BYRNES' FINANCES

The Honest Abe Research Foundation has been given the task of investigating Middletown Township Committeeman Sean Byrnes, this year's Democratic candidate for County Commissioner (neé Freeholder). Although they've only just begun to scratch the surface, Byrnes' ELEC reports are interesting.
On his primary '07 report, we have a $2,500.00 contribution from Upendra J. Chivukula for Assembly, made on June 4th, 2007, the day before the primary. Chivukula, a Democrat, represents convicted felon John Lynch's old district. He gained notoriety in 2007 for proposing a bill to allow illegal aliens to pay in state tuition.
In the general election, Byrnes maintained two sets of campaign books, one where he filed as a single candidate account, and the second where he filed jointly with his running mate, Janet Moscuzza.
There's not much activity shown in the single account, but the joint account is active, as one would expect in a large town like Middletown.
Pallone for Congress gave $2,500.00 on October 13th. Other contributors include the PRC Management Co. of West Long Branch, developers, who gave $1,000.00 on October 22nd. PRC is also a known supporter of John "Flippy" D'Amico. We're researching whether they were or are planning a project in Middletown where they may have desired Byrnes' influence.
The Wall Township based Local Union 400 PAC Fund gave $2,000.00 on October 31st, and $2,500.00 on November 19th, for a total of $4,500.00.
The '07 Byrnes Campaign finances seem relatively mild as Dem campaigns go, but remember this was a local race. In reality, his campaign finances were a pastiche of the above contributors, with large donations from both the Middletown Democratic Executive Committee and the Middletown Township Democratic Club, with both Byrnes' single campaign account and one from Moscuzza thrown in for good measure.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, we've only begun to scratch the surface with this guy. I don't know what it is with these Democrats from Middletown. This is not going away.

THE BIDEN LEVELS OF DUMB

Thanx to Knowledge is Power.

FORE!!! NEVERMORE?

We all know about County Commissioner (neé Freeholder) Amy "Hammerhead" Mallet, who wanted Monmouth County to accept juvenile detainees from Gloucester County. Our sources, imbedded deep in the Hall of Records, have uncovered another Mallet scheme, one which has heretofore never seen the light of day.
Not content with just attempting to slash the county Open Space tax, Amy Mallet wanted to sell at least one county golf course. Fortunately, saner minds prevailed before this could become a costly debacle, but it's true.
Where would she get such an idea? Well, in order to explain the actions of this year's Democratic freeholder majority, one must look outside Monmouth County and this is no exception. It seems this year the Democratic freeholder monopoly in Union County actually closed Oak Ridge Golf Course in Clark Township!
The County Watchers has run a series of interesting posts on this topic; they are linked below:

County Budget Hearings to Begin this Saturday, Gee Who Knew? by Tina Renna
Budget Cutting Course, by John Bury
Meeting the Real Bosses to get Action, by John Bury
As Posted on PolitickerNJ, by Patricia Quattrocchi
If it Looks Like a Golf Course, Why Not Play Golf? by County Watchers
Emails to County go Unanswered, by County Watchers
Art Imitates Life In Union County, by Tina Renna
As Published on PolitickerNJ.com, by Patricia Quattrocchi
Don't Try This at Home, Folks. by Tina Renna
Can You Close a Public Golf Course Like That? by John Bury

Imagine how dangerous a Democratic monopoly would be here in Monmouth County, under the directorship of John "Flippy" D'Amico and his Union County handlers!
November can't come soon enough!

HE'S BAAAAAAAAACK!!!

Yesterday (Wednesday), Art Gallagher over at More Monmouth Musings wrote about Codey.org, a weBSite purported to support the drafting of former Gov. Dick Codey to replace the Bozo-coiffed Gov. Jonathan Stevens Corzine on the ballot. Art found that the site is linked to none other than Union County's own diminutive, goose-stepping, oompaloompaesque publisher, James J. Devine.
We decided to put the Honest Abe Research Foundation to work on this.
A look at the weBSite shows that it is "a project of the Central Jersey Democratic Leadership Committee", a PAC led by Devine, and that it is "Paid for by CJDLC". The CJDLC's main weBSite still advertises tickets for the PAC's "Inaugural Ball" to be held back in January at the Grand Marquis in Old Bridge Township.
A look at ELEC shows that the CJDLC has not filed a report since the third quarter of 2005. Before that, their reporting history was spotty at best.
Just as a little background, Devine and his PAC have marched to not only a different drummer, but a different tuba and glockenspiel player too.
Back in '05, Devine ran a blog supporting the woeful Democratic assembly candidates in the 13th District. That same year, he was responsible for a hate weBSite called HandlinThompson.org. As a part of his fundraising, Devine wrote on the site, "Donations will be deposited into the personal bank account of this website's owner/operator and will be used to defray expenses for research and reporting about the corrupt politicians to whom this site is dedicated. If funding reaches the level required for disclosure under New Jersey law, a political committee will be established specifically for that purpose. Until then, anyone who wishes to know the names of any or all contributors needs simply to ask."
His personal bank account? Gadzooks! Hold on campers, there's more.
They once claimed that the CJDLC was not subject to ELEC reporting as it was organized as a 527 fund, and by June of 2006, the PAC's treasurer, Charles Betancourt, was pleading not guilty to embezzling $53,238.00 from the CJDLC. Strangely, no Charles Betancourt appears in the state Judiciary's Promis/Gavel Public Access system. You would think that they would file ELEC reports after that bit of trouble, but noooooooo.
We know that they began 2005 with a balance of $2,500.54 in the bank, and that they raised $122,950.00 up to the end of the third quarter, and spent $102,628.34 during the same period, leaving a balance of $22,822.20 on September 30, 2005. Then, nothing. No reports for the fourth quarter of 2005 through the first quarter of 2009. Soooooo, we don't know what happened to the $22,822.20, where it went, or what they raised and spent during the past 3+ years. Did Betancourt get any of it, or was his embezzlement earlier than that? Is he still the treasurer?
We don't know how much they raised on the Inaugural event this past January, or what the overhead was. The Codey.org site is set up for fundraising, but that would show up on the second quarter '09 report, which is not due until June 15th, if they see fit to even bother to file it. The Codey.org weBSite, however, was actually created back in 2005, and updated this past February; any expenses incurred would presumably be reportable on a hypothetical first quarter report, if there was one.
The contributors reported back in 2005 are the typical Democratic cast of characters; a lot of developers, some lawyers, and the ever-present CME Associates principals. Recipients of the CJDLC's largese include several Democratic campaigns on the state and local level. We will list them in a subsequent post.
The Central Jersey Democratic Leadership Committee is notable for its weirdness. Devine is never far from controversy. Potential contributors would be wise to stay away from the whole gooey mess.

DINNER MEETINGS TO RETURN?

Tina Renna of The County Watchers had an interesting post back in March where she reported that Union County Prosecutor Theodore J. Romankow defended the all-Democratic Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders' Sunshine-Law violating dinner meetings.
Since Monmouth County's Democratic freeholders take direction from the Union County Democrats, and since it was a previous Democratic board which initiated the practice back in the 70's, and since County Commissioner (neé Freeholder) John "Flippy" D'Amico participated with much gusto in the dinners, will they return here in Monmouth?

