In the 107th Congress, Mike Ferguson cosponsored the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Yesterday, in the 110th Congress, he voted against it.
If you'll recall, Ferguson has also changed his position on hate crimes twice since his first term. While campaigning for Congress in 2000, he supported including sexual orientation in hate crimes laws, and he cosponsored the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act in 2001. In 2005, he voted against covering sexual orientation under federal hate crime laws. Then, earlier this year, he voted for the same bill he supported in 2000 and 2001 but opposed in 2005.
Ferguson has abandoned all principle on LGBT issues, voting half the time to please his right-wing donor base and half the time to mollify his mostly moderate constituents. His vote yesterday placed him far to the right of the New Jersey mainstream; last year just 10 of 120 state legislators voted against banning employment discrimination based on gender identity or expression. For someone who likes to talk up his "moderate" record during general election season, that's pretty pathetic.
Last Thursday the Susan B. Anthony List joined with National Right to Life Committee and FRCAction to present Real Women's Voices, a training conference for pro-life women activists from across the country. ... The activists also witnessed inspirational words from Congress' dedicated and courageous Pro-Life leaders: Senator Sam Brownback (KS-Sen), Rep. Mike Ferguson (NJ-07), Rep. Virginia Foxx (NC-05), and Rep. Jean Schmidt (OH-02).
Ah, so what, you say. So Mikey wandered off to hang out with his own for a little while. What's the difference?
One participant said, "When I came in this morning, I had no interest in political office. By the end of the day, I was saying, I have to run for something."
Yep, they're working to take people who are pro-life as a personal belief and turn them into elected officials who see pro-life as a societal belief. In short, they are working to create a crew of pro-life politicos who will work to take control of your bodies.
But maybe it's OK, because if that's what these women really believe they should get into the process? After all, aren't we all about the democratic process as much as anything?
Well, sure, if they were being filled with facts and honest arguments that might apply. But here's one of the things they are most proud of:
After a day of intensive training, activists headed off to lobbying meetings with their legislators, where they discussed the Equal Rights Amendment and the importance of adding language to make the amendment neutral on the abortion issue.
They spent their day making sure the ERA is neutral on the abortion issue. Frankly, I thought the ERA died back in the 1980s, but let's suppose it has a renaissance now and was brought back up.
Here's the text of the ERA:
Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
Now, I'm sorry but I can't see any reading of the text above that could in any way be construed as being pro, con or even ambivalent about abortion. It's already as abortion neutral as any single sentence in the language could be except, "Yup."
But the article says these women were meeting with "Congress' dedicated and courageous Pro-Life leaders" -- including Mike Ferguson -- to discuss making sure this language was abortion neutral.
It's just more evidence that the anti-abortion crowd is about more than preventing and illegalizing abortions. The reason why they are making the ERA into a boogey-woman is because they want to control women's lives, to prevent them from having equal rights. As long as these women are indoctrinated to believe that the ERA is about abortion, they'll be happy to fight against ensuring themselves the right to equal treatment under the law.
Mike Ferguson is in the middle of these mendacious, misleading efforts to twist women around in knots until they are advocating for policies against their better interests. It's possible that Ferguson does this because he is honestly anti-abortion, but the effect of his actions and associations is more important than the intent.
Ferguson has got to go, and 2008 is the time to do it.
The FEC reports are out for the quarter ending September 30th, and Linda Stender outraised Mike Ferguson by $1799.37, with Stender pulling in $240,161.37 and Ferguson squeaking by with just $238,362.
Even more amazing is what is waiting for us when we look just a bit deeper into the numbers. Stender raised $192,427.68 from individual contributions, blowing away Ferguson's $76,812. That's a difference of more than $115,000 from individual, real human beings.
Ferguson, on the other hand, blows Stender away in fundraising from PACs, proving once again that he is a creature of the Republican party and it's corporate handlers. Ferguson raised $238,362 from corporate and party PACs, while Stender received just $48,576.37
We've been under the impression that Ferguson got the message from the last election and was working his butt off to avoid a repeat or worse. He has been at tons of events, made the tours of the schools, increased his press release numbers, and is generally trying to get out in public.
