William H. Seward at More Monmouth Musings has a great post today on the County Chairman's race.
In it, he lists some information about the candidates: James Giannell of Red Bank, Ed Stominski of Eatontown, Elias Abilheira of Millstone and Adam Puharic of Aberdeen. He points out that it would appear that Puharic is the candidate of the current party leadership, Fred Niemann, Dan Gallic, Norine Kelly, etc.
Will points out an item of serious concern:
"Additionally, the return address on Adam's mailing is 16 West Main Street, Freehold, NJ. Once again, the party apparatus and resources are favoring one candidate over others."
Now, this by itself would appear conclusive that "they're at it again", but there's more. The vast editorial staff here at the Monmouth County Republican Blog has received complaints from committee persons about e-mails sent to them from Adam Puharic on behalf of his campaign for chairman. What the committee members are wondering is, "How did the Puharic campaign get my e-mail address?"
How indeed?
This is an echo of an incident back in February where committee persons were spammed with e-mails from the campaign of Joe DiBella for freeholder.
Most people's concerns are that the party leadership is once again allowing the use of Republican Headquarters resources for their handpicked people.
Seward closes that Puharic "has a bright future, so long as he chooses his friends carefully." Very true. Right now, it looks like Adam has gotten in with a bad crowd.
Committee persons should consider the candidates very carefully. The individual that they choose will be entrusted with the leadership of our party for at least the next two years. It is important to show up Tuesday and let your voice be heard.
The election for chairman will be June 13th at 7:30 P.M. at Brookdale Community College, Lincroft, New Jersey in the Navesink Room located inside the Warner Student Life Building, 2nd Floor. If there is a change, we will post it.
21 comments:
Here's our problem as I see it:
We need the grass roots participation that Giannell offers, the by laws that Stominski/Hall offer and the fundraising ability that Puharic offers. I don't know what Abilheira offers. That's not to say that he doesn't offer anything, I honestly just don't know what he offers.
AND we need to put the divisive acrimony of the last year or so behind us and be a united party.
All of the above will require LEADERSHIP
Gentlemen I implore you, get together and make it happen. Let's keep Kramer Hall a cartoon.
Does this sound familar to anyone else?
It came from a letter sent out to committeepeople.
And what a touching letter is was.
Not as touching as a nice airbath, baby!
As a newly elected committeman and a candidate for municipal office, I'd like to add my two cents to the debate. I realize that I am the new kid on the block, but my limited experience might be useful to some. After all, we are looking to bring new people into the party. Right?
I met Adam through our mutual involvement in the Northern Monmouth Chamber of Commerce. There is no question that he is a fine man. However, doing away with the open candidate selection process really bothers me. I worked on Anna Little's team in February, criss-crossing the county to various events and club meetings. It was fun! Hard work, but rewarding as we all got to meet many committed Republicans all over the county. I built lasting relationships with people I had just met, working together towards a mutual goal. The access to office holders and "opposing teams" remains very worthwhile.
Whoever wins on Tuesday, I would hate to see open process go. These factions or "cliques" that we have in the party are not easy to get into. The open process encourages participation and welcomes committed players.
Adam's teaming with Fred Neimann, if that is the case, really surprises me. While Fred has always been cordial to me, his tactics and forcing Anna and Andrew Lucas to go and get their own petitions signed after the convention, really put me off. That is not consistent with my limited experience of Adam.
Having worked with Jim Giannell on Anna's campaign, I think very highly of him. If his skills on the party level convert to the general election, and I think they will, we will have many victories. My only concern about Jim is fundraising. I'd like to hear more specifics from Jim on his fundraising plans. I wish he and Adam would work together, and I hope that they do regardless on the outcome of Tuesday.
I like Ed Stominski, but I don't think he can win and the Asbury Park Press would have a field day with us if he did. Sad but true.
This was just forwarded to me:
Monmouth County Republican Party Reorganization - June 13th, 7:30pm
Monmouth County Republican Party reorganization will be held this Tuesday, June 13th, 7:30pm at Brookdale Community College, Lincroft (Warner Student Life Building, 2nd Fl. in the Navesink Room.)
Only elected county committee members certified by the county clerk can vote for county chairman and vice chairman/woman. This election will determine the fate of the party for the next 10 years so please attend!
Contact your municipal chairman or email info@monmouthrepublican.org for for more details.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Fredrick P. Niemann, Chairman
Monmouth County Republican Party
Maintaining a Strong County Through Your Hard Work
www.MonmouthRepublican.org
info@MonmouthRepublican.org
732.431.6664
Negative Ghost rider. There is no way Adam is a puppet.
I was really digging Abe for a while until he compared Adam to Joe DiBella. There is no way those two are alike.
Also, I am not quite seeing eye to eye when it comes to Giannell and grassroots. Has the guy even run a race? Should county committee even count? Winning races is what matters not winning County Conventions. By running for Chair he lost my support. I thought he was the type of guy that plays the behind the scenes.
These are questions Abe should be raising. Not making false accusations that Adam is like Dibella.
Dibella is a sell out. Pure and simple.
the inside airbather said...
Not as touching as a nice airbath, baby!
Help, I can't find my pills!
Donny D.
The comparison to Joe DiBella is based on the actions of the party leadership in their respective races. This includes the use of Republican Headquarters resources, which are paid for by all of us who support the party with our contributions, but are apparently not equally available.