Will New Jersey Elect a Pro-Life Catholic Governor?

by Deal W. Hudson, InsideCatholic.com
4/27/09

As of a few days ago, a pro-life Catholic held the lead in the New Jersey governor's race. Chris Christie has been steadily polling ahead of the current Democratic governor, Jon Corzine, and the other Republican candidate for the nomination.
Christie's eleven point lead over Corzine, and 25 point lead over his closest GOP challenger, is remarkable in the post-Obama political climate when pro-life candidates, like Christie, are supposed to be passé.
The 47-year old Christie, viewed as a moderate candidate, has been married for 23 years to his wife, Mary Pat; they have four children, two boys and two girls, ages 5 to 15. In New Jersey 42 percent of voters are Catholic, but the Republicans haven't nominated a Catholic for governor since 1973.
Whether New Jersey Catholics will rally around a candidate like Christie remains to be seen. The last Catholic governor of New Jersey was James E. McGreevey who received a majority of the Catholic vote in spite of policy positions that were mostly antithetical to the Church. McGreevey beat a candidate, Bret Schundler, who was pro-life and socially conservative, but Protestant in a largely Catholic state. When a New Jersey columnist asked McGreevey to comment on the fact that his politics were out of line with most Irish Catholic voters, "McGreevey laughed the question off."
You might assume from the reputation and recent history of New Jersey politics that there must be something questionable about Christie's pro-life position that explains his present popularity. His GOP opponent, Steve Lonegan, in fact, has tried to label him "pro-choice," but Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) has given Christie his "seal of approval," which for movement pro-lifers will be the end of the argument.
Christie was nominated in 2001 by George W. Bush as the U.S. attorney general for the District of New Jersey and took office in January 2002. During his six years in office he gained the reputation as something of a corruption-buster, having won convictions or guilty pleas from 130 public officials, both Republican and Democrat. Christie did not lose a single case.
One example of his successful prosecution was that of Sharpe James, the former mayor of Newark. James was found guilty of conspiring to sell nine city properties to his mistress, Tamika Riley, who resold them for hundreds of thousands in profit.
After the verdict, Gov. Corzine, a political ally of James, commented, "It's unfortunate for the citizens of Newark;" adding, "I find it sad that any of the good work produced by Mayor James will get lost or overshadowed by his conviction."
Corzine is vulnerable, in part, because he is viewed as someone who has been associated with various scandals -- others and his own -- during the entirety of his tenure as governor. Another vulnerability stems from his position on life issues. Corzine made headlines a few months ago when New Jersey filed a lawsuit to force Catholic hospitals to perform abortions. New Jersey Catholics voted, it should be noted, for McCain over Obama, 55 percent to 45 percent.
As one of his leading supporters told me, "Christie is not a fire-breather, but a center-right guy who has the vision and guts to beat Corzine and the Democrats this November." The election of Chris Christie would put a sudden end to all the talk about the need for Republicans to distance themselves from their pro-life constituencies.

Deal W. Hudson is the director of InsideCatholic.com and the author of Onward, Christian Soldiers: The Growing Political Power of Catholics and Evangelicals in the United States (Simon and Schuster).

This was sent to us by the Christie Campaign.

HOLIDAY WISHES (Belated)

The Monmouth County Republican Blog takes pride in our commitment to the celebration of diversity. Therefore, we were kind of embarassed that we missed a holiday that is very important to a large segment of our population.
We Republicans as well as other Americans look at July 4th as a patriotic holiday at which time we remember the founders of our great nation, who took great personal risk to themselves and their families.
Followers of the Democratic Party celebrate a different holiday, April 15th. That day is not only a patriotic holiday, it is held at nearly religious heights as Democrats across the nation remember the Internal Revenue Service, which provides great personal risk to ordinary Americans (Not Timothy Geithner) and their families.
We apologize to all Democrats for our insensitive ignorance of their customs; the vast editorial staff here at the Monmouth County Republican Blog will be required to undergo sensitivity training at a reeducation center to be subsequently determined.
We hope all Democrats had a happy holiday.

MALLET HIT

"It seems all the Trenton Democrats need to do in Monmouth County is say, "jump,' and our Democratic freeholders respond, "how high?' "
...Freeholder Lillian G. Burry

County Commissioner (neé freeholder) Amy "Hammerhead" Mallet (Biden with boobs) just pulled a live one. In the Asbury Park Press she and Director Barbara "Figurehead" McMorrow came out for housing Gloucester County juveniles at the Monmouth County Youth Detention Center. The article, written by cub reporter Bob Jordan, states that the county could recoup some of the center's operating costs this way. Nowhere in the article did it say whether Jordan had interviewed Sheriff Kim Guadagno, who operates the YDC, or Freeholder Lillian Burry, who oversees it as part of her freeholder assignment.

Yesterday, Burry and Freeholder Rob Clifton came out swinging in the Press. Apparently McMorrow came out swinging, too, you see apparently Mallet never told McMorrow that she was going to the Press. Publicly McMorrow joined the Democratic spin, although she admitted, "I have a concern that adding more juveniles may mean that we have to do capital improvements to the facility. I have not discussed this idea with anyone in Gloucester County." Clifton noted, "Gloucester took action on March 4, so somebody here must have been talking to them."

Gloucester County is led by Democratic-State Senate Majority Leader-3rd District Senator-Freeholder Director-Ironworker Union Boss-Stephen Sweeney-Billygoat-Legs. Mallet received a large $14,400.00 contribution, dated October 24th, 2003 from the Gloucester County Democratic machine. (Read more about Mallet's out of county sponsors here and here! Also here!)

There had been speculation as to why the Democrats were so adamantly opposed to closing the YDC. Some had speculated that it was due to support for the Democrats by public employee unions representing YDC workers. This flew in the face of the Democrats' treatment of county workers at large, and the Honest Abe Research Foundation was unable to find a compelling link. The liberal truth was revealed at the March 26th freeholders meeting, where "Flippy" D'Amico stated that to move the inmates to Middlesex County's more modern facility would inconvenience the inmates' families and their ministers.

Additional inmates would potentially require additional staffing at the YDC, which would cut into any revenue that might come from Gloucester. More importantly, it may require expensive construction projects, which would probably far exceed any revenue. But hey, the Democrats are heavily funded by construction trade unions, so that is probably their point. That and helping Billygoat-Legs Sweeney save the Gloucester County taxpayers money.

The Democratic freeholders are but puppets of the Trenton Democrats and their uber-bosses based in Union, Gloucester and Camden Counties. This has been predicted for years. They are obviously completely unfazed by criticism of their wheeling. It's just what they do. They must be stopped before they screw up the county even worse than they have.

COUNTY EMPLOYEE LAYOFFS

No, campers, not here in Monmouth County. Not PBA Local 240 or PBA Local 314. Not the Monmouth County Youth Detention Center.
It's in Union County, where the Monmouth County Democrats get their wheeled money and their marching orders.
Read what The County Watchers have to say (in several posts) here.

McMORROW'S FLORIDA FRIENDS

A few years ago we highlighted some contributors to Barbara McMorrow and Rebecca Aaronson's 2005 campaign. We still don't know what the reason is for all the Florida money. Since it looks like McMorrow is running for reelection this year, we thought it only fitting to refresh everyone's memory.

UPDATE

We had intended to publish a series of posts revealing the complete history of Director McMorrow's campaign finance. Not long ago she had expressed a desire to seek reelection to the board, and this information would have been very relevant. McMorrow would be a strong candidate and was the only Democrat on the board who was not blinded by sheer party loyalty; she would not jump every time "Flippy" D'Amico called. Still, she's very much a loyal Democrat.
She has declined to stand for reelection due to health reasons. While I am aware of what those reasons are, I will not publish them here out of respect for the Director's privacy; suffice to say, it's bona fide. We wish Director McMorrow well in her treatment and recovery.
We do not know who the Democrats will run for her seat, other than someone who will dance when Flippy calls the tune.

