In Eatontown, Connelly Prevails In Recount

Eatontown “Mayor-elect” Dennis Connelley. photo via facebook with permission.

Dennnis J. Connelly is the Mayor-elect of Eatontown.

On election night, the Republican Council President was trailing four term incumbent Mayor Gerald J. Tarantolo by one vote.

After the provisional ballots were counted on November 10, Connelly was leading by two votes, 1481 to 1479.

Connelly and Tarantolo each picked up on vote during the recount this morning. Connelly’s a provisional and Tarantolo’s a vote my mail ballot. The final count is 1482 Connelly to 1480 Tarantolo.

Connelly told MMM that Tarantolo congratulated him and assured a smooth transition.

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Former Democratic Senator Torches Obama

Former Senator Robert Torricelli. Screenshot via NJTV

In an interview with NJTV’s Michael Aron broadcast this weekend, former U.S. Senator Bob “the Torch” Torricelli inferred that Barack Obama was not prepared ready to be President of the United States and that his policies have caused irreparable harm in the Middle East.

Torricelli said that Obama is risking the last two years of his administration by issuing his immigration Executive Order and he blamed Obama for the Democrats loss of the United States Senate.

The remarkably frank 28 minute interview can be viewed here.

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US releases ‘forever prisoner’ from Guantanamo to Saudis

U.S. Department of Defense photo by Kathleen T. Rhem, American Forces Press Service.

The U.S. military released to Saudi Arabia this week a captive who was held at the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for a dozen years, was never charged with a crime but was categorized for a time as a “forever prisoner.” A Saudi plane fetched Muhammed Zahrani, 45, on Friday, reducing the detainee population at… Read the rest of this entry »

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Pallone Prevails Against Pelosi Backed Eshoo

Congressman Frank Pallone was elected ranking Democratic member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee this morning in a 100-90 vote by the entire Democratic Caucus, according to Roll Call.

He defeated California Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, who had been backed for the post by Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

Both Eshoo and Pallone downplayed speculation that the result was a result of Democratic discontent with Pelosi who was reelected Minority Leader yesterday.

But fellow New Jersey Congressman Bill Pascrell is quoted indicated that Pelosi overdid it in support of her friend and fellow Californian:

“One can make the argument that she overdid it,” Pascrell said. “One may make the argument that she overdid in terms of the letter she sent out, on the other hand, she had every right to do it — she didn’t break any laws.”

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House Democratic Caucus To Choose Between Eshoo and Pallone This Morning

Congressman Frank Pallone 

Congressman Frank Pallone will either be anointed into the elite class of legislative chairmen and ranking members this morning or remain a congressional back bencher as his campaign to replace Henry Waxman as the highest ranking Democrat on the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee comes to a close.

Pallone lost the endorsement of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee yesterday to California Congresswoman Anna Eshoo but secured enough votes to force the choice to the entire caucus. The leadership committee is dominated by allies of Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who favors her friend Eshoo to lead Energy and Commerce.  The 39-19 tally gave Pallone 14 more votes than he needed to get a ballot with the entire caucus. As a backup, Pallone had a petition signed by 53 Democratic members of congress which would also have forced the caucus ballot, according to Roll Call.

The caucus vote is scheduled for 8:30 this morning, according to Roll Call.

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Pallone’s Status Is On The Line This Week

House Democrats won’t let pregnant Iraqi war veteran vote by proxy

Congressman Frank Pallone cruised to reelection easily earlier this month, but the race he’s been waging since February for a key leadership post in the Democratic Minority of the House of Representatives will come to a head on Tuesday, November 18.

Pallone is battling California Congressman Anna Eshoo for the ranking position on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The retirements of Henry Waxman and John Dingle made the coveted position available. Pallone is the next in line for the job, based upon seniority, but Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi in backing her California colleague Eshoo who, as At-Large Democratic Whip, has been part of Pelosi’s leadership team since 2003.

Maryland Congressman Steny Hoyer, the # 2 Democratic Leader in the House, backs Pallone for the position.

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The sacrifice of the survivors

Veteran Don Manrodt of Highlands. Not Sal or Mike.

On this Veterans Day, two men who have made an impression on me are on my mind.

Sal was a WWII Vet.  His son Mike was my best friend in the 1970’s.  Sal was a blue collar guy who worked two jobs to provide a better life for his sons than he had.

One afternoon, Mike and I were heading upstairs in his house to get something from his room.  We had to be quiet Mike warned because his father was sleeping before heading off to his night job.  As we quietly walked past Sal’s room, a loud blood curdling scream emerged from the room.  I could hear the bed shaking. Then just as suddenly, quiet.

I was startled. Frightened really. Mike was embarrassed.  “Is he alright? Should we call the police?” I asked Mike. “Its OK,” Mike said, “he does that all the time. Please don’t tell anyone,” as if it was something to be ashamed of.

It had been 30 years since Sal returned from war. He hadn’t, perhaps, had a good nights sleep in those thirty years.  PTSD was not a thing yet.  But Sal’s suffering was real. He sucked it up and went to work twice a day to provide for his family.

