Jacobson files for Assembly In The 11th

By Art Gallagher

Former Democratic Assemblyman and tri-CityNews publisher Dan Jacobson has filed his petition to run for Assembly in the 11th legislative district as an Independent.

Jacobson’s candidacy creates a five way race for two Assembly seats.  The Republican candidates are incumbents Caroline Casagrande and Mary Pat Angelini.  The Democratic candidates are restaurateur Marilyn Schlossbach and publisher Vin Gopal.

Jacobson said told MMM that his candidacy is not a reflection upon his opponents, but on the process.  “Legislative elections in Monmouth County are stale and rarely competitive,” said Jacobson, “this is an opportunity for me to say my peace in a way that most candidates can’t because they are beholden to their party and special interests.  If I can do that and perhaps make the race more interesting and competitive, that in itself will be a public service.”

Jacobson considers himself a Libertarian on economic and social issues.  He said economic issues are paramount in this race. School vouchers are an example of where he thinks both parties have failed the public.

“What is an more important issue for the poor than educating their children? When I was last ran for the Assembly in 1993 I advocated starting a voucher program in the urban districts and then phasing them in throughout the state.  Since then the Republicans have had control and the Democrats have had control and there has been no improvement with how we educate our kids.”

Public employees unions are another area of government that Jacobson wants to reform.   “It is wrong that unions are collecting mandatory dues from our public employees and using that money for political purposes. Unions should set up PACs and let their members contribute voluntarily is they so choose.”

Of his opponents, only Angelini returned a call for comment.  “Dan is a friend.  I welcome him into the race and look forward to hearing his take on the issues,” said Angelini, ” I think there will be many common themes between us.”

 “I don’t understand why he is doing this,” said Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vic Scudiery, “Dan should worry about his newspaper.”  Scudiery was chairman when Jacobson last served in the Assembly.

Jacobson filed 77 signatures with his petition.  He said he was told that 50 are required.

• Tweet

Jacobson Said To Be Running For Assembly In The 11th

By Art Gallagher

Sources within the Monmouth County Democratic Organization have told MMM  that former Democratic Assemblyman and tri-City News publisher Dan Jacobson is running for Assembly in the 11th legislative district as a third party candidate.

Jacobson declined to comment.  What a kitten.  KITTEN, KITTEN, KITTEN!

Jacobson, who served in the Assembly as a Democrat in 1990 and 1991, switched his party affiliation to Republican last March in order to challenge 11th district Senator Sean Kean in the Republican primary.  When Kean was moved into the 30th district with the new legislative map, Jacobson declined to run in the Republican primary for either Senate or Assembly.  At the time, Jacobson told MMM “it doesn’t feel right, I like the incumbents.  It wouldn’t be like challenging Sean Kean.”

If he runs, Jacobson would be challenging Republican incumbents Mary Pat Angelini and Caroline Casagrande and Democratic challengers Vin Gopal and Marilyn Schlossbach.

As an anti-government worker union fiscal hawk, Jacobson could draw votes from the Republicans.  As a strong supporter of gay marriage…the issue that prompted him to consider a challenge to Kean…he could draw votes from the Democrats.

Which side do you think a Jacobson candidacy would help and hurt?  Could he possibly win?   Please tell us in the comments.

• Tweet

Jacobson Not Running For Assembly In GOP 11th Primary

By Art Gallagher

triCityNews publisher Dan Jacobson told MoreMonmouthMusings that he will not be a candidate for Assembly in 11th district Republican primary because, “it just doesn’t feel right.”   “I like both incumbents,” Jacobson said of Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini and Caroline Cassagrande,  “it wouldn’t be like challenging Sean Kean.”

Jacobson of Asbury Park, a former Democratic member of the Assembly, registered as a Republican last month in preparation of challenging Kean in the Senate primary.  The new legislative map moved Kean, of Wall, into the 30th legislative district.  Kean will be running for Assembly in the 30th, as Republican Senator Robert Singer, Lakewood, also resides in the new 30th.

Jacobson is angry with Kean over his vote against gay marriage.

• Tweet

Something For Dan Jacobson To Consider While Mulling An Assemly Bid

By Art Gallagher

Republican publisher and former Democratic Assemblyman Dan Jacobson says he is mulling running for Assembly in the 11th legislative district GOP primary. 