VERY SILENT GLENN APPOINTED

Yet another losing Democratic county commissioner candidate was rewarded with a patronage job Thursday night when, in a 3-2 vote, Very Silent Glenn Mason was appointed as the county's Emergency Management Coordinator. He joins Silent Steve Schueler (Assistant County Counsel) and Rebecca Aaronson (MVC Agent) on the public dole. Read Art Gallagher's post here and the Asbury Park Press article here. Appointing a political crony to an Emergency Management post in a post-9/11 environment is like a platonic version of the Jim McGreevey - Golan Cipel fiasco. In a possible violation of the Open Public Meetings Act, Republican Freeholders Lillian Burry and Rob Clifton have been kept out of the loop and in the dark on appointments and other issues.
This is yet another example of the flip-flopping and hypocrisy that has been rampant in the less than 90 days that the Democrats have held the Board. In fact, at the same meeting we had the Democratic flip-flop on Amy "Hammerhead" Mallet's risky scheme to gut the County's open space tax. When they saw the public outcry, they backed off. Still, Michael Harmon, of the Board of Recreation Commissioners, discovered that fund moneys were proposed to be diverted from capital to operating expenses. According to Burry, "They changed their minds because it was a bad idea and because of the outcry against it."
Sheriff Kim Guadagno spoke about proposed layoffs of county employees and how it would affect her department's ability to serve the public, and was, in a Union County moment, actually gaveled down by Figurehead Director Barbara McMorrow for having the nerve to exceed the 5 minute limit on speaking. Reduced staffing at the County Jail will result in mushrooming overtime costs. It could also have other, more physical results. It really could.
Her predecessor as sheriff, County Chairman Joe Oxley, also blasted the Democrats, "The fact that you're about to hire Amy Mallet's running mate and still plan to lay off people from the Sheriff's Office is a disgrace".
The Sheriff also blasted County Commissioner John "Flippy" D'Amico (The Prime Minister) for interfering in the labor situation with her officers; Flippy was later blasted for the same thing by former Howell Mayor Joe DiBella, who dubbed Flippy, "Stone Cold" for his wooden, uncaring detachment at meetings. DiBella also pointed out that members of the public who exceeded the meeting room capacity were denied access to the Hall of Records itself, and forced to stand out in the cold. (That also sounds like Union County.)
Speaking of Flippy, and proving that the Inspector General issue isn't dead, the Board appointed by a party-line vote, former Freeholder Director Tom Powers, former Prosecutor and Judge "Hollywood Al" Lehrer and former state Chief Justice James Zazzali as the Ethics Review Committee, to determine that being bad is, well, bad. They will also advise the Board as to whether they should create and staff a new department of Inspector General.
This fiasco was just one meeting. These idiots have the whole rest of the year to screw things up royally. So, let's pack the house at every meeting. It's far from boring. That ZZZ isn't someone snoring, it could be the county's future bond rating.
November can't come soon enough!

CHRISTIE IS PRO-LIFE

We at the Monmouth County Republican Blog have expressed concern about gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie defining himself beyond his crack record as a Federal Prosecutor. Our concern is rooted in the fact that all too many candidates backed by the state GOP establishment or "moderate" wing of the party have been, essentially, "Democrats lite", or RINOs. They fail to sufficiently contrast themselves with the Democrat, and inevitably lose.
We were deeply concerned that Christie would follow the same liberal path and founder against the Bozo-coiffed Governor Corzine, should Christie win the primary.
It appears that this is not the case.
We were very impressed with Christie's speech at Lincoln Day, in which he proposed a very aggressive fiscal policy and a frequent use of the line-item veto if necessary. He also pointed out the folly of Corzine's social engineering through the Council On Affordable Housing (COAH), and vowed to "gut" that policy.
Save Jersey has an interesting post on Christie's Pro-Life credentials. This is a sharp departure from previous establishment candidates, from the waffling Jim Courter to the mild Doug Forrester to the unabashedly liberal and rabidly pro-choice Christie Whitman.
This blog has not yet made a choice in the gubernatorial primary. All the candidates are qualified men of character who bring a lot to the table. Should Christie get the nod, and should he stick to a conservative platform, Corzine and the Dems could have serious a problem.
We would like to see more.
A start would be for all the candidates to address the problem of an overreaching judiciary. At the close of the Whitman-DiFrancesco Administration, all seven State Supreme Court Justices had been appointed by a Republican governor. (An unprecedented six by Whitman, one by Tom Kean, Sr.) Still, this court was at least as liberal as if it was all-Democratic, and some critics have even said it was more liberal. Can you say Torricelli-
Lautenberg switcheroo?
So, it has been very refreshing to see Christie take conservative stands. Let's keep it up.

EYE ON THE PRIZE

If you haven't read Art Gallagher's post, "Eye on the Prize", read it. You might learn something.

DEM CAMPAIGN FINANCE

OK, campers, it's time once again to take a trip down The Rabbit Hole to a land where up is down and down is up and wheeling isn't wheeling. That's right, we're going to take a look at the Monmouth County Democrats' 2008 4th quarter ELEC report! Along the way, be sure to munch on lots of mushrooms. You'll need them to believe that wheeling isn't going on.
$230,111.83. And very little of this money comes from here in Monmouth County. Very little.



Healy for Mayor. (Jersey City) $7,000.00 on October 29, and another $1,000.00 on November 3. A total of $8,000.00.

John Hamill, Jr. Also from Jersey City, he also contributed $1,000.00 on November 3.

Rush Holt for Congress. OK, at least he represents part of Monmouth County. $4,000.00 on October 20.

Upendra Chivukula for Assembly. (Somerset County) $1,000.00 on November 3.

New Jersey Democratic State Committee. $37,000.00 on October 24.

Election Fund of Joseph Cryan. (Union County) $15,000.00 in their trick-or-treat bag on October 31. No wonder they're asking this guy who to appoint to county patronage jobs!

Empower Newark. (Essex County) $10,000.00 on October 29. A PAC connected to Mayor Cory Booker. Christina DeSimone of the Rutgers-Newark Observer writes: "A political action committee called Empower Newark has reported a dramatic increase in funds, from $2,343 last year to $364,000 this year. The committee states that its goal is to support politicians who demonstrate a "genuine commitment to Newark." While the committee has donated to both Teresa Ruiz's and Bilal Beasley's Senate campaigns, Empower Newark has also supported candidates with little connection to Newark. Philadelphia mayoral candidate, Dwight Evans, and New York's lieutenant governor, David Paterson have each received $5,000 from the committee. How is this empowering Newark?" I guess Amy Mallet has a genuine commitment to Newark.

Election Fund of Stephen Schueler. Flippy's erstwhile running mate and current Assistant County Counsel Silent Steve. OK, this one is actually in Monmouth County. $3,611.00 on October 10.

Democracy in Motion. (South Amboy, Middlesex County) So far, I haven't found anything more on this PAC, but they contributed $2,500.00 on October 28.

Election Fund of John Wisniewski. (Middlesex County) $2,500.00 on October 28.

Bunion and Malley for Council. (Matawan) Alrighty, another from Monmouth County. This makes about 2 so far. $1,500.00 on December 21. Merry Christmas.

Election Fund of J. Christian Bollwage. (Union County. Again.) The Mayor of Elizabeth wrote a check for $500.00 on October 24.

Jon S. Corzine. The Bozo-coiffed governor himself contributed $25,000.00 on October 22.



Ready to see the labor bucks? I thought so.



Local Union 400 PAC Fund. (Wall) $12,000.00 on October 24.

District Council of Northern New Jersey Ironworkers. (Union County) $37,000.00 on October 28. Wow. Are the Democrats looking to start some projects using iron?

New Jersey State Laborers PAC, Non-Federal Account. (Middlesex County) $25,000.00 on October 13.

Local Union # 164, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers COPE Fund. (Bergen County) $25,000.00 on October 24.

New Jersey Regional Council of Carpenters Non-Partisan PAC. (Middlesex County) $10,000.00 on October 10.

Heavy and General Construction Laborers' Union Local 472 PAC. (Essex County) $8,000.00 on October 10.

PAC, New Jersey State Association of Pipe Trades. (Camden County) $5,000.00 on November 3.

DRIVE Committee. (Washington, DC) The Teamsters' PAC (Democrat, Republican, Independent Voter Education). $2,500.00 on October 10.

Operating Engineers' Local 825. (Union County) $1,000.00 on October 28.



The Dems are obviously completely unfazed by criticism of their wheeling. It's just what they do. And remember at reorganization where John D'Amico (Flippy) proposed major construction projects. Now you know why.

