2012 DEMOCRAT CAMPAIGN FINANCE

    The County Democrats' third quarter ELEC reports are in! Due on October 15, it was received in Trenton on October 24.
    It appears that they have been running their losing County Clerk and Freeholder County Commissioner campaigns out of the county organization accounts, as none of their county candidates ELEC reports show anything of substance. Freeholder County Commissioner candidate Kevin Lavan had only filed a D-1 back in July. William Shea filed his 29-Day Pre-Election (R-1) on October 10; his 11-Day Pre-Election was due on October 26 but is nowhere to be found. The 20-Day Post-Election Reports are due on November 26. The joint candidates committee, Shea & Lavan 2012, has only filed a D-2 and an A-2, both on October 10. Michael Steinhorn, their candidate for County Clerk seems to have been their only candidate who actually filed his reports on time, with a D-1 and an A-1 on Oct. 10, and an 11-Day Pre-Election filed on November 2.
    48 hour notices were required for contribution over $1,200.00 received between October 24 and November 6, none are filed. But then the Democrats in Monmouth County have played fast and loose with the definition of 48 hours before.
    We were wondering whether there would be any changes brought about by their new chairman boss, Vin Gopal, who is not the G. O. P.'s pal. Well, basically, same old stuff: Labor bucks, wheeling and whatnot. In other words, meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
    We will know more if they file their fourth quarter reports in January; also from the final county candidates reports.
    Let's look in...

1199 SEIU NYS Political Action Fund gave the Democrats $500.00 on Aug. 22. Last year they gave Amy Mallet's campaign $2,000.00.  Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is known for thuggishness, often supplying goons to physically disrupt events. These are bad dudes. The "NYS" stands for New York State. That is a separate state to the north of New Jersey; again we must reiterate, New York is a separate state. This is an out of state campaign contribution.

The Committee to Elect Sheila Oliver contributed $1,000.00 on Sept, 25. Sheila Y. Oliver is the Speaker of the New Jersey Assembly and represents the 34th District. That's in Essex County.

The Election Fund of Thomas P. Giblin Inc. gave $400.00 on Sept. 17. Thomas P. Giblin is Sheila Oliver's running mate in District 34, and is a mainstay of the Essex County Democrats.
Former Freeholder County Commissioner John D'Amico a/k/a "Flippy", contributed a total of $750.00 in four installments of various amounts. He just won't go away.

June Fallon, wife of former interim Democrat freeholder Charles D. Fallon, gave $400.00 on Sept. 14. Charles Fallon was one of many corrupt public officials busted by then-U. S. Attorney Chris Christie. Fallon, an accountant, had been bribing then-Hudson County Executive Robert C. Janiszewski to the tune of $2,000.00 a year, totaling $8,000.00. In return, Janiszewski would give county contracts to Fallon's accounting firm. Fallon would then do Janiszewski's tax returns so as to hide the bribes. One hand soils the other. Fallon pled guilty and was fined.

Norman Kauff contributed $500.00 on Sept. 17. Kauff was a longtime Scudiery lieutenant and is a major player in Western Monmouth and Bayshore Democrat circles.

Marlboro Councilman Frank LaRocca contributed a total of $420.00 in four installments of various amounts. LaRocca was an unsuccessful candidate for County Democrat Chair Boss against Gopal back in June. Nice to see them getting along. LaRocca is a law partner of Mayor Jon Hornik; let's take the time to give a shout out to all those Republicans for Hornik who we have to thank for this.

Local Union 400 IBEW PAC Fund gave $2,000.00 on August 14, and another $1,500.00 on Sept. 18. They're located on Route 138 in Wall Township.

The Middletown Democratic Party donated a total of $1,850.00 in three installments.

The Monmouth - Ocean Central Labor Council gave $400.00 on Sept. 17.

Plumbers & Pipefitters Local Union No. 9 of Manalapan contributed $1,000.00 on August 29.

VETERAN'S DAY

The Monmouth County Republican Blog would like to salute all American veterans for their sacrifice and service to this great country.
    Read It Is the Soldier, by Charles M. Province.

WHO READS THE MONMOUTH COUNTY REPUBLICAN BLOG? PALLONE.

    Last week we asked, "Who reads the Monmouth County Republican Blog?" The answer is, among others, Congressman Frank Pallone. Or, more likely, one of his minions.
    On Wednesday he was searching Monmouth County 287 (g) and found our July 2009 post on then-Sheriff Kim Guadagno getting the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office accepted into the Federal 287 (g) program. And today they were reading all about the fact that Frank Pallone ignored the League of Women Voters debate request.
    Keep reading, Frank. You might learn something.

