New Jersey Republicans have been freaking out for the past few weeks about the prospect of running either Joe Pennacchio or Murray Sabrin against Senator Lautenberg.
Sabrin is the Ron Paul libertarian type (though not really: he's for a constitutional ban on abortion, a national language, etc): 1/3 good ideas, 1/3 "interesting" ideas and 1/3 absolutely crazy ideas.
Pennacchio wrote a manifesto in 1991 (that just got unearthed) that actually had a lot of good ideas in it (which Republicans hate), but he's since renounced most of those anyway. But it also had controversial stuff about how women are equal (but not really) to men and about putting homeless people onto military bases. And the whole thing overcompensates a bit on the issue of race. My favorite line reminds me of Joe Biden: "Shelby Steele, a black English professor at San Jose' State has written eloquently on American race relations."
Since Anne Estabrook dropped out of the race, Republicans have been throwing out all kinds of names as potential third options. Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, Al Leiter and lately, Andy Unanue - former COO of Goya Foods.
The last one stuck and he threw his hat in the ring yesterday. And it's funny how giddy Republicans are about him. NJ GOP chair Tom Wilson:
"The opportunity to put a different face on the Republican Party and have a candidate who is young, Hispanic and so dynamic excites a lot of the party leaders right now."
That is quite a different face. They're going from running a disgusting, racist campaign against Senator Menendez in 2006 to running a Hispanic of their own less than two years later.
The GOP still doesn't get it. You don't automatically win over Hispanics or blacks or any other group just by running them for office. You start by not being so racist and scapegoating them for all of the country's problems.
I don't know very much yet about Unanue, but I do wonder how it must feel to be drafted by and agree to run with the party that used your ethnicity to scare voters in the prior election.
But before sentencing, he told Judge Jerome Simandle that he was forced to contribute between $3,000 and $4,000 every month to the Republican Party as a condition of keeping his lucrative contract with the bridge commission.
"I got sucked into a group of corrupt people," Stears said. "I allowed myself to engage in fraudulent schemes."
"The contributions were mostly in Burlington County, but there were other contributions they would ask us to make."
"You're saying that money was paid back in political contributions that wouldn't otherwise have existed?" Simandle asked.
"Yes," Stears responded, adding that "I wish my case were unique, but it's not."
I wonder who directed him to make those contributions and who benefited from the money donated, possibly his partner and GOP State Chair Tom Wilson, County boss Glenn Paulsen or Ms. No-Show Job herself Martha Bark? Paging U.S. Attorney Christie...
"Why is it that the New Jersey GOP isn't following the Democratic State Committee's lead in holding an open draw for presidential candidates?" Republican counsel Brian Nelson asked State Committee Chairman Tom Wilson. "Why are the Republicans still following the process the Democrats are abandoning?"
Lacy decided it would be foolish to challenge Layton, so received his assurance that he would hire an independent firm to review the organization's finances, including the questionable tax status of party headquarters, a building owned in part by Paulsen and treasurer Charles Lambiase.
Second, she challenged the integrity of State Senator Elect Phil Haines after he undercut her efforts by backing off the plan to change leadership which she says he helped to start...
"Unfortunately," Lacy told Haines, "I don't have much hope for Republicans winning the Statehouse anytime soon with such a lack of fortitude in the senator-elect."
Our State Chairman who is here today told me that he thinks we really do want to be sheep and don't really want to be involved.
So the GOP State Chairman thinks people want to be sheep? That's not a leader I want to follow, baaa. She had a parting shot for those who say the party has come together because no one will be publicly complaining anymore...
But remember, silence is not the same as unity.
This provides a great backdrop for some serious fireworks between the Ocean and Burlington County Bosses as the GOP looks to field a candidate to run against John Adler in NJ-3.
As for the Republican establishment, Lonegan doesn't like them much either. He mentions Assemblyman Bill Baroni, who spoke in support of state workers during a union rally early this year. And he wonders why Sen. Leonard Lance and Sen. Tom Kean Jr., the past and future minority leaders, both supported the stem cell initiative.
"These guys are just lost," he says. "They are all just lap dogs."
And what do the lap dogs have to say about Lonegan?
"He'd be a great governor of Alabama," says one GOP legislator who asked not to be named. "But he's terribly dangerous as the face of our party."
