Christie and Letterman share a doughnut

The full show appears on CBS tonight at 11:35.

Christie will be in Union Beach tomorrow for his “mobile cabinet.” He is scheduled to address the press at 11:15am at the Union Beach Fire Hose Company #1, 1224 Florence Ave.

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New Conservative SuperPac Formed To Blunt Tea Party Influence in Primaries

“Conservative Victory Project” will support “the most conservative candidates who can win”

With designs on winning control of the U.S. Senate in 2014, a new SuperPac financed by the biggest donors in the Republican Party has been formed to recruit seasoned candidates and protect Senate incumbents from they types of primary challenges that resulted in the candidacies Todd Akin, Richard Murdock and Christine O’Donnell, according to an article in The New York Times.

Akin of Missouri, Murdock of Indiana and O’Donnell of Delaware each defeated establishment Republican candidates in Senate Republican primaries and went on to lose general elections that Republicans were expected to win after making public statements considered too far-right and out of the mainstream.  Akin and Murdock lost in 2012. O’Donnell lost in 2010.

“There is a broad concern about having blown a significant number of races because the wrong candidates were selected,” said Steven J. Law, the president of American Crossroads, the “super PAC” creating the new project. “We don’t view ourselves as being in the incumbent protection business, but we want to pick the most conservative candidate who can win.”D

2014 Senate races in Iowa and Georgia will be the initial focus of the Conservative Victory Project.  Senators Tom Harkin (D) of Iowa and Saxby Chambliss (R) of Georgia have announced their retirements, creating wide open races for those seats.

Preventing the Senate nomination of Iowa Congressman Steve King is an early objective of the project.  Last week Harper Polling published a survey indicating that King in favored over the more moderate Republican Congressman Tom Latham in both a multi-candidate and head to head Republican primary for Harkin’s seat.  The same survey indicated that Latham would defeat the Democratic front runner, Congressman Bruce Braley, in the general election.

“We’re concerned about Steve King’s Todd Akin problem,” Mr. Law said. “This is an example of candidate discipline and how it would play in a general election. All of the things he’s said are going to be hung around his neck.”

Mr. King has compiled a record of incendiary statements during his time in Congress, including comparing illegal immigrants to dogs and likening Capitol Hill maintenance workers to “Stasi troops” after they were ordered to install environmentally friendly light bulbs. But he rejected the suggestion that his voting record or previous remarks would keep him from winning if he decided to run for the Senate.

King earned the support of Governor Chris Christie in his 2010 and 2012 reelection races by coming to the former U.S. Attorney’s defense during congressional hearings in 2009 that were designed by Democrats to derail Christie’s gubernatorial campaign against Jon Corzine.   However, King voted against the Hurricane Sandy Relief Bill last month.  Christie declined to say if he would support King in the future at a Sandy related press conference.

Posted: February 3rd, 2013 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Republican Party | Tags: Chris Christie, Conservative Victory Project, Harper Polling, New York Times, Saxby Chambliss, Steve King, Tea Party, Tom Harkin | 12 Comments »

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What if Menendez resigns or is expelled from the Senate?

Don’t count on it happening.  Senator Bob Mendendez as already survived a recall effort, an FBI investigation while Chris Christie was U.S. Attorney, Tom Kean JR and Joe Kyrillos.  There’s little reason, so far, to think Menendez won’t survive his latest scandals involving illegal campaign donations and gifts, a sex offender illegal immigrant intern and allegations of engaging with prostitutes and underage girls in the Dominican Republic.Why would Menedez resign? It’s not as if he tweeted nude pictures of himself, or anything as bad as that.

For a senator to be expelled requires a 2/3 vote in the Senate.  The Senate Select Committee on Ethics has not responded to State Senator Sam Thompson’s complaint about Menendez filed last November.  There is no reason to think the Democratically controlled Senate will even consider censuring Menendez, much less expelling him, unless the FBI’s current investigation results in an indictment and/or conviction.

But if Menendez’s seat in the Senate were to become vacant this year, it would put New Jersey politics into a fabulous turmoil that would be fun to cover and generate unprecedented blog traffic.  “Peter Williams,” if you’re reading, please cooperate with the FBI and bring the Domincan girls with you to the USofA!

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Carol Mazzola Loves Chris Chrisite

Monmouth County’s newest Demcratic office holder, Marlboro Councilwoman Carol Mazzola, is not ready to join Mayor Jon Hormik on the Barbara Buono for Governor bandwagon.

“I don’t know anything about her, ” Mazzola said in a phone interview, echoing the sentiments of 82% of New Jersey voters polled by Quinnipiac.

“I love Chris Christie!’ Mazzola exclaimed when asked what she thought about the Governor.  But she stopped short of endorsing the New Jersey head of her former party. “Ask me in the fall when its time to make a decision.”

Mazzola was elected to the Marlboro Township Committee as a Republican in 2009.  She announced earlier this month that she will run for reelection as a Democrat on Hornik’s team.

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Republican Governors Association Statement of New Jersey Governor’s Race

Republican Governors Association communications director Mike Schrimpf issued the following statement on the New Jersey governor’s race following the Democratic Governors Association embrace of state senator Barbara Buono’s candidacy earlier today:

“After failing to recruit their first, second, third or fourth choice candidates into the campaign for governor, Democrats have finally settled on state senator Barbara Buono.

Given the tremendous leadership Governor Christie has displayed in closing an $11 billion budget deficit without raising taxes, capping property taxes, and enacting pension and education reforms, the Democrats’ inability to recruit one of their preferred candidates into the race is not surprising. That said, we look forward to contrasting Governor Christie’s record of reform with Senator Buono’s record of higher taxes, increased spending and deeper debt.