LINCOLN DAY '09

Last night's Lincoln Day Dinner (my favorite event!) was a huge success. With nearly 500 in attendance, it exceeded those of the past few years. We were also honored with the presence of President Abe Lincoln, as well as past Holmdel municipal chair Addy Lubkert, a relative of the 16th President.
Atlantic Highlands Mayor Fred Rast welcomed the gathering, and County Chairman Joe Oxley capably emceed the event, and former chairs Adam Puharic (who left early), Fred Niemann and Fred Kniesler were present. Joe reminded potential freeholder candidates of the February 27th deadline for declarations.
Several GOP bloggers were in attendance.
Freeholders Lillian Burry and Rob Clifton attended, along with all three Constitutional Officers: Sheriff Kim Guadagno, County Clerk Claire French and Surrogate Rosemarie Peters.
Former freeholders in attendance included Highlands Mayor Anna Little, who picked up the open bar tab, Bill Barham, Frank Self and Ed Stominski. Former freeholder candidate John Curley worked the room with thank-you cards, and may be gearing up for another run. Former freeholder candidate Jeff Cantor was not in attendance, as he now goes to Carter Day dinners or Jeff Davis Day or Tax Day whatever the hell day the Democrats go to. There had been rumors of an appearance by Freeholder Director Barbara McMorrow, but it appears that they were only rumors.
Curmudgeonly County Counsel Malcolm Carton was there, as was his cousin, veteran Middletown Chairman Peter Carton. Howell Mayor Bob Walsh and his predecessor, Joe DiBella, were both there.
Perhaps the highlight of the evening were the speeches of the two gubernatorial candidates, Chris Christie and Steve Lonegan.
Christie was introduced by Senator Joe Kyrillos, and spoke of the dire situation our state finds itself in and the solutions he proposed. Most Republicans want to see more substance from Christie, and he appeared to be offering just that last night.
Lonegan, who is known for substance, was introduced by Hank Butehorn. In a departure from previous speeches, Lonegan spoke of his personal life, the loss of his father at a young age and the resulting trials the family went through, then his own battles in which he overcame the loss of his eyesight to become successful in business. He believes that it is this can-do spirit which is just what New Jersey needs to get out of the mess it is in.
Both candidates circulated nominating petitions and got signatures.
All in all, a great evening, and a great kickoff for 2009!

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WEEKEND RANDOMNESS

A top Monmouth County news item this past week was the flipping of former freeholder candidate Jeff Cantor, who put his knees in the breeze, cowboyed up and rode a donkey into the sunset world of the Democratic Party. We're not yet sure whether that move now makes him a former county commissioner candidate.
I had intended to write a post on this subject, but Tom DeSeno at the Jersey Shore Blog wrote about everything I would have, so I held off. I posted a comment on Art Gallagher's More Monmouth Musings where I offered some opinions on the subject. (Read Art's posts here and here.) In the end though, it seems that the flip is just the result of a local split in the Marlboro GOP.
Which is why I was intrigued by some comments on Art's blog, particularly "There are problems with many local GOP organizations. That is why many rank and file are giving up."
Our local situation in many towns is a bit soft. There is a disturbing amount of infighting in many towns and it favors the Democrats. Places like Marlboro, Howell, Manalapan, Holmdel and Wall are too big to concede to the other side. Gone are the days when we could win with the votes of Middletown and Wall, and neglect the rest of the county.
Some are blaming Chairman Joe Oxley, but this is a problem that has been festering for many years, at least as far back as Bill Dowd's chairmanship. During that time, the Democrats were building local organizations and getting stronger (often with wheeled bucks), while our priority was reelecting Harry.
This problem did not develop under Oxley's watch, but it has been thrown into his lap. Joe needs to grab this bull by the horns before it sinks our great party once and for all. And you local people: Joe cannot solve this problem alone. It's time to put egos aside, because that's where these local splits begin, pull together, and work for the common good.

FLIPPY FLIPS AGAIN

He's doing it again. County Commissioner (neé Freeholder) John "Flippy" D'Amico has flip-flopped again.

Read the editorial in today's Asbury Park Press. It points out that the Freeholders have appointed 22 attorneys and firms to represent the county in legal matters, above and beyond the two in-house lawyers the county hired last year; the 22 does not include curmudgeonly County Counsel Malcolm Carton, who oversees the county's legal department. The 22 does include Silent Steve Schueler, Flippy's defeated running-mate. So, Silent Steve is a county counsel, Rebecca Aaronson runs an MVC office on property owned by County Democratic Figurehead Boss Vic Scudiery, maybe Very Silent Glenn Mason will run the new county Inspector General Department; all we need now is Greg Gibadlo, who is looking for tips.
Flippy, a longtime supporter of Carton, had proposed the idea of salaried, in-house attorneys as a cost-saving measure. That's fine, but why keep the same amount of outside lawyers? The Press refers to 22 lawyers, it's actually 24 including the in-house attorneys, 25 including Carton. So there's no real savings here. That's Flippy.
This is the same Flippy who keeps pushing the establishment of a new county department, that of Inspector General, at a time when the county is seriously contemplating the layoff of existing staff. So the savings generated by layoffs would potentially be used to pay for a new patronage position and staff, rather than be returned to the taxpayers. That idea was also editorially panned by the Press. And they actually endorsed the guy. Art Gallagher wrote about it last month. It's all about serving their out-of-county handlers.
Flippy is a crass, old-time politician who will take any stand to promote his party above all. He is a dangerous man. A very dangerous man. That's why it's imperative that we take back the majority on the Board of Chosen Freeholders this year.

ARE WE THE WHIGS?

Most of us have heard of the Whig Party, a U. S. political party of the 19th Century, but not many know much about it. Some even believe it was an early name for the Republican Party, but that's wrong.
The Whigs began about 1833 as a successor to the National Republican Party and other forces opposed to Democratic President Andrew Jackson's policies. Their primary focus was a strong Congress, but this was mainly due to their opposition to Jackson. Other aims of the Whigs included the building of an industrial base in what was then an agrarian United States economy.
Towards the end, however, the Whigs' campaigns were mainly that they were not the Democrats. What finally did them in was the party's lack of a united stand on the divisive slavery issue; many abolitionist Whigs left to join first the Liberty Party, then the Free Soil Party, and the Whigs evaporated as a national organization in 1856, after only about 23 years in existence. In the 1850's the Free Soil Party was absorbed into the fledgeling G. O. P.
The early Republican Party's success was due largely to its strong stands on abolishing slavery and preserving the Union, just as more recently our great party has been most successful when it took strong stands on issues, as in the Reagan Revolution of the 1980's and the Gingrich Revolution of the 1990's.
In the post-Gingrich era, congressional Republicans moved away from conservative principles, and unprecedented spending resulted in the loss of congressional majorities to the Democrats in 2006.
The 2008 Presidential election opened with no clear conservative to take up the Republican cause. Fred Thompson never really gained traction, and Mitt Romney's conservative stands at times contrasted with his record as Governor of Massachusetts. This resulted in the nomination of moderate John McCain, who's biggest asset would appear to have been conservative Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin.
Since the election, it would appear that the G. O. P. has come to the proverbial crossroads. Some, like former National Chairman Rich Bond, propose a more moderate course: “Not everybody comes from the same constituency as a majority-white homogenous district in the South where all people care about is keeping their guns and taxes.” Others, like writer Larrey Anderson, believe that conservatism is the heart and soul of the G. O. P. : "The GOP needs to understand, and it needs to understand this soon, that there is no Republican Party without conservatives -- and conservatives need to start acting on this fact." (Hat tippo to Art Gallagher.)
Where will this debate lead? Time will tell. I know one thing, though. If the Republican Party moves away from basic conservative principles and fails to differentiate itself from the Democrats in bold contrast, we're done. The Democrats won't mind a one-party government, in fact they would relish it.
We can start with the upcoming state elections for Governor and Assembly. Steve Lonegan has already begun that in his campaign for governor; hopefully Chris Christie, Rick Merkt and the other gubernatorial candidates will also stand in bright contrast to the Bozo-coiffed Governor Corzine. One of these men will be our nominee. A clear message is key. The Republican Assembly candidates, both incumbent and challengers, should also leave no doubt as to what will happen should our party regain the majority in Trenton.
If we go in with no message, if there is no clear difference between Republicans and Democrats, we lose.
Then we're the Whigs.

