Today Democratic Congressional Challenger Carol Gay issued a press release criticizing Rep. Smith for supporting torture.
“Chris Smith's voted to undercut the Geneva Conventions," Gay said. "Smith claims to be one of the strongest supporters of human rights in Congress, but he is voting to undercut the oldest and most widely respected human rights agreements in the world.
“It outrages me that my Congressman voted for this bill, which not only legalizes torture but also deprives so-called detainees of the right of habeas corpus, thereby permitting them to be held for any amount of time without any charges having been made against them and without any review by any authority outside of the Executive Branch. This sort tyrannical treatment of human beings has been illegal under our legal traditions, but now Chris Smith says its okay."
I wish every New Jersey Democrat had the guts to stand up for what's right, bravo Carol !
Carol Gay, the Democratic candidate running against Chris Smith in CD4, was a big hit wherever she went at the Democratic State Conference--no surprise for those who know her!
She was enthusiastically acknowledged from the podium and vigorously applauded by the crowd every time the Congressional candidates running against incumbent Repugs were recognized. Phone banks are going, coordinated with the Menendez campaign--contact Carol's website (www.carolgayforcongress@yahoo.com) to volunteer.
Carol was great at the Progressive Caucus and at the LGBTI caucus and picked up lots of support; she went to the Women's Caucus, and probably got great support there too--after all, Smith is one of the most ardent anti-choice members of Congress. Garden State Equality threatens to do a "Gays for Gay" event--I can't wait!
Carol is amazing! Everywhere she went she impressed people--she is really the energizer bunny, and I think that even if she doesn't win, she will probably do better against Chris Smith than any previous candidate.
Attention bowlers: There's a special event on Saturday--Bowl-A-Thon with Democrats 2000. TEAM CAROL GAY FOR CONGRESS needs volunteers to join the team. If you are available and interested in bowling on Team Carol Gay for Congress, please respond to carolgayforcongress@yahoo.com.
Event Details: Saturday, September 16, 5:30pm,
Mid State Lanes, Route 18 N, East Brunswick.
Special Guest : SENATOR BOB MENENDEZ
And some day soon she'll be on the Colbert Report--watch for the announcement!
To: Carol Gay
From: Sister to Sister
Re: Mr. Smith needs to come home from Washington & You can do it!
Date: Labor Day
Carol, the rest of those ladies and gentlemen who ran against Chris Smith (R-NJ4) were pansies! They actually thought they could run on the "issues" and win. Ha. They tried to run positive, issue orientated campaigns and appeal to voters on a grass roots level. After all, who couldn't beat a 20+ year incumbent with little accomplished and no Chairmanship to show for? Unfortunately, Smith just sits back in his plush arm chair by the fireplace; snug in his Virginia home, resting his feet comfortably on an ottoman with an embroidered American eagle personally designed by Nancy Reagan.
Smith knows the opposition can drive back and forth on I-195 all day, seven days a week until Election Day, and not get through to anybody beyond the highway exits ... the district is inpenetrable. With four counties, five major daily newspapers, gated Senior communities that don't let pesky politicians in, multiple cable systems, and competing NY / Philly networks, -- You'd need a million dollars to get above 15% in a voter recognition survey! Also, no need to contact the brain trust at the DCCC, who achieved an Enron monopoly on losing campaign strategies and support. They won't invest a nickel's worth in the 4th District race. Their consultants are $o needy, they can only blow their load in a few places and only where the con$ultant$ tell them. No, Smith could put his feet up sipping lemonade drinks with his friend, Jerry Falwell, because all he needs is his trusty pen to sign away the "franking privilege" on all his letters. This allows him to mail to his constituents for free all his campaign literature disguised as "official" duties.
I was once at a screening of a doc about the Israeli Defense Forces' paratroopers by the guy who made 'Shoah,' Claude Lanzmann. It was at Cornell. After the screening, a woman got up and asked indignantly how he could have overlooked the fact that the IDF is one of the few militaries that includes women. Lanzmann's reply was that women were only allowed to go on jumps with the paratroopers if they volunteered to fold the parachutes! I was the only person in the room who found his reply hilarious (for at least three reasons, one of which is that Lanzmann is a pompous ass).
I'm put in mind of this by the Asbury Park Press story, Barnegat-girl-makes-good in the Air Force. She ends up as a flight attendant to Repugs on Air Force II. And she has been able to serve drinks to none other than Mike Ferguson and Chris Smith. Fasten you seatbelts for more trenchant APP reporting during the upcoming election season...
Our latest race-by-race review of Congressional districts around the country convinces us that a Democratic wave is building and that the party is poised to take control of the House of Representatives in the fall. The only question now is the size of the November wave.
Let's help grow that wave. We need just 1 more donor for Paul Aronsohn, 1 for Rich Sexton and 4 for Tom Wyka.
UPDATE III:Blue Jerseyans have raised $3,785.27 -- that's almost four grand to take on incumbent right wingers this year. Come on, let's get that extra $214.73 to make it an even $4K!