Puharic and DiBella are two different men; very true. DiBella lost in no small part due to his choice of friends, and Puharic is headed down that same road.
Honest Abe said...
DiBella lost in no small part due to his choice of friends, and Puharic is headed down that same road.
I think it is safe to say that if Joe DiBella had chosen his friends more carefully, his name would be on the ballot as a Freeholder candidate.
While there are some in Aberdeen that would discount Adam. I believe we need a person with integrity that knows how to deal with the media. Adam can make a difference, he deserves a chance to try and do it.
At yesterdays meet and greet I told Jim Giannell that I thought concerns about fundraising were is his only weakness, and that if he announced his plans he would be a slam dunk to win the chairmanship. I asked him, "Where is the money going to come from?"
He said, "The money is going to come from where its always come from. What's the problem?" "We will raise our money openly, honestly and legally. We will follow the letter and the spirit of the fundraising laws. In addition to traditional sources, we will expand grass roots fundraising efforts to empower people to participate and invest in the process."
I'm satisfied. With the prospect of open candidate selections and well funded campaigns, my first act on the county committee will be to cast my vote for Jim Giannell as chairman
If the processes of the GOP become closed again, the party will end up just where it was when everything started...BACK on Navesink River Road...in Judy Stanley's living room, with the SAME cast of characters doing the SAME stuff that the party threw Bill Dowd out for doing.
That group let Dowd know Stominski was out, that group will feed some other freeholder to the wolves, let Adam know about it and then Adam will be out.
Adam is a good guy. But this is like a replay of a time before. It was not a good time. It ended badly. Adam's ideas are dated and, provided he is elected, he and the party would probably face yet ANOTHER revolution in two years.
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Fred's excesses turned some Republicans into Democrats because they became fed up, were lied to and were frequently met with open hostility for the act of reasonably questionings actions. He sold out before he was on the podium after Dowd's defeat.
Jim has the virtue of offering something that grassroots people have firmly asserted they believe in. Once a freedom is granted, the genie is out of the bottle and doesn't generally go back in. One way or the other, this committee likes selecting candidates and, apparently, new chairmen. So, I think there's relevence here when it comes to trying to take the RIGHT of their vote and choice away from them.
It's not about if Adam has integrity...he does. And, he's credible. But, it's like offering a monarchy after someplace is democratic.
Logic doesn't have a party designation.
Actually "ithad2beu" is probably Joe DiBella himself. Why else in the middle of a thread about who should be the next county chair would there be a phony Joe is great monologue by an anonymous poster. Howell'a tax rate is up 58% in the four years DiBella has been in office and I am sure the unions , especially the PBA, will be amused to hear he has taken over them.I am not going to write a rebuttal to every point because that has been done by myself and others and this is about the county chair!
I have had the opportunity to work with Jim Gianell on three SUCcESSFUL county races. He knows how to develop grass roots support for candidates and get out the vote. He acheives consensus and is a tent builder.
Adam may be a very nice person, but I am extremely turned off by his choice of vice chair. I like Mollie Giamonco, but twice, she helped turned good loyal Republicans out of appointed office on the Board of Elections and caved to the Kelly/Neimann demands for a commissioner's job and raise for Norine Kelly. I could buy the "I was duped" act once but not twice. We need people who will work to include all Republicans and not further divide the Monmouth GOP.
Last night the chair of Howell's PAC was at Jim Gianell's meet and greet. He argued vehemently that only municipal chairs should have a vote in picking candidates annd the county committee members should not. I sincerely hope that with such a strong opinion that he should not have a vote in the proceedings that will stay home on Tuesday night. Clearly his presence was not in support of Jim's candidacy.
Puharic has never run a county race, and he is opposed to open conventions where the pick of the chair is rejected. The chair should be neutral in a nominating process and Jim Gianell has pledged to do that and keep open conventions.
I encourage county committee members to seriously consider Jim Gianelllfor Monmouth County GOP Chair and the future of Monmouth county.
Honest Abe, or some one out there>
Why is it that Puharic sent his latest E-mail to county offices? A lot of those people are not even political.
Anybody have an answer for Loutro?
loutro:
let me take a stab at it. i was an informed spectator during the last one. the fair haired boy, whomever that is, by the current chairman is the only candidate in this thing that can get access to that kind of information. it happened last time on a more rudimentary level.
dowd distributed bad lists out of freehold. but in this case, somehow adam's people got access to the e-mails and information in freehold. there's only a few ways that can happen, and all of them is with the current chairman's cooperation.
how's that abe?
I need to make one more point. MCGOP really needs someone who can win races. Jim Giannell has done that in Red Bank, a town with an overwhelming Democratic voter registration, and in Monmouth County.
I was amazed to find out that almost half of Aberdeen's GOP County Committee seats are not filled. Why would someone who wants to be county chair not fill the county committee seats in his own town? Perhaps this is the reason that Adam is promoting the notion that only municipal chairs should vote. Does anyone know how many Republicans have won in Aberdeen in the last few years?
I just received a phone call from Freeholder Narozonick endorsing Jim Giannell for MCGOP County Chair. Lillian Burry and Anna Little have also endorsed Jim Giannell!
Who is Paul Craney?
Its obvious that Ben Roethlisberger and Purcell need to check their facts. Neither will Broschart or Craney become the next Excutive Director. Adam had said he will not appoint anyone until the party is united as one to take on the Democrats in the general.
You guys need to think before you blab nonsence on this thing.
By the way please don't forget to vote for Adam today.
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