Chris Christie's spin machine has been at it again since Election Day, doing everything it can to try and claim some kind of mandate for or validation of the Governor's politics and governing philosophy. In trying to do so, he's tied himself in rhetorical knots. Amazingly, the press has given him a free pass on this one.
Here's what New Jersey's Chief Executive Spinner had to say after Election Day (video courtesy of NJN):
I really felt like we needed to bring some balance back to the congressional delegation, and I saw [the 3rd Congressional District race] as the best opportunity for us to do it...That's why the Runyan/Adler race was to me the most important.
So the 3rd Congressional District was the most important race to him, where the candidate he endorsed and campaigned for won. Quite an interesting statement, especially considering he sang a very different tune only the day before Election Day:
"Brought in by the Jersey anthem "Born to Run" but his accent now distinctly twanged from his tumbleweed campaign tour of the country, Christie repeatedly staked his name on hometown Hamiltonian Goodwin.
"I said from the beginning that the most important race was Tom Goodwin in the 14th District," said the governor. "He's been the hardest working candidate in New Jersey this year, and that's why he's going to win."
Christie's "guy," of course, lost in LD14, so he clearly needed to change his "most important race" to suit his political agenda. The question I have is, where's the media on this? They've been almost eager to find validation of the Governor's politics, but you'd have to think even this brazen attempt to change facts would be subject to some basic reporting.
While the Governor continues to push his plans to privatize, it's creating an uncomfortable situation for Republican Senator Tom Goodwin, who is challenging Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein for the Senate seat in the 14th districti:
Privatization became an issue for Goodwin and his campaign last week after a special panel released a report recommending ways to farm out state government functions to private firms.
The document does not specifically mention layoffs, but they are expected if privatization is implemented. That, combined with the slap of potentially having to pay to park at work (one of the commission's suggestions), could be a bitter pill to swallow for public workers among the district's voters.
"Do I think it's a liability? Well, he's doing what he feels is the best for the state of New Jersey," Goodwin said of the governor. Christie "is looking at the whole state ... I don't think he's looking specifically at my district and saying 'Whatever is good for Tom.'"
But the question will be is Tom looking out for the good of his district or will he get the back of his Governor? It's a tough spot for the candidate and that point isn't lost on his opponenent:
Greenstein said the privatization issue could play well for her, though she said she wasn't sure if Goodwin would try to ignore it. "I would if I were him," she said.
If he's not ignoring it, he's certainly not willing to take a position yet:
The new GOP senator from Mercer County tells The Auditor he isn't ready to take a stance, specifically, on Christie's call for privatizing certain functions of state government.
"To be honest with you, I don't know," Goodwin said.
To be honest with you, he better figure out an answer or that will be an opening that Greenstein can drive a truck through in the 14th, where a good portion of the voters are state workers and public employees.
When you look at the configuration of New Jersey Congressional and Legislative districts the most apparent characteristic is fairly straightforward: the district either heavily favors a Democrat or Republican, and the latter usually has little chance of winning. Most elections are uneventful, unwinnable, and inherently bad for a representative democracy.
As a Democrat I look at the legislative map and think, this is great, there is probably not one feasible electoral scenario that will give Assembly Republicans the opportunity to control a majority. They have to run the electoral board, holding every potentially vulnerable seat and performing well in LD1, LD14, LD36, and one of LD4 & LD38 in order to take back a majority. All on limited resources with a broken party infrastructure.
Out of 40 Legislative Districts in New Jersey any politically savvy person will tell you that there is probably only 2 battleground elections. In LD1 Assemblymen Nelson Albano and Matthew Milam will fight to be reelected with Senator Jeff Van Drew not at the top of the ticket. In LD36 Gary Schaer and Frederick Scalera are facing 2 candidates who came very close to unseating them in 2007 due to a series of local issues, mainly the Encap fiasco. I would put Assemblyman Wayne DeAngelo higher on the list of potentially vulnerable Democrats, but the Republican recruiting effort there was just embarrassing, especially in what could be a very competitive. election in LD14 where alienated State workers are a large portion of the electorate.
Senator John Kerry today weighed in on the controversy surrounding the anti-gay, right wing front group Common Sense America that's spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in the 14th district - one of three clean elections districts (press release):
"The smear and fear tactics of this Republican front group are no match for a public servant who stands on principle and voters who reject the backroom deals and underground attacks that seek to distort and divide at all costs," said Sen. Kerry. "These right-wing front groups are becoming more and more brazen in their efforts to infiltrate elections on any level, but Americans are increasingly tired of Republican fat cats who think their big money can steal elections."
Senator Kerry said that it is important to speak out against this group and their extraordinary spending that spread lies and distortions against a respected community leader like Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein (D-Plainsboro).
"The fact that the right wing is willing to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars against someone like Assemblywoman Greenstein shows how desperate they are to stop their Party's bleeding and get back in the business of promoting an out of the mainstream agenda," said Kerry. "I applaud Linda for standing up to this group and fighting for the preservation of the Clean Elections Program which is clearly a bold step in protecting the integrity of elections."