ON THE CUTTING OF COUNTY EXPENSES

Monmouth County's Democratic County Commissioners (neé Freeholders) claim to want to cut waste in government. That's debateable, but we'll reserve that battle for another day.
I believe their reduction of board member salaries is an excellent start.
In the spirit of reduction, I would like to help them, and I offer this proposal. Monmouth County has an "at-large" board, meaning that they each represent the county as a whole, as opposed to individual towns or districts. As such, having five is redundant. Indeed, it is arbitrary, as Mercer, a smaller county, has seven. So it has nothing to do with population.
I propose a three-member board. This would result in an instant 40% reduction in board salaries, not to mention less secretaries, printing agendas, etc.
But Abe, but Abe, you say, who would be let go? I've already figured that out, campers. In a bi-partisan way, of course.
Director Barbara McMorrow gets to stay. She runs by herself, and to eliminate her position would disrupt the election cycle of board members. So she stays.
The other four members run two at a time, so one of each pair would have to go. Amy "Hammerhead" Mallet goes. She's the "most recent hire", she got in by the skin of her shark teeth, and doesn't appear to offer anything to the organization. So she goes.
Rob Clifton is the senior member of the board. If seniority counts, he stays. That leaves John D'Amico, affectionately known as "Flippy". Although he served before, that was way back in the 80's, and he's been out of touch since then. He didn't have an original idea then, and nothing seems to have changed since then. Like Amy Mallet, Flippy squeaked in back in '07. So he, too gets laid off.
That leaves two Republicans and one Democrat. How 'bout that. We're back!
The above is a work of satire.

The FIGUREHEAD, HAMMERHEAD and FLIPPY

Sounds like a child's fairy tale, doesn't it. It isn't.
The Democrats are now in charge of Monmouth County. Bergen County with beaches. Cherry Hill Shores. Whatever. Let's take a look at the players here.
The Figurehead. That's Director Barbara McMorrow. A nice lady by anyone's opinion. That's why she's the director. It's good politics on their part. She's popular, likeable and puts a human face on their operation. She's their only real vote-getter and she's up for reelection this year. The Party needs to reelect her in order to stay in power. At this point she's really more window dressing than anything else, because it doesn't look like she's really calling the shots. We'll see if Republicans still ♥ Barbara McMorrow after a few months of her being the face of Union County South.
Flippy. We all know this guy. County Commissioner John D'Amico. We probably should start calling him "The Prime Minister", because it appears that he's really the director in everything but running the meetings. An old-time politician, he took care of his cronies while at the State Parole Board and is well known for chamaelaeonic changes on issues, hence his moniker, Flippy. He continues to flip-flop. From the Asbury Park Press editorial of January 3: Democratic Freeholder John D'Amico, about to start his second year on the board, campaigned in 2007 with a promise to oppose paying fees to lobbyists. He said, quite rightly, that it's the job of the freeholders and the county's federal representatives to lobby for federal funding. But he voted along with the majority last year to reappoint one of two transportation consulting firms.
Last month, he and fellow Democrat Barbara McMorrow approved spending $220,000 to reappoint both firms. The one D'Amico voted against last year, Gibbons P.C., will get an 11 percent pay boost this year.
And the Press actually endorsed this guy!
His latest proposal is to renovate the County Court House. It is telling that D'Amico was a Superior Court Judge and would want to take care of his former co-workers, like he did when he got Democratic Assignment Judge Lawrence M. Lawson's wife Valeria a job on the Parole Board. And back in '06 I wrote about all the contributions to the County Dems from construction trades unions. Guess this is their bonanza. Basically Flippy's lost in the 80's, out of touch from all those years in the ivory tower of the judiciary.
Hammerhead. That's Amy Mallet. Amy is like a shark and a shark is fishy and so is Amy. As shallow as a mud flat at low tide. An empty suit. We wrote here and here about her longtime connections to out-of-county operators like George E. Norcross III. She touted herself as a "businesswoman", but was very secretive about just what her business was. A look at what commentary she has made would reveal her as somewhat of a gaffer, kind of a "Biden with boobs". She's basically there to do what she's told.
Rasputin (Распутин). A new character. Democratic party mouthpiece, Michael Mangan. He seems to be well-involved in calling the shots, and may actually be the conduit between County Democratic Boss Victor Scudiery and Prime Minister Flippy. Or he may be a conduit between the out-of-county bosses and Flippy, in which case Scudiery becomes a second Figurehead.
This saga will continue. We don't know where or if The Curmudgeon will figure into this. Other characters will emerge as these people make their appointments. It could well become a veritable Jerry Springer Show of stars here.

DON"T FORGET!

Of course we're participating! Blogging out Hunger was begun several weeks ago by Deb Smith at Jersey Bites, and heartily promoted by Art Gallagher at More Monmouth Musings.

Help out the Community Food Bank of New Jersey any way you can. You can log on to their website and donate, or make a contribution at your favorite store, including A&P, Food Basics, Foodtown, Genuardi’s, Kings, Pathmark, ShopRite, Super Fresh and Wegman's.

You can donate to local food pantries. Many Monmouth County houses of worship run these. Check yours out.

Remember that Christmas is about giving. And remember that this goes on all year. There are always those who will need some help. Let not the days after Christmas become bleak for those less fortunate. Always feel free to lend a hand. Food, clothing, whatever.

Thank you.

SITYS

"You heard it right: If you want to work in Monmouth County, you have to ask Union County first."
...Freeholder Robert D. Clifton

SITYS. See, I Told You So.
Readers of this blog will know that for the last few years I have been writing about the Monmouth County Democrats' connections with Camden and Union Counties.
It's come full circle.
In my last post I revealed how County Commissioner-elect Amy Mallet, a George Norcross acolyte, had received a contribution of thousands of dollars from a Camden County assemblyman. Now it comes out that they have asked Assemblyman Joe Cryan (D-Union), a wheeling supporter of theirs, to help them in filling at least four top appointments in county government.
Let's take a look at the county. Back in the days of Director Harry Larrison, positions were filled based upon party loyalty, as well as personal fealty to Harry. Often a job would go to members of a local governing body so as to augment their pension. We had people like Ray O'Grady (Middletown Township Committee), Tom Broderick (Marlboro Township Committee), and Tony Palughi (Long Branch City Council), as well as others. County Commissioner John "Flippy" D'Amico voted for Palughi based on a blank application.
Since the Bid Rig days, with new Republican freeholders, the county has attempted to get away from that. Department heads are now chosen based on their resumé. Often people who have worked their way up from entry level are now promoted from within, as in the HIghway and Bridge departments.
Recently, the Republican freeholders were criticized for turning over hiring authority to County Administrator Robert Czech. Democrats, with the assistance of the Asbury Park Press, accused them of attempting to "burrow in" GOP loyalists. It now looks as if the freeholders were more interested in preserving the reforms of the past four years and protect the Monmouth County taxpayer from outside Democratic interests.

As Freeholder Clifton said: "That tells us that not only are the Democrats eager to begin instituting an expensive and outdated patronage system here in Monmouth County, it appears they are looking in to burrow in these loyalists with civil service titles as quickly as possible."

Get ready for a long, bumpy ride, campers. This could get ugly. Fast.

CAMDEN. IT'S CLOSER THAN YOU THINK

A look at County Commissioner-elect Amy "Hammerhead" Mallet's November 24 ELEC report shows a November 3 contribution of $3,000.00 from the Election Fund of Assemblyman Louis Greenwald. That's Greenwald, D-Camden.
So, we were correct about her George Norcross ties.
She also got $350.00 from Carteret Mayor Dan Reiman's fund. Carteret's in Middlesex County, and then there's $2,000.00 a mysterious PAC, the Coalition for Government Efficiency, based in Eatontown.
And the wheel goes round.

