Jon Bon Jovi Gives $1 Million to Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund

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More Monmouth Musings Endorses Frank Pallone

We received an email from Frank Pallone today asking for our endorsement.

Dear Art,

I need your endorsement. The support of friends like you is what has allowed me to fight for the issues that matter most to New Jersey families. But fighting is not enough. We need true leadership in Washington that stands up for what is right. ….

Congressman, we’re honored that you asked. We’re happy to accept.

MoreMonmouthMusings hereby endorses Congressman Frank Pallone in the Democratic Special Senate Primary on August 13.

Pallone has the best of the slim chances to defeat Newark Cory Booker for the nomination.

If Pallone is the Democratic nominee in the Special Senate Election on October 16, the Republican nominee, either Steve Lonegan or Dr. Alieta Eck, would have a much better chance of winning, than if Booker is the nominee.

Booker has been endorsed by the Essex County Democratic machine and the South Jersey/George Norcross Democratic machine.  If Pallone beats Booker, Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo and Norcross won’t have a U.S. Senator at their beck and call.  Pallone won’t owe them.  He’s never been much of a team player with them.  He certainly wouldn’t be beholden to them if he beats Booker.

In that case, Norcross and DiVencenzo might sit out the October 16 Special Election or secretly help the Republican nominee win, figuring that Pallone would be finished if he lost to Lonegan or Eck.  They would then make sure Booker gets the 2014 Democratic nomination and count on winning the Senate seat in 2014.

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Buono’s Daughter Comes Out Against Christie

Tessa Bitterman, State Senator Barbara Buono’s 23 year old daughter, sent a fundraising email to her mother’s supporters this morning where in she declared she is gay and blasted Governor Chris Christie for vetoing same sex marriage.

Growing up, my mom was always there for me no matter what. I’m gay and from an early age I felt free to express myself with my mother, knowing she would always support me for who I am.

As a gay American I have a stake in what our governor says about marriage equality. And I have been deeply shocked by Chris Christie. As governor, he has been a giant roadblock to New Jersey achieving equality for all. By failing to support marriage equality, Christie is blatantly delegitimizing an entire group of people.

I have also seen Chris Christie misrepresent himself as a moderate to New Jersey – that’s why it’s even more important to stop him before he takes his radical show on the road when he goes national after this election.

My mom is facing a huge deadline on June 30th at midnight. If we want to stop Christie – if we want to keep his politics of polarizing and dividing people from spreading beyond New Jersey – we’ve got to click here and donate to my mom’s campaign before the big deadline on Sunday.

Now that Christie is running for re-election, he is more than happy to try and portray himself as a moderate. But the truth is – his record scares me. It scares me because if he takes his brand of deception national, all Americans are in for a rude awakening.

It might not seem like a lot but anything you donate now will go a long way. Can you click here and donate today?

Thanks,

Tessa

Bitterman, of San Francisco, California, is Buono’s daughter by her first husband, Lawrence Bitterman.

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Long Branch Mayor Adam Schneider Endorses Christie

Hundreds of Monmouth County residents got the hell off the beach this morning to witness Adam Schneider, the Democratic Mayor of Long Branch, endorse Governor Chris Christie, a Republican, for another four year term leading the Garden State.

Guv Chris Christie accepting Long Branch Mayor Adam Schneider’s endorsement. Photo by Art Gallagher. Click for larger view.

Christie was swarmed by boardwalk visitors anxious for a photograph and to shake his hand as he exited his vehicle outside of McLoone’s Pier House.  It took him 20 minutes to work through the crowd while making the short walk to the veranda for Schneider’s announcement.

Schneider declared that he is a proud Democrat who took the difficult step of making a cross party endorsement because “Christie doesn’t care what national Republicans think, he is working for the people of New Jersey.”

Schneider said mentioned to a Christie staffer, Christopher Stark, that he might vote for the governor at a meeting in January after Christie chastised House Republicans, particularly Speaker John Boehner, for holding up legislation authorizing federal relief for Superstorm Sandy recovery.

“He wrote that down,” Schneider said of Stark, “I knew I would be hearing from the governor.  He called from his cell phone, not a government phone number.”

After agreeing to endorse Christie, Schneider called 30-45 of his Democratic friends to give them the news before it became public. “Some were disappointed. Most said, What’s taken you so long?”

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President Clinton and Governor Christie at CGI

This video is a must see for leaders of communities impacted by Sandy and other natural disasters.

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Christie To Speak At Clinton’s Event This Afternoon

Governor Chris Christie is schedule to deliver an address entitled “Cooperation and Collaboration: A Conversation on Leadership” this afternoon, 4PM at former President Bill Clinton’s Clinton Global Initiative is Chicago.

