How the Great Recession Has Changed Life in America

A Balance Sheet at 30 Months

From the Pew Research Center:

Of the 13 recessions that the American public has endured since the Great Depression of 1929-33, none has presented a more punishing combination of length, breadth and depth than this one.

A new Pew Research survey finds that 30 months after it began, the Great Recession has led to a downsizing of Americans’ expectations about their retirements and their children’s future; a new frugality in their spending and borrowing habits; and a concern that it could take several years, at a minimum, for their house values and family finances to recover.

The survey also finds that more than half of the adults in U.S. labor force (55%) have experienced some work-related hardship — be it a spell of unemployment, a cut in pay, a reduction in hours or an involuntary move to part-time work. In addition, the bursting of the pre-recession housing and stock market bubbles has shrunk the wealth of the average American household by an estimated 20%, the deepest such decline in the post-World War II era, according to government data.

Read the entire article here.

More Topless in Asbury Park

There were no surprises in the MMM polls about whether or not Asbury Park should sanction topless bathing on the 8th Street beach. Male respondents favor it 62%-37% and female respondents were evenly divided. If the ordinance passes on July 7, there will probably be more men on topless beach than women.

For those of you for whom topless isn't enough, and for those who want to make history, on July 11 at 3PM, The American Association of Nude Recreation is seeking to break its own Guinness World Record for the largest skinny-dip in history. The record was set last July when 13,648 people across North America all skinny dipped at the same time. Of the 13,648, 808 were at Gunnison Beach, Sandy Hook, according to the AANR's local affiliate, Friends of Gunnison.

But I digress. Back to Asbury Park. Our new poll question is "How would a topless beach in Asbury Park impact your decision to visit the city?" The council should consider the economic impact of such a important decision.

Voting ends Friday at noon.

Rasmussen: 49% Favor Deepwater Drilling, 60% Favor Offshore Drilling in Shallower Waters

From Rasmussen Reports:

Forty-nine percent (49%) of Americans favor continued deepwater drilling despite the oil rig disaster that caused the ongoing environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 31% oppose such drilling, and 20% more are not sure about it.

By comparison, 60% of voters nationwide support offshore oil drilling, performed in shallower waters closer to shore. This is down from 72% in March just after President Obama lifted the longtime ban on offshore drilling and prior to the eruption of the Gulf oil leak. But 22% now oppose this kind of drilling, too. Another 18% are undecided.

Read the article here.

$10

I just received $10 from the State of New Jersey as compensation for the two days I spent sitting in the basement of the Monmouth County Courthouse as a juror earlier this month. I figure it cost me $14 in gas alone to drive to Freehold and back those two days. I'm going to give the money to Anna Little's campaign on Friday.

The experience was not a complete waste. Turns out a guy I grew up with in Bergenfield was also summoned. It was nice catching up with him. The computer randomly selected me for one jury panel for a civil trial. About 30 people were selected to go the the court room where the computer randomly selects 6 people to be interviewed by the judge. The judge and the attorneys excuse jurors based on their answers or whatever. That jury was empaneled with only two jurors being excused. I wasn't one of the 8 randomly selected. Too bad. I went to college with the judge. It would have been nice to catch up with him too. I bet he earned more than $10 for being there.

This was the third time in my life I'd been summoned to jury duty. The only time, so far, I didn't try to get out of it. The first time, some 25 years ago in Essex County I showed up, made up a bs excuse and was sent on my way. The second time I plead hardship. I wrote the court that my business could not operate without me. Too bad was the response. On the appointed day I faxed the court a letter saying that if I had to appear for jury duty I was going to have to lay off three people. If they wanted me to do that they could come get me. No one came. Since I have already laid off most of my staff this time, I just complied, even though I couldn't imagine that I would actually be selected to sit on a jury.

A few years back one of my employees was selected to sit on a grand jury. Every Thursday for what seemed like forever we were shorthanded. It worked out for her, because I paid her and she got her stipend which covered her gas.

There were several hundred people sitting in the courthouse basement the two days I was there. I'm guessing 600. I heard a jury worker complain they were short people. They must have been. I forgot to go the first day. They called me at 9:30 and I went right over.

There might be some people for whom the $5 per day is adequate compensation to serve on jury duty. That's hard to imagine. It was $5 per day some 20 years ago too. Accounting for inflation, that is probably about $.86. The State of New Jersey is in financial straights. It is not likely that juror compensation of $5 per day plus a cup of coffee is going to be increased any time soon.

To make it more interesting and increase compliance, the court should give jurors the option of pooling their $5 per day. The computer could randomly select one juror to get all the money from those who chose to pool. At the end of the day the winning juror's name would be announced. That person would get $3000 for the day and the rest of the people wouldn't miss their $5.

BOTTOMLESS IN ASBURY

By Grace Cangemi

While we await Asbury Park’s decision on topless sunbathing, I’m wondering about seeing the bottom of something in the City by the Sea – the bottom of the money pit that is the Asbury Park school system.

Today, as the ongoing saga of former Asbury Park superintendent continues to unfold, I decided to take a look back at the history of the Asbury Park BOE’s battle with Antonio Lewis and some of the decisions the BOE has made as the process has moved forward.

According to the APP, Lewis has been suspended twice in seven years. During these suspensions, he was still paid his $188,000 salary while acting superintendents filled in. His contract ran out in June 2009 and now Lewis is demanding a job based on tenure. Lewis won a $150,000 settlement after his first suspension. (Failure by Asbury Park to pay this in a timely fashion eventually lead to a $169,000 award to Lewis). After his second suspension, the BOE offered to buy out his contract for around $600,000. State education officials axed the plan, thankfully disallowing Asbury from using state funds for the buyout.

After his first suspension, Lewis was ordered reinstated by a judge due to procedural issues. The then-commissioner of education upheld the decision, but stated that nothing “precludes the Board, in its discretion, from filing new tenure charges.” Instead, it appears that Dr. Lewis went back to work until he was again suspended in 2007.

When Dr. Lewis was suspended in 2007, the BOE appointed James T. Parham as Acting Superintendent at a salary of $110,620. I can’t speak to Mr. Parham’s abilities, but his Masters of the Arts in Special Education, which he received in 2006 is from Almeda University (APP Aug. 17, 2008). Don’t know any Almeda grads? Me neither, so I googled Almeda U. They are an online “university” that offers master’s degrees for life experience and will (get ready) back date theses degrees up to 90 days if you so request. Maybe someone on the Asbury BOE should have taken a few seconds to do a google search.

The Asbury Park Board of Education has undergone may changes since the saga of Dr. Lewis began. Much of the personnel has changed. Realistically, though, the system remains terribly flawed and taxpayers from around the state are continually pumping money into a place where we have no say in what goes on and where a significant record of failure has done nothing but increase the amount of money we contribute.

Currently, reports show that Asbury Park spends (this is not a typo) over $37,000 per pupil. But hey, why not? It’s not Asbury Park’s money.

Has the money helped? Statewide, 85.6% of students passed the 8th Grade literacy exam. In Asbury Park, just over 31% managed to pass. (edlawcenter.org) Based on Asbury’s numbers, I could probably make an argument that dollars per student is inversely proportional to success.

I wonder how much history they teach in Asbury Park. Maybe they get the 31% of passably literate students to read the paper and just tell them that they don’t need to look at the past because in the Asbury Park school system, they don’t seem to be able to move beyond it.

Rush Holt’s J Street Problem

By Alan Steinberg
Originally published on Politickernj

For New Jersey 12th District incumbent Democratic Representative Rush Holt, the most alarming moment of his reelection campaign had to be last week’s endorsement by super-lawyer Alan Dershowitz of Republican challenger Joel Pollak against Illinois incumbent Democratic Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. It was reportedly the first time Dershowitz has ever publicly endorsed a Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives.

Schakowsky is the darling of J Street, an ultra-liberal Jewish organization which claims to be pro-Israel but consistently attacks Israeli anti-terrorism efforts and defense policies and defends every effort of President Barack Obama to pressure Israel into making high risk concessions.

The darling of J Street in New Jersey is none other than Rush Holt. He was a member of the J Street October 27, 2009 first annual Gala Dinner Honorary Host Committee. It should be noted that the three leading Democratic supporters of Israel in the New Jersey U.S. House of Representatives delegation, to wit, Rob Andrews, John Adler, and Steve Rothman all refused to serve on this J Street committee.