Stender, meanwhile, hasn't officially announced, though she has said she is running, and is also raising money for her Assembly campaign. She's had to split her attention while Ferguson gets to worry about only one seat, and still she took him down.
Even with all these handicaps, Stender beat Ferguson for the quarter. Nice!
Give to Linda today via the ActBlueJersey page!
WTF? Joe Barton posted a really fricking bizzarestatement on the House Energy and Commerce Committee Republican's web page about SCHIP. I'm not really sure what the heck to make of it, but since Barton posted it here partially in your name, maybe you can explain it.
We know you voted for SCHIP, but this parody from your ranking member posted partially in your name is ridiculing SCHIP. Do you support Joe Barton's parody? Are you changing your vote on SCHIP? Do you agree with the attack on Republican Senators?
Or is this just more of the insanity that we've come to expect from Republican leadership in the House? I mean, Barton is the ranking member on the committee and the former chair. He's the one who nicknamed you, "Mr. Embryo" a couple years ago, remember?
Best,
huntsu
P.S. Here's the full text of the letter in case it gets taken down. And a picture!
Bipartisanship on SCHIP!*
Republican Senate hopeful Montgomery Burns today joined with Mayor Joe Quimby, D-Springfield, to support the Senate's gazillion-dollar SCHIP bill.
"If the poor children can get a piece of the action, why can't I?" explained Burns at a MoveOn.org rally in Capital City. "The little darlings are needy? Me, too. I need somebody to pay. Quimby here says he knows a bunch of low-income nobodies who are ripe for the picking. Excellent."
"You need this?" wondered the mayor. "Well, why not. I've got needs, too. Why, I've got 27 paternity suits pending and to quote the Speaker, 'suffer the little children.' The Quimby Compound is overflowing with those little sufferers. Vote Quimby."
Inexplicably, the mayor then leaned toward a comely MoveOn organizer and whispered in her ear, "Ah, if anyone asks, you're my niece from out of town and you don't get SCHIP."
"But Uncle Joe, I am your niece from out of town, and I do get SCHIP."
"Good Lord, I'm a monster!" exclaimed the mayor.
Mr. Burns shrugged and pressed on with a stirring call to arms: "Truth and fairness, these are the demons we must slay if we wish to save the tykes."
His patience was tested when a ruckus arose from a restive crowd of backdrop-toddlers who'd been rented by MoveOn for the photo-op. "Get these props away from me," Burns hissed.
"Kids? Who needs 'em? Rahm, release the hounds!" added Quimby with a spreading grin. "Ha, I've always wanted to say that, Burns."
The 37 rental children fled and were not seen again, but the arf-arf-arfing of their pursuers could be heard well past sunset.
*Actual facts and events may vary, but really, how much?
Anyone can vote against children's health insurance, issue a press release, or endorse someone - but Jersey's Rubberstand Republicans are taking it to the next level. They are showing Rudy Giuliani that they don't mind him cross-dressing. In fact, they are promising to make cross-dressing the latest fashion among heartless ideological scumbag villains. Plus, they can dance - forget Ashcroft and the "Singing Senators". Here's something New Jersey can finally be proud of their Republican Congressmen for:
*Chris Smith is not included because he refuses to wear frilly panties to dance. Actually, he refuses to wear any panties when he dances. That's just too sick to show.
(It's never too early to endorse your party's barrel-scraping nominee!)
Update: This letter is for those candidates who were in DC on Wednesday for the DCCC's "candidate day." In July, Linda Stender attended a similar event with five other candidates: Kay Barnes (MO-06), John Boccieri (OH-16), Steve Driehaus (OH-01), Jim Himes (CT-04), Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15). The House Democratic Women's Caucus held a reception for the three women candidates and a letter from Speaker Nancy Pelosi asked supporters to contribute at least $1,000 to their campaigns.
Update 2: The DCCC has issued a statement:
Linda Stender was invited to the DCCC's first candidate day last July, she is a candidate in one of our top races in the country. Linda Stender showed last year just how vulnerable Mike Ferguson is and that she has the ability to beat him. As a result of her hard work last cycle, we believe that NJ-07 is a pick-up opportunity for Democrats in the 2008 cycle. W e will continue to work to hold Mike Ferguson accountable for his abysmal record and help Linda Stender get successfully across the finish line in 2008.
