10, 9, 8....Counting Down To The Next Retraction..7, 6..

Or maybe they will let this one stand. It seems to me that the Lonegan campaign has peaked too soon. It is running out of steam and its bag of tricks is all used up.

Here's their latest press release:

-- Liberal politicians and washed up losers

Look who’s telling us that Chris Christie is a conservative.

ORADELL – "Chris Christie's 'conservative' credentials are being vouched for by some pretty liberal Republicans," Christie’s main opponent for the nomination charged today.

"Christie is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on his "I am the 'conservative’ campaign by rolling out endorsements from politicians who have compiled liberal records," Lonegan noted.

Lonegan pointed to Christie’s endorsements from Rudy Giuliani, Joe Kyrillos, Bret Schundler, Gerald Cardinale and Chris Smith as examples. All of these individuals did "robocalls" in support of Christie in the last week.

"No one believes Chris is a conservative so he's sending an army of surrogates out to vouch for him. But before people start listening to robocalls and believing what they see in the mail, they need to look at their records," Lonegan said.

Mayor Rudy Giuliani

"Like Chris Christie, Rudy couldn't make up his mind about whose side he was on," Lonegan said, referring to Christie's attempt to secure the 1993 Democrat nomination for State Senate in District 25. "Giuliani was the Liberal Party candidate for Mayor of New York City in 1989, 1993, and 1997 and said he voted for George McGovern for President.

Rudy even endorsed Mario Cuomo in 1994 – against George Pataki. I guess that made Mario a conservative too. If Rudy says so, then why not?”

State Senator Joe Kyrillos

"Chris Christie's state campaign chairman chaired the liberal, pro-abortion Republican Leadership Council," Lonegan noted. Kyrillos came up with legislation to force towns to merge against their will. As a member of the Legislative Services Commission, Kyrillos supported a controversial policy that permits adult males who "present" as women to use the same toilet facilities used by female school children.

Kyrillos was state party chair during the 2001 primary when the party united to stop Bret Schundler from winning the nomination. After conservatives put Schundler over the top in the primary over Kyrillos's candidate, Schundler kept Kyrillos on as state chair in a sign that his alleged conservatism was simply rhetoric.

Mayor Bret Schundler

"Bret likes to say that he became a conservative under Ronald Reagan. Unfortunately, the last time Ronald Reagan was on the ballot was in 1984 – the year Bret Schundler was a paid staffer on the campaign of liberal Democrat Gary Hart's presidential campaign." It’s tough to be in two parties at once – tougher to work on two campaigns for president at once - even for Bret!

In his first campaign, Bret was endorsed by pro-abortion organizations NARAL and New Jersey Right-to-Choose. After eight years as Jersey City Mayor, he "switched" to the pro-Life side just before the primary. Once he won the primary he abandoned conservatives and said his views on abortion and guns were meaningless, saying he wouldn't change abortion laws and telling anti-gun candidate Jim McGreevey "my position on guns is exactly the same as yours."

State Senator Gerald Cardinale

"It breaks my heart to say it, but Gerry sold out a long time ago," Lonegan said, noting that Cardinale twice supported liberal Marge Roukema over conservative Scott Garrett for Congress in northwest New Jersey's 5th District and ran against Garrett himself in 2002.

"Gerry backed liberal Bill Gormley for Senate in 2000, Bob Franks in 2001, Doug Forrester and Tom Kean. He wrote a notorious letter in 1993 that assured conservatives that Christie Whitman was pro-life too. Yep, take it to the bank, when Gerry Cardinale says someone's a conservative, it must be so."

Lonegan noted that Cardinale joined with Governor Corzine t o endorse a $450 Million Bond Issue to fund Embryonic Stem Cell "Research."

Congressman Chris Smith

"Many people think Chris Smith is a conservative because of his commendable work in defense of pro-Life. But Chris Smith is even more liberal than Arlen Specter," Lonegan said. Smith's American Conservative Union (ACU) score of 28 percent was lower than Arlen Specter's and the worst of any Republican in Congress.

Smith was the only Republican to oppose Newt Gingrich's welfare reform bill and is a sponsor of the "card check" bill that would end secret union elections.

"First Chris Christie couldn’t say what his political philosophy was. Then he said he was a moderate. Now he's claiming to be a conservative but those vouching for him look to me like a bunch of liberals," Lonegan noted.

"It's the company you keep and Chris Christie is surrounded and endorsed by the same Trenton insider gang who lose one 'sure thing' election after another. They've given up and that's why we need new, bold and conservative leadership. I’m running for Governor to provide that leadership."

Who are you going to lead Steve? Who will follow after such ranting?

Lonegan was always the underdog in the GOP gubernatorial race. He could have positioned himself as a much needed conservative voice in our party and set himself up as a respected leader. Unfortunately the tone and tenor of his campaign will likely make him less relevant than Murray Sabrin when all is said and done.

I think I hear the Fat Lady warming up.