Remember back in the 1990s the horror at Al Gore using the private residence phones at the White House to call donors? Or Bill Clinton allowing donors to stay in the Lincoln bedroom (which Reagan, Bush and Bush all did as well)?
Well, now our own Chris Christie is using the public facility provided for New Jersey governors to host political fundraisers from out of state who are trying to convince him to run for President.
A team of Iowa businessmen will fly by private jet today to meet with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), who has steadfastly refused to run for president "but agreed to have dinner with them in the governor's mansion," the Des Moines Register reports.
"The heavy hitters' journey is being closely watched by political operatives across the nation who read it as evidence of Republican discontent in the lead-off voting state with the developing field of GOP hopefuls -- and a sign that Christie's resistance might crack."
Make of this what you will, but at least Christie is 100% focused on the business of New Jersey.
Chris Myers, GOP candidate for US Congress, appears unable to raise significant funds (especially from very Republican Ocean County), make any headway on the issues, or find a reasonable tack to take against his Democratic opponent state Senator John Adler. So what's a losing candidate to do?
Attack the bloggers.
Seriously, he's holding a press conference this afternoon at 1 p.m. to "discuss his military service" because Blue Jersey front pager Thurman Hart -- like Myers, a Navy Veteran -- questioned whether Myers should be considered a "combat veteran" when no one ever shot at Myers or any ships he served on.
Myers did win a combat ribbon, but Hart's assertion is that while the medal is described as a combat honor it was awarded on a waiver despite the fact that there was no enemy attack on Myers or any ship he served on.
What's interesting is that Myers is demanding respect for his service, but refuses to recognize Thurman's. They both served on ships in the Gulf, both went through mine infested waters, and both worked to bring peace to the Middle East. But all Hart is to Myers is a "blogger" and not a fellow and honored veteran.
Mike Ferguson, no stranger to hypocrisy or campaign trickery, came up with a beauty in the Courier News today. Apparently Kate Whitman, who wants to succeed Fergie in the House, put out an ad that accused state Senator and former state Senate minority leader Leonard Lance of being responsible for the problems in Trenton.
It is eerily similar to Ferguson's "Stender is a Spender" campaign from 2006 where he blamed Assemblywoman Linda Stender for everything that happened in Trenton even if Stender voted against it.
But apparently it's OK to blast Democratic state legislators for being part of the mess in Trenton, but not the Republicans. At least in Fergie world.
"I was very disappointed to see Kate's ad, because it's false, it's misleading, it's a complete distortion of Senator Lance's record,'' said Ferguson, calling Lance a "taxpayer's champion in Trenton for years.''
Yeah, the most powerful Republican in the state government for years and he's a champion. And how about the incredible debt run up under Lance's watch while they controlled state government and Whitman was governor? Was that debt championing the taxpayers?
And blaming Linda Stender for actions in Trenton she voted against wasn't distorting the record? Wasn't that "false, it's misleading, it's a complete distortion of [the] record?'
Earlier today Republican hero and recovering drug addict Rush Limbaugh slandered thousands of American soldiers who are risking their lives overseas as "phony soldiers." Why? Solely because they question the rationale for the Iraq War.
Last week Republicans and a few cowardly Democrats -- including New Jersey's own Congressmen Andrews, Pascrell, Rothman, and Sires -- voted to condemn a newspaper ad from MoveOn.org that questioned the bonafides of a single soldier, Iraq theater commander General Petraeus, for twisting facts in support of the President's war. [Reward the NJ Dems who voted against the resolution on our ActBlue Standing Up page]
Today Frank Pallone -- who voted against that idiotic MoveOn resolution -- took to the Congressional floor to call Limbaugh out for his chicken hawk attack on people risking their lives daily at the command of our President, and then he turned on his Republican colleagues and asked if they were going to condemn Limbaugh the way they condemned MoveOn. But he already new the answer.
He said, "Don't hold your breath" and walked from the lectern.
One thing to remember is that the Democrats control both the House and the Senate, and they get to decide what resolutions come to the floor for a vote.
For some reason the Democratic leadership allowed the MoveOn resolution to move forward, and now they have a chance to be equally tough on a right wing blowhard who insulted not just one military soldier but thousands. They have a chance to undo the damage done with the idiotic MoveOn resolution and make the Republicans condemn Limbaugh or show themselves for the hypocrites they are. But will the Democratic leadership do that?
Unfortunately, I think that Pallone may have answered that questions, too.
All of the evidence so far indicates that the "No Civilians At Earle" campaign was the coordinated effort of Jennifer Beck's legislative and campaign offices. The letter from the legislative office directs constituents to a campaign website. The Beck, O'Scanlon and Casagrande campaign registered the domain on July 13, 2007; the letter from the legislative office was likewise dated July. Furthermore, the text of the letter is essentially identical to the text on the website. Beck asks constituents either to sign an online petition at the campaign website, or to sign a paper petition and send it to the legislative office.
There is already enough evidence against Beck to sustain a serious ethics complaint. At this point, she can't get away with dismissing Karcher's complaint as "frivolous". She needs to address the evidence and the substance of Karcher's complaint. She owes the voters of the 12th district answers to a long list questions, some of which Karcher raised in her pressreleases.
But the most important question this incident raises is this: Does Assemblywoman Beck understand why it is unethical to use official resources for campaign purposes? Either Jennifer Beck doesn't understand why political and legislative activities must remain separate, or she is a hypocrite who will campaign on ethics while campaigning unethically.
Earlier today, State Senator Ellen Karcher filed ethics complaints against Assemblywoman Jennifer Beck with the New Jersey Election Law Enforecment Commission and the Joint Committee on Ethical Standards, accusing Beck of using official state resources for campaign purposes. Karcher included the full text of both complaints in a campaign press release.
Her complaint centers around a July letter from Jennifer Beck's legislative office. The letter, penned on official legislative stationery and sent to residents of Tinton Falls, expresses her opposition to a US Navy plan to open to civilians 300 housing units at US Naval Weapons Station Earle. The letter directs residents to sign an online petition at a website, or to sign an enclosed petition and return it to her legislative office. The letter claims that the petitions "will be collected and sent to the Navy".
The website, NoCiviliansAtEarle.org, was registered on July 13, and is, according to the site, "sponsored by Beck for Senate and O'Scanlon & Casagrande for Assembly". The homepage includes a narrative, in the left hand column, which is lifted almost word-for-word from the letter. In the center of the page is a form which asks visitors to sign their name, street address, and email address to the petition. On the right, we read again that the website is "a reform movement" sponsored by the Republican legislative ticket for the 12th district. The website also offers visitors the opportunity to "contact us" and "tell a friend".
In her complaints, Karcher alleges that Beck used official legislative resources in disseminating a "political communication", as defined under N.J.A.C. 19:25-10.10. Even though the letter was dated July, Karcher's complaint asserts that constituents recieved it in August, within 90 days of the election, which would make it a political communication. The Joint Rules of the Senate and Assembly prohibit the use of "State property or resources in connection with campaign work."
When asked for a repsonse, Beck called Karcher's complaint "frivolous", arguing that since she merely handed the letter out to constituents instead of mailing it, she did not violate the "spirit or letter of the law"
"I will not flip flop," says one of Senator Diane Allen's many recent press releases bashing the idea of leasing the turnpike and other state assets. "My position on the sale of our state assets has not wavered. I have been against the toll-road sale from the beginning."
Maybe on opposite day?
In fact, as the Star Ledger reported today, Senator Allen voted in 1999, along with the rest of the Senate and an overwhelming majority of the Assembly, to permit leasing the turnpike and other state assets.
Confronted with the damning news, she claimed she voted for something totally different in 1999. "This is totally different than anything we're talking about now. This bill had nothing to do with selling money-producing assets."
She knows how to splice words, but the truth is she voted to allow the Turnpike to be leased. Let's take a look at the actual text of the legislation (A-2964).
The bill's definition of "assets" includes the state's highways (Section 3):
"Assets" means all property, both real, personal or mixed [...] including but not limited to, land, buildings, [...], transportation facilities, highways, parking facilities [....]
The transactions permitted by the bill, called "structured finance agreements" explicitly included the ability to lease such assets:
"Structured financing agreement" means an agreement, contract or action taken to authorize, implement and finance a structured financing transaction including, but not limited to, lease and sublease agreements, State payment account agreements, [....]
Finally, the legislation gives the State Treasurer the ability to conduct such transactions (Section 4a):
The State Treasurer is authorized to enter into a structured financing transaction, on such terms, covenants and conditions and at such times as the State Treasurer may determine, to enter into, execute and deliver a structured financing agreement, and to do any act necessary or convenient to carrying out a structured financing transaction [...]
It's pretty simple. Senator Allen didn't think leasing the turnpike was such a bad idea in 1999. If she had a change of heart since then, she should say so, and explain why. I agree with Senator Allen (2007 edition) that leasing our toll roads is not a good idea. But that message needs to come from someone with credibility - not a political opportunist looking to score cheap points with photo-ops on the side of the turnpike.
The full roll call for the vote is below. No Senators and only 8 members of the Assembly voted against the legislation in 1999.
Last week, the Republican-controlled Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders shelved real pay-to-play reforms until at least after the 2007 election. While State Senator Ellen Karcher was trying hard to get these reforms passed, Jennifer Beck was making speeches on the Assembly floor and sending out partisan press releases attacking the incumbent Senator--on ethics and government reform. Karcher campaign manager Mike Premo responded with a press release attacking Beck for her silence on pay-to-play in Monmouth County.
Hypocrisy on ethics is nothing new for Jennifer Beck. Avid readers of this blog may recall that the Monmouth County Republicans charged prospective candidates $1,000 for a sham screening process in order to be considered for the party's nomination. Unlike her primary opponent Joe Locricchio, Jennifer Beck was unwilling to stand up to the corrupt county organization and forked over $1,000 for this "background check". Adam Puharic, the man who orchestrated this "Soviet"-style tactic to keep independent, good-government Republicans like Anna Little from winning the party line, continues to serve as Monmouth County Republican Chairman even as he collects a federal government salary.
Assemblywoman Beck's inability to stand up to ethical shortcomings in her own party stands in stark contrast to Senator Karcher's consistent, nonpartisan reform record. In the past, Senator Karcher and Assemblyman Mike Panter have criticized Democratic ethics reform proposals that didn't go far enough. In 2004, she was the only Democrat to vote to bring a Republican-sponsored government reform package to the Senate floor.
I'm not Jennifer Beck's campaign manager, but if I were, I'd tell her to lay off the ethics and government reform issues. Her constituents know about Karcher's spotless reform record and they are smart enough to see through the Assemblywoman's shallow election-year press-release pandering.
If ethics were cycling, Jennifer Beck would be on training wheels and Ellen Karcher would be in the Tour de France.