In a letter sent out by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (recipients unknown) supporters were asked to contribute to Senator John Adler's campaign against anti-children Congressman Jim Saxton. (Hat Tip to West Virginia Blue for the find). It's one of only seven races identified as "Top Priority Challenger Races."
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is committed to not only securing the Democratic Majority, but strengthening it as well. The viability and demographics of a number of our challenger campaigns have placed them in a position to win next November.
Investing early in these challenger races is critical to securing-and strengthening-a lasting majority. Republicans are ready to do anything they can to keep these seats and regain control of the House.
September 30th is an important financial filing deadline for all of our candidates. It is the bar many will use to measure the strength of their campaigns. Please support the following before September 30 as we continue to lead America in a New Direction:
John Adler (NJ-03)
Eric Massa (NY-29)
Darcy Burner (WA-08)
Gary Trauner (WY-AL)
Christine Jennings (FL-13)
John Unger (WV-02)
Dan Maffei (NY-25)
Strangely, there is no mention of Assemblywoman Linda Stender's race in NJ-7, where she came to within about a point of defeating Congressman Mike Ferguson in 2006 and is widely considered a much more competitive seat than NJ-3. The DCCC has dropped the ball on NJ-7 before, but some had hope that with new leadership at the DCCC, this year would be different. Stender has already raised over $75,000 through ActBlue.
This is not about who has a chance to win. This is about who is willing to go to the big Washington receptions and suck up to the establishment. I'd rather our congressional challengers stay home and talk to voters than go to DC and talk to the so-called insiders. Stender has already learned that lesson, apparently. Adler will learn, too.
CQ Politics says two Congressional districts in New Jersey are potentially up for grabs next year. This week they upgraded their rating for NJ-3 from Safe Republican to Republican favored as a result of Senator Adler throwing his hat in:
Democratic state Sen. John H. Adler's decision to run against Saxton pushed this contest out of the Safe Republican category. Saxton, a relatively centrist Republican, was first elected in 1984 and has never had a very close general election, but the district is politically competitive - and Adler has greater political strengths than the incumbent's recent Democratic challengers.
CQ still lists Mike Ferguson's seat in the 7th district as Leans Republican.
Also voting to fund children's health insurance both today and in the previous bill were Republicans Mike Ferguson, Frank LoBiondo and the state's entire Democratic Congressional delegation: Rob Andrews, Rush Holt, Frank Pallone, Bill Pascrell, Donald Payne, Steve Rothman and Albio Sires.
Republicans Jim Saxton, Rodney Frelinghuysen and Scott Garrett once again shamefully voted against providing health insurance for children.
Bush has threatened to veto the legislation, which has veto-proof support in the Senate but is about 25 votes shy in the House. Governor Corzine has threatened legal action to prevent the administration from leaving thousands of New Jersey kids without medical care.
Most of the time Mike Ferguson would rather talk about fictional toll roads than discuss his position on the Iraq War, but the Express Times got him live and on the record.
U.S. Rep. Mike Ferguson, R-Hunterdon, said he would not impose a withdrawal timeline upon the White House.
"I haven't supported it in the past, and I wouldn't support it if the vote were tomorrow," Ferguson said.
The two GOP incumbents made those statements in response to the congressional testimony they heard this week from Petraeus, the top American commander in Iraq, and Ryan C. Crocker, the U.S. Ambassador in Baghdad.
This is the guy, remember, who claims to be pro-life. He's not. He's just anti-contraception and anti-abortion. About our soldiers and the Iraqi people he apparently doesn't care.
Over the past six or seven months Linda Stender has made a real push on global warming as an issue, even co-sponsoring the landmark legislation reducing emission in New Jersey that brought Al Gore to the signing ceremony.
Yesterday Linda Stender announced that she is running for Congress in NJ7 against Mike Ferguson, a Representative with a mixed environmental record at best. She reiterated it here on Blue Jersey this morning, and yes that comment is really from Linda!