Christie’s address can be viewed live here:

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Christie Slow Jams The Special Senate Election With Jimmy Fallon

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Long Branch Mayor Adam Schneider To Endorse Christie

Long Branch Mayor Adam Schneider is the second Monmouth County Democratic mayor to publicly declare support for Republican Governor Chris Christie’s reelection.

Schneider told The Star Ledger that he will formally endorse Christie on Monday.

“He understands New Jersey and there’s no doubt in my mind is right now the last thing we need to do is reinvent the wheel,” Schneider said.

Sea Bright’s Democratic Mayor Dina Long endorsed the Governor in February.   Schneider said he decided to support Christie in January when the governor criticized House Speaker John Boehner for holding up the Superstorm Sandy recovery funds.

Long and Schneider are among a long and growing list of Democrats who are supporting Christie over the Democratic nominee, State Senator Barbara Buono.  Earlier this week State Senator Brian Stack of Hudson County and Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo formally endorsed Christie.

Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal issued the following statement about Schneider endorsing Christie:

“Adam Schenider is the Mayor of a nonpartisan town. He has endorsed numerous Republicans and Democrats in the past – as recently as 2011 when he endorsed a Republican Assemblywoman. As the mayor of a town which has nonpartisan form of governing, Mayor Schneider has said numerous times that he is not involved in either of the two major political parties in the county. Congressman Frank Pallone, the Democratic Municipal Chairman in Long Branch and his Democratic municipal committee is aggressively supporting Senator Barbara Buono’s campaign for Governor. Senator Buono opposed the cuts in UEZ funding in Governor Christie’s budget and she will also support an increase in the minimum wage – two issues which are important to Long Branch. I am confident that Long Branch residents will overwhelmingly support Senator Buono in November”

When Long endorsed Christie, Gopal issued a statement promising political retribution against the Sea Bright mayor, prompting Christie to say that “Vin represents the politics of yesterday.”

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PolitickerNJ: Christie May Appoint A Placeholder To U.S. Senate

David Samson

PolitickerNJ is reporting that “several Republican sources” told them that Governor Chris Christie could appoint former State Attorney General David Samson to New Jersey’s vacant U.S. Senate seat as early as today.

Samson would be a placeholder, meaning that he would not run in the Special Election Christie called for October 16 to retain the seat.

Samson was Attorney General during the first year of the McGreevey administration.  He served in Governor Tom Kean’s administration as General Counsel to the NJ Turnpike Authority and as Chairman of the Governor’s Commission on the Laws Governing the University of Medicine and Dentistry (UMDNJ).  In the Florio administration, Samson was a member of the Governor’s Commission on Health Care Costs.

Samson was counsel to Christie’s 2009 gubernatorial campaign and Chairman of Christie’s Transition Team. Christie nominated Samson to Chair the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey, a position he has held since February of 2011.

Christie was U.S. Attorney while Samson was State Attorney General. Both of their lives were threatened by the Latin Kings street gang.

Samson is a founding member of the Wolf and Samson law firm.  The firm has offices in West Orange, New York and Trenton.

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Governor, Please consider Caroline Casagrande for Senate

Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande

It’s not even close to her turn and she’s not a white male.  That’s only two good reasons that Governor Chris Christie should appoint one of New Jersey’s Rising Stars to the U.S. Senate.

Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande is smart, articulate, conservative and happy.  Voters love happy conservatives.  Angry conservatives are scary to moderates and Independent voters.  Happy conservatives appeal to moderates and Independent voters.

Casagrande’s  pro-growth, pro-family, pro-women conservative policy positions belong on the national stage. She could help rebrand the Republican Party with her fellow Penn State alumnus Senator Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire.  Imagine that.  Two Northeast female Republican U.S. Senators.

Steve Lonegan, a scary angry conservative, has declared he’s running in the Special Republican Primary for U.S. Senate. Lonegan could win a primary against a moderate Jon Bramnick, Tom Kean Jr or Joe Kyrillos.  He can’t beat Cory Booker, Frank Pallone or Rush Holt in October.

Bramnick, Kean or Kyrillos are not likely to be able to gear up fast enough to beat Booker in October either.

If Caroline Casagrande were the temporary U.S. Senator, Lonegan would have no philosophical justification to challenge her.  None.  Republicans best chance of winning the Senate seat in October, and again next November, is if we coalesce behind a conservative woman now.

Casagrande has already caught the eye of many national leaders.  Earlier this year she was asked to be on the national leadership team of the Susan B. Anthony List. In 2010 she traveled to Nepal as a delegate of the American Council of Young Political Leaders, a State Department sponsored organization that creates opportunities for the next generation of political leaders.  She’s been invited to travel to Israel this summer by the American Jewish Council.

Casagrande would be an out of the box choice. She would appeal to both the conservative and moderate wings of the Party. She would appeal to Independent voters, Reagan Democrats, women and small business owners and employees, i.e., most of the New Jersey electorate. She would be a fresh face that the local and national media would appreciate and cover.

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