might be the winners and losers of that 2010 cycle phenomenon.
So, today's second Quote of the Day - and perspective - is from the NJ-6 incumbent, the only Dem staring down a well-financed Tea Party candidate in New Jersey today. Via politickernj:
There's a lot of anger this year," he said, although misdirected. "I just wish that the Tea Party anger would be directed at the special interests...that I think caused these problems. - Rep. Frank Pallone, in Red Bank today
The Cook Report has shifted NJ-6 from Solid Democrat to Likely Democrat, as Frank Pallone's lead on Tea Party approved Republican Anna Little dropped from 12 points to 7 with a week to go.
Now comes Chris Christie hard-charging for Pallone, calling him "the sponsor of Obamacare". Obamacare being pure dogwhistle pitched to get people who may be without health care coverage themselves to agitate against what may be their own best interests. Yet another signal that Chris Christie's take on New Jersey is temporary.
With this ad, Christie allies himself with the shriekers, screamers and name-callers of last summer's Town Halls on health care reform. With this ad, he chooses a Tea Party candidate to pump, defusing some of the lingering resentment from the uber-right that Christie isn't 'conservative' enough, that Steve Lonegan was better.
Most importantly, Christie becomes a huckster for the national stink bomb that is the far-right's gross distortion of health care reform; not that it's problematic because it doesn't go far enough or fast enough, but for them that it dares to tie any responsibility or requirement at all to insurance companies making vast sums. Worse, with New Jersey having the 9th-largest number of uninsured people in America, quite a few of those 1.2 million living in Middlesex, Monmouth, Somerset & Union counties that comprise NJ's 6th congressional district, we now have a Governor huckstering for the right-wing on their national issues - not his state issues - flying around the country doing favors for Republicans he can collect on later, and screwing up just about everything at home. Good plan!
If you haven't already seen the commercial running in the 6th Congressional District by Voice For My Child then you either don't live in the district or you don't watch TV!
Here is the commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v... and here is the website to provide context and additional information about Congressman Frank Pallone who is blocking the most broad-based, bi-partisan healthcare initiative during this entire Congress dealing with the #1 leading cause of death and disability for American youth - brain injury : H. Con. Res. 198
Visit www.VoiceForMyChild.com for more information and if you'd like to post any constructive questions I would be more than happy to answer them.
Congressman Pallone's negatives are up 7 points and Anna Little has surged with Independents since we launched Voice For My Child!
The new Monmouth University poll of 647 likely voters from October 22 to 25, 2010 shows an even closer race in NJ6:
Incumbent Democrat Frank Pallone holds a 7 point lead over Tea Party-backed Republican Anna Little, 52% to 45%, according to the Monmouth University Poll. A poll taken three weeks ago found the incumbent ahead by a 53% to 41% margin among likely voters in this district.
"Anna Little's gains have come from a tremendous grassroots effort in her home region of Monmouth County. Frank Pallone will need to bet on a strong turnout in more Democratic areas of this district to fend off this challenge," said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute.
Pallone has an identical 52-45 lead among the 7% who have already voted by mail. The President's job approval rating is 45-48 among the NJ6 likely voters.
As I understand the outcomes of polling, I can still safely predict Pallone will win since he is up by seven and above 50% with a week to go. But you'd be best off helping Pallone, Holt, Rothman, and our other Representatives than counting on probability. I think it's safe to say we'll get a close poll for Rush Holt later in the week. Sign up here to volunteer for Pallone.
Election Day is just around the corner, and I'm sure by now you've heard all about the challenge my friend Congressman Frank Pallone is facing in the 6th District from Anna Little - a Tea Party approved extremist.