And now on Craig's List it looks like some help from an old fighter in the environmental fields might be coming to NJ7 to offer some help to Linda. Greenpeace is hiring a global warming activistspecifically for NJ7.
We are building a team of savvy, strategic, and experienced organizers to serve as field staff on Project Hot Seat. Our Field Organizers will continue to lead the charge in convincing Congress to take immediate and significant action, and to make Congress accountable to the American public, not to big oil and coal companies.
Greenpeace is hiring organizers who can commit to a position through 2008, beginning October 2007.
This really looks like it's an attempt to target Mike Ferguson and help Linda Stender, though you can't be sure. Parsing the text, though, it says that in 2006 they targeted "candidates" with Project Hot Seat and in 2008 they will target "congressional representatives." That's gotta mean something, maybe ...
Either way, though, it's good to have some activists in NJ7 organizing and helping to bring consensus on the global warming issue.
The gig pays $30,000 a year "full benefits including paid medical and dental, generous paid vacation package and more" but the deadline for applying is tomorrow. If you are interested, PLEASE APPLY NOW.
Too often we get people from outside NJ who don't understand the district and how to get things done here! Hopefully some quality Blue Jerseyan is out there looking for work and can take advantage of this opportunity!
Linda's standing up to Ferguson's continued war enabling. Let's back her up. And in case you're wondering, yes - she's running. Promoted from the diaries -- Juan
Mike Ferguson has failed us. In response to my comments about his failure to seek a desperately needed change of course in Iraq, Mike Ferguson did the unthinkable. Rather than addressing my Iraq statement on the merits, he attacked a plan to privatize New Jersey's toll roads that does not even exist.
Now, I don't know what the Turnpike has to do with Iraq. Perhaps Mike Ferguson's spinmeisters can join us here at Blue Jersey and explain it to us in the comments. But I see it as an obvious and lame rhetorical dodge right out of the Karl Rove playbook -- if you're asked a question you don't like, answer one that you do. But I'd rather not take the bait and discuss tolls when we really ought to be discussing lives.
Estimates have put the cost of the occupation of Iraq at over $3,000 for each New Jersey taxpayer. That's a bill Mike Ferguson has happily promised the President we'd pay. But what does he care? After all, his share is taken care of -- executives from Halliburton gave Ferguson $3,500.
Have the events of the last few years changed Ferguson's shameful stance on Iraq policy? Unfortunately, they have not. Earlier this year, he called the President's plans for escalation "the best hope we have for the lasting success of the U.S. mission and for the future stability of Iraq's government." And after General Petraeus delivered President Bush's report on Iraq to Congress, Ferguson redoubled his praise for the escalation, saying that it "created a window of opportunity for the Iraqi government."
This is a sneak preview of the campaign we're going to see from Mike Ferguson over the coming months. At every turn, he's going to try to change the subject away from his rubber stamping of President Bush's failures in Iraq. But we will not allow that to happen. This administration and its supporters in Congress must be held accountable for their horrific mishandling of Iraq policy.
In an e-mail to supporters blasting Congressman Mike Ferguson for his continued support of the Bush "Stay the Course" surge/escalation plan, Linda Stender let slip that she is a candidate for Congress, calling herself an:
"Assemblywoman and candidate for Congress in New Jersey's seventh congressional district."
Stender has the best chance of all the announced Democratic challengers for a NJ Congressional seats next year, so let's show her some love on ActBlue! There's another FEC filing on September 30, so any change you can throw her way will make her campaign look all the stronger.
The target of President Bush's latest misguided war: New Jersey's uninsured children. Upset that Congress rebuffed his efforts to slash SCHIP funding, he set out to change the rules to make it much more difficult for states like New Jersey to cover its uninsured children.
New Jersey's deputy commissioner of human services, Ann Clemency Kohler, was outraged:
"We are horrified at the new federal policy. It will cause havoc with our program and could jeopardize coverage for thousands of children."
Mike Ferguson and Frank LoBiondo joined New Jersey's Democrats in the House in voting for SCHIP. Now their party's leader is declaring war on New Jersey's kids. Will they remain silent or speak out against this atrocity?