BENGHAZI

    It seems there is more coming out about the terrorist attack against our Consulate in Benghazi, Libya than President Barack Hussein Obama and his men are letting on. All too often the foreign media reports what the domestic mainstream media refuses to do. In this case, from England the Daily Mail reports on the fact that officials from the Departments of State and Defense were well aware in real time that there was a problem, yet opted to do nothing. 
    The Obama Administration has received criticism of its handling of the Benghazi incident, and has lost most credibility in the matter. First they attributed the attack to protests against an anti Islamic film, Innocence of Muslims. The Libyan government, however, asserted that it was, in fact a terrorist attack. The administration eventually came around, grudgingly, to this point of view. Better late than never...
    Congressional hearings have been held on the security failures of Benghazi. And, incredibly, Vice President Joe Biden claimed the administration didn't know! Then he attempted to blame the intelligence community. Then, on October 10, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, the smartest woman in the world, publicly took responsibility for the failures. This was a clearly orchestrated political maneuver to divert responsibility from the administration, and a gamble on its part in pissing off the Clintons. Sen. John McCain asserted that the buck stops with the president and that the American people deserve answers.
    McCain is right. Obama's Democratic predecessor as president, Harry S. Truman, had a sign on his desk reading "The Buck Stops Here". President Truman, in his farewell address in 1953, explained, "The President--whoever he is--has to decide. He can't pass the buck to anybody. No one else can do the deciding for him. That's his job." Indeed, Obama himself invoked Truman back in July to criticize Mitt Romney! So we know he knows about it. Hell, even Jimmy Carter took responsibility for the failed attempted rescue of the hostages in Iran! 
    Bottom line: Libya is an overwhelmingly Muslim country in overwhelmingly Muslim North Africa. It recently overthrew the longtime dictatorship of Muammar Gaddafi, and it would appear that the new regime is at least nominally pro-American. Still, the region remains volatile, with the U. S. Embassy in Tripoli reporting many incidents for over a year leading up to the attack. Knowing this, the Obama Administration should have made diplomatic security a high priority, but it did not. After all, there was an election to win.

ANNA LITTLE ON A123 SYSTEMS

Our nation is the land of opportunity where those with ambition can form their own business. To be successful, one must have a solid business plan and market to generate income that exceeds expenses.

This month, battery manufacturer A123 Systems declared bankruptcy. This was a company that the President endorsed in April 2010, with a $249-million Federal grant. Despite having received a taxpayer bailout, General Motors decided to source batteries, for the Volt, from an established international company, instead of new American company that employed Americans.
http://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoramic/battery-builder-a123-won-249-million-federal-grant-143806554.html

Was cost a factor, was it quality, or a combination of the two, that caused GM to contract outside the US? There are always consumers who will pay a premium for quality. BMW and Porsche are all examples of high quality cars that are more expensive than American cars.

We would not purchase a lower quality American product that costs more than a foreign made one. As Americans, we expect the best from all of us, in how we work and what we provide to each other. Quality, hard work, and dedication are integral to our economic success. Accepting less than our best results in a mediocre economy.

Our American values are under attack from the President and his supporters in the Senate and House of Representatives. They call companies that generate a profit and keep the employees gainfully employed as "bad". Plus, they ignore the potentially criminal business failings of political cronies, such as MF Global. Why won't the Federal government investigate the former NJ Governor and Senator for losing accountability of over $600-million of investor money? A good leader with integrity would never consider losing hundreds of millions of dollars and laying off American workers as being acceptable.

This year, New Jersey will rise and step forward in a leadership role, to show the nation that we will no longer tolerate political corruption. We will elect a new President, Senator, and Representative for Congressional District 6 this November. This will send a clear message that integrity, transparency in government, and encouraging all Americans to give our best effort matters. Our children are our future, and we will provide them the opportunity to be successful.

SCHOOL CHOICE PUSHED IN CAMDEN

    Today's Newark Star-Ledger has an article about three Camden moms who are seeking better educational opportunities for their sons. They are asking Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf to declare the Camden city schools unconstitutional due to poor performance. The article states that they, "demanded that their children, and any of the system’s 15,000 students, be allowed to transfer to better schools".
    Article VIII, Section IV, Paragraph 1 of the New Jersey Constitution states: "The Legislature shall provide for the maintenance and support of a thorough and efficient system of free public schools for the instruction of all of the children in the State between the ages of five and eighteen years." This, prior to 1947, was Article IV, Section VIII, Paragraph 6.
    That amendment dates back to 1875! It has also been used by liberals in their quest to throw more and more money at failing urban schools.
    More money is clearly not the answer.
    Four years ago we wrote that once, "Camden was a bustling center of commerce and prosperity. Industry was booming, the city's inhabitants lived in solid, safe neighborhoods with leafy parks. Its mayors were not serially perp-walked from office. Indeed, someone may once have asked, where in New Jersey are Democrats doing a better job governing than Republicans are doing in Camden and Camden County? It is also notable that during its Democratic era, Camden has declined into a teeming slum, a place to escape from. Not only white flight, black flight too. And three out of the six most recent mayors were convicted of corruption."
    Unfortunately, while Camden's middle class was able to escape to more sedate places like Cherry Hill, Voorhees and Pennsauken, those with less means were trapped in a dangerous failed municipality. Corruption in City Hall led to dangerous streets and dysfunctional schools.
    The answer for New Jersey's urban schools is not to dump more money into the vortex of failing districts operated by the city's Democrat Party machine, it is to allow parents, at least those who care, to send their kids to schools where they will actually get an education.

HOWELL 2012

    In yesterday's post we mentioned an interest by readers in Howell and Farmingdale. We've already addressed Farmingdale, but what's going on in Howell? It's been uncharacteristically quiet there.
    No Howellanche.
    We checked out the message boards Abetterhowellnj.com and Howellnj.com and all seems quiet. Been quiet for a while, too.There is in fact a local election there; the Republican candidates are William Gotto for mayor and Edward Guz for Council. The Tri-Town News did an article last Thursday. Mayor Bob Walsh, a Republican elected as an independent, is not seeking reelection.
    Howell is very important for winning Monmouth County elections and local G. O. P. harmony goes a long way toward victory in November.