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Connelly leading in Eatontown mayoral race after provisional ballots counted

Eatontown “Mayor-elect” Dennis Connelly. photo via facebook with permission.

Eatontown Council President Dennis J. Connelly, a Republican, appears to have thwarted Democratic Mayor Gerald J. Tarantolo’s bid for a 5th four year term as the borough’s mayor.

Tarantolo was leading the race by one vote after all the machine and vote by mail ballots were counted in the wee hours last Wednesday.  This morning, Connelly picked up four votes when the provisional ballots were counted to Tarantolo’s one vote, leaving the final unofficial count 1,481 for Connelley and 1479 for Tarantolo.

Connelly told MMM that he expects the mayor to demand a recount. Tarantolo has until November 19th to file for a recount.

Of the 13 provisional ballots submitted on election day, 6 were disqualified and 2 did not have votes cast for mayor.  Of the five qualified ballots, 4 cast votes for Connelly.

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Losers: The Battle for Monmouth

This morning we gave you the winners from the Battle for Monmouth.   Without further adieu, the losers:

Vin Gopal. Underneath that boyish smile and pleasant demeanor is a nasty, dirty, ruthless political operative.  The Monmouth Democratic Chairman showed his true colors in 2013 with his defamatory allegations against Sean DiSomma in the Red Bank Council race. Give him several hundred thousand dollars, which the NJ Democrats did this year, and he tries to destroy the good names of distinguished public servants simply because they hold offices he wants. Monmouth Republicans, particularly some in the legislative delegation, who are friendly with Gopal should reconsider their judgement about him.  It no longer can be said that Vin is a wolf in sheeps clothing.  He’s a wolf.

The NJ Democratic State Committee, Essex County Clerk Chris Durkin, Senator Cory Booker, Assemblyman Joe Cryan, various labor unions and anyone else who gave Gopal money.  They got nothing for it.

The Asbury Park Press. Neptune Nudniks is no longer an appropriate moniker for them.  They are not stupid or incompetent as “nudnik” implies.  They are dishonest and lazy. Their coverage of the Monmouth County Freeholders race was spoon fed or edited by Gopal and his candidates Larry Luttrell and Giuseppe “Joe” Grillo.  Gopal, Luttrell and Grillo used APP to counter MMM’s coverage of the race, which we find hilarious and complimentary.  It didn’t work because APP no longer has influence in Monmouth County.

Their election night coverage was a disaster.  While APP was reporting on software problems at the Monmouth County Clerk’s Office, MMM was reporting election results.

The Monmouth County Clerk’s Office.  The Monmouth County Election Results website is the New Jersey equivalent of HeathCare.gov.

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Winners: The Battle for Monmouth

The 2014 Monmouth County election is in the books.

After the most intense campaign in memory funded by out of county Democrats, Monmouth Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal has nothing but IOUs to show for his duplicitous efforts.

There are literally hundreds of winners in this campaign county wide.  From candidates making their first bid for elected office, to the seasoned pros defending their records, to the selfless volunteers who knocked on doors and made over 50,000 phone calls to voters. We congratulate the entire Monmouth Republican team.

On every championship team there are stars who get the accolades on behalf of the entire team.  Here are five special mentions from this hard fought victory:

The top Winners of the Battle for Monmouth:

Lillian G. Burry. Burry has been elected county-wide 4 times. Three of those four elections were hard fought.  None had the benefit of up ballot coattails. In 2005 she prevailed despite the anti-Republican sentiment generated by Operation Bid Rig.  In 2008, Burry prevailed as the top vote getter over the Obama wave that saw an unprecedented Democratic turnout.   The low turnout race of 2011 was relatively easy.  In the campaign that just concluded, Burry’s integrity was maliciously maligned by Gopal and his henchmen armed with hundreds of thousands of Democratic money wheeled into the county from Trenton, Essex, Hudson, Union and Middlesex counties.

Burry stood tall and fought hard.  She is a proven winner, in politics and life. A role model for women and men, Burry embraces the toughest challenges and prevails with honor.

Shaun Golden.  Already a rising star after his huge reelection victory as Monmouth County Sheriff in 2013, Golden risked his career in taking on Chairman John Bennett last spring in-order to lead beyond the status quo .

Bennett boasted of his fundraising prowess in his campaign to retain the Chairmanship, but left Golden with an overdrawn check book on June 10.

Undaunted, Bennett’s turd was just another challenge for Golden to overcome.

Shaun has demonstrated extraordinary leadership in the face of adversity by doing what he said he would do. He assembled a strong team by appointing an unprecedented four Regional Vice Chairs. He empowered municipal Party leaders and candidates, expanded the Party’s demographic diversity, established a strong social media presence and fed the rank and file when they came out to work. He raised money and got the job done without wasteful spending. When all the money is counted the Democrats will have outspent the Republicans 3 or 4 to 1.

If the hapless NJGOP is ever to gain traction in the State, it will take a leader like Shaun Golden to make it happen.

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