Obama, of course, is the darling of J Street in the White House. He is without question less supportive of Israel than any previous American President, even less supportive than Jimmy Carter. His approval rating in polls of the Israeli electorate has at times failed to exceed a single digit.

J Street was established to counter the efforts of the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a bipartisan organization which has for more than a half century most effectively represented the interests of the Israeli-American alliance in the Congress and White House. After the recent Gaza flotilla crisis, J Street tried to thwart AIPAC’s efforts to get members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate to sign letters supporting Israel in this matter. To date, 307 members of the House of Representatives and 85 Senators have signed these letters.

Dershowitz is a staunch liberal Democrat and, until recently, actually defended Obama’s overall record on Israel. The super lawyer’s pro-Israel credentials are impeccable, however. Regarding J Street, Dershowitz has said "I reject J Street because it spends more time criticizing Israel than supporting it. They shouldn't call themselves pro-Israel.”

Accordingly, it was no surprise that Dershowitz endorsed his former student at Harvard Law School Joel Pollak against Schakowsky, a J Street icon. Now one must ask whether Dershowitz and other prominent Democratic Jewish critics of J Street will endorse Republican challenger Scott Sipprelle against Rush Holt in the 2010 New Jersey 12th Congressional District race.

The only two candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives in New Jersey endorsed by J Street PAC are Rush Holt and Don Payne. The action of Holt which most endeared him to J Street was his signing of a letter in January, 2010 to President Obama which harshly criticized Israel for its blockade of Gaza. The letter was signed by 54 members of the House of Representatives.

Holt knows he is in political hot water in his reelection effort because of his signing of the aforesaid January, 2010 letter. His J Street endorsement is now a political albatross.

As a matter of political damage control, Holt last week signed the aforesaid AIPAC – endorsed letter which supported Israel in the Gaza flotilla incident. He has never, however, withdrawn his previous harsh criticism of the Israeli blockade of Gaza. Nor has he repudiated his J Street endorsement.

Key members of the New Jersey pro-Israel community are saying that Rush Holt is now running away from J Street as far as he can get. The problem for Holt with regard to J Street, however, is that while he can run, he can’t hide.

Alan J. Steinberg served as Regional Administrator of Region 2 EPA during the administration of former President George W. Bush. Region 2 EPA consists of the states of New York and New Jersey, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and seven federally recognized Indian nations.

Rasmussen: Louisiana Voters Strongly Support Offshore, Deep Water Drilling

From Rasmussen Reports:

Even as oil washes up on their shores from the still-spewing oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, 79% of Louisiana voters believe offshore oil drilling should be allowed, and nearly as many support deepwater drilling.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in Louisiana finds that just 15% do not believe offshore oil drilling should be allowed.

These findings are basically unchanged from early April prior to the eruption of the oil leak.

Read the full article here.

Oil Vey… Hands Across the Sand and the idiocy of symbolism

Oil Vey… Hands Across the Sand and the idiocy of symbolism

Sipprelle Announces County Campaign Leaders

Princeton, June 28, 2010 – Vowing to compete for every single vote in all five counties comprising the 12th Congressional District during his campaign against entrenched incumbent Congressman Rush Holt, businessman Scott Sipprelle today announced his county campaign leadership team citing their wealth of experience and diversity.

Hunterdon County – Former Congressman Dick Zimmer
“Dick Zimmer served New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District with honor for three terms, consistently ranked among the most fiscally conservative members of the Congress by groups like the National Taxpayers Union and was designated a Taxpayer Hero by Citizens Against Government Waste every year he was in office,” said Sipprelle. “He also gained national acclaim for his authorship of Megan’s Law.”

Mercer County – Lawrence Township Republican Chairwoman Kim Taylor“Kim Taylor has over 20 years of experience in public sector finance and is deeply involved in the community. An active Republican, she has always displayed a willingness to reach across party lines to address problems facing our communities,” said Sipprelle. “Kim is a member of the Lawrence Township Planning Board, the pastoral council of the Church of Saint Ann in Lawrenceville, and former chair of the Lawrence Township Affordable Housing Board.”

Middlesex County – Old Bridge Councilwoman Lucille Panos
“Lucille Panos has been consistently re-elected by her constituents in Old Bridge because of her commitment to always put taxpayers first,” said Sipprelle. “As a Republican grassroots leader in Middlesex County, Lucille was the county leader for Governor Chris Christie’s stunning victory there in 2009 that all but assured his victory over Jon Corzine.”

Monmouth County – State Assemblywoman Amy Handlin“Amy Handlin has served in government on the local, county and state levels, and has earned her reputation as a reformer along the way,” said Sipprelle. “She has been honored by an array of prestigious community organizations including the NJ Federation of Independent Business, NJ Association of Women Business Owners, NJ Division of the United Nations Association and Jewish Federation of Greater Monmouth County.”

Somerset County – Franklin Township Mayor Brian Levine
“Brian Levine is the Mayor of Franklin Township in Somerset County and was a Councilman before that,” said Sipprelle. “A CPA by trade, Levine has guided the sprawling town of more than 50,000 by governing not as a partisan Republican, but as a committed fiscal conservative who reaches across party lines to promote the belief that lower taxes – not bigger government – is the best way to attract jobs and improve the local economy.”

“I am delighted by the quality and experience of the folks who have stepped forward to serve as special advisors to the Sipprelle for Congress campaign, in the capacity of County Campaign Leader,” said Sipprelle. “Together, we will wage a spirited and positive campaign to renew the American economy and reform our broken political system.”

Vote For Anna Little

The Right Klik hosts a poll each week featuring 10 conservative candidates nationwide, one of whom will get a "money bomb" campaign where donors are asked to donate $10 to the winner of the poll. Bloggers throughout the country are invited to post the poll on their blogs. The results are cumulative.

NJCD-6 Tea Party darling Anna Little is in the poll this week and has tough competition. As of 9am this morning she is leading with 29% of the vote.

Let's make sure she wins. The poll is posted below and on the side bar.



Donations to Little's campaign can be make here.

Dave Rible Addresses The Controversy

Assembly Minority Whip, Monmouth County's Dave Rible, was the subject of a hit piece on News12 earlier this month.

The story was originally broken by an unemployed reporter with a new website I will not name or link because it is so obscure that alexa.com doesn't even recognise the address, and because the unemployed reporter writes on his site that if you use his news without credit and a link that he reserves the right to hunt you down and treat you like a common politician. I want to see if he does. I'll treat him like I treated the last so-called investigative journalist I met.

MMM didn't cover the story when it came out because, 1) News12 broke it on the day of the primary and we were busy covering real news, 2) no one watches News12 anyway...this post will probably spike their web traffic, 3) I have experience with 'investigative journalists' who are more interested in garnering attention to themselves than they are in reporting the truth, and 4) I figured Dave would address it when the time was right. Apparently the time is right.

Unfortunately, the Asbury Park Press ran an editoral about the piece without doing any investigating of their own, and Steve Lonegan sent out a email blast about it. Steve has really been putting the jerk in knee-jerk lately.

Today our friend Joe Hadden, President of the Ocean Township Republican Club, sent out and email about the matter which included a letter from Rible. Here it is:

Joe Hadden's Letter:

My Fellow Republicans,

Earlier this month, News12 New Jersey ran an attack piece on Assemblyman Dave Rible. To put it kindly, it was sloppy journalism. Unfortunately, the Asbury Park Press ran a similar editorial a couple of days later. Both outlets left out facts in questioning Dave's integrity and the validity of injuries he sustained in pursuit of a criminal while he was serving as a Wall Township Police Officer. Dave sets the record straight in his letter below.

These attacks on Dave took place as we mourned the passing of State Trooper Marc Castellano, who was killed, oddly enough, while in pursuit of a criminal.

I fear we live in an era where we treat the police very much the way we treat our military. We support them while they're on the front line protecting us. We mourn them if they die in the process. However, if such men can not be of use as protectors nor as heroes, we treat them with indifference or suspicion. It is painfully obvious, that's how those who claim to be reporting news feel.