This article is one more reason why Dan Benson should have been given the opportunity to run alongside Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein in the LD14 Assembly race instead of Wayne D'Angelo.
14th district Libertarian Assembly candidate Jason Scheurer successfully raised more than the 400 $10 contributions needed to qualify for the clean election program. He accomplished more than any of the Republican candidates in the 37th district (none of them even qualified), yet he's received less than one fourth what he would have gotten if he had a D or R after his name.
So he's going to court to fight the arbitrarily discriminatory law:
A lawsuit filed on behalf of Jason Scheurer claims the program imposes "enormous" disadvantages on independent candidates, including state funding that is a fraction of that bestowed on major party candidates. It seeks to compel the state to provide equal funding to all candidates. [...]
Scheurer's Republican and Democratic opponents all got the maximum of $526,375 in state funding by raising 800 contributions of $10 each. As an independent candidate, Scheurer got $23,521 for raising 448 contributions of $10 each. If he were a Democrat or Republican, he would have been entitled to $103,645 under the formula for distributing state funding.
"His money is just as clean as the other candidates' money. He just gets an awful lot less of it," said Scheurer's attorney, Walter Luers of Atlantic Highlands.
What are the major parties afraid of? He did the hard work, engaged voters, and despite being a third-party candidate, received over 400 qualifying contributions. There is clearly substantial interest in his message in the district, and he deserves the same resources that Seema and Bill received to share it with the voters. I don't have a clue what his platform is, but I support his effort to make the law fair.
Echoing General Anthony Clement McAuliffe, Mercer County Democratic chair Rich McClellan today responded to Assemblyman Merkt's call for 14th district Senate candidate Seema Singh to drop out.
FROM: Rich McClellan, Mercer County Democratic Chair
TO: Republican Senate candidate Bill Baroni and his henchman Assemblyman Dick Merkt
RE: Your suggestion that Seema Singh drop out of the race for Senate in the 14th Legislative District
Another two mailings arrived on the same day. I also noticed they're being printed at the same shop.
This week, Greenstein & DeAngelo sent a two-sided card while Baroni sent a three-fold absentee ballot application. I don't know why Baroni made the front (the sorting side) the one with the boring political message. Due to the fold, you know to look on the other side before you open it, but if you're not interested in politics, you might see the pictures of the candidates and toss it with the other junk mail.
My family located in the 14th district received two pieces of mail this afternoon. One from Republicans and the other from the Assembly Democrats ticket (they're running separately from Senate candidate Seema Singh). I've used my new scanner to put them online. Check them out.
14th district Democratic Senate candidate and former Ratepayer Advocate Seema Singh today became the first candidate to file the 400 contributions needed to qualify for the state's clean election program.
"I am grateful for this early outpouring of support for my candidacy from across the 14th district....This program has allowed me, as a first time candidate, the opportunity to enter the race with a level playing field."
Candidates are required to collect 400 $10 contributions to qualify for the program. Once certified, a candidate receives a $46,000 grant from the state plus an extra $1,200 for each additional $10 contribution - up to 400 more - collected through September.
New Jersey's 14th legislative district is one of those rare places where the delegation is split, with long-time Republican Senator Peter Inverso, Democratic Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein, and Republican Assemblyman Bill Baroni. Our ticket-splitting habit goes back several elections, but 2007 may change that.
Despite registered Democrats outnumbering Republicans in this district, the Republican was the top vote-getter in 2005. While local Republican Doug Forrester's run for governor might explain part of this, the 14th could very well elect an all-Republican slate in 2007.
Herb Jackson and John McAlpin explain the state's pension problems (again.)
Don Imus continues to apologize for his comments about the Rutgers women's basketball team. Rev. Sharpton, Rev. Jackson, and the NAACP all called for his resignation:
James E. Harris, president of the New Jersey chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, demanded Sunday that Imus "resign or be terminated immediately."
Wayne DeAngelo will run for Assembly in LD14. Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein is running for reelection, and Seema Singh is running for State Senate.
A dailyrecord.com headline says "Property-tax refunds mean more paperwork," but the article says "the process for receiving the rebates will be the same as in past years." In future years there may be a direct credit. On the other hand, David Rebovich at politicsnj.com says we still don't have meaningful reform.
Okay, it's not politics, but I listened to the Devils-Islanders game on the radio yesterday, and will never forget it. The game was meaningless for the Devils and essential for the Islanders to make the playoffs:
Protecting a 2-1 lead late in regulation time, the Islanders saw it slip away when the Devils pulled goalie Scott Clemmensen for an extra skater and John Madden tied the game with nine-tenths of a second remaining.
Fortunately the Islanders won the overtime shootout, so both teams make the playoffs.
This is an open thread, so let us know what you think!