MALLET WINS

The Asbury Park Press has declared county commissioner candidate Amy Mallet the unofficial winner by 328 over freeholder candidate John Curley. The results are expected to be certified on Thursday.
This hands control of the county to the Democrats, and can be considered a victory for county democratic boss Victor Scudiery, as well as George Norcross III and other out-of-county Democrats.
We are hearing that County Commish John "Flippy" D'Amico will be named as Director.
No word yet as to whether Curley will go for a recount.

FREDERICK von NIEDA

Eric Sedler guessed right!
Frederick von Nieda (1868 - 1950) was the last Republican Mayor of Camden. That's right, Camden had a Republican Mayor. And not just one, either. Mayor von Nieda was no fluke, rather, he was the last of a long line of Republicans to hold the mayor's office in the former GOP stronghold of Camden, NJ.
Republicans controlled Camden more often than not from the Civil War era up till 1936, when von Nieda was defeated by Democrat George E. Brunner, who would hold office until 1959. (Between 1863 and 1936, there were only six Democratic mayors to 13 Republicans.) Democrats continue to hold a monopoly on Camden's City Hall to this day.
Camden, unlike other urban centers, was run by the GOP. It is notable that during its Republican era, 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.
The Republican Party remained strong in suburban Camden County after the decline of the city. Two Republican governors, Alfred E. Driscoll and William T. Cahill, both hailed from Camden County. Cahill, a former congressman, held the 1st District House seat now held by Democrat Rob Andrews. Cahill's successor in the House, John Hunt, would lose his seat in the 1974 election to Democrat Jim Florio.
Today, the Democratic Party is all-pervasive in Camden County; its leaders seek to export their influence statewide.

G-MAN CHRISTIE RESIGNS

The Asbury Park Press reports that U. S. Attorney Christopher Christie has resigned his federal post effective December 1.
A former Morris County Freeholder, Christie has served as U. S. Attorney for New Jersey since 2002. Among other achievements, Christie has convicted over 130 corrupt politicians of both parties, notably those caught in the big Bid Rig sting. His office is also prosecuting the Fort Dix Six.
Some Democrats have criticized Christie as partisan, saying he unfairly targeted Democratic officials for prosecution. That criticism would appear, however, to be nothing more than an attempt to discredit Christie should he seek the Republican nomination for Governor. Too, the Democrats have a nasty habit of circling the wagons when one of their own gets caught doing wrong.
Many (Not all) of the Bid Rig felons were Republicans, as was Mayor Matt Scannapieco of Marlboro. And need I mention that both Paterson Mayor Martin G. Barnes and Essex County Executive Jim Treffinger were Republicans.
Maybe Christie indicts and prosecutes Democrats because there are simply more of them. Maybe there are simply more of them who are corrupt. Maybe the Democrats should be careful of their whiny criticism of Christie, lest they bring attention to the corruption in their party. Maybe Christie indicts and prosecutes Democrats because no one else will.
It has long been suspected that Christie is interested in a run for Governor. (He would join former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan in that category) So far, he has made no announcement. He is somewhat of an enigma politically, as his Federal post has limited his ability to take public stands on issues. Those blanks should soon be filled should he run.
It is uncertain who the Obama Administration would appoint to replace Christie. As U. S. Attorney is a political appointment we would expect it to go to a Democrat. At publishing time we have no ionformation as to whether Peter Harvey, Zulima Farber or Hamlet Goore are interested.

DON'T IT MAKE MY RED STATE BLUE, OR, WHO LOST NEW JERSEY?

Our State of New Jersey is often characterized as a "blue", or Democratic state. And, to be truthful, the Democratic Party has dominated the state in recent presidential elections, most recently with President-elect Barack Hussein Obama's carrying the state over Sen. John Sidney McCain III. Many pundits speak of this as if it were a foregone conclusion, like it had always been that way.
That is where they are so very wrong.
A look at presidential elections shows that New Jersey was quite a "red" state, for a long time, and recently. Let's look:

1948-Dewey over Truman.

1952-Eisenhower over Stevenson.

1956-Eisenhower over Stevenson.

1960-Kennedy over Nixon.

1964-Johnson over Goldwater.

1968-Nixon over Humphrey.

1972-Nixon over McGovern.

1976-Ford over Carter.

1980-Reagan over Carter.

1984-Reagan over Mondale.

1988-Bush over Dukakis.

1992-Clinton over Bush.

1996-Clinton over Dole.

2000-Gore over Bush.

2004-Kèrry over Bush.

2008-Obama over McCain.

What we see is, since the end of World War II, Republican presidential nominees carried New Jersey in all but two contests (1960 and '64) up until 1988. Nine out of 11 races, even where the G. O. P. nominee lost nationally. (Dewey and Ford)
That changed in 1992, when William Jefferson Davis Clinton narrowly carried New Jersey over President George H. W. Bush. Many at the time believed that the independent candidacy of H. Ross Perot was the spoiler, indeed, Perot's total vote far exceeded Clinton's plurality over Bush. Many Republicans believed that had Perot not been in the race, a large slice of his votes would have gone to Bush, handing him New Jersey's 15 electoral votes.
In '96, however, Clinton beat Dole outright. Perot ran that year, but his total was much smaller and would not have helped Dole had Perot not been in the race. No Republican has carried the state since then.
So what happened? We might have blamed 92 on Perot, but nothing else. Let's analyze this.
Changing Demographics: The population of New Jersey has changed over the past twenty years. Many who voted Republican in the past have left the state for more hospitable locations. A sizeable percentage of the new residents are immigrants and first-generation Americans, many of whom vote Democratic. That some illegal aliens may also be voting only compounds this.
Changing Democrats: I believe it to be no coincidence that this political shift has coincided with the rise of such political mega-bosses like George Norcross., as well as hyper-rich power-brokers like the Bozo-coiffed Governor Corzine. Where once their activity remained confined to the cities, these operators spread Democratic money and influence around the state through a process called wheeling.* That this effort has borne fruit for the Democrats can be seen in their taking over such formerly red counties as Bergen and Passaic.
A Weak State GOP Organization: Has Nero been fiddling while Rome burned here? Possibly. There hasn't really been much effort on the state level to build the party. Playing defense and retreat only gets you one thing: Defeat.

What is to be done? Well, by the time the next Presidential election rolls around it will be too late. We can't wish and hope that the next one will win Jersey. It's time to start now. Party building. If the state GOP leadership isn't up to the task, maybe it's time we got someone who is.

*Of course, with the Democrats, down is up and up is down and wheeling isn't wheeling, so I guess the money isn't really wheeled. Or something.

TRIVIA

Who was Frederick von Nieda?

WHY McCAIN LOST

By Michael Reagan

Barack Obama is president-elect of the United States because the Republican Party and John McCain handed him the presidential election on a silver platter.

The Republican Party and the Bush White House walked away from Republican ideals and they walked away from Republican values.

George Bush allowed the Republican Congress to overspend in the first six years of his administration without once using the veto pen, blindsided the conservative Republican members of Congress on many occasions, and walked away from the base of his party on immigration reform and other issues such as Medicare and No Child Left Behind.

He refused to sit down and break bread with the conservative members of his own party on Capitol Hill, yet believed that he could break bread with the liberal Democrats in Washington the way he did with the Democrats in Austin, Texas. And when he discovered it didn't work in Washington, it failed to stop him from trying and trying and trying over again what was obviously impossible.

Finally, the coup de grace was Dick Cheney's endorsement of John McCain in the waning days of the campaign, which gave Barack Obama the final nail to put in the coffin of McCain's campaign, which was striving mightily to distance him from the Bush administration.