A scheme to expand the powers of the Burlington County Bridge Commission has collapsed, which is the fate it should have met from Day One...
...The scandal-plagued commission needs to get its own house in order before it starts funneling money through a loan program that uses the county's good credit rating to keep interest rates reasonable.
This week, sentencing was delayed a third time for a commission lobbyist and spokesman who admitted in federal court that he deliberately over billed the commission for several years beginning in 1997.
By most accounts, the activities of Robert Stears resulted in up to $1 million in losses.
The state Attorney General's Office has also subpoenaed the commission to determine what work - if any - state Sen. Martha Bark, R-8th of Medford, performed as a consultant to the Palmyra Cove Nature Park project, this to the tune of $233,101.
The park is under the bridge commission's jurisdiction.
Equally troubling, the Tacony-Palmyra and Burlington-Bristol bridges came up short this summer when federal inspectors found them "structurally deficient" in the aftermath of the collapse of a highway bridge in Minneapolis.
With its less-than-stellar reputation, the commission has a way to go to regain public trust...
...Still, it's hard not to see this loan initiative as an opportunity for more pockets to be lined, more money to be doled out and more power to be wielded by commissioners who were never elected by the people they serve.
This has all occurred under the watchful eyes of the GOP controlling nearly all levels of county government for years. A GOP freeholder board, who made appointments to the bridge commission while GOP boss Glenn Paulsen pulled the strings and awarded contracts through the family business. Stears, who is awaiting sentencing has been thrown overboard by his former employer, the Strategy Group, which is the firm of none other than GOP State Chair Tom Wilson. If you're confused, that's the point. They're hoping you won't notice that they're robbing you blind.
It must be difficult to be an NJGOP candidate for office. For months, the only issue the state party has given them was to attack a plan to "sell the toll roads" that doesn't even exist in hopes that people will believe they can prevent the non-existent plan from going into effect.
When Republican Gov. Christie Whitman wanted to require supermajority votes to increase taxes, her biggest critics in 1997 were Republicans who controlled the Legislature and questioned whether it was sound public policy.
Now in the minority, Republicans are more than rethinking their objections. They're making the supermajority idea the centerpiece of efforts to try to retake the Legislature, where all 120 seats are up for election in November.
Hmm, at the time they questioned if it was sound public policy. Maybe that was because they were governing, not so desperate for power that they would say or do anything to get it. But State Chair Tom Wilson, who never dissapoints, said that the plan will succeed this time because this ain't your mama's NJGOP anymore.
Tom Wilson, the state Republican Party chairman, said there's a big difference between Republicans now those from 1997.
"Those people aren't here anymore," he said.
Maybe they are not there anymore in part because of the failed leadership of Tom Wilson. Tom Wilson is right, this is a different NJGOP. 10 years ago, they were a party devoid of ideas, but at least they were still in power. Today, they are just a party devoid of ideas. Thanks Tom for once again putting all your eggs in the basket without a bottom once again.
So Senator Diane Allen is now questioning the Joint Legislative Ethics Panel over its dismissal of the complaint brought by everyone's favorite Mayor, Steve Lonegan against Senator Joe Coniglio because the Feds have informed Coniglio that he is a target of their investigation and in her letter, she says this...
It is difficult to make an informed decision without all the facts and even more difficult to know if we have all the relevant information we need.
Senator Coniglio may turn out to be a deserving target, but not only have my state tax dollars been wasted, but my local tax dollars have been looted as well and I haven't seen you "seeking all the facts" and "getting all the information we need." In the interest of consistency, please seek out all the relevant information so that we can make the most informed decision with all the facts on these situations as well. Thank you.
It's one thing for Carla Katz to intervene as a private citizen. I heard she convinced the Executive Board of Local 1034 to finance this court action. If that is the case the members should all call Local 1034, at 609-530-0060, and express their outrage. If that is the case they should also contact each Executive Board member that agreed to fund intervention in the Tom Wilson lawsuit and share their feelings about their union dues being used in this manner.
The next election for officers and the Executive Board of Local 1034 is in the fall of 2008. Lucky for Carla, her fellow officers and Board members it isn't in the fall of 2007. Plenty of time for damage control for a politico like Carla.
The last time 1034 had an election, she and her slate were unopposed. I doubt that will happen in 2008. That might explain her stated intention to run for re-election when she was interviewed by gossip columnist Cindy Adams of the NY Post. She must be getting nervous about her re-election chances.