The potty mouth pundit says he supports incumbent Mary Pat Angelini, in large measure due to her pro-abortion and pro-gay marriage positions and that he is considering a challenge to Caroline Casagrande.  It’s not that Dan has a problem with Casagrande, like he does with Sean Kean. It’s that he thinks he can cause a transformational change in Trenton if he heads to the Assembly beholden to no one.  Free of party ties, donor expectations or special interest loyalty, Dan thinks he can go to Trenton and make government more responsive to the people and less responsive to the special interests.  Dan’s goal is laudable. His proposed method is fool hardy, unless he can recruit many many other candidates of a similar mind set and get all of their petitions signed between now and Monday at 4PM.  Not going to happen.

But Dan knows that already.  He’s lived it already the last time he was in the Assembly 20 years ago. The fun he had driving the leadership crazy is probably more on his mind now than the frustration he experienced. That memory of the fun could be what is driving his consideration of a bid.

What Dan apparently doesn’t realize is that if he files to run for Assembly in the 11th district GOP primary he doesn’t get to choose who he is challenging.  He says he is considering a challenge to Casagrande and not Angelini, but the balloting doesn’t work that way. 

Assuming Mary Pat, Caroline and Dan are the only candidates in the primary, the election would be a 3 way race for 2 nominations.  Dan can say he’s only challenging Caroline all he wants.  The truth is that it would be a 3 way race for 2 nominations and Dan could end up knocking off Mary Pat instead of Caroline.

From my point of view Jacobson is a bigger threat in a 3 way to Angelini than he is to Casagrande. Take it from me, the powerful Republican blogger as Dan calls me, if Jacobson runs he is more of a threat to Angelini than he is to Casagrande.

By both perception and reality, Angelini is more liberal than Casagrande.  While the very popular Angelini will likely be the top vote getter in the general election, she has some problems with the conservative Republican base.  Hardcore conservative voters can be fickle.  Many will vote for Casagrande and no one else.  Many will vote for Casagrande and Jacobson, just to send a message to Angelini.  They won’t mind if Jacobson beats Angelini, figuring they can knock Jacobson off in two years with a real conservative.

Angelini and Casagrande will be bracketed together on the ballot.  Assuming Dan is the only primary challenger, his name would be appear in the column immediately to the right of Angelini and Casagrande on the ballot.  If the party organization positions Mary Pat and Caroline alphabetically, which would make sense since they have the same seniority, Angelini’s name would appear above Casagrande’s.  Jacobson’s name would appear on the ballot right next to Angelini, making it appear on the ballot that Dan is running against Angelini.  Even though the instructions will say “Vote for Two,” many uninformed voters will think they have to choose between Angelini and Jacobson before voting for Casagrande who will appear to be unchallenged.  Some will chose Jacobson and then vote for Casagrande.

Just some food for thought for Dan to include in his mulling this weekend.

Kitten, kitten, kitten.

• Tweet

In the 11th: DuPont Not Running, Gopal Is Bidding For Assembly, Jacobson Might Challenge Casagrande

Santiago likely for Senate

By Art Gallagher

MoreMonmouthMusings has learned that Red Bank Councilman Michael DuPont, also the Treasurer of the NJ Turnpike Authority and Borough Attorney of Sayreville, will not be a candidate for Senate or Assembly in the new 11th legislative district. 

DuPont told RedBankGreen ,”it’s not happening.  I have a young family, including twin four year olds.”  Translation: Being a Senator would be a pay cut for DuPont that he can’t afford now.

Former West Long Branch Democratic Chairman and Kucinich for President Deputy National Campaign Manager Vin Gopal confirmed that he is in the running for an Assembly nomination in the 11th.

Gopal will not have an easy ride to the nomination in the competitive field. Sources who swear they will never talk to me again if I name them say State Democratic Chairman John Wisniewski is opposed to Gopal’s candidacy because of how Vin cost The Wiz a Senate seat by rallying progressive Democrats against the Chairman’s preferred legislative map.  As co-chair the the Redistricting Commission, Wisniewski proposed a Middlesex County District that would have pitted ultra liberal Kucinch type Democratic Senators Barbara Buono and Joe Vitale in the same district and left the Wiz in a district with no incumbent Senator so that he could move up himself.  In part because of Gopal’s efforts, Middlesex got a Senate vacancy in the 12th that is going to Sam Thompson.