FRANK PALLONE IGNORES LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS' DEBATE REQUEST

Press Release from Anna C. Little for Congress. Posted by Pat Iurilli.

 

HIGHLANDS, NJ, October 12 – Incumbent Congressman Frank Pallone has failed to respond to a request from the League of Women Voters to attend a debate with Congressional Candidate Anna Little on October 28th.

"The voters in the Sixth District should not be ignored," said Little. "I am disappointed in Congressman Pallone's decision to avoid a debate. Because of redistricting, voters in the newly drawn Sixth Congressional District who were not previously represented by Congressman Pallone deserve the chance to see the candidates who are asking to represent them in Congress side-by-side discussing their perspectives on the critical problems we face in New Jersey and the nation. As an almost-24-year incumbent,” continued Little, “Congressman Pallone may feel as though he doesn't need to participate in the campaign process, but I believe that voters in the Sixth Congressional District should not be taken for granted."

When requested to participate in the debate, Little immediately and enthusiastically responded that she would attend. Little said that she is ready and willing to discuss the issues that are important to voters in the Sixth Congressional District: Jobs, the Economy, Taxes, and the Health Care Bill. Congressman Pallone has yet to respond. His failure to participate could cause the debate to be cancelled.

"I welcome the opportunity to debate the issues with the other candidates at any time and any place,” said Little. “I question Congressman Pallone's resistance to participate. Why is someone who was elected to represent the voters afraid to face the voters in a debate? New Jersey’s unemployment rate has climbed to 9.9 percent, the highest since 1977. Almost 10 percent of homeowners are 90 days or more behind on their mortgage payments, the second-worst delinquency rate in the nation. Voters cannot afford to be kept in the dark on economic issues any longer. It is time to face the voters and have an open and honest dialogue about the issues that concern them. I stand ready to debate Congressman Pallone and I urge him to join the rest of us in this important discussion.”

If Congressman Pallone does not respond in the affirmative, the league of Women Voters will cancel the debate. If that should happen, as long as the venue is still willing to host the debate, it will become an open town hall-style meeting. Candidates for the Republican and Democrat parties in congressional districts 4 and 12 were also invited to participate in the debate, but as only one of those four candidates has responded, the League of Women Voters has decided that as of yet there is no cause to hold the debate.

The debate is coordinated and sponsored by the League of Women Voters and will be held on October 28 from 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM at Temple Shalom of Aberdeen, 5 Ayrmont Lane at Church Street, Aberdeen, NJ 07747.

For more information about Anna Little for Congress, or to volunteer, please visit

www.annalittleforcongress.com.

WHO READS THE MONMOUTH COUNTY REPUBLICAN BLOG?

    From time to time we take a look at where our readers come from. Some of it is pretty interesting. Last Wednesday someone googled a 2007 post on Brookdale's Larrison Hall.
    Howell still generates traffic, too. On Tuesday and Wednesday there were several Google searches about Howell topics, including the Howell Republicans and Joe DiBella. There also have been a number of hits on our post on the new council in Farmingdale.
    The Department of Defense has accessed this blog, as has the New Jersey Judiciary.
    A reader in Vancouver, Washington read our post on Freeholders in Washington State. Someone in Fair Haven, possibly Amy Mallet herself, found us by searching, you guessed it, Freeholder Amy Mallet!
    Two hits came from the Danskin Agency. Also one from the United Kingdom and two from Croatia related to Adam Puharic. Someone in Trivandrum, Kerala, India is interested in the Democrats 2011 funding. Someone in Qatar is interested in Democrat boss Vin Gopal.
    Interesting to see where our readers come from...

THERE THEY GO AGAIN

    It seems we see this every election cycle. The left trots out their usual rants about the terrible things that would happen if Republicans took office.
     "When you don't vote, you let another church explode. When you don't vote, you allow another cross to burn. When you don't vote, you let another assault wound a brother or sister. When you don't vote, you let the Republicans continue to cut school lunches and Head Start." 1998 Missouri Democrat Party ad.
    Among the more recent ones is the allegation that Tea Party activists are racist Ku Klux Klan members.
    Once again the left is engaging in revisionist history, which was used frequently in the Soviet Union. History was manipulated and rewritten to serve the ends of those in power.
    When the left, specifically the Democrat Party claims that Republicans would bring back the days of segregation, Jim Crow laws and even slavery itself, they ignore their own party's sordid history on the issue. All the pro-segregation politicians were Democrats. All of them. Orval Faubus, Bull Connor, Lester Maddox, the list goes on and on and on.
     Let's look at the Jim Crow laws. These laws were passed in a number of Southern states during the time after the departure of Federal troops from the South. Southern African-Americans were overwhelmingly Republican, and Southern Democrats pulled out all the stops to neutralize them as a threat to their power. The Ku Klux Klan was established as the terror wing of the Democrat Party. Soon the entire South became a one-party, third-world dictatorship under the Democrat Party. Until recent times the Democrats controlled every governor, every state legislature and every county government south of the Potomac. We're talking every seat here. Monopoly. No Republican could have participated because none were elected.
    So let's look at today. No Republican in any state legislature has introduced legislation to bring back Jim Crow segregation. No legislation has been introduced anywhere reinstituting slavery. Nowhere. Nobody has made any move to repeal the Thirteenth, Fourteenth or Fifteenth Amendments to the U. S. Constitution.
    We do, however, have an ongoing effort by the left to demonize black Republicans for not "behaving like a black should". Clarence Thomas, J. C. Watts, Gary Franks, Condoleezza Rice and many others have felt the poison. There are even localized incidents of voter intimidation, for example by the New Black Panther Party in Philadelphia in 2008. Although they may look different from the KKK, they use similar tactics and the role they play in getting Democrats elected is the same. Their reward was the Obama Justice Department looking the other way and not prosecuting the offenders.
    So, the next time you hear the left whining about Republican racism, remember the truth of history.