Hastert's announcement - coupled with similar ones Thursday by Ohio Rep. Deborah Pryce and Mississippi Rep. Charles W. "Chip" Pickering Jr. - brought to five the number of House Republicans who are not seeking re-election next year, compared with two on the Democratic side. While nearly 15 months remain until the November 2008 election, the retirement decisions of Hastert, Pryce and Pickering will stoke speculation of a larger "wave" of GOP departures that would seriously hamper the party's quest to make the 16-seat gain that they need to regain the House majority they lost last November.
So facing the prospects of at least 2 more years in the minority and possibly some tough re-election challenges, will any of NJ's Republican Congress Members be swept up in the current of the retirement wave?
Mike Ferguson was first elected to Congress in 2000. Will he leave office with the President that has led him down this path he has traveled rather than face what looks to be another tough challenge from Linda Stenderwith National Support from the DCCC because they have already identified him as a top 10 target? Will he choose to spend more time with his four young children and make more in the private sector as possibly a lobbyist? While he's not a likely voluntary departure, could you blame him?
Jim Saxton was elected to Congress in 1984. He has served for 24 years by the time election day comes around and has not really faced many serious, well funded opponents along the way. The landscape of the 3rd has been changing with Democrats picking up seats in towns across the district and signals have pointed to Senator John Adler mounting a challenge including a radio ad that is currently being run by the DCCC. Will he forgo a serious fight to retain the seat this time around?
Frank LoBiondo came to Congress in the Republican wave of 1994. The landscape is much different 14 years later. Now he is acknowledging that he is a target this time around and he will have to defend his role in the Deepwater Disaster. With rumors of a well known candidate such as Jeff Van Drew or Jim Whelan challenging him for the seat, might he return to the family business running the trucking company?
Chris Smith will have served for 28 years since his election in 1980 with Ronald Reagan.
Scott Garrett has the shortest tenure in Congress for NJ Republicans with 6 years since his election in 2002.
Rodney Frelinghuysen has also served in office since his election in '94 with LoBiondo.
They have been in congress for an average of 15.5 years each. While I would not say it's likely any of these incumbents wouldn't seek re-election, you could ask yourself if any of them might find better reasons to not take up the fight this time around? The bigger question is what are YOU doing in your area to help make their decision irrelevant? The time to plan for these races is now!
The DCCC is running radio ads targeting twelve Republicans, and Mike Ferguson is on the list. Has anyone heard the ads? They started on Wednesday.
The script is:
Republican Congressman Mike Ferguson voted four times this year to support George Bush's failed policy in Iraq. Call Mike Ferguson. Tell him we need a new direction in Iraq.
Well, it's not as memorable as Garrett the Parrot, but let's hope it is effective and the sign of more to come.
Most of the state's Republican Congressional delegation seems to be setting the stage to finally admit that it's time to withdraw from Iraq. But not quite yet. They already know they're going to do it, but they're waiting for the political cover, and as they stall, they're letting more and more troops die in the process.
Today's Trenton Times reports that Congressmen Jim Saxton and Chris Smith are both feeling the heat when it comes to their continued support for Bush's failed war. Smith insists that a deadline is a bad idea, but gives himself some wiggle room by saying it might be okay if we keep it a secret (shhhh!!)
While he has voted against specific deadlines for when the United States should leave the war-torn country, he said he would favor a deadline that would be kept "a closely guarded secret."
He said, "If a deadline is announced, it gives an enemy that is very capable and very willing to engage in mass atrocities, a timeline to act."
Who is he kidding? They don't need a timeline to act. They're committing atrocities every day right now.
Jim Saxton's press secretary Jeff Sagnip suggests he may also be about to flip:
When asked if Saxton has even considered changing his stance, Sagnip said it was "possible."
And Frank Lobiondo has been setting the stage for a (September?) flop since at least last month:
"If the Iraqi government continues to fail to make measurable progress, our military involvement and any future mission in Iraq must be carefully re-examined."
Mike Ferguson even set a September deadline for his upcoming flip flop:
"I am beyond frustrated," he says. "Either we get good news by September, or something radical has to change. And it's tough to imagine a scenario where they will meet the benchmarks by then."