Freehold Township attorney Ray Santiago is now said to be the front runner for the Democratic Senate nod in the 11th, rather than a candidate for Surrogate or Assembly as previously reported.   Boosters of Santiago for Senate are touting his Hispanic origin.  Someone should tell them that Gopal is Asian.

Elsewhere in the 11th, Republican publisher and former Democratic Assemblyman Dan Jacobson announced in the triCityNews that he is now considering running in the GOP primary for Assembly against Caroline Casagrande now that Sean Kean is in the 30th district.  Jacobson said in the triCityNews published yesterday that he was going to take a week to mull it over.  I was going to plead with my readers not to tell Dan that the filing deadline in Monday the 11th, but Jacobson just said he wrote that eariler in the week and is aware of the deadline.  He said that he will make a decision over the weekend.

• Tweet

Tea Party target? Republican Sean Kean is long allied with the NJEA and government employees unions

By Dan Jacobson, Publisher tri-CityNews

We’re pissed at Sean Kean.

Ever since the pussy voted against same sex marriage, we’ve had it with the always amiable – and consistently cowardly – Republican State Senator.

So we want Sean to do a little work for his reelection this year. Instead of cruising to victory in a district that hasn’t elected a Democrat in 22 years.

(And after the last Democrat they elected – some 28 year old clown with too little life experience to know what the hell he was doing – you can understand why voters have gone Republican since 1989. That last Democrat, of course, was me.)

When it comes to politics, this Publisher loves stirring up trouble. Got a long history of it as both a journalist and an elected official. Keeps people from getting too complacent. More importantly, it keeps me from getting bored.

So here’s a fun fact about Sean Kean that surprises every Republican we tell:

In his past elections, the Republican Senator has repeatedly been endorsed by the most powerful government employee unions in the state. Specifically, the NJEA and the CWA (the union representing state workers). Yup, the same unions in bitter battles against Republican Governors in places like Wisconsin, Ohio and – well, what do you know! – New Jersey.

Sean Kean sold out the Republican principles of limited government for those endorsements. And Republicans we’ve told don’t like it one bit. Kean has also been backed by the state AFL-CIO. They too are in alliance with the NJEA and the CWA in their battles against Republican Governor Chris Christie.

Don’t kid yourself. Those union endorsements come at a price for a Republican like Sean Kean. That price is his independence. Obviously, the Democratic Party lost theirs a long time ago with these groups. Everyone knows that.

But to see a Republican like Sean Kean do it is enough to…well, it’s enough to trigger a challenge in the Republican primary this June! Especially in these times.

After all, the recent events in Wisconsin have solidified the battle lines over the size of government and the power of government employees unions. Meanwhile, New Jersey’s Republican Governor is one of the leaders in the battle. And local Republicans overwhelmingly support Chris Christie in the fight.

Republican primary voters in Sean Kean’s district will not be happy with his choice of political allies – these unions are the most determined adversaries of their beloved Republican Governor! And that should make Sean Kean a big fat target for a Tea Party insurgent challenger in this June’s GOP primary.

Of course, Sean Kean made these alliances in past elections. Basically, when nobody was looking. And nobody cared. The game was always to lock up as much support as possible from wherever it came, principles be damned. It was all about winning elections. Nothing more.

That’s what voters are rebelling against today. Sean Kean is a typical politician – wonderfully amiable, a terrifically nice guy…and one who’s genetically incapable of ever rocking the boat. There’s your answer as to why nothing changes. We keep electing such friendly people from both parties. Sure, as far as the drek in Trenton goes, Sean Kean actually stacks up quite well. I’ll readily admit that. Then again, that’s additional evidence of why nothing gets done. He’s the standard.

Of course, I’m just stirring up controversy here. I love seeing Republicans fight each other. That’s why I want someone to run against Sean Kean in this year’s GOP primary. As a Democrat, I don’t think there’s anything inherently wrong with being backed by the NJEA or the CWA (the state workers union).

And all this demonizing of unionized government workers by Republicans nationwide is a bit much. It’s not like we’re talking about Al Qaeda here. These are our teachers, state workers and fellow citizens. The many government workers I’ve dealt with have been as serious about their job as those I’ve encountered in the private sector. Many even more so.