ARE MONMOUTH COUNTY REPUBLICANS CHEATING?

    That was the title of the front-page above the fold article in Sunday's Asbury Park Press, which at times appears to be more of a 527 for the Democrats than a journalistic organ. In it they point out that for 30 of the last 33 years the Monmouth County Republican Party has won the Column 1 ballot position.
    The Press has a history of running this type of article for the purpose of bolstering their editorials endorsing Democrats for county office, in this case Michael Steinhorn for county clerk over Claire French. Such articles are often long on emotion and short on facts. Predictably, The Press consulted with a college professor for an expert opinion.
    The fact is, the selection of ballot position is set forth by state law, N. J. S. A. 19:14-12. It is all spelled out in minute detail and has been for decades. If The Press has a problem with how this is done, let them address it to the New Jersey Legislature. If Steinhorn feels that the selection process has in any way been compromised, it is his duty to report it to law enforcement and not just whine.
    Let's now look at a couple of passages from the statute:
     "Any legal voter of the county or municipality, as the case may be, shall have the privilege of witnessing the drawing."
     Ok, so it's done in public. That's easy. So was Mr. Steinhorn or any of his Democrat running mates present for the selection to see that it was on the up and up? Was County Democrat Boss Vin Gopal (who is not the G. O. P.'s pal)? For that matter, did the Asbury Park Press send a reporter to cover it? Not much of a watchdog, are they? More yip than woof.    
     "The drawing for the positions which the names of candidates and bracketed groups of names of candidates, nominated by petition for office, and for the columns which the political parties which made nominations at the next preceding primary election and for the general election shall occupy upon the general election ballot, shall be held at 3 o'clock in the afternoon of the eighty-fifth day prior to the day of the general election."
    The 85th day prior???? That's August 13th! Two months ago! Yet they only print it now? Could The Press be more interested in performing an October surprise than in reporting the news? Hardly investigative journalism.
    The Press, while reporting that the G. O. P. got column 1 for 33 out of the past 30 years, fails to make the connection that this translates into additional votes. Who had Column 1 during the 3 consecutive years when Barbara McMorrow, John D'Amico and Amy Mallet were elected Freeholders? How about when Ellen Kärcher defeated John Bennett for the 12th District Senate seat (not to mention the Dems sweeping the Assembly seats at the same time)? Democrats elected a lot of people to various offices during the 1980s. Running from column 2, Congressman Frank Pallone carried every municipality in his district for at least a decade until 2010 when Anna Little handily carried the Monmouth portion if the district and made serious inroads in Middlesex. And if having the first column was that important Why is Pasquale Menna the mayor of Red Bank and Jon Hornik the mayor of Marlboro?
    There was a time when the print media was openly partisan. You had Republican papers and Democrat papers, but they were open about their biases. You could "see them coming". Too, there usually wasn't a media monopoly in a market. Republican, Democrat and non-partisan papers competed for readership.
    Later, newspapers for the most part shed their party labels and became equal opportunity journalists. Both sides knew that if they didn't act properly it could be made public in the paper.
    For about a quarter century the trend has been toward the media carrying water for the Democrat Party and for left-wing causes. This differs from the old days of partisan newspapers because they are masquerading as unbiased. Additionally, newspapers are often owned by large corporations or trusts, creating a monopoly in a market. There is no daily competition anymore to the Asbury Park Press. None.
   

STATEMENT BY ANNA LITTLE

Congress has another early recess, unable to develop an annual budget with the specter of a drastic $600-Billion spending cuts taking effect in January, if sequestration is not repealed. The result of this polarized and divided House and S...

enate has resulted in business confidence decreasing, with many firms starting to lay off workers and not planning to increase work capacity.

One source of these divisions is the President's attempts to define voters as being either poor or in league with the "rich". The President spends too much time campaigning, rather than performing his elected duty in negotiating with the House and Senate to pass an annual budget.

What is needed is a vibrant economy with more people at work and being compensated properly. As productivity increases, people will earn more that also results in an increase of tax payments collected. With fewer people receiving unemployment, the government will also spend less.

Instead, the President continues to push for more taxes on the "rich", in the false hope of generating more "revenue". This flawed logic does not generate long term budget balance, but threatens the middle class, including union workers, and discourages American hard work.