With the election less than three months away, now is the time to support
your favorite candidates and make sure they have the resources needed to compete
during the home stretch. Everyone can help out. If you can afford it, use
our ActBlue page to give your
favorite candidate or two $5. Or $25, $50 or any other amount up to
$2,100, if you want.
We're looking to get each House candidate 10 contributors from Blue Jersey, so
please help out with just a donation or two. When we all combine our efforts,
it'll pay off for the candidates and show what Blue Jerseyans can do!
Update: We're a little closer to 10 for everyone. Come on, folks. Join in the fun!
Update II -- A couple more folks joined in. Let's get to 10 today for everyone and set a new goal next week!
Recipient
Donors
Linda Stender
26
Carol Gay
16
Richard Sexton
9
Paul Aronsohn
9
Tom Wyka
6
And if you can't decide who to support, or you'd like to support all of them, you can use this form to divide your contribution equally among everyone:
Nobody should contribute financially if they can't afford to, but everyone can help out by volunteering. Sign up to help one (or more) of these campaigns today:
We are starting to work in one of the bluest of the blue counties, Middlesex, to get the number of women in elected office to 30%, up from the current 19%, in three years. Our campaign is called Thirty in Three.
We are still in the process of working on what women voters and what county committee people and municipal/county chairs can do. Besides the good suggestions of running for office and committee seats as well as advocating for open primaries (from Dana Wefer's OpEd), I would add, writing letters to the editor, pressuring the county committee to recruit, train and support women candidates.
In a meeting with our 'acting' county chair at the early stages of our campaign, he acknowledged that women and minorities are electing democrats in NJ. As Dana implied, the thinking has to change on getting better representation in the party itself. A quote I like is:
"Women have the right as citizens to equal representation. As expressed at the Beijing 'Platform for Action' of 1995, a second concept of equality, beyond 'equal opportunity,' is gaining increasing relevance and support: the notion of "equality of result". The argument is that real equal opportunity does not exist just because formal barriers are removed.
Adapted from International IDEA [Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance]
In the Middlesex/Mercer/Monmouth area, we are also supporting 2 great women candidates for the US House this year, which I'm sure everyone reading these posts knows about: in the 4th, Carol Gay and in the 7th, Linda Stender. We were out canvassing today.
Please join us to get a woman into the House from NJ and to make Nancy Pelosi leader of the House!
In yesterday's U.S. House vote to try to ban marriage for gay couples in the U.S. Constitution, Congress members Mike Ferguson, Scott Garrett, Frank LoBiondo and Jim Saxton voted "yes" for the ban. To his credit, Rodney Frelinghuysen voted "no," the lone Republican in the NJ Congressional delegation to vote "no." All the Democrats in the delegation correctly voted "no." The measure failed in the full House, whose vote was symbolic this session anyway, given that the U.S. Senate voted the measure down a few weeks ago.
Gov. Mark Warner's PAC, Forward Together is giving a $5,ooo campaign contribution to the top-5 vote-getters on his PAC's website which noted the following:
The 2006 elections will be an opportunity for Democrats. For the first time in many years, Democrats have a strong chance to win majorities in both houses of Congress. Forward Together PAC has already contributed to more than 50 campaigns in more than 30 states. Now we are opening up the process.
You can help us choose the next group of candidates we'll support. We are looking for fresh faces with fresh ideas - and for solutions-oriented Democrats with a focus on the future - candidates who will help us change the political map. Which candidates are you supporting?
Our very own Carol Gay is a good bet to score the prize as she easily moved into the second round of voting today! But she can use our help getting the 5K. Can Blue Jersey readers please show Carol some love and ensure Carol gets the cash?
A vote for NJ-4 is a vote for the hometeam. And likewise a win in NJ-4 would be huge for the state and the nation. So go vote for Carol now! (Please!)
Incidently, the candiate who turns out he most votes overall gets a fundraiser hosted by Governor Warner himself. Presumably that would make 5,ooo bucks look like chump change.
Gov. Warner's Forward Together PAC is running a contest to give $5K to 10 candidates, and he will do a fundraiser for the winner. You have to sign up on the website to vote but can decline emails. The first round is through June 18th. I heard about it through Carol Gay, and I gave her my vote. She's a great candidate who could use the cash. Other challengers from around the state are on the list, too. The candidates are divided into East and West, and I have to say I favor McNerney from CA-11, since Pombo is the creep that is trying to undo the endangered species act, but Nick Lampson in Delay's district has to be a favorite too. If anyone knows about non-NJ candidates, I'd be interested.
Wearing a bright yellow button saying UNION YES - WAR NO, Carol Gay stepped to the podium at a Candidate Forum in Beechwood last night to make her first speech as a candidate for United States Congress. Gulp.
Yeah, well. You might have a bemused look on your face too if you just found out you were running for Congress 8 hours ago. She handled herself just fine.
Gay is challenging the mighty Chris Smith in the 4th CD, who's been there so long he's got his name scratched into the door (I jest of course, he was sworn in in 1981 at just 27). The 4th spans Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth, and Ocean counties.