So i think its time for some fun this Sunday afternoon. Inspired by the young children competing in the National Spelling Bee on Prime Time Network Television this week, I think we should honor the successes of GOP State Chair Tom Wilson with the NJGOP Spelling Bee.
Lets try to come up with some words for the illustrious GOP Chair to spell that would describe his tenure in charge.
This is the last Sunday before the Primary Elections. Make sure you do everything to support your candidates and remember to Get Out and Vote on Tuesday. On to the days news...
The NY Times has an editorial titled One Person, One Office where they say that the dual office holding ban which is being pushed by the Legislature will allow "State Senator Nicholas Sacco, a Hudson County Democrat and poster boy for dual (in his case triple) office holding, to continue business as usual as long as he is re-elected."
While he's busy suing for emails from Governor Corzine's personal relationships, PoliticsNJ reports that Tom Wilson's Wilson's wife collected $550k for GOP fundraising and if you read the comments in the thread, you can see that the circular firing squad has begun. With the spelling bee taking place this past week, maybe Tom Wilson's word can be H-Y-P-O-C-R-I-T-E.
The Gloucester County Times reports that "a real battle appears to be brewing over Gloucester County's proposed plan to regionalize emergency medical services." A smoother process may be happening in Salem where they are trying to consolidate their Fire Companies which have given their full support for the plans.
Governor Corzine defends the sales tax hike that led to the '06 shutdown of the state saying "We didn't have enough money to fund anything, including property tax relief, a year ago," Corzine said. "We had to raise those revenues to be able to balance the budget. We did."
An Asbury Park Editorial supports the personal fines levied against 2 public officials by the State Government Records Council saying, "Sending a strong message that blocking access to records will not be tolerated will increase the likelihood that requests for documents will be granted in a timely fashion."
In what many consider a pivotal vote, Bally's dealers overwhelmingly approved a vote by full- and part-time dealers, dual-rate dealers, keno and simulcast employees of 628-255 in favor of becoming part of the United Auto Workers union.
In terms of total emissions of carbon dioxide, New Jersey comes in 16th in the country with 123.7 million metric tons; per capita, New Jersey was much lower, in the 40th position.
I just got this from Republican State chairman Tom Wilson. He's very excited that President Bush is coming to visit, presumably for the crayon coloring competition.
Fellow Republicans,
Just a reminder you are invited to a special celebration honoring President George W. Bush.
We are very excited that President Bush is coming to New Jersey for a fundraiser to help us push back the Democrats and lay out the hopeful reform agenda of our Republican candidates this year. The time is ripe to elect Republicans in New Jersey and with every legislative seat is wide open we have a golden opportunity to take back the state Senate and Assembly.
The reception takes place at 3:45 P.M. on Wednesday, May 30, 2007. It will be held at:
The Conference Center At The New Jersey Exposition Center
97 Sunfield Avenue
Edison, New Jersey [...]
I hope to see you there!
Sincerely yours,
Tom Wilson
I guess when you're as irrelevant as the state's GOP, even a visit from Captain 28% is something to look forward to.
(Looks like njdem had this almost right from the beginning. At the time, they denied Warner was resigning. They may have gotten spooked from the post, panicked and denied it. Paulsen didn't replace Warner, but his next door neighbor did. Way to cut those ties, guys. - promoted by jmelli)
Update 3: PoliticsNJ reports that Warner resigned and was replaced by Paulsen's next door neighbor.
Update 2 (Juan): PoliticsNJ reports that some Republicans are now calling for Warner's resignation.
Update: The Burlington County Republican Committee denies this story and says that Colonel Warner will not resign. My sources were 3 ranking County Democrats, but according to contrary reports, this may be incorrect.
Colonel Mike Warner's tenure as chair of the Burlington County Republican Party appears to be over and his replacement will be an old GOP friend, former chair Glenn Paulsen. You can see the Paulsen Family Business flowchart from his last stint as the Boss of the Burlco GOP for a clear illustration of how Pay to Play works on the Republican side of the aisle.
In case you haven’t heard, President Bush is coming to town on May 30th to raise money for Republican Assembly and Senate candidates and the GOP State Committee. Their invitation says the 'NJ Republican State Committee Honors President George W. Bush'
Vote in the poll below on what you think they are honoring him for. We need to take every opportunity we can to find out if NJ GOP candidates support the President's priorities and policies.