In a post titled Blue Collar vs. Blue Jersey, Wally Edge writes about the 14th district convention to choose an Assembly candidate and a "battle between two separate but important wings of New Jersey's Democratic Party" - labor and progressives. Dan Benson is said to be the progressive candidate while Wayne D'Angelo is the labor candidate.
I don't have time today to write a real response, but I want to make a few quick points. In both this specific instance and in the abstract, the suggestion that progressive values do not include strong support of worker's rights is wrong. I've seen this idea repeated elsewhere, but it doesn't make it true.
Wally is right that Benson is a progressive, but those familiar with his voting record while on the Hamilton council know that he's had a consistent pro-labor record. This doesn't come as a surprise to any progressives.
There are plenty of real divisions within the Democratic party and among progressives. Let's not create them where they don't exist.
The New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) has released the dollar amounts needed for the Fair and Clean Elections Pilot Program. There will three districts chosen for the program: One represented by three Democrats, an entirely Republican one, and a mixed district. According to the Courier-Post:
Candidates in one-party districts would get $100,000, but those in split districts would be funded based on the average of the last two Senate and Assembly races in their districts. ELEC released those figures Friday, ranging from $282,275 per candidate in the 7th District, which covers parts of Burlington and Camden counties, to $534,375 per candidate in the 14th District, which includes parts of Mercer and Middlesex counties.
According to the article, there is criticism that the numbers are too high.
Here's what Speaker Roberts said in a press release:
"The last thing the public needs is to experience Clean Elections sticker shock," said Roberts (D-Camden). "I am happy ELEC today expressed willingness to allow clean candidates to voluntarily agree to lower spending thresholds. The point of Clean Elections is to wean candidates off big money and allow them to run real grassroots races. Candidates should not be forced to wage high-priced campaigns with public money simply because funds are available."
What do you think? Should the public put up over a million dollars for LD14? Is that just encouraging spending? Or is it a necessary cost of having fair elections?
Greenstein, suddenly mulling a State Senate bid, is trying to mend fences with her Democratic base -- especially after several groups that have supported her in past Assembly races told her yesterday that they intend to back Republican Bill Baroni for the Senate. She asked for a meeting with some anti-war activists to discuss her vote...
I was at the meeting. None of us there were talking about backing Baroni. She didn't seem to be aware of any groups that had switched their support.
I hope Singh will run for the assembly where she has a chance, whether or not Greenstein decides to run for the senate seat against Baroni.
According to CAWP there are only 29 South Asian women in state legislatures in the whole country. It would be a first for NJ.
When Democrats decide on a candidate for the open Assembly seat in the 14th, it will likely be someone from Hamilton - the largest municipality in the district. The names I've seen mentioned so far as possible candidates include Hamilton Mayor Glen Gilmore, Mercer County Freeholder Keith Hamilton, former Hamilton Councilman Dan Benson and Mercer County Central Labor Council president Michael Maloney.
Am I missing any?
Update: Hmmm, I'm not so sure about Maloney being a candidate. He was in DC this morning introducing Baroni at the Building Trades meeting. Maloney urged them to endorse Baroni's senate campaign.
Update 2: I got that wrong. Maloney is indeed one of the possible candidates being considered.
Sources say that the Assembly Democrats are putting a quick poll into the field to assess potential candidates in the 14th to run against Bill Baroni for the open Senate seat. Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein is waiting for the results before making a decision on whether to run. The Senate Democrats are mum on whether they are going to compete in the district and may focus on more competitive races in the 12th or 2nd.
State Sen. Peter A. Inverso (R-Mercer) will announce today he will not seek re-election in the Nov. 6 election, Republican aides confirmed.
Inverso, 68, a bank executive from Hamilton, is the 12th member of the 40-member Senate to announce he is retiring from the upper house. He was elected to the Senate 1992 and has been re-elected four times in what is considered a swing district that includes suburban Mercer and Middlesex counties. The district's two Assembly members include a Democrat and a Republican.
This weekend Mercer Democrats picked Rate Counsel Seema Singh to run for the Senate seat. Bill Baroni is expected to be the Republican candidate. Mercer Democrats have not yet chosen another candidate to run for the open Assembly seat.
Democratic Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein (D-Plainsboro) says she is considering a challenge to five-term Republican State Sen. Peter Inverso (R-Hamilton) in 2007.
Greenstein said that the 14th district Senate seat is "something that I would be interested in," but noted that the decision to run will require careful consideration.
Democratic insiders are saying that John Cimino, the son of former Assemblyman and state Personnel Commissioner Anthony "Skip" Cimino, is showing serious interest in challenging two-term Republican Assemblyman William Baroni in 2007. An executive with UBS Securities, LLC, Cimino is a member of the Hamilton Township Redevelopment Agency and the Economic Development Advisory Commission.
Don't forget about Dan Benson who ran with Linda in the last election cycle. Sounds like some competition and it will be interesting to watch this shake out...