Example, if an experienced union electrician is paid $50 per hour and works 40 hours per week for 50 weeks, they will earn $100,000 base income. If he works an additional 20 hours of overtime per week, at 1.5 times pay ($75 per hour) for 20 weeks, he will earn an additional $30,000, for a total of $130,000 per year. If his wife is an experienced nurse and earns similar pay for similar hours, the President and his liberal supporters define this hard working couple as being "rich" in earning a combined income of $260,000 per year. We in New Jersey would view this family as being middle class and hard working, and should not be punished with higher taxes. We also know how expensive it is to own a house, raise a family, and pay taxes in New Jersey. $260,000 pre-tax income is not enough to pay the mortgage, student loans, and care for the children.

At the RNC Convention, Condolezza Rice mentioned that we need "great teachers…, we have to have high standards for our kids, because self-esteem comes from achievement, not from lax standards." http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/08/29/transcript-condoleezza-rice-speech-at-rnc/

With this statement, the former Secretary of State, Condolezza Rice, states the importance of quality education that will help Americans, especially minorities, to improve their opportunity to obtain good paying jobs, and earn income that we view as middle class, but defined by the President and his liberal supporters as being "rich". Our elected officials should be promoting success, rather than belittling success and hard work as being "evil". We should be encouraging more Americans to earn more through honest, hard work and become "rich", along with promoting achievement through high standards.

A good elected official would be promoting quality education and achievement to improve the opportunity to succeed for all Americans. A good, caring President would negotiate with Congress to encourage a business climate where the unemployed are back to work with equitable paying jobs that would increase our nation's productivity.

America is built on the success of hard working Americans and we must continue to encourage equitable pay for honest work. We must unite our country instead of trying to define and divide us by income. We will elect a new President, Senator, and Congressional Representative for District 6 this November!

Additional press reference:
http://news.yahoo.com/analysis-corporate-america-sweats-u-nears-fiscal-cliff-005806963--business.html

See More

 

WILLIAM K. HEINE, R. I. P.

We have just learned that Monmouth County spokesman Bill Heine passed away today at his Howell township home. The County's website is posting a portrait of Mr. Heine with the simple message:

 

William K. Heine, 6-23-58 to 9-9-12

Monmouth County thanks Bill for his proud and dedicated service to the county, its staff and its residents.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Bill's family, as well as the official family of Monmouth County.

NEW COUNCIL FOR FARMINGDALE

Today's Town with Yesterday's touch...

A month ago PolitickerNJ reported the resignation en masse of the entire Republican membership of the Farmingdale Borough Council, ostensibly in protest of the policies of their fellow Republican, Mayor John P. Morgan.
Howell Patch is reporting that Governor Chris Christie has appointed five interim councilmembers, viz., Michael John Burke, George Dyevoich Jr., Joseph E. Hultmark, Patricia A. Linszky and Michael J. Romano. We at the Monmouth County Republican Blog wish the new council well. Here in New Jersey it is often the small municipalities that are the best run, despite protestation to the contrary by those pushing consolidation.
Farmingdale can now get back down to business.

POLL: 0% OF AFRICAN AMERICANS VOTING FOR ROMNEY & RYAN? (Continued)

Recently we ran a post on Republicans' dismal polling among African Americans. In it we asked the question, "what is to be done"?
What is to be done?
Well, let's first look at the situation. What we have is the Democrat Party's most successful use of "group politics", as well as an historical paradox in which a large segment of the population gravitates toward the very party that enslaved them, segregated them and terrorized them.
That having been said, what can Republicans do to get "the black vote"? Well, first, let's stop looking at African American voters as a "group" and look at people as individuals. That is the Republican way.
Rather than patronize black voters let's appeal to their intelligence. Much of this would involve staying on point with the Republican agenda. We won't see overnight results but trying to become the Democrats won't do it.

OH, FRANK!

We're sure this isn't what they had in mind when they speak of Rep. Frank Pallone's Congressional services!

NOT QUITE, MICHELE

The Obama Administration tries to paint a rosy picture of the economic picture after nearly four years of Barry O. Not so rosy when you are looking for a job that just isn't there, more like thorny. Or if all that's hiring are menial, low-wage jobs like fast food.
Which is what Arianna Huffington writes at her Huffington Post, usually a liberal/progressive site. Click here!

DEMS "PUMPED"

"Are you better off now than you were four years ago?" That question, first posed over three decades ago by Ronald Wilson Reagan as a candidate for president, has been asked during each presidential campaign since. Supporters of challengers normally say, "no"; those of incumbents normally say "yes".
Interestingly, this time around supporters of President mmm, mmm, mmm, Barack Hussein Obama have been answering, "no, but, uhhh..." They then usually divert the conversation to blaming Bush.

In a speech today in Toledo, Ohio, Obama attempted to promote the American Dream. One comment he made spoke to Americans ability to take vacations. Barry, do you really want to have that conversation? This is the Vacationer-in-Chief, who travels abroad like royalty, often separately from the First Lady, while many Americans have to settle for "staycations", if that. Many are on extended vacations because they have no jobs and no viable prospects.

Enjoy the convention.

SPEAKING OF APOLOGIES...