While we commend Senator Buono for running, we are confident voters will want to continue the progress New Jersey has made since he took office.”

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Hornik Jumps on Buono Bandwagon

Marlboro Mayor Jon Hornik joined the growing list of New Jersey Democrats in lining up behind State Senator Barbara Buono as the party’s nominee to take on Governor Chris Christie this fall.

In a statement released to MoreMonmouthMusings, Honik said that Buono is ready to lead for New Jersey’s middle class and that she is the best candidate to get our economy moving and creating jobs.

“Senator Buono understands the principle challenge facing New Jersey is a need for good-paying jobs. It’s a failure of the Governor when nearly one of every 10 New Jerseyans is out of work.

“There is no comeback when one in 10 is left behind. I know Senator Buono is prepared to make job creation her first priority.

“Senator Buono and I also share the same concern for protecting all of our residents, but in particular our children from gun violence. I applaud her call for a special session of the Legislature to pass common-sense gun safety laws.”

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Joint Statement From Governors Christie, Cuomo and Malloy Regarding U.S. Senate’s Action on Hurricane Sandy Disaster Aid Bill

Trenton, NJ – New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy released the following statement regarding the Senate’s passage today of the disaster relief package:

“Our genuine thanks and gratitude goes out to the U.S. Senate for its thoughtful consideration and passage of the Hurricane Sandy disaster relief package. Despite the difficult path in getting to this moment, the Senate membership clearly recognized early on the urgency and necessity of approving the full aid package and its importance in rebuilding our battered infrastructure and getting our millions of affected residents back on their feet as quickly as possible. To all Americans, we are grateful for their willingness to come to our aid as we take on the monumental task of rebuilding and we pledge to do the same should our fellow citizens find themselves facing unexpected and harsh devastation.

“We also make special note of the tenacious efforts of our respective Congressional delegations in steering the Sandy aid package through their respective houses and bringing this aid home to their people.”

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Governor Christie Calls For Minimum Wage Increase with Responsible Phase-In, While Helping Struggling Families with EITC Increase

Governor’s Conditional Veto Pairs Responsible 3-Year Phase-In of One-Dollar Wage Increase with 25 Percent Increase in Earned Income Tax Credit

Trenton, NJ – Acting to support a responsible increase in the state’s minimum wage while providing direct relief to New Jersey’s working families and protecting the state’s economic recovery, Governor Chris Christie today put forward a plan to increase the state’s minimum wage by one dollar over a phase-in period of three years and to provide direct relief to struggling families with a 25 percent increase to the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit.

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Sweeney not running for Governor

Senate President Steve Sweeney issued the following statement this morning announcing that he will not challenge Senator Barbara Buono for the Democratic nomination for Governor:

After careful consideration and much deliberation, I will not be a candidate for governor in 2013. I’ve decided my work now needs to be focused on ensuring the Legislature remains in Democratic control. Is there any question about the havoc and pain a Republican Legislature would inflict on the middle class, labor, women, and our seniors? For over a decade New Jersey voters have ensured we have a strong Democratic majority in both houses and I view it as absolutely essential and my job to keep that streak going. We will.

Kitten.

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Bennett and Doria go On The Record with Michael Aron : Red meat for New Jersey political junkies and history buffs

Two former New Jersey political powerhouses joined NJTV’s Michael Aron on his weekly show, On the Record, this week to discuss the 2013 gubernatorial race, the 2014 U.S. Senate race and to reminisce about the good old days… the governors they served under and how the climate has changed in Trenton since the days when they held power.

Watch Joe Doria and John Bennett on PBS. See more from On the Record.

Democrat Joe Doria served in the State Assembly from 1980-2004.  He was Speaker in the 1990-1992 session.  Doria left the Assembly after losing the Democratic primary in 2003. In 2004,  he was elected by the Hudson Democratic Committee to fill the State Senate term vacated by the death of Senator Glenn Cunningham, who was also the mayor of Jersey City. Doria also served as mayor of Bayonne from July of 1998 through October of 2007.  He resigned from the Senate and as mayor when Governor Jon Corzine nominated him to become the Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs, one of the most powerful Cabinet positions in the State.  His public career came to a sudden end in July of 2009 when Corzine announced his resignation as DCA commissioner after his home was raided in the Operation Bid Rig sweep the resulted in 44 arrests.  Doria was never arrested and the U.S Attorney’s Office cleared him of all charges in October of 2011.

Doria is collecting a state pension of $58,895 per year.

Republican John Bennett is chairman of the Monmouth County Republican Committee.  He served in the State Legislature for 24 years, 10 in the Assembly and 14 in the Senate. While a Senator, Bennett was co-president of the chamber with Richard Codey during first two years of the McGreevey administration. Bennett was Acting Governor for 3 1/2 days, during the week between the Whitman/DiFrancesco administration and the McGreevey administration when New Jersey had five governors…DiFrancesco, Codey, Bennett, former Attorney General John Farmer and McGreevey.

Bennett’s career as a senator came to an end after he was defeated at the polls by Ellen Karcher, then a member of the Marlboro Township Committee.  The Asbury Park Press ran Bennett out of office with a relentless series of articles, over a period of months, over a billing irregularity while he was Marlboro’s Township Attorney.  Bennett was cleared of any wrong doing by the Feds in March of 2007.

Bennett is collecting a $90,000 annual pension from his years in the legislature and a plethora of part time law appointments tacked together to provide a handsome income.

On the Record interview highlights

Gubernatorial Race

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