Then there was McCain's campaign itself. It was the worst campaign since Bob Dole's on the Republican side, and the best campaign since Ronald Reagan’s on the Democrat side.

The McCain campaign was a campaign out of the 20th century, while the Democrats were running a campaign in the 21st century.

We need to understand that this was not a referendum on Reaganomics and Ronald Reagan. This was a referendum on George Bush, and Bush-ism, and Bush’s lack of leadership.

John McCain wouldn't stand up against the Democrats in Washington D.C. on the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac scandals, against expanding government, a $700 billion bailout, and going against the traditional values of conservative Republicans.

The economic collapse was the Democrats’ fault. Yet John McCain never bothered going after them on that. He let the burglars walk away with the loot because those were his friends, and with George Bush failed to point the finger of blame at the people who caused the financial collapse that has plunged the nation into a certain recession. Bush had the bully pulpit but failed to use it, and the Democrats walked away scot-free.

Shockingly, John McCain failed to use the most potent weapon in his arsenal -- the culpability of Barack Obama and his friends in the wholesale looting of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that led to the current debacle. McCain had the goods, but wouldn't exploit them.

The McCain campaign made inadequate use of Gov. Sarah Palin, who had enormous crowd appeal. A lot of people voted for John McCain because of Sarah Palin. There were bigger a crowds because of Sarah Palin. Yet some of the functionaries in the McCain campaign are trying to point the finger at her for McCain's defeat.

John McCain lost because of his lack of a clear message. He needed more than the fact that he is a maverick. His answer to the economic crisis was a $300 billion bailout for delinquent mortgagees. He was offering welfarism, while Barack Obama was offering socialism.

People laugh at me when I tell them the difference between Republicans and Democrats is that Republicans take a week longer to embrace communism.

This was not a referendum on Ronald Reagan. As a matter of fact, my dad might well have voted for Barak Obama just based on what he was seeing his party doing.

Finally, I hope that when Barack Obama was making elaborate and extravagant promises about what he was going to do, he was flat-out lying.

I hope Barack Obama will not be what he has promised to be. I hope he doesn't have a civilian security force. I hope he doesn't raise my taxes. I hope he doesn't spread the wealth. I hope he doesn't raise taxes on corporate America. I hope he looks at nuclear power. I hope he allows us to drill. I hope that there will be no revival of the fairness doctrine.


Conservative commentator Michael Reagan is the eldest son of the late President Ronald Wilson Reagan. His website is The Reagan Exchange.

WAITING...

The sharks are circling.
Since election night, both Republicans and Democrats have been awaiting the answer. Will John Curley take a seat on as part of a GOP majority on the Board of Chosen Freeholders in January, or will Amy "Hammerhead" Mallet form a part of a new Democratic majority on the Board of County Commissioners?
Right now Hammerhead is 18 votes ahead of Curley, but provisional ballots haven't been counted yet.
At stake: The future of Monmouth County.

BEST OF LUCK, SENATOR

Barry Goldwater, of The Voice of Reason, joins Monmouth Bull Moose's Teddy Roosevelt in retiring from the Monmouth GOP Blogosphere.
Sen. Goldwater appeared on the scene about a year and a half ago, and has run a very effective blog, credited with exposing Sen. Ellen Kärcher as just another political hack. That's former Sen. Ellen Kärcher. Sen. Goldwater had a lot to do with sending Kärcher back to the Christmas tree farm.
Barry's most recent target was the Democratic administration in Matawan, who made a mess of that town's finances and will now be going home.
Sen. Goldwater has indicated that he will still be lurking. We hope he remains an active participant.
Best of luck in whatever you do, Senator Goldwater.

IT AIN'T OVER TILL IT'S OVER

Most of us Republicans don't have much time for blogging right now. We're busy walking, or calling, hoping to get in that one more block or one more call before it gets too late and people start getting pissed off.
The major GOP blogs here in Monmouth County have all run posts promoting our great candidates and exposing the Democratic Party and its candidates' unsavory connections. We're partisan blogs, after all; it's what we do. We have attempted to cover the pertinent issues of the campaign.
We now find ourselves on the eve of the quadrennial Presidential election. Sadly, here in New Jersey it seems that a Republican carrying our state is a distant memory. (More on that in a subsequent post.) Still, John McCain and Sarah Palin should carry Monmouth County. With the exception of Chris Smith's Fourth Congressional District, the congressional districts are gerrymandered to the point of extreme difficulty for Republicans.
But still we work.
Make no mistake. On the County level, our party faces an existential challenge. The Democrats may be running a pair of stiffs for county commissioner, but that makes them all the more dangerous if they are elected, as they will be mere handmaidens of the big, urban Democrat bosses like George Norcross. Scumbags.
So, we must neither grow discouraged nor too comfortable. We must work till the polls close to ensure that every Republican has gotten out to vote. Friendly D's and I's, too. The Democrats may be playing games in certain towns, we must overwhelm that with our numbers.
This isn't over till the polls close. It's up to all of us to make sure that tomorrow night's party at Southgate Manor isn't a wake.
Now, let's all get back to work.

HAMMERHEAD and VERY SILENT GLENN

Is Camden County Amy Mallet's idea of "where Democrats are doing a better job governing than Republicans?" Gloucester? Middlesex?

Last month Barry Goldwater wrote about county commissioner candidate Amy "Hammerhead" Mallet and her campaign finances. The good senator raised some issues that should be of concern to all Republicans of good will.

So we directed the Honest Abe Research Foundation to look into this matter in Hammerhead's ELEC reports. It's scary enough to think it's still Halloween.

Amy is like a shark and a shark is fishy and so is Amy.

Going back to the 2003 primary campaign, when Mallet was running with Senate candidate Gordon Gemma, we find a number of out-of-county contributions, and not just any out-of-county contributions. Amongst the usual pack of labor unions and trial lawyers are several wheeled* contributions from other county Democratic organizations.

Here they are:

Burlington County Democratic Committee: A $7,200.00 contribution dated June 2, 2003.

Camden County Democratic Committee: This is The Big One, the home base of George Norcross himself. If Norcross is Brezhnev, Camden is Moscow. A $14,400.00 contribution, also dated June 2, 2003.

The Leaders Fund: A Democratic PAC based in Cherry Hill Township and led by former Camden County Democratic Chairman David A. Luthman. Luthman is an attorney with the Parker McCay Law Firm, which ios headed by Philip Norcross, a brother of George Norcross.. Cherry Hill Township is in Camden County. A $14,400.00 contribution, again dated June 2, 2003. Among contributors to The Leaders Fund are developer Jack Morris with a February 24, 2003 contribution of $6,000.00 and his business partner Steve Goldin, who contributed $1,000.00 on the same day.

New Directions Through Responsible Leadership: Former Senate President John Lynch's PAC. A $14,400.00 contribution, dated June 10, 2003. Lynch will become eligible for release from federal prison on November 13, 2009. Contributors to New Directions include Willard of Jenkintown, PA, who apparently goes by only one name and contributed $2,500.00 on March 7, 2003. On that same date New Directions also received $7,200.00 from the Columbia Group, $7,200.00 from Edgewood Properties Inc., and $7,200.00 from Smith Street Properties Inc.

Monmouth Council of Democratic Leaders: A PAC connected to former Red Bank Mayor Edward McKenna and his sycophants, toadies and lackies. A $2,200.00 contribution dated June 15, 2003. Amy Mallet herself personally contributed $250.00 to this PAC on September 16, 2003, as did County Commissioner John "Flippy" D'Amico. That means that they support this PAC and think it's a good idea, campers.

Middlesex County Democratic Organization: These guys provided the Gemma-Mallet team with three in-kind contributions totaling $6,607.00, specifically they footed the bill for $515.00 in bus transportation, $342.00 for lunches (Lynch Lunch?☺), and $5,750.00 for GOTV walkers.