We’re hosting a report card on our website with every GOP legislator to see if they’re ‘honoring’ George W. Bush like the invitation says.
I am open to adding other candidates at the county and local level too if you would like. Help us hold their feet to the fire on this issue. Email any answers you get from their offices (including I don’t know or no comment) to updates@njdems.org.
In search of Garden State Republican cash, President Bush will be in NJ on Wednesday afternoon, May 30. It's $300 for one ticket, and couples don't get a price break - that's $600. If you want your picture taken with President, you're going to pony up $5,000 smackeroos.
That's a pretty high price for a man with a national approval rating of 28%. In fact, hey, that's $178.57 per approval rating point, but I hope the Republicans can hold that smile.
Republican state Chair Tom Wilson, Sen. Leonard Lance and Asm Alex DeCroce co-host.
"Those who are going to have to pay for this contract deserve to know why Jon Corzine negotiated what union representatives call the most generous contract ever,"
The Republican minority leader in Senate, Leonard Lance, also congratulated the governor on what he said was a significant change in state labor contracts, saying that ''compensation in the public sector ultimately has to mirror compensation in the private sector, and this seems to be a step in that direction.''
Republican State Chairman Thomas Wilson will take a public role in support of John McCain's campaign for the 2008 presidential nomination, according to several GOP County Chairmen who say Wilson has disclosed his intentions to them.
Wilson, the ethically challenged GOP Chair will have a difficult time giving McCain, a supposed ethics reformer, any real credibility among GOPers or the press in the Garden State.
Wilson made his support of McCain clear during a series of telephone calls to party leaders testing his own support for re-election in June following his former business partner's admission that their firm,
The Strategy Group, intentionally overbilled the Burlington County Bridge Authority for public relations services. Robert Stears, an ex-Republican National Committee staffer who partnered with Wilson in a Trenton lobbying group, faces up to 25 years in a federal prison for bilking the BCBA out of as much as $1 million. Some Democrats are calling on Wilson to return his share of the profits from the Burlington contract.
McCain already sold out his straight talk credentials by becoming President Bush's lapdog. And now it seems like he's ready to sell his reformer credentials in favor of GOP Boss Tom Wilson
The bridge commission story doesn't seem to be going away either as the 22 year chairman of the bridge commission announced he is resigning for "health concerns" and several sources are also reporting that more embarrassing details will surface regarding Wilson 's involvement with the Burlington County Bridge Commission in the following weeks...
Republican State Chairman Thomas Wilson could lose his job following the guilty plea of his former business partner, according to four different Republican County Chairmen who say party leaders are actively discussing Wilson's political future. Wilson's term expires in June.
The Burlington County Dem's Chairman Rick Perr today said Tom Wilson should return fees his old lobbying firm received from the Burlington County Bridge Authority.
"I was astonished by your unwillingness to accept even the slightest responsibility for your firm's malfeasance," Perr wrote in a letter to Wilson. "The facts are clear: Bob Stears billed the Burlington County Bridge Commission as an employee and partner of the Strategy Group, and your firm profited from his illegal actions. Your disingenuous claims that Mr. Stears carried on a scheme that was bringing in such large amounts of money to the firm - and that no one else knew about it - defies credibility. In fact, it is an insult to the taxpayers who were bilked in this sordid deal."
Words I thought I'd never utter. Corzine has floated a proposal to issue $7 billion worth of bonds in order to reward municipalities for cutting property taxes. They say there's no concrete plan yet, but they'd like the idea to be considered during the special session.
I hope this trial balloon gets popped very quickly. I'm with NJGOP chair Tom Wilson on this one:
"Governor Corzine's idea to increase state debt by $7 billion to provide property tax relief isn't bad. It's terrible. You don't have to look any further than the school construction corporation to see that when the state government spends $7 billion, it ends up rife with corruption and fraud. If the Governor wants to provide incentives for taxpayers, he should offer them direct state tax reductions on their tax return, not saddle them with a bigger credit card bill...."
Tom is a knee jerk anti-government Republican, but he's absolutely right that racking up more debt isn't the solution - it's the exact opposite. I'm shocked Corzine even proposed the idea, and more shocked that I agree with Tom Wilson.
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