This week, the Democratic Party is poised to renominate Barack Hussein Obama, the first African American to be nominated by a major party, and Joseph Robinette Biden, who likes Obama because he's a "clean" African American. This would be a great opportunity for them to apologize as a party for slavery, Jim Crow laws, etc.
We ran this editorial back in 2008, once right after The Trentonian published it, and again at the time of the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
Here it is again.
*************************************************************************************
Published in The Trentonian, Friday, February 1, 2008


Speaking of apologies...Exuding righteousness, Democrats who control the N. J. legislature recently led an effort to proffer an official state apology for slavery. the apology presumably included within its sweeping mea-culpa ambit even those many New Jersey citizens whose forbears arrived in this country after slavery had been abolished and thus had nothing remotely to do with it. The New Jersey apology, at least, made no exceptions for this extensive category.
The legislature's heralded and hailed effort leads us to wonder aloud: Would these righteousness-exuding New Jersey Democrats now be willing to position themselves in the forefront of an initiative to apologize for their own national party's long and ignoble history of racism? Not that the Republican Party's own history on matters of race is unexceptionable, mind you. Far, far from it. But the GOP's record on racial issues can't remotely approach the out-and-out odiousness, spanning decades, of the Democratic Party's.
This sorry, shameful record has been disinterred in economist Bruce Bartlett's book, "Wrong on Race: The Democratic Party's Buried Past." So New Jersey's Democratic legislators would be spared the burden of research to support a formal party apology as a plank in the upcoming national convention platform. In an article in The American Spectator recently, Jeffrey Lord, one-time Reagan White House aide, suggested such a platform. Lord is, of course, a conservative polemicist and -- Democrats might understandably object -- a partisan troublemaker. Yet facts are facts, as it's often said, and Lord's summation of the Democratic racial record is not something easily waved aside. Certainly the record is nothing Democratic legislators can shrug off as ancient history or water over the dam -- especially not after having ostentatiously championed the slavery apology.
Here's a brief sampling of the Democratic Party's racial record:

• Six national party platforms, 1840-1860, spoke out vehemently in support of slavery.
• The national party platform in 1864 declared the Union's military efforts to quell the slavery-supporting Confederacy a "failure" and demanded negotiations with a view toward at least a partial acceptance of slavery.
• At the 1900 national convention, the Democratic Party remained silent on the issue of race as de facto and de jure discrimination leached like toxic waste into all corners of America -- especially in the solidly Democratic South. (The GOP platform that year, in contrast, stated that "the plain purpose" of the 15th Amendment to the Constitution was to "prevent discrimination on account of race or color in regulating the elective franchise." The Republican platform added: "Devices of state government ... to avoid the purpose of this amendment ... should be condemned.")
• Four Democratic Party national platforms (1908-1920) were silent on the issues of lynching, segregation and voting-rights suppression of African Americans. (The GOP platforms in those years addressed these issues.)
• The 1924 Democratic National Convention, held in New York City, defeated a proposed platform plank condemning Ku Klux Klan violence. The party confab was dubbed with fully justifiable derision the Democrats' "Klanbake." (Noteworthy local angle: In celebration of the platform victory, 10,000 pointed-hooded Klansmen rallied across the river in New Jersey, cavorting triumphantly around burning crosses.)

It seems almost like a late hit or piling-on, but we'll risk throwing in a mention that such notable race-baiters as Bull Connors and Orval Faubus and George Wallace and Lester Maddox were all stalwart Democrats. And, oh, yes, Arkansas Sen. J. William Fulbright (the furrowed-brow foreign policy intellectual and Bill Clinton's hero) was unwaveringly segregationist to the very end of his political career and a signer of "The Southern Manifesto."
Do we hear a motion for a Democratic Party apology?--The Trentonian

POLL: 0% OF AFRICAN AMERICANS VOTING FOR ROMNEY & RYAN?

The Asbury Park Press reports on an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll showing Mitt Romney with 0% support among African American voters. While that is obviously not likely, it is not far off, and it reflects less on Romney than on the fact that an overwhelming number of black voters vote strictly for Democrats.
The Lone Ranger provides us with a history lesson on how, why and when black voters switched their allegiance from the Republican to the Democrat Party.
What is to be done?
I mean, the G. O. P. has tried a lot. And let's face it, most African American voters are not far-left progressives philosophically. On issues such as school choice, same-sex marriage and immigration they fall squarely on the right. Yet predominantly black constituencies continually roll up 10:1 Democrat majorities. With some exceptions, even African American Republicans fare little better than the rest of the ticket.

CANDIDATES' BREAKFAST

Kyrillos Leads Charge for Transparency; Menendez Follows

Kyrillos campaign press release:

Middletown, August 17… Several hours and a few news reports after announcing Senator Kyrillos would make public his tax returns, Senator Menendez joined Kyrillos’ pursuit of transparency and announced he would follow suit – the first time in six years.
“I congratulate Senator Menendez for following Senator Kyrillos’ lead and agreeing to release more than one tax return,” said Kyrillos Campaign Manager Chapin Fay. “It’s clear had Senator Kyrillos not led this charge, Senator Menendez would have continued to keep New Jerseyans in the dark. Joe will bring this same agenda of good government and transparency to the United States Senate and bring an end to backroom deal-making and special interest influence.”

Contact Information

Contact Name:

Meaghan Cronin

Contact Phone Number:

(732) 221-1162

Contact E-Mail Address:

meaghan@joekyrillos.com

PARTY WEBSITES

Here at the Monmouth County Republican Blog we have been updating our links to local Republican Organizations in Monmouth County. So far we have twelve local groups linked. A dozen. That's less than 25% of Monmouth County's 53 municipalities.
Now some towns might be too small or have an underfunded organization but that's not the case with all of them. In today's political world it is imperative to have a presence on the Worldwide Web. Someone in your town may wish to help out and the first thing they're going to do is an internet search of "Name Your Township Republicans". If they come up with nothing or worse, a 404 message, your team may have lost a supporter even before they could be found.
So if you know of a website that we haven't linked please leave the URL in the comments and we will add it in.
Have a nice weekend!