We are all fortunate that men such as Dave Rible have been willing to put themselves on the line to protect us. I am lucky to have Dave Rible serve as my Assemblyman in Trenton. And I am damn proud to consider him a friend.

Below is a letter from Dave, fully explaining the situation. Please read it so that you may know the truth without hyperbole and without insinuation.

Thank you,
Joe Hadden


Dave Rible's Letter

June, 2010

Recently, there has been some discussion about the disability pension that I receive as a result of the injuries I sustained as a Wall Township police officer.

As such, I wanted to take this opportunity to let you know the facts which led to my current situation.

My lifelong dream was to be a police officer and this dream was realized in 1987 when I was sworn in as a member of the Wall Township Police Department. During my tenure I received numerous awards and commendations and was eventually promoted to the rank of Detective. Put simply, I loved doing my job and looked forward to protecting the Wall Township community for at least twenty five years.

However, on October 17, 1993, my world literally came crashing down. It was on this day that, while attempting to apprehend a suspect, I fell off a 60 foot cliff. The impact of the fall resulted in several herniated discs and extensive nerve damage which ultimately required multiple back surgeries, one of which involved the insertion of a steel rod which I still have in my back today.

After surgery, I engaged in months of intense physical therapy in the hopes that I would be allowed to return to my job. Unfortunately, despite my fervent desire to return to work, the doctors decided that I was physically unable to perform a job that could require me to chase or restrain violent criminals--possibly in life-or-death situations that could involve fellow police officers or even innocent bystanders. That is when they gave me the devastating news that, because of my permanent disability, I could not return to being a police officer.

It is important to note that this decision was not based solely on the recommendation of my orthopedic surgeon. In fact, this determination was made by two independent doctors who were appointed by the Police and Firemen’s Retirement System Pension Board as well as an independent Medical Review Board which was also appointed by the Police and Firemen’s Pension Board.

Despite my bitter disappointment at learning that my law enforcement career was now over, I resolved to live life to the fullest, both physically and personally. To that end, I have followed the advice of the medical professionals that I engage in a regular physical exercise regimen in order to promote the health of my back and to maintain my overall physical well-being.

In addition, I have continued to serve my community by seeking and holding elected office as a member of the New Jersey General Assembly where I have worked to the best of my ability to represent the citizens whom I was elected to serve.
In closing, please know that while I respect the right of citizens to question the benefits that I am provided as a result of my injuries, I only ask that people learn the facts about my situation before they pass judgment.

Further, please also know that I am always available to you should you have any questions regarding this or any other matter.

As always, I thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Dave Rible
Minority Whip
Assemblyman, 11th District

One Good Plug Deserves Another

Greg Kelly's Monmouth County Life has named MoreMonmouthMusings one of Monmouth County's Best Blogs:

• MoreMonmouthMusings — Few Monmouth County bloggers, and few in general anywhere, write about local politics as clearly and quickly as does Art Gallagher. His online stuff is usually correct, often passionate, and always informative. His effort to address county issues is laudable. And he’s a true county bayshore man—so you know where he stands.

Thanks Greg!

Others to make Greg's cut are Bob Ingle's Politics Patrol, the Star Ledger's Paul Mulshine, Politickernj and RedBankGreen.

Since only MMM and RedBankGreen originate in Monmouth County, and since RedBankGreen insists it is not a blog, I win!

Monmouth County Life is a really good site. Greg is doing a wonderful job fulfilling his stated mission:

Welcome to MonmouthCountyLife.com. Today, more and more Americans are going online for their information and entertainment needs and Monmouth County is no different.

The need for an independent, fresh, professionally filtered, and thought-provoking online information resource for web-surfing county residents is overdue. After all, we’re a vibrant and curious community. MonmouthCountyLife.com will reflect and celebrate our way of life—which is among the best anywhere.

We’ll offer appealing local perspectives on Monmouth County—including content on news, culture, people, places, things to do, business, government, and history. We’ll identify and aggregate meaningful content, offering a spirited mix of useful information and easy navigation.

As a source of exceptional “sun and fun,” Monmouth County boasts a glorious history. Good times along our coastal community date to the 19th century. Right into today, the area is known for its cool breezes, invigorating waters, solid citizenry, capable businesses, and proud institutions. With more than 25 years of experience in local journalism, county native Greg Kelly has launched a new web site offering a digital portrait of this region’s exceptional lifestyle.

The publishers of MonmouthCountyLife.com will seek out, post, and comment on pertinent news and information—spotlighting county people and places—and deliver it all in an engaging and professional style. Visitors will return again and again to content that is quality and caring.

Our mission will always be to deliver a digital portrait depicting Monmouth County Life in an honest and honorable way.

Bookmark the site, or your can reach it on the MMM news links on the side bar.

A Conversation with Adam Geller

Adam Geller, CEO of National Research Inc. stopped by earlier this week to discuss the primary results, the impact of the Tea Parties and give us a look forward to the general election.

Adam was the pollster for Governor Chris Christie's campaign last year. He has a very impressive client list. He is a frequent guest on FoxNews and MSNBC.

We are very fortunate to have him vist with us.

Inconvenient Truth?

The Portland Oregon Police Department has released audio of their interview with the massage therapist who accused former Vice President Al Gore of sexual assault.

Warning: Parts of the recording are graphic. All of it is creepy.

Should Asbury Park Allow Topless Bathing?

The proposed topless beach in Asbury Park has made world wide news. Nothing makes headlines like mammaries.

The Asbury Park council is set to vote on an ordinance that would permit topless bathing at the city's 8th Street beach at their July 7th meeting.

The idea has been championed as a women's equal rights issue by Reggie Flimlin, owner of the Yoga Basin. If nothing else, Flimlin has generated a great deal of publicity for Asbury Park and her business.

So what do you think?

If the ordinance passes, Tommy DeSeno wants to write an article about it for MMM.

The Asbury Park Press editorial board thinks an ordinance is unnecessary, and that the police should just... uh hum....look the other way.

Dan Jacobson of the triCityNews is said to favor the idea. Mickey Gooch hopes it passes so that Dan will stay out of Rumson.

Here's a video of Tommy and Dan with an unknown accomplice during their youth:



What do you think? Is this an equal rights issue for women? Publicity stunt? Would it be good for Asbury Park? For Monmouth County? Will Tillie and his grin resurface?

Lonegan, Doherty, McHose and Carroll Could Learn A Thing Or Two From Dwight Kehoe

What do you get when conservatives punish the Republican Party? The answer....President Obama!


Open Letter to Tea Party Founders and Members
Friday, June 25, 2010

Dear Patriots,

First, I wish to thank all those taking part in and helping to organize the multi-group meeting in Toms River this past Wednesday. With a special thanks to Connie and Clark.

In that meeting, the passion each speaker displayed was, while not surprising, still amazing, and to see these wonderful patriots, giving of their time on a hot humid night, when sitting on the patio with families and friends would be so enjoyable, is nothing short of inspiring. When you see what these people sacrifice, weighed against the total apathy of 95% of the electorate, which stayed home this past election, it would be easy to fall victim to dismay and gloom. But, please do not. The fact that we are here, in rather large numbers, most of us having been part of the past lethargy, is proof there is hope.

As each speaker made his or her point, it dawned on me that so much of what we have done and accomplished, in such a small time, has been astounding. But also, and alas, much of what has been done, was ineffective and non-productive.

There are those that are still pushing for a 3rd party. This is so foolish that it is hard to gather the time to dispel it. Yes, we got our noses bloodied in most places in this last election. But we are fledgling. We will grow. We are growing everyday. It is not time to throw in the towel and hand every election to the libs. That is clearly what would happen, as bad as the RINOs are, they won't destroy this country as the Democratic party is doing. If one needs any proof about this 3rd party scenario, just ask yourself how elated you would be if George Soros announced he was creating and funding a Progressive Party that would compete for votes from the Dems.

Also, we heard from those, so disappointed that the GOP beat them and their candidates, that they were considering, not voting for the Republican Primary winner. This, of course, while on an emotional level may be soothing, but on a practical one, is disastrous. A true patriot falling into the same category of the apathetic. Any no vote, is a vote for the enemy. A final note on this. What do you get when conservatives punish the Republican Party? The answer.....President Obama!