I just recieved an e-mail from Gary Schiavone, the Democratic nominee to take on Congressman Chris Smith in NJ-04. In it, he says the following:
"I am writing to everyone concerned to announce that I have reconsidered my run for Congress, and I will not be running for the United States Congress this year, due to conflict with my current employment and The Hatch Act (5 U.S.C. 1502-1508) which restricts the political activity of individuals principally employed by state, county, or municipal executive agencies in connection with programs financed in whole or in part by loans or grants made by the United States or a federal agency. Under this law, I cannot accept or actively seek this public office, and I am officially declaring myself not a candidate for this position (U.S. Congressman) or for any public office, so as not to be in conflict with The Hatch Act. I am asking all concerned who have assisted me in the planning, not to participate on my behalf in any activities directed toward me seeking any ele cted office.
This is the most recent listing of candidates that have filed petitions for federal office. The first candidate listed in each category is the incumbent. The number after their names indicates the number of petition signatures submitted, and I also included the slogans of some of the candidates running without the party endorsement.
US Senate:
Bob Menendez (D) 8029 James D. Kelly Jr (D) 1300 Thomas H. Kean Jr. (R) 4202 John P. Ginty (R) 1742
House Districts
1: Rob Andrews (D)
2: Frank LoBiondo (R) 804 Viola Thomas-Hughes (D) 298 Henry David Marcus (D) 207 "Change the Course!"
3: Jim Saxton (R) 949 Richard Sexton (D) 293
4: Chris Smith (R) 675 Gary Schiavone (D) 310
5: Scott Garrett (R) 513 Michael Cino (R) 300 Paul Aronsohn (D) 495 Camille M. Abate (D) 427 "A New Spine For Congress"
6: Frank Pallone Jr (D) 310 Leigh-Ann Bellew (R) 278
7: Mike Ferguson (R) 896 Linda Stender (D) 532
8: Bill Pascrell (D) 4301 Jose Sandivol (R) 407
9: Steve Rothman (D) 1020 Vincent Micco (R) 321
10: Donald Payne (D) 1244 Deshon Porter (D) 211
11: Rodney Frelinghuysen (R) 699 Tom Wyka (D) 332
12: Rush Holt (D) 1216 Joseph Sinagra (R) 225
13: Special election for unexpired term Albio Sires (D) 530 James Geron (D) 268
13: For full term Albio Sires (D) 3229 Joseph Vas (D) 594 John Guarini (R) 255
Update 3 (A big one, so I'm posting it up top): There WILL be two Democratic challengers to Frank LoBiondo in NJ-2. Fairfield Township councilwoman Viola Thomas-Hughes and Henry David Marcus will compete in the primary. This now means that every Republican House member in New Jersey will face a challenger in November.
According to the Division of Elections, Gary Schiavone has filed to challenge Chris Smith in the 4th Congressional district. With about two hours left until the filing deadline, no Democrat has filed in the 2nd yet to challenge LoBiondo.
The GOP has failed to file challenges to Rob Andrews (NJ-1) and Donald Payne (NJ-10).
Update 1: Donald Payne (NJ-10) will have a challenger in the primary, and Michael Cino has just filed to challenge Garrett in the primary. Assemblywoman Oadline Truitt (D) from the 28th legislative district will face a primary challenge.
(Bumped with updated information. - promoted by jmelli)
We're hearing that there is a candidate from the 4th district hailing from Ocean County that is willing to commit "significant" personal resources to challenge Congressman Chris Smith.
This would be a major change whereas in recent years Democrats put up only a nominal fight in the 4th. The candidate may be unveiled as early as Saturday at the Mercer County Convention.
UPDATE: The candidate's name is Gary Schiavone, who on Sunday was endorsed by the Ocean County Democratic County Committee. Schiavone works at the Paratransit Division of NYC Transit.
The Republicans are filling in their Congressional races:
Vincent Micco, a 34-year-old Army veteran who served in Iraq, will formally announce today that he will seek the Republican nomination for Congress against Steven Rothman in the ninth district. Micco, a banker and the father of four, served in Iraq in 2003 and 2003. Rothman, a five-term Democrat, supports a rapid withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
We still have to find someone to run against Rep. Frank Lobiondo (NJ2) and Rep. Chris Smith (NJ4) before April 10. That's just two weeks away, folks!
If no one has filed and you live in one of these districts, please consider gathering signatures of registered Democrats on candidate forms so that a late-comer has your help. Or, if all else fails, you can put your own name down and hold the spot in case someone shows up later.
We can't win if we don't run. We can't build the party for the future if we don't field credible candidates to show the voters that there is an alternative. So who's gonna take on Chris Smith in NJ-04?
Smith to visit Oprah, discuss trafficking law
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-Hamilton, will appear on Oprah Winfrey's television show today to talk about a bill he sponsored to strengthen and expand the nation's laws against human trafficking.
President Bush signed the bill, the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005, into law earlier this month. Last fall, Winfrey encouraged her viewers to send letters and e-mails to their elected representatives in support of the bill.
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Update 3 (A big one, so I'm posting it up top): There WILL be two Democratic challengers to Frank LoBiondo in NJ-2. Fairfield Township councilwoman 