REALLY?

Anna Little is one of the toughest people in politics today. A tireless grass roots organizer and campaigner, she challenged the Party Establishment, winning both the 2010 and 2012 Primaries off-line, and would have won off line for freeholder in 2007 if she chose to run that year.
She has gone up against some pretty tough customers, including Bill Barham, Fred Niemann, Adam Puharic and his Rasta sock-puppet and others. She was elected Mayor of Highlands beating a Democrat, an Independent and a write in (presumably sent in as a spoiler) orchestrated by country club RINOs on Navesink River Road in Middletown!
Sounds like she's just the kind of fighter we need in Congress.
So where does Art Gallagher get off thinking that he is going to prevail against Anna Little? Really?

WHO IS FRANK PALLONE?

So just who is this man, Frank J. Pallone, Jr.? He has been a congressman representing parts of Monmouth County for nearly a quarter century but what do we know about him?
We will attempt to provide a bit of information on him, from a political standpoint.
We will begin with the 11th Legislative District and its delegation as it stood back in the early 1980s. This included Senator Brian T. Kennedy and Assemblymen Anthony M. "Doc" Villane, Jr. and William F. Dowd, all Republicans. This lineup had represented the shore district since the mid to late 70s; the delegation was known as the "Shore Team" because of their active interest in the Jersey Shore, especially Doc Villane. Bill Dowd withdrew from the ticket in 1981 and was replaced on the ballot by Freeholder Joseph A. Palaia. The team of Kennedy, Villane and Palaia was successful in 1981.
Frank Pallone, Jr. is the son of Frank J. Pallone, Sr., who was a longtime Long Branch Republican and a member of the County Committee. The elder Pallone brought his son to G. O. P. leaders and tried to get him on the 11th District legislative ticket. In addition to there being no vacancy on the ticket, Pallone was told that he would have to "walk before he could run". The Pallones then went to the Democrats, probably his first act of political opportunism. Pallone was elected to the Long Branch City Council in 1982.
1983 was a "perfect storm" election. Republican Freeholder Frank Self was suffering from a credibility problem due to discrepancies brought up by Democrats about his Vietnam War service. Democrats smelled blood in the water. Pallone was the senate candidate in the 11th. Democrat leaders bosses targeted Kennedy as the weakest on the delegation and Pallone was elected to the Senate by less than 1,000 votes. He would dually hold both his city and legislative offices until elected to Congress in 1988.
In the Legislature Pallone was considered a conservative, he was actively pro-life and not crazy on fiscal matters, which probably didn't hurt him getting reelected in 1987. Among his peers in the Legislature, however, he was earning a reputation as a political opportunist. He quickly co-opted the G. O. P. team's issue of the Shore, and gained a reputation for stealing and taking credit for other legislators' bills.
The incumbent congressman at the time was Democrat James J. Howard. It was no secret that Pallone was close to Howard, whether this was sincere or just more opportunism is open to speculation. Howard, although not indicating that he would retire, was clearly grooming Pallone to succeed him. Other Monmouth County Democrats favored State Sen. Richard Van Wagner (D-13).
The 1988 election cycle opened normally. Howard was running for reelection and would be challenged by Joseph Azzolina, the veteran legislator.
Suddenly Howard died and Democrats nominated Pallone to replace him on the ballot. Pallone would defeat Azzolina in the General Election.
Many Republicans initially considered Pallone an improvement over Howard, due to his conservative leanings in the State Senate and willingness to reach across the aisle. Congressman Chris Smith was pleased to have another pro-life colleague, especially on the Democrat side of the aisle.
Within six months of taking office Pallone suddenly morphed into a pro-choice, tax & spend liberal. More political opportunism.
After the 1990 Federal Census, New Jersey lost a congressional seat. The old 3rd and 6th Districts were combined, and Rep. Bernard Dwyer (D-6) retired rather than go against Pallone in a primary. This extended the district deep into Middlesex County, safening the seat for Pallone.
The Pallone of today is a far cry from the 1980s "Blue Dog" of the State Senate. Long gone are his pro-life days. Long, long gone. Now a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Pallone supports cap & trade and has even claimed authorship of the Obamacare legislation:"This is not Obama’s bill. This isn’t Nancy Pelosi’s bill. This is MY bill."
It is time for this chameleonic character to go.
They say a woman's place is in the house; it's time to put Anna Little in the U. S. House of Representatives!

SOUR GRAPES

She stood up to Adam Puharic, Bill Barham, Fred Neimann and Malcolm Carton. These men have bullied and undermined Little and waged a smear campaign against her and her family. Little's problems with the party bosses got worse when she didn't just "sit back, learn the ropes and follow our lead" as she was told to do.
As many of my readers know, Freeholder 6th District Congressional Candidate Anna Little has been the subject of a nasty and baseless character assassination attempt from within the Republican Party. This campaign, which began almost immediately after her Primary victory on November 7, 2006 June 8, 2010, was initially spread through the rumor and gossip mill and escalated to another Monmouth County political blog in mid December.
Can he overcome the damage caused by his anger?
If they continue on this reckless path, they will be doing great damage to an already vulnerable Monmouth County GOP.
In politics, as in life, holding grudges only nails you’re own foot to the floor. It can be both humorous and maddening to watch grudge holders spin around in circles, while they think they are getting somewhere.