"I've got to tell you, my patience, along with a lot of other Republicans and Democrats, is wearing extremely thin," Ferguson says.
How much more clear can he be? He knows what will happen, but he's stalling -- at the expense of our troops - while he waits for the political cover to finally admit the obvious truth. It's time to bring the troops home.
The new Cook Political report is out, and there is one race in New Jersey they consider in play -- and shock of all shocks, it's NJ7 and Mike Ferguson!
The difference here is that last cycle Fergie didn't get on the list until sometime around January of the election year, and even then it was as a "Likely Republican" hold. Now 15 months away from the election (yeah, that's how close the Presidential, Senate and House races are) he's listed as a Lean Republican.
Let's move the goalposts a little more: Give to Linda Stender!
A Democracy Corps poll has some sobering news for Mike Ferguson and his Republican colleagues:
In the battleground of the 70 most competitive congressional districts (35 Democratic and 35 Republican-held), the Democratic incumbents, including the big class of freshmen, have quickly moved into dramatic leads in the named congressional ballot (52% to 40%.)
In the 35 Republican battleground districts, the named Republicans trail their generic Democratic opponent by 5 points, 49% to 44%.
The national mood against Republicans doesn't seem to be improving much. Mike Ferguson has continued to vote to send our troops to their deaths without demanding any accountability from the administration and people are fed up. The least he deserves is a pink slip from the voters so he can think about the damage he's inflicted upon thousands of families.
And the early indications are that the national Democrats learned their lesson from 2006 and are going to seriously help Linda Stender's campaign this time with more than just words. It's no wonder Ferguson has been raising money as fast as he can. Fergie is scared.
Michael Ferguson, Backbench Congressman from NJ7, has delivered far less than promised once again. And, once again, the Courier News is giving him plaudits for it!
Last fall, after Ferguson realized that he had lucked out in the 2006 elections, he used the lame duck session to push through a $300 million, five year program to help people who care for sick relatives a break. Never mind that this broke down to $60 million a year for the estimated 10 million people providing home respite care, a whopping $6 a person -- less overhead and printing, of course.
A bill was signed into law last year authorizing nearly $300 million over five years to develop respite-care services -- but the House Appropriations Committee this year included no respite-care funding in its Department of Health and Human Services spending bill. Ferguson, however, managed to finagle a $10 million amendment to get the effort off the ground.
So now Ferguson's great success, which he has touted in at least two big press releases the Courier and other papers have faithfully repeated, is down to one measly dollar per respite care provider!
So if you are caring for a sick relative, don't look for any help from Mike Ferguson to get you a mental health break or a program to take some of the load off your back. Just like Ferguson couldn't get it done for the flood-prone areas of Bound Brook and Manville, he won't get it done for you.
One of the critiques of Rahm Emmanuel's term as the head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) around the country and in particular around Blue Jersey was the lack of funding and support for Linda Stender in her fight against Michael Ferguson (R-NJ). Despite lots of talk of coming in and targeting Mike Ferguson, the DCCC really didn't do all that much when compared to support that went elsewhere.
And Linda lost by less than 1.5 points. Had an influx of cash come in in the last month, television and mail and boots on the ground would have made up the difference and we'd have a Democratic Congresswoman in New Jersey right now.
Rahm is no longer head of the DCCC, but it appears he may be having a little bit of non-buyer's remorse. The Crypt's Blog is reporting that Rahm gave cash to six potential Democratic candidates, and Linda is one of them.
Early money shows support and belief in a candidate. Often times someone who lost a close race is considered a loser, and not backed. It's good to see Rahm, who while a good strategist is not the most progressive Dem out there, backing Linda early.
The more she gets backed even before she officially enters the race, the better it will look to the big money out there. Your small contribution today through ActBlue would add supporters and money to coffers to put her in a better place than she was starting late in 2005.
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And Linda lost by less than 1.5 points. Had an influx of cash come in in the last month, television and mail and boots on the ground would have made up the difference and we'd have a Democratic Congresswoman in New Jersey right now.