Several of the speakers made it clear that their Tea Parties do not endorse or support candidates. The next question then, must be, what the heck are you doing? Does your Tea Party have hundreds of thousands of dollars to "educate" the voting public in competition with the millions the well heeled RINO's will spend? For what purpose does your group exist? To satisfy the feeling that you are at least "doing something"? Because, without endorsing and supporting, as a group, that will be and was, all it accomplished.

There were about 14 Tea Party groups in the room on Wednesday. Thirteen of them had something in common. They all lost their congressional races and, in some cases, by a large margin. What else do these groups have in common? None of them chose to endorse or support a "Tea Party Approved" candidate. Some, it's true, gave tacit approval that never went beyond a one day press release. Compared to the hundreds of thousands of dollars spent by the RINOs, melting the Arctic with a Bic lighter may have gotten better results.

So, as the primary voter goes into the booth, taking a brief time out from his normal activities, as he scans the ballot he sees the GOP candidate, has heard his name and seen his picture, hundreds of times over the past month. Oh!, there is another name there, but who the heck is he? Which candidate is going to get his vote? No brain-er.

On the other hand, the same voter goes into the booth, scans the ballot, again he sees the familiar GOP name but now he also sees, Republican- "Tea Party Approved". He may not have heard that persons name but he sure as heck has heard of the Tea Party and knows what they stand for. At least, now the voter has a choice. The same old GOP or a Tea Party constitutionalist.

Is this a proven winning scenario? The facts speak for them selves. The answer is a resounding Yes! The Bayshore Tea Party Group, endorsed and supported two candidates. Both those candidates used the slogan "Republican- Tea Party Approved" on their ballot. Our two candidates were out spent by the RINO's by a total of $1,060,000.00 to $70,000.00. The regular GOP had name recognition, for sure, but our candidates did too. The name "Tea Party".

As everyone knows, Anna Little won her primary and by a very small number. But it was an astounding victory and upset. Our other candidate, Dave Corsi did not win, but in a sense, what he did was even more of a victory for him and the Tea Party than Anna's. Dave spent $6,000. to Sipprelle's estimated $640,000.00. Dave actually beat the GOP guy in Monmouth County by over 1,300 votes. If it were not for Sipprelle getting the support from a Philadelphia group of "handi-cappers", which allowed him to muddy the waters in Middlesex, by claiming "Tea Party Endorsed" in his commercials, Dave actually could have won too.

This letter is meant in no way to disparage or demean any of the fine, hard working Patriots that have endeavored to help get our country back. It is meant only for each group's edification and evaluation. If our movement is going to continue to grow, and we are going to continue to request sacrifices form our members, it is important for them to know the time away from their families is being well spent and productive.

Each of our groups have to look at the other to see what has worked and what has not. Where mistakes were made and what directions show success. We at Bayshore Tea Party Group, made a few errors during this campaign that we are in th process of correcting for the next cycle. If anyone would like to take part in those discussions, please come to our next meeting, Sunday, June 27th, 4:00 PM at the IHOP in Keyport.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and in the words of one of our leaders, Mark Falzon, "Charge, Dammit".

Sincerely,
Dwight Kehoe
Bayshore Tea Party Group

Republicans' Midterm Voting Enthusiasm Tops Prior Years

From Gallop:

Relative enthusiasm advantage for GOP over Democrats largest in Gallup history dating to 1994

PRINCETON, NJ, -- An average of 59% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents have said they are more enthusiastic than usual about voting this year compared with past elections, the highest average Gallup has found in a midterm election year for either party since the question was first asked in 1994.



Read the full article here.

Rome Wasn't Built In A Day

New Jersey's conservative "leadership" suffered a tremendous set back in its political influence this week. Not surprisingly, the damage was self-inflicted. I have to wonder, when New Jersey voters amended the state constitution in 2007 giving idiots the right to vote, if they didn't have the state's rigid ideological conservatives in mind.

Republican Assembly members Alision McHose and Michael Patrick Carroll and Senator Michael Doherty announced that they would not vote for the budget that was agreed upon by Republican Governor Chris Christie and the Democratic legislative leadership. The Democrats who control the legislature have agreed to provide Christie just enough votes to pass his budget which closes an projected $11 billion dollar deficit without raising income taxes.

When Christie introduced his budget in March, his proposed spending cuts were so severe and the Democratic opposition so passionate that many predicted New Jersey was headed for its second government shutdown in four years. Christie negotiated with the Democrats over how the $29.4 billion budget would be spent, but wouldn't budge on the amount to be spent. He raised some user fees on government services, but stood firm on his commitment not to raise income taxes.

After the agreement was announced, McHose, Carroll and Doherty announced they wouldn't go along. They say the budget is not fair to the middle class and is too generous to the former Abbott districts. They are correct. They are also wrong, and idiotic, to withhold their support of the budget.

Christie's budget stinks. The left hates it, the unions hate it, conservatives hates it, the moderates hate it. Christie even hates it. We are in terrible economic times and worse fiscal shape. We are coming off a 16 year tax, spend and borrow orgy that was lead by Governors Whitman, DiFrancesco, McGreevey, Codey and Corzine. Christie's ugly and imperfect budget, as agreed to by the Democrats, is a tremendous accomplishment. Christie has altered the culture. He has reversed the course of New Jersey's fiscal insanity. This budget is the first step in returning New Jersey to prosperity and growth.

The last minute stunt by McHose, Carroll and Doherty is not a matter of principle.

It is idiocy.

They have sacrificed their own political influence going forward. As the most "purely conservative" members of the legislature, they have set back conservatives ability to shape policy. They have given the tax, spend and borrow Democrats leverage over Governor Christie who is now in a position of having to choose between shutting the government down, or making expensive concessions to the Democrats in order to get a budget passed.

A budget that was "fair," one that corrected all of the inequities of the school funding formula imposed by the State Supreme Court in the Abbott decision, and required the urban areas of New Jersey to start paying their own way, would never have passed the Democratic legislature. Nor would such a budget survived a challenge to the Supreme Court. The damage caused by the socialist drift of New Jersey over the last 16 years is not going to be corrected in one budget cycle. Anyone who thinks the inequities be corrected in one year, with a Democratic legislature and a socialist Supreme Court in power, is an idiot.

McHose, Carroll and Doherty should plead temporary insanity, support the budget, and get to work on repairing the damage they have done to the conservative movement and their careers.

Kyleigh's Law: Does It Matter?

These Safety Tips Will Make a Difference

By Grace Cangemi

I have watched with interest the debate about Kyleigh’s Law. As a state certified Rape Care Advocate who once taught classes on reducing the risk of sexual assault, I’m greatly concerned that well-meaning folks are going after the low-hanging fruit without actually making kids safer.

Do stickers identify young drivers? Yes they do. But for years, without stickers, youthful drivers have been giving away clues that lead predators to them. These new stickers may assist some predators in finding victims. They will assist law enforcement in identifying young drivers. But, just as most cops can sniff out a kid behind the wheel, so can a practiced predator.

Instead of (or at least as well as) clamoring for a repeal to this law, parents need to take a good look at what their kids have been taught about reducing risk. A sticker that says “My Kid is an Honor Student at XYZ High School” tells any practiced bad guy that this honor student might well be driving the car. Same with “XYZ High School Soccer” or “Cheerleading.”

We can’t eliminate predators, but we can reduce the risk to our kids by teaching them a few simple rules – letting them know what predators have told us they look for when seeking a victim in a car.

1. NO JUNK ON THE PASSENGER SEAT. A pile of stuff (and especially text books) on your passenger seat says “There’s no one with me.” And girls, please don’t leave clues that you’re girls – no fashion magazines on the seat, shopping bags, and fru fru stuff hanging from the rear view.

2. If you feel that you are being followed, don’t go home unless it’s your only choice. Use your cell phone, if you have one, to call for help, then find a place with plenty of activity and pull in blaring your horn. If you know where the police station is, head for it. If you’re in an unfamiliar place, look for signs for hospitals. Emergency Rooms are open 24 hours a day and there is usually more signage to direct you to a hospital than to a police station.

3. Park in well-lit locations and try to have someone walk you to your car. If you work in a mall, make friends with a security person or buddy up with a friend so that you’re not alone in a dark parking lot.


