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Has anyone seen this man?

I know the picture is bad, but its the most flattering one I could find.

If you see him, please have him return Adam Puharic's phone calls.

I'm sