"I'm real happy with the work we can do as private citizens," Crowley said, referring to himself in the plural, as Menendez often does. "I care a lot about a lot of public policy issues, especially health care, but I have no plans to run for public office." Could that change? "Maybe someday, but no time soon,"
He didn't quite close the door on a potential in public life. Crowley has a good story to tell and the financial means to assist in telling it. In addition, he will get a good deal of exposure to the voters in New Jersey as his movie hits theaters. So while I respect what he's saying, I'll believe he doesn't run for public office when I see it to be honest.
I was watching the football game yesterday and saw the trailer for the upcoming movie about John Crowley, a bio tech millionaire and his family which is scheduled to come out on January 22. Here is a little bit about Crowley's story:
He is best-known as the founder of several biotech companies devoted to curing genetic diseases. After his two youngest children were diagnosed with Pompe Disease, Crowley became the CEO of Oklahoma City-based Novazyme, a biotechnology start-up that was conducting research on a new experimental treatment for the disease.
As the final weeks of the Republican primary unfold, Chris Christie and Steve Lonegan will be busy campaigning, trading criticisms of one another, and making the case on the air waves and the internet that they alone are best suited to take on Jon Corzine in this November's gubernatorial election.
Corzine, and whoever wins the GOP nomination on Primary Day, will also undertake the historic task of selecting an individual to run as their respective party's candidate to be the first Lieutenant Governor in New Jersey history. Below the fold is a list of ten possible Republican contenders. It is subjective and, more than anything, written to solicit the opinions of Blue Jersey readers on the strengths and weaknesses of each potential pick.
Please click the headline, read on, comment away, and look out this Thursday for an analysis of potential Democratic choices for Lieutenant Governor.
With approval ratings hovering in the 30's, Jon Corzine is preparing to seek a second term as Governor of New Jersey. The lopsided defeat of Rob Andrews might give the Chief of State supreme confidence that a primary challenge will not materialize or will fail miserably. Should a challenge not materialize, Mr. Corzine may feel secure knowing that New Jersey is a blue state that is getting more blue by the day. However, he might possibly be misreading the tea leaves.
While people may not remember the road traveled come September, the traveling circus known as the GOP U.S. Senate Primary campaign has seen many twists and turns.
In less than one year, the NJ GOP has gone through or proposed 15 candidates, experienced many false starts, had calls for resignation of the State chair and for candidates to drop out all while giving us tons of fun to watch. Here's a recap, in case you haven't been following along...
4/26/07- Assemblyman Mike Doherty became the first candidate to join the show.
5/2/07- A blog aimed at encouraging former baseball player Al Leiter to seek the nomination was started.
7/11/07- Anne Estabrook dipped her toes in the water forming an exploratory committee.
8/9/07- Assemblyman"Jersey Joe" Pennacchio said he was mulling a Senate bid.
8/10/07- Assemblyman Doherty ended his short lived Senate bid leaving only Estabrook and Penachio as candidates expressing interest.
9/10/07- Pennacchio tapped Morris GOP chair to oversee his then exploratory bid.
10/22/07- Anne Estabrook let people know she would run for the Senate seat.
11/13/07- Al Leiter crushed the hopes of conservative bloggers by saying he had his eye on a Senate seat just not Lautenberg's in '08.
This is only the beginning of the ridiculousness. There is MUCH more below the fold...
In the New Jersey GOP Senate primary race we start with Mean Murray Sabrin, Jersey Joke Pinnocchio and Annie "the Nebish" Estabrook. First, Murray attacks Annie, Annie gets all famished and flubs her lines, then Annie has a stroke and everyone else in the GOP gets agita. To cure the agita the GOP big shots turn to Andy "The Bean Baron" Unanue who, they later find out, is really a nightclub owner from New York who lives with his parents in New Jersey so he doesn't have to pay taxes, and then is fired from the bean factory by his own cousins who claim he was drunk on the job.
That's not all. In desperation the big shots turn to The Miracle Worker, John Crowley, who single-handedly saved his own kids from an incurable disease. They hope he can perform another trick and miraculously save the NJ GOP from another statewide embarrassment. The Miracle Worker says he'll think about it, then after thinking about it says he won't do it. Then The Miracle Worker gets a call from the War Hero (John McCain) begging him to reconsider, which he does. Then The Bean Baron says he'll get out if The Miracle Worker gets in. The Miracle Worker says he'll probably get in, but then at the last minute changes his mind again and says this time he's definitely not getting in. Then The Bean Baron says he's definitely staying in even though he's on vacation and doesn't know when he'll be back. Now there's a rumor that another GOP Big Brand Name (Tom Kean Jr.) is thinking about getting into the race if the Bean Baron decides to get out, which the Bean Baron has said he won't do but might do because he said before he won't do it but then said he might do it.
In the meantime, back at the Democratic Ranch, everyone waits for the gunfight at the New Jersey corral between Frank "the Alte Kocker" Lautenberg and Rob "Joe Lieberman Wannabee" Andrews. It looks like the GOP will give us The Keystone Cops while the Democrats give us their version of the main event from Rocky VI.
As first reported by PolitickerNJ and later confirmed by the Star Ledger, Republican John Crowley has announced that he will not be seeking the nomination for US Senate.
New Yorker Andy Unanue launched his Senate bid from Colorado. Now another vacationing Republican, John Crowley, has let his friend announce a possible Senate bid:
John Crowley, the 40-year-old president of Amicus Therapeutics of Cranbury, is "giving strong consideration" to joining the race, according to his friend, adviser and fellow Republican, Bill Spadea. He said he was authorized to speak for Crowley, who is out of the country vacationing with his wife, Aileen.
"John will be weighing his significant obligations to his family, to the shareholders and employees of Amicus and to the U.S. military as he and Aileen make this important decision together,'' Spadea said.
Well, if Mr. Crowley can afford to buy foreign currency after seven years of Bush economics, he must be able to self-finance. But could the Republican candidates at least visit New Jersey?