4. Headphones block out sound. Don’t use them while walking to your car or in any unsafe or unfamiliar environments.


5. If anyone approaches you as you attempt to get into your car, throw the keys as far from the vehicle as you can. No predator is going to crawl around in a parking lot looking for your keys and risk getting caught. Predators look for easy marks. He will move on.

6. Trust your instincts. If you think someone is following you, act as if you are in immediate danger. In any situation, if someone feels threatening to you, trust the voice inside your head and act to get away. If you are near people or in a situation where yelling will draw attention, yell “Fire!” Kids call for help all the time when they’re joking around. “Fire!” catches people’s attention.

Kids were victimized long before Kyleigh’s Law was passed. As the debate continues, please educate your kids on more ways that they can be safer.

The Crisis in Public Sector Pension Plans: A Blueprint for Reform in New Jersey

Across the country, state public sector pensions are underfunded by as much as $3 trillion. In New Jersey alone, the state's five defined benefit plans are underfunded by an estimated $173 billion, the equivalent of the next five years of state spending combined. State actuaries estimate New Jersey’s pension plans will begin to run out of money to pay benefits in 2013.

Policy makers in Trenton and in capitals around the country have been loath to take on the root of the problem: unrealistic assumptions about returns that have created a fiscal time bomb for the states. Only significant reform can circumvent the pending meltdown.

In The Crisis in Public Sector Pension Plans: A Blueprint for Reform in New Jersey, Eileen Norcross and Andrew Biggs suggest a menu of options for New Jersey and other state policy makers -- and project the costs of doing nothing.

Specifically, the paper recommends that policy makers:

• Extend the defined contribution plan already available to state university faculty and staff and the state's Defined Contribution Retirement Program to all state employees.
• Reduce or freeze cost of living adjustments (COLAs) to reduce the state's unfunded liability.
• Transition non-vested workers to defined contribution plans.

Many states face underfunded public sector pensions, and the hole that New Jersey has dug for itself is one of the worst. This paper represents a step forward in understanding how state policy makers can address public pension reform in a meaningful, sustainable, and honest fashion.

For more information about the Mercatus Center, click here.

Pallone: "Technology Can't Solve The Problem"

"Everything that can be invented has been invented,"

-- Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, US Office of Patents, 1899.

Anna Little: Pallone’s Dereliction of Duty Contributed to Gulf Oil Spill

Rigorous oversight could have prevented tragedy

Highlands, NJ - Republican nominee for congress from New Jersey’s 6th district, Highlands Mayor Anna Little, today called upon Congressman Frank Pallone to accept responsibility for his negligence regarding his oversight responsibilities that directly contributed to the Gulf oil spill disaster.

“The recent news that our federal government knew of serious problems with BP’s operations in the Gulf of Mexico as early as February, two months before the explosion that killed 11 people, caused billions of dollars in economic turmoil and unimaginable environmental damage is appalling,” said Little, “As a senior member of the congressional committee with oversight jurisdiction of these operations, Frank Pallone is culpable. It is appalling that our government, through the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce could have and should have prevented this disaster, yet did nothing.”

Pallone, a 22 year incumbent, is a senior member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce with oversight jurisdiction over exploration, production, storage, supply, marketing, pricing, and regulation of energy resources, including all fossil fuels.

Pallone issued a “tweet” on June 18 saying that he was, “Frustrated w/BP CEO’s nonresponses at yesterday’s hrg - Gulf coast residents & Amer. [People] deserve better explanation for causes of this mess.”

Little agrees, “The American people and the residents of New Jersey’s 6th district do deserve an explanation for the causes of this mess. However, we also deserve and explanation as to why Frank Pallone , his colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee, as well as the Obama administration’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement failed to prevent this ongoing disaster from happening given the information they had in February. It is little wonder that the American people have such a low esteem for Congress.”

Judge Blocks Obama's Moratorium on Deep-Water Oil Drilling, A.P. Reports

From the NY Times:

A federal judge in New Orleans issued an injunction against a
six-month moratorium on new deep-water oil and gas drilling
projects that was imposed by the Obama administration after
an explosion on a drilling rig led to a vast oil spill in the
Gulf of Mexico, the Associated Press reported.

The White House said the administration would appeal the
ruling.

Ruling in favor of oilfield services companies whose business
suffered under the moratorium, District Judge Martin Feldman
said that the Interior Department failed to provide adequate
reasoning for the moratorium, and instead merely seemed to
assume that one rig failure meant all deep-water drilling
posed an imminent danger.

Read More:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/06/22/us/AP-US-Gulf-Oil-Spill.html?emc=na

UPDATE 4:41 PM

Frank Pallone issued the following statement about the court decision:

“This is a reckless decision that goes against both the president’s decision to enact a moratorium and the recommendations of the president’s bi-partisan commission to study the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. In the two months since the spill occurred, we have found neither a cause of the spill or a way to fix the leaking pipe. Given this, how can we possibly move forward with deepwater drilling? I’m emphatically opposed to any new offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico or anywhere off America’s coastline and support the administration’s decision to challenge this ruling.”

Anna Little responded with the following statement:

"As an attorney, Frank Pallone should know better than to call a federal judge's decision based on law reckless. Once again, Pallone and the Democrats in Washington have little regard for the constitution. There is legislation on the books that permits drilling. The moratorium may well be unconstitutional. The court has ruled that it is illegal.

The Obama administration's failure to take the spill seriously as soon as the explosion occurred was reckless. More egregiously, Frank Pallone and his colleagues on the House Energy and Commerce Committee as well as the Mineral and Mining Service failed to ensure there were proper safe guards in place before drilling occurred, and in the case of BP, they failed to take corrective action once serious problems were reported to them two months prior to the explosion that cause the current tragedy.

A drilling moratorium is devastating to the Gulf states economies and cost thousands of Americans their jobs. Before long, a moratorium would have a negative impact on our fragile economy in New Jersey as fuel prices will inevitably rise.

Frank Pallone and the Obama administration should stop playing politics with this disaster and start doing their jobs. Drilling should resume, but only under the safest conditions with the safety of each rig evaluated before it goes online.

All efforts to stop the ongoing spill and to contain the damage must go forward without delay."

Just How Phoney is Pallone?

Everybody knows Frank Pallone is a protector of the environment and New Jersey's beaches. Right?

As the news out of Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico keeps getting worse smart politicos seem to think that Pallone is going to hang his hat on his environmental record in the hopes that pictures of pelicans covered in oil will turn back the Tea Party tide on the Jersey Shore.

Pallone is holding hearings on the health effects of the oil spill. That's important. But the real question is, "What could Pallone have done to prevent the spill?"

BP was drilling in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico as a result of the Outer Continental Shelf Deep Water Royalty Relief Act of 1995 which was signed into law by President Clinton on November 28, 1995.

In an effort to promote the exploration and production of natural gas and crude oil in deep water, the Outer Continental Shelf Deep Water Royalty Relief Act (DWRRA) implemented a royalty-relief program that relieves eligible leases from paying royalties on defined amounts of deep-water production.

Pallone must have voted against that law, right? Wrong. Frank Pallone voted for DWRRA. It took some drilling, but I finally found it.

DWRRA was Senate Bill 395 in the 104th Congress (1995-1996). It passed the Senate on March 16, 1995. The House Bill was HR 70 which passed in the House on with a roll call vote of 324 ayes to 77 nays on July 24, 1995. Pallone voted AYE. The bill passed the House again on July 25, WITHOUT OBJECTION.

Pallone voted NO on the bill that came out of conference committee. He was FOR IT twice before he was against it.

So Frank has it both ways. Phoney Palloney.

I'm not saying Pallone caused the Gulf oil spill. Until today, I would not have even suggested he could have prevented. He could have.

Bloomberg broke the news today that BP "was struggling to seal cracks in its Macondo well as far back as February, more than two months before an explosion killed 11 and spewed oil into the Gulf of Mexico."

The government, through the Minerals Management Service was informed of the cracks on February 13.

Where was Frank? Where was the Energy and Commerce Committee? They're doing investigations now, but the horse is out of the barn. Instead of providing congressional oversight, Pallone, Pelosi and Waxman are providing aftersight. Oh it was an oversight all right.

Just like with the BRACing of Fort Monmouth and just like the new FEMA maps, Pallone has a lot to say after the damage is done. Where was he when he could have made a difference? In February he was busy working on ObamaCare.