Gloucester County Democratic Executive Committee: If Camden is Moscow, Gloucester is St. Petersburg. Gloucester is the home base of State Senator Freeholder Director Steve Sweeney, a cog in the Norcross Machine. A $14,400.00 contribution, dated October 24, 2003.

Red Bank Democratic Municipal Committee: Surprisingly, this is actually within Monmouth County, but the Red Bank Dems are a vehicle for wheeling. The people that John Curley has been fighting. Three contributions totaling $59,900.00, including $19,400.00 on June 15, 2003, $26,100.00 undated and $14,400.00 on November 23, 2003. Imagine if your local GOP organization had that kind of bucks!

One would ask why would Hammerhead and Very Silent Glenn would run such a lightweight campaign. Where are their stands on the issues? I mean, it would appear that their platform is to ban the Colts Neck Historic House Tour, rename the Board of Chosen Freeholders and enact reforms already enacted by the Republican majority.

Looking at Amy Mallet's campaign finances, it's obvious. When politicians are light on ideas and heavy on dirty contributors, it's plain what they would do if elected: Exactly what they're told. Amy Mallet was financed in 2003 by urban political bosses who's political agendas are diametrically opposite to the interests of the good people of Monmouth County. They invested megamegamegabucks into her campaign, and only a primary at that. They would not do that if they didn't believe she was a dutiful soldier. And Very Silent Glenn? Well, he's just been, well, very silent.

Something else to think about. There are people out there who would vote for fire ants if they were running on the Democratic ticket. Fortunately not a lot here in Monmouth County, but this year there are ACORN - type groups (if not ACORN itself) working in several Monmouth County communities to register as many voters like that as possible. Possibly more than once, and possibly illegal aliens. With a Democrat in the Commissioner of Registration's office, we cannot count on these dubious registrations being culled. All these voters need to know is that a candidate is a Democrat.

It is important, then, to get out our vote to prevent a Democratic takeover of the Board of Chosen Freeholders. Tell your friends. Bring a friend or more than one friend to the polls with you on Tuesday.

*Of course, with the Democrats, like in a Lewis Carroll story, down is up and up is down and wheeling isn't wheeling, so I guess the money isn't really wheeled. Also like Lewis Carroll, when John Kennedy's presidential campaign was in 1960, Middletown Democratic Boss Joseph "King" Caliendo campaigned in the 1961 Kennedy campaign.

THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION FIASCO V

"I don't know how you can put a price tag on the lives on Monmouth County residents."
...Sheriff Kim Guadagno


Illegal aliens are not in the shadows, they're in our face.
Nowhere in Monmouth County was that more evident than in front of the Sheriff's office yesterday, where illegals and their enablers held a protest march opposing Sheriff Kim Guadagno's application to participate in the federal 287 (g) program. Sometimes you know you are doing the right thing by virtue of the critics you attract, and Guadagno has flushed out such enabling groups as the National Day Laborer Organizing Network and Casa Freehold.
The Sheriff promised to participate in this program during her campaign last year; it would essentially deputize several of her officers to investigate the immigration status of prisoners at the County Jail, and provide training to perform these duties. Inmates found to be here illegally would then be subject to a federal detainer at the completion of their County time.
Illegal immigration advocates stridently oppose such a program. If an inmate's immigration status slips through the cracks, they can be released at the end of their term, or bail out if awating trial. Then they're in the wind.
The Sheriff's Department already investigates inmates' criminal status. There is no point in releasing an offender if they are wanted by other jurisdictions. Even visitors to the institution are checked for active warrants.
Too, there are already inmates with immigration holds. Just check out http://www.datauniverse.com/ for more information. So this program would just close a loophole in the system. Guadagno has stated that this program would only be in place in the jail, so only those incarcerated would be investigated. The County Jail should not become a "Sanctuary City", even if some municipalities do.
Many of those attending yesterday's protest were members of the Latino community. Many feel that Latinos would be targeted by this program. While many currently in jail on immigration violations are Latino, many are not. A sampling of those non-Latino inmates includes Abass AbuBakar, Malek Afzal Adal, Deborah Allen, Kuan Chun Han, Gazi Hossain, Mohammed Hossain, Sergei Konduktorov, Mohammed Qureshi. So it's not just a case of going after the "lawnmower man".
Sheriff Guadagno deserves our support in her endeavor.

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WHEELING IN MIDDLETOWN

Art Gallagher posts a press release by Middletown Township Committee candidate Tony Fiore exposing wheeling* by Middlesex County based engineering firm CME Associates through a bogus Ocean County PAC (OC-PAC) into the Middletown Democratic Executive Committee, led by party boss Joseph "King" Caliendo.
So, I guess we know now that CME will be township engineer if the Dems take control in Middletown. I wonder if all the papers will pick this up?
Other recipients of OC-PAC's generosity include the Democratic sheriff of Mercer County and the Democratic mayor of Los Angeles, California.

*Of course, with the Democrats, down is up and up is down and wheeling isn't wheeling, so I guess the money isn't really wheeled. Or something.

ANOTHER UNION COUNTY CONNECTION

Is Union County the Democrats' idea of "where Democrats are doing a better job governing than Republicans?"
Apparently the Matawan Democrats believe so.
Recently the Voice of Reason has run a series on the fiasco that the Democratic council majority has transformed that borough into. Read it here, here and here. The behavior of their governing body seemed odd, even for Democrats, so we directed the Honest Abe Research Foundation to look into this.
Wow.
The Matawan Democrats' ELEC Report shows the usual contributions from the seemingly bottomless pit of money that the unions have. The very generous Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 9 from Manalapan is there with $4,500.00; indeed labor unions make up a clear majority of the funds reported. We still don't get what these unions' interest in these campaigns is.
But what really stuck out was a $1,000.00 contribution from the Election Fund of J. Christian Bollwage, dated September 17th. Abe, you ask, who is J. Christian Bollwage? He is the Democratic Mayor of Elizabeth. Elizabeth is in Union County.
And the wheel goes round.
Union County democrats have stuck their nose into Monmouth County campaigns before. They are just one of County Democratic Boss Victor Scudiery's many sources statewide. But what is their interest in a diminutive borough like Matawan?
Is it because they 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 they just love participating in the political process?
Is Union County the Democrats' idea of "where Democrats are doing a better job governing than Republicans?"
Well?

THOSE PRESS ENDORSEMENTS II

"We believe voters would be better served by retaining the 3-2 Republican majority..."
...Asbury Park Press Editorial


We knew they could do it. Today, the Asbury Park Press endorsed Director Lillian Burry and John Curley for freeholders over Democrats Amy Mallet (Who is like a shark) and Very Silent Glenn Mason for county commissioners. This marks the first time in many years that they have endorsed Republicans for the Board.

In the opening paragraph, the Press finally admits that the corruption of the Bid Rig era is a thing of the past, but they seem to believe that having two Democrats on the Board is the reason for the reforms of the past three years. We beg to differ on that. Between the 2004 and 2006 election cycle there was a 100% turnover of Board members. While Republicans largely replaced Republicans during that time, we saw a much more reform-minded calibre of freeholder take office.

Many reforms were spearheaded by Freeholder Anna Little, a conservative Republican. Indeed, a case could be made that it was a return to basic Republican principles that brought the Board of Chosen Freeholders back on track.

Simply having Democrats on the Board is not in itself a recipe for reform. The Press mentions curmudgeonly County Counsel Malcolm Carton as a vestige of the "good ol' boys network" that formerly dominated the Board. We will remind the reader that it was County Commissioner John "Flippy" D'Amico who sponsored the resolution appointing Carton back in 1988. It was D'Amico's hedging on the issue of reappointing Carton during the 2007 campaign that earned him the sobriquet "Flippy". And McMorrow's claim to fame seems to have been to follow Little's lead.

We are very pleased that the Press has finally seen fit to endorse Republicans for the Board of Chosen Freeholders. Indeed, to have endorsed the Democrats would have been to play right into the hands of the Norcross political family they spoke of in their endorsement of Mayor Myers for Congress over Sen. Adler.