I really mean that. Sure, political hacks appointed to jobs because of their connections may be a different story. But my encounters with regular public employees from behind the scenes, when I’ve known the real story of what’s going on, have been almost uniformly positive. I’ve been an aide to elected officials, an elected official myself and I’ve represented local government entities as a lawyer. I also served as a municipal public defender. And I was a real reporter years ago and a fake one today. So I’ve had over 25 years of exposure to government workers. I’m positive on them.

The problem, however, is that the power of government employee unions today is way out of balance. We all know that. They’re too strong and have built too many advantages into the system with their power. Union leadership will never concede that. They can’t. They’d be out of a job as a union leader. So no one will speak the truth to their members.

The result has been unions who’ve thrown their political weight around, and everyone else resents it. Meanwhile, these unions are insulated and mostly talking to themselves about  political issues. That only makes it worse. And politicians like Sean Kean have always given them what they want. That makes it doubly difficult to change the system.

A politician like Sean Kean can’t be trusted as an honest broker when it comes time to reform the state government. He can never be trusted to say no to the unions in those cases when that legitimately needs to be done. To Republicans, Sean Kean has cut his deal with the devil. He’s a rarity in the GOP – Kean is like a union-backed Democrat who’ll give in too much.

Here’s the funny part. I’ll bet Sean Kean will abandon his union allies if he thinks that’s the best way to keep his seat. Just watch what happens if a Republican primary challenger steps forward who can beat him. That will be fun to watch – and write about – when Kean inevitably back-pedals away from his union backers. Can’t wait to see their reaction too.

OK, so who can take on Sean Kean?

 Got to be a Tea Party type. The obvious choice is Anna Little. She scored a stunning upset last year in the Republican primary over the establishment-backed Diane Gooch to run against Democratic Congressman Frank Pallone.

After losing to Pallone, this former Mayor of Highlands and former Monmouth County Freeholder announced she was running against him again. Recently, Little has talked about running for U.S. Senate, after Tea Party groups in other parts of the state suggested it.

That’s all nonsense. Little would lose again against the powerful Pallone. And forget the U.S. Senate. She doesn’t have the resources or recognition for that.

But Little could beat Sean Kean in this year’s primary for state Senate. Especially with his union baggage among Republican primary voters. And Little could then become the Tea Party’s darling in Trenton. Not a bad role to play as a Republican in the age of Governor Chris Christie. After a few years in that role, Little could then make a credible run for statewide office. (Oh man, are we creating another Frankenstein here – just so we have controversy to write about?)

Another choice to run against Sean Kean is powerful Republican blogger Art Gallagher out of Highlands. He was a key factor in Anna Little’s success last year, using his blog to relentlessly promote her candidacy and coordinate activity among Tea Party volunteers. However, there is a rift between Gallagher and Little these days.

We’re not sure what that rift means. But if Gallagher has significant support among the local Tea Party movement, then he can take a shot against Sean Kean. Gallagher is well-known among rank and file Republicans by his MoreMonmouthMusings blog. Even better, he’s been on the front page of the triCityNews. That’s much more powerful.

In the end, we don’t care who takes on Sean Kean. We just want some Republican to do it. And give the Senator a run for his NJEA and CWA money. (Sorry, we couldn’t resist that clever line!)

Of course, Sean Kean is always welcome to give his side of the story in the triCityNews. Hell, he can even take this column. I’m always happy to do less work. Sean won’t do it though. Too much of a pussy.

Pussy! Pussy! Pussy!

Although he’s a helluva nice guy. Aren’t they all?

So if anyone credible wants to take on Sean Kean let us know. This Democratic newspaper is always happy to provide a platform for Republicans to attack each other. Our front page awaits you!

After all, we’re the triCityNews. We’re here to help.

Editors note: MMM is thrilled that Dan Jacobson has finally consented to having his work published on the Internet.  We never understood why Dan doesn’t like the Internet, after all, Al Gore invented it!  We’re honored that the publisher of the only profitable newspaper in the universe chose MMM to stir things up.

In addition to publishing the tri-CityNews, Jacobson is a former Assemblyman from the 11th legislative district.

• Tweet