Remember that when you see his commercials featuring oily pelicans and when he tries to define Anna Little as dangerous to New Jersey's beaches.

By the way, Pallone issued a statement today condemning the attacks on soldiers of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. That's really important to the people of New Jersey's 6th congressional district.

Thanks Frank, Thanks Rush

CD-6 and CD-12 Jobs are exported to Maryland's 2nd Congressional District:

Ruppersberger Breaks Ground for New Corporate Campus to House New BRAC Jobs Near APG

ManTech Will Create 300 Jobs and Be First Tenant at Water’s Edge Corporate Campus

(Aberdeen, MD), June 15 – Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) joined Maryland leaders and broke ground on a new corporate campus to house hundreds of new, good-paying, high-tech jobs coming to Harford County as part of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) decision. ManTech International Corporation, a government contractor, expects to bring 300 jobs to the area and will be the first tenant at the Water’s Edge Corporate Campus near Aberdeen Proving Ground.

“Jobs are the gasoline that powers our nation’s economy. When you have a job, you can support your family and your community. Jobs are tough to come by in this challenging economy. It is exciting news to hear that ManTech is expanding and growing here in Harford County,” said Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger. “Maryland prides itself on offering businesses a well-educated, highly skilled workforce. ManTech is tapping into this great resource.”

The estimated 60,000 new jobs coming to Aberdeen Proving Ground, Fort Meade, and other bases in Maryland through BRAC are a boon for the local economy if done correctly. The Maryland Delegation lobbied for these good paying jobs and has ensured Maryland has the necessary resources to upgrade and expand Maryland’s infrastructure to prepare for them. Through Congressman Ruppersberger’s work on the Appropriations Committee, he has helped secure millions of dollars for dozens of infrastructure projects – everything from upgrading our roads, highways, and bridges, improving our mass transit options, increasing support for our first responders and law enforcement officials, expanding our schools and hospitals and protecting the Chesapeake Bay and our environment.

ManTech currently has 9,000 employees worldwide. 700 of those positions are already in Maryland. The 63,000 square-foot facility is scheduled to be finished in March 2011.
___________

By the way, Pallone issued a statement today condemning the attacks on soldiers of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. That's really important to the people of New Jersey's 6th congressional district.

Why Rush Holt Doesn't Host Live Town Hall Meetings Anymore

Good morning Frank. Good morning Rush. See you again this afternoon.

Rush Holt would rather have controlled conference calls with his constituents than to meet them in public. His next controlled call is June 29 at 7:20 PM. You can sign up to be on that call here.

Retired weekly shopper writer, the award winning Kathy Baratta has taken to commenting here at MMM in defense of Rush Holt's conduct at Town Hall meetings because her own venue only has 39 views on the topic since I raised it last Thursday.

Kathy said that Rush Holt did not rip the microphone from Rhoda Chodosh's hand during the January 25 Town Hall meeting in Marlboro. I wasn't there, so I figured I go looking for other videos of the event. This is a good one.

At about the 2:40 mark of this video you will see that Rhoda got Holt's attention and he stepped away from the mic, surrendering it to her and then having second thoughts and grabbing it back.

Later in the video Holt tells us where jobs come from. Right Rush, and babies come from storks. In Rush's world the results show up without doing what it takes. In reality everyone gets screwed by the Holt, Pallone, Pelosi agenda, especially future generations.

Towards the end of this video, Holt threatens to "take the people who actually want to have a discussion" into another room, leaving the people who want to be heard. He also points a constituent who wants to be heard to the door.

On the conference call next week, Holt will control the "discussion."

Rush and Rhoda: Another View

Retired weekly shopper writer Kathy Baratta has taken issue with my characterization of what happened at Rush Holt's Town Hall meeting in Marlboro last January. She says the video is very clear and that Rush did not rip the microphone from Rhoda's hands.

Kathy did not address the main point of the post, i.e., that Holt rushes from Rhoda whenever he sees her now.

On another venue, Kathy said I was a toady political hack who fancies himself a king maker. That Kathy is so cute and clever.

Kathy was also critical of the fact that I did not post all of her comments. That's true, I felt one of her comments was over the top.

In fairness to all, I thought it only appropriate that we take another view of the controversial exchange between Rush and Rhoda.

Thanks Kathy!

What Should Phoney Palloney's Next Job Be?

Phoney Frank Palloney, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Rush from Rhoda Holt and Trenton Mayor Doug Palmer highlight the need for federal funding for clean renewable energy programs and green-job training during a visit to the Isles' YouthBuild Institute in Trenton.

The banner should read, "Isles, fostering self-reliance through federal funding."


We know he's wanted his next job to be U.S. Senator. However it is beginning to look as though that ship sailed when Frankie turned down the opportunity to replace Robert Torricelli when "the Torch" was forced to withdraw in shame from his 2002 reelection bid. Phoney was hoping to be appointed to the Senate if Frank Lautenberg failed to complete his term. That hope faded when Chris Christie sent Jon Corzine back to Wall Street.

This November the voters will remove Phoney Palloney from the job he hasn't really wanted for at least the last four terms. That will doom his U.S. Senate dreams. His war chest will be spent down and he will no longer be seen as electable after losing to Anna Little.

So what will Frankie do? Many former congressmen become lobbyists. I guess he could do that. The special interests have been funding his campaign coffers for years. Putting him on the payroll wouldn't be much of a stretch. This would be good for him too because he could stay in Washington and not uproot his family.

I've speculated that he wants to be an Ambassador to India or Ireland given his knowledge of historical events in those countries and his pandering to his constituents of Indian and Irish decent. He'll probably feel differently when he confronts how poorly he does in those communities come November. Besides, India doesn't need anymore hot air and Ireland has a surplus of blarney.

He was once Pat Menna's law partner for two weeks. Maybe he can join Pat's latest firm. Of course that would require uprooting his family, unless the firm opens an office on K Street in Washington.

Maybe Frankie will become of real estate agent or closing attorney in Aberdeen, Maryland. Could be a good opportunity for him as many of his former constituents who have worked for years at Fort Monmouth will be looking for housing in the area next year. Also, it is not a bad commute from Washington, so he wouldn't have to uproot his family.

Save The Date

Rush Holt is having a Telephone Town Hall Meeting (he doesn't dare have a live in person meeting since he met Rhoda)on Tuesday June 29 at 7:20PM.

You can sign up to be on the call here.

Unity

An overflow crowd of over 250 Tea Party activist and rank and file Republicans gathered this morning in Hazlet at the Park East restaurant for the Affiliated Republican Club of Monmouth County's GOP Breakfast of Champions.

Highlights of the morning:

Anna Little received a standing ovation when she arrived!

Scott Sipprelle declared that "there's a wave coming this November. It is not a Republican wave, it is a wave or moral clarity." He received a spontaneous standing ovation.



John Curley said, "I can't wait until November 3rd when Rahm Emanuel enters the Oval Office to warn the President, There's a bus coming down the New Jersey Turnpike with Chris Smith, Scott Sipprelle and Anna Little. We're in trouble."

John Costigan announced that he is writing an OpEd piece for the Asbury Park Press to correct their editorial that said the Monmouth GOP was split. He then introduced Joe Oxley.

Photos by Rhoda Chodosh

Ticked Off

From DiseaseDatabase.org

Lymerights protest outside and inside Congressman Frank Pallone’s district office for the Lyme Research Bill, HR 741. Rep. Pallone had just issued a statement saying he is capitulating to lobbyists for the Infectious Diseases Society, a corrupt organization that stands in direct opposition to patient interests in Lyme disease.

HR 741, which was sponsored by Rep Chris Smith, died in Pallone's Health care Subcommittee in 2008.

Who is Frank Pallone?

Mickey Gooch has an interesting column in this week's Two River Times.

Mickey shares some nuggets:

The biggest challenge revealed by the poll was getting a message out to define Pallone. It is remarkable how few constituents have any opinion either way about Pallone, many know little about him and have rarely seen him in public. But when educated about his role in the Pelosi administration having voted with Pelosi over 99 percent of the time, we found that Pallone's favorable and no-opinion ratings swung quickly to the negative.