2011 DEMOCRAT CAMPAIGN FUNDING

As has so often been the case this time of year, nothing of substance has yet shown up on this year's Democrat Party candidate ELEC reports. Nothing new either yet to reflect any changes brought about under the new County Dem chairman boss, Vinod Gopal. However, there's always last year's final reports, which are relevant because two of their losing candidates from last year, William Shea (freeholder county commissioner) and Michael Steinhorn (surrogate 2011, county clerk 2012), are on this year's countywide ballot.

Let's first look at Amy Mallet's final report:

Pallone for Congress gave her $1,000.00 contribution on October 21, 2011, and another $1,000.00 on Nov. 1. After that it's the unions.

NJEA Political Action Committee contributed $1,250.00 on the same date. That's the teachers' union folks.

DRIVE Committee contributed $1,000.00 on Nov. 9. DRIVE is an acronym: Democrat Republican Independent Voter Education; it's the political action committee of the Teamsters Union.

1199 SEIU NYS Political Action Fund gave Mallet's campaign $2,000.00 on Nov. 17. Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is known for thuggishness, often supplying goons to physically disrupt events. These are bad dudes. The "NYS" stands for New York State. That is a separate state to the north of New Jersey; again we must reiterate, New York is a separate state. This is an out of state campaign contribution.

Now Bill Shea's report:

NJEA Political Action Committee contributed $1,250.00 on Nov. 7. Again, we must reiterate, this is the teachers' union.
Earlier union bucks to Shea can be found here.


And now, Mr. Steinhorn:

Realtors' Political Action Committee on September 30 gave $1,000.00 and another $1,000.00 on October 4.
Steinhorn's report is the only one certified as a final report.


Now, let's look at the Monmouth County Democrats report:

Election Fund of Joseph Cryan (D-Union), the rootinest, tootinest, double-dippinest undersheriff/assemblyman ever to bedazzle New Jersey contributed $10,000.00 to the County Democrats on October 5. Recall that on September 18, he also contributed 1,000.00 smackers to Amy Mallet's campaign account.
In late 2008 it was the Monmouth County Democrat Freeholder County Commissioner majority who looked to Cryan to fill key appointments.

Annette Quijano Election Fund (D-Union), contributed $5,000.00 on Oct. 26. Quijano is a part of the 20th District Legislative delegation along with Joe Cryan and Sen. Raymond J. Lesniak. (below) Quijano replaced former Assemblyman Neil Cohen, the well-known child-porn impressario, currently on parole from South Woods State Prison.

Election Fund of Raymond J. Lesniak (D-Union), contributed $1,000.00 on Oct. 27.

Union County Democratic Committee , Charlotte DeFilippo, chair, forked over $3,000.00 on Oct. 21. Monmouth and Union County Democrats have had a long and cozy relationship. Not sure whether or not that will continue under Gopal, who is Nopal to the GOP.

Union Township Democratic Municipal Committee, Joseph Cryan, chair, contributed $3,500.00 on Nov. 9, another $3,500.00 on Nov. 25, for a total of $7,000.00.

Election Fund of John S. Wisniewski (D-Middlesex), gave $7,500.00 on Oct. 24. Recall that on February 10 he contributed $1,000.00 and another $2,500.00 on September 15 for an aggregate of $11,000.
Democracy in Motion, the mysterious PAC, gave $5,000.00 on Nov. 2.  On July 8 they had contributed $5,000.00; they gave another $10,000.00 on September 15. They first showed up on the Monmouth County scene back in '09. Their chairman is Michael L. Broderick and their treasurer is Christina Montorio. Both are employed by Teamsters Local 469 in Hazlet, Broderick as Business Agent and Montorio as a Port Representative. They appear to be funded by professional firms; CME Engineering is a major player here, although T & M, Birdsall and various law firms have donated. They even got a check from Gary "Billboard" Taffet, former chief of staff to disgraced Gov. James E. McGreevey. Their disbursements go predominantly to Middlesex County Democrats.

Raritan Bay Leadership Fund contributed $7,000.00 on Dec. 1. Their chairman is former Middlesex County Clerk Raniero Travisano of Sayreville and their treasurer New Brunswick attorney David Lonski. Their contributors and recipients are largely the same as Democracy in Motion.

Together We Can gave 2,500.00 on Nov. 2. Their chairman is former Kevin P. McCabe of Sewaren and their treasurer Woodbridge Township attorney James P. Nolan. McCabe is part of the management team of the Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters, Edison. Their contributors and recipients are largely the same as Democracy in Motion and the Raritan Bay Leadership Fund, with the addition of contributors Jamie Fox, DOT Commissioner in the McGreevey administration, and disgraced former Senator Robert Torricelli.

Is it because these contributors are extraordinarily civic-minded Americans who have a deep, abiding interest in local pols doing their jobs of serving their constituency? Might it be that these contributors just love participating in the political process?
Is Union County the Democrats' idea of "where Democrats are doing a better job governing than Republicans?"
Is Middlesex County the Democrats' idea of "where Democrats are doing a better job governing than Republicans?"
Well?????