Mickey doesn't say how few constituents have no opinion of Pallone, know little about him or have rarely seen him in public. Yet he says defining Pallone was the biggest challenge. He also said the Little campaign did a remarkable job defining Diane, who was not well known prior to the primary.

Nor does Mickey tell us how far Pallone's favorable and no-opinion ratings swung negative when the respondents were pushed to identify him with Pelosi.

Despite Pallone's apparent weaknesses, Mickey writes that their polling data indicated that a moderate Republican would be running even with Pallone, a "jump ball," Mickey said.

We don't know if the Gooches polled how Pallone performs against a conservative Republican. One would think that either they didn't ask or they asked and the conservative outperformed the moderate. Otherwise it would have made since to use the polling data during the primary rather than in a post primary piece. Another possibility is that a conservative polled better among primary voters.

Pallone has said he is running on his progressive record. Yet he has also hinted that he will run to the right of his record. He told BlueJersey, "...Government should not do everything. But when we're in a recession - in tough times - that's not when the government should sit back and do less. We need to help out."

From my perspective, one of the reasons Pallone may be hard to define is that he communicates his radical progressive positions as if they are reasonable. If Mickey's data is accurate, i.e., that Pallone is largely unknown after 22 years in congress, this race might be easier than I thought it would be.

Is Phoney Palloney Angling For An Ambassadorship?

Good morning Frank. Good morning Rush. See you again this afternoon.

What's with Frank Pallone's sudden interest in events that happened overseas decades ago?

Last week we saw Phoney Palloney issue a statement calling for the extradition of former Union Carbide CEO Warren Anderson to India to answer charges on the Bhopal gas disaster that happened in 1984.

This week he issued a statement on the Bloody Sunday massacre that occurred in Derry, Northern Ireland in January of 1972, over 38 years ago.

Maybe if Pallone paid more attention to events in CD-6 New Jersey, like the BRACing of Fort Monmouth, the new FEMA maps on the bayshore resulting in huge flood insurance increases for his constituents, and the crumbling of Fort Hancock on Sandy Hook that he flipped flopped on but never made an impact with, he'd stand a better chance of keeping his job.

Maybe if he cared more about what the residents of CD-6 care about than what Nancy Pelosi and Henry Waxman care about he'd stand a better chance of keeping his job.

What's with all this noise about stuff that happened decades ago? He's even going back to the 1920's and 30's. He saw how the campaign he chaired for Jon Corzine failed last year when they tried to run against George W. Bush instead of Chris Christie. So now he's planning to run against Herbert Hoover instead of Anna Little. Good luck with that Frank. I think I'll do a man on the street video piece and ask people what Herbert Hoover was famous for. My guess is that more people will say for making vacuum cleaners than for being President of the United States.

Maybe Frank is hoping for an Ambassadorship to India or Ireland next year.

More likely he is pandering to the Indian and Irish communities of CD-6. We Irish invented blarney Frank, it is not going to work. Not on us and not on the Indians either.

Fundraiser for Trooper Castelano's family

The Cabin Restaurant on Route 33 in Howell is running a fundraiser on Wednesday, June 30th.

20% of the days proceeds will directly benefit Trooper Marc Castellano's family.

Rush From Rhoda

It has come to our attention that some MMM readers don't get the reference in Rush Holt's new nickname, Rush from Rhoda.

Rhoda Chodosh is the woman from whose hand Holt famously ripped a microphone during a Town Hall meeting in Marlboro last January.



Now whenever Rush sees Rhoda, at a parade or other public event, he runs the other way.

MMM apologises for the confusion.

GOP Breakfast of Champions

Don't forget Saturday's rally in Hazlet.

Come out and meet Anna Little, Scott Sipprelle, Sheriff Shaun Golden, Freeholder Rob Clifton, Mayor Tom Arnone and the spies for Phoney Frank Palloney and Rush from Rhoda Holt.

The spies will be the ones who keep fiddling with their IPhones, trying to shoot video while the devices on on their ears. You'll know it is them because their phones will be on their ears but they won't be talking because they won't want to spoil the audio. Keep an eye out for them and give them a warm welcome.

If your coming on Saturday morning,

9 AM to 11 AM
Park East Bistro
(formerly the Shore Point Inn)
Highway 35 and Holmdel Road
Hazlet, New Jersey 07730

don't forget to bring a check. Mary Fran Lane does not accept cash at Affiliated Club events. $15 to the Affiliated Republican Club of Monmouth County.

Call 732-280-1185 and leave a message that you are coming. There is likely to be a large turnout.

Feisty Foe For Phoney Palloney

Good morning Frank. Good morning Rush. See you again this afternoon.

MMM extends a warm welcome to our new most frequent readers, Phoney Frank Palloney, Rush from Rhoda Holt and their staffs. Please remind your trackers to bring checks on Saturday morning. Mary Fran Lane does not accept cash at Affiliated Republican Club events. The checks should be payable to "Affiliated Republican Club of Monmouth County."

The Asbury Park Press has a nice editorial about the CD-6 race this morning, Feisty foe for Phoney Palloney. That isn't really the headline. Not this time. But even if they don't write it they will be thinking it before long. Like Phoney Frank and Rush from Rhoda, the APP checks in here a couple of times per day too.

The APP did better than usual this morning. They got it half right. They are spot on in their assessment of Little. But they have completely misread the mood of the GOP which they think is divided.

This Little-Pallone race is uniting the GOP in ways previously thought impossible. Who would ever have predicted that Steve Lonegan and Joe Kyrillos would both be headline fundraisers for the same candidate? That's happening.

CD-6 is on the verge of becoming ground zero of the Tea Party movement as the Monmouth and Middlesex GOP embrace their new partners while the rest of the GOP nationally is still trying to figure out what to do about them.

NJCD-6 is going to be a national bell weather this fall. Frank Pallone is finally going to get the recognition that has eluded him for two decades in Washington. The self proclaimed architect of ObamaCare is going to be exposed and defeated. President Obama can them make him Ambassador to India.

Mary Mahoney Wants Your Input

Mary Mahoney is running for Middletown Township Committee as a Democrat this year. The Asbury Park Press published this letter from her:

As a resident of Middletown for 24 years, I have enjoyed the roles of wife, mother and successful businesswoman. For the last 10 years, I have worked to improve our community, serving as a PTA volunteer and board member and, until recently, as a director on the board of the Lincroft Village Green Association.

The township's ill-planned approach to building turf fields opened my eyes to the serious shortcomings of our local government.

This experience and the extreme challenges facing our state and township convinced me to get more involved. As a result, I have decided to pursue a seat on the Middletown Township Committee.

I welcome residents' input and shared commitment.

Mary E. Mahoney
MIDDLETOWN

Let's give Mary a MMM welcome and lots of input and shared commitment in the comments.

Diane Gooch Has Nothing To Be Embarrassed About

Politickernj's Max Pizarro wrote today that Diane Gooch chose not to seek a recount of the CD-6 primary results in part because of embarrassment:

In part embarrassed by the results in her home county, Gooch yesterday formally succumbed to Little, deciding against pursuing a recount and letting her rival's 84-vote margin of victory stand.

Max didn't site a source. I can't imagine that Diane or Mickey told him, "We're not going forward with a recount because we're embarrassed that we didn't do well in Monmouth County."

Mickey and Diane might have felt embarrassed by the results. I remember feeling embarrassed the first time I lost an election in Highlands. I put so much into the campaign. I was confident that I was the best candidate and was going to win. I was really going to make a much needed difference in my community. I had laid it all on the line and the voters chose a mechanic and a cook over me and my running mate, also a well educated businessman who was in it for the right reasons.

It stung. I thought people were laughing at me behind my back. If only we had done XX, or hadn't done YY.

Now that I've been at this a while I realise that most people went back to their regularly scheduled programing after voting and could care less about me and if I won or lost.

Wikipedia has a good definition of embarrassment:

Embarrassment is an emotional state experienced upon having a socially or professionally unacceptable act or condition witnessed by or revealed to others. Usually some amount of loss of honour or dignity is involved, but how much and the type depends on the embarrassing situation.

From where I stand there have been no socially or professionally unacceptable acts or conditions witnessed or revealed to others associated with the Gooches. Not involving this campaign or otherwise and I should know, I investigated them!

There is no loss of honour or dignity as a result of the campaign they waged.

Quite the opposite is true. The Gooches provided a great service to the 6th congressional district, to the Monmouth and Middlesex GOPs, to New Jersey and to the United States of America.

Running for office is an honorable endeavor if done for the right reasons. I believe Diane Gooch ran for the right reasons. To make a positive difference and to serve her country. There is great dignity in taking the risk to enter what many consider an undignified arena for the purpose of service. Diane Gooch did that. Most don't.

Anna Little is a stronger candiate to take on Frank Pallone than she would have been had she gained the party lines in March and not fought a primary. Had the results turned out differently, Diane Gooch would have been a much stronger candidate after having waged the primary than if the general election were to be her first campaign.

The Monmouth GOP is stronger as a result of the just completed race as well. I witnessed an invigorated, engaged and determined party at the GOP convention last night. The presence of so many Tea Party activists who before this primary were hardly involved in the political process becoming committee members is an awesome development for the party and for America.

The electorate and the media are engaged in the coming race to a much larger extent than they would have been had the Gooches not stepped up and put themselves on the line.

CD-6, New Jersey, the GOP and America are much better off than we were three months ago because of Diane and Mickey Gooch. They have nothing to be embarrassed about. They don't owe us anything. We owe them our gratitude.

I am grateful. I admire who they are and their efforts.

Meet Our 2010 Republican Candidates!

Join Anna Little to celebrate our victory together, Saturday, June 19th:

AFFILIATED REPUBLICAN CLUB OF MONMOUTH COUNTY

GOP Breakfast of Champions:

Meet and Greet our 2010 Outstanding Republican Candidates
Saturday, June 19, 2010
9 AM to 11 AM
Park East Bistro
(formerly the Shore Point Inn)
Highway 35 and Holmdel Road
Hazlet, New Jersey 07730

Plenty of great food, fun
and Republican fellowship!

Just $15 per person! All are welcome!

Telephone: (732) 280-1185

visit their website: www.monmouthcountyrepublicanparty.org

Sipprelle, Corsi & Halfacre United to Defeat Holt in NJ-12

June 16, 2010 – Calling the 2010 congressional elections “critical” and saying there is far more that unites them than separates them, Republicans Scott Sipprelle, David Corsi and Mike Halfacre today pledged a united front in the battle to defeat Rush Holt and derail Nancy Pelosi’s agenda this November.

“Our country is headed down a dangerous path,” said Fair Haven Mayor Mike Halfacre. “The reckless fiscal agenda being implemented by Nancy Pelosi and rubber-stamped by Rush Holt threatens both our present and our future prosperity and it must be stopped. As a small town Mayor, a father and a proud Reagan fiscal conservative, I urge all my supporters to unite behind Scott’s candidacy and work towards his election in November.”

“I am proud of the campaign I ran and thankful for all the good people who supported me on June 8th,” said businessman David Corsi. “Today I am calling on all of them to get behind Scott Sipprelle and work just as hard for him as they did for me. Scott shares our passion for America, our goal of defeating Rush Holt, and our determination to end Nancy Pelosi’s reign as Speaker of the House. He has my full support and confidence.”

“I am thankful to have earned the support of both Mike and Dave for the rigorous campaign ahead, and mindful that I could not be successful in November without them or their passionate supporters,” said Sipprelle. “My message today is one of unity and of pursuing our common vision of economic renewal and political reform so that we can preserve the American Dream for future generations. I look forward to working with all of you to deliver victory in November.”

Governor Christie in Perth Amboy: A Day Of Reckoning

Oxley Reelected Monmouth GOP Chair, Gooch Remains Vice Chair

Joe Oxley was elected to a second term as Chairman of the Monmouth County Republican Organization this evening.

Oxley bested Howell Township Chairman John Costigan 188-153.

In her nominating speech for Oxley, Freeholder Director Lillian Burry told the assembled county committee members that she was "not asking them to vote against John Costigan" but rather for the strength and stability that Oxley has provided "as we prepare to take our government back, I mean the one in Washington."

Jennifer DiLorenzo, the Monmouth Beach Municipal Chairwoman, seconded Oxley's nomination by reading a statement from CD-6 GOP nominee Anna Little asking the committee to reelect Oxley.

Costigan told the committee of the difference he has made throughout 40 years as a volunteer for Republican causes and promised to export the successes he has worked for throughout the county. He was particularly critical of the candidate selection process that Oxley implemented over the last two years, declaring, "Anna Little should not have had to defeat the Monmouth County line." He promised to bring back the convention system.

During his speech, Oxley reminded the committee of what has been accomplished during the last two years under his leadership; the restoration of a sound financial footing, and the huge plurality for Governor Christie last year, and the winning of control in 8 Monmouth towns.

Oxley acknowledged the controversy over the candidate selection process and quoted Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken, "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference."

He said that he needed to "stop the bleeding" when he became chairman. That the three conventions held by his two predecessors had resulted in the loss of three Freeholder seats and thus the loss of control of the county government. He said the screening committee of 92 people he implemented which includes all municipal chairs, all past and present elected county and state level officials from the county has worked. He said he envisioned the party emerging into a system like Ocean County's that includes both a screening committee and county committee convention.

Despite the closeness of the vote, 10% is a small margin, especially considering that Oxley won by acclamation two years ago, and despite the fact that we just came off a hard fought primary in the Monmouth dominated 6th district, there was no sense of disunity in the convention when the vote was announced. Costigan was gracious and pledged his continued hard work and support.

Oxley nominated Diane Gooch for a second term as Vice Chair, which the convention approved by acclamation.


Oxley ended the evening by welcoming the many new committee members, quite a few of whom are Tea Party activists. Oxley declared that "we need their energy and commitment."

Gooch Concedes, Announces Support Of Little

The CD-6 GOP primary is over. Diane Gooch announced today that she would not seek a recount and that she is supporting Anna Little in her quest to send Frank Pallone back to Long Branch or into his new career as a lobbyist.

Gooch issued the following statement on facebook:

Having carefully reviewed the final count for the CD6 Republican Primary, I have decided against asking for a recount. I am grateful for the experience I have gained in running and for all of the wonderful new friends I have made along the way.

I support Anna Little in her effort to become the Republican Congresswoman for CD6. We both want smaller government, lower taxes, and to encourage job growth through the private sector. Today, I step out of the race for Congress in CD6 and voice my support for Anna Little for Congress.

Little issued the following statement:

For myself and on behalf of the voters of the 6th District, I humbly accept Diane's concession and once again congratulate her on a well-run, hard-fought primary campaign. Diane and I share a vision for the 6th District of free markets, smaller government, lower taxes and economic freedom that is and has been the antithesis of Frank Pallone's 22-year regime. I feel confident that in working with Diane and the 6th District Republicans who supported her stellar campaign, we can make that vision a reality in November and, together, become the people's voice for real change in Washington.

All of us moving forward have a common goal and that is to end the reign of Frank Pallone over the 6th District. His policies and philosophy have consistently undermined the fundamental liberties of the people of the 6th District and have predictably resulted in an overbearing tax burden, crushing business regulation, unbearably high unemployment and now the single greatest encroachment of personal freedom in American history, the recently passed health care bill.

This is the year we retire Frank Pallone. This is the year we take our government back. With an ally like Diane Gooch in the people's corner, there is nothing we can't accomplish together.

Pallone To Hold Hearing Today On Health Effects Of Oil Spill

Frank Pallone will spend tax payers dollars today in an effort to get video clips to use in his fall campaign.

Remember those silly Corzine commercials last year featuring Chris Christie walking out of a congressional hearing with an out of context voice over of Christie saying "I have to go." Pallone, Corzine's campaign chairman orchestrated that farce. Today, he is hosting another taxpayer funded farce.

Pallone's House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee will convene at 2PM in the Rayburn Office building to ask official of the Centers for Disease Control, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, and the Food and Drug Administration to address Obama administration's efforts to address possible health effects of the oil spill.

Couldn't those officials send a memo, Frank? Could they being doing work that actually would keep people healthy this afternoon rather than giving your campaign video clips?

The agencies who send officials to testify at Frankie's hearing should also send his campaign a bill for their time.

You can watch the hearing this afternoon via webcast at http://energycommerce.house.gov/ You might at well, you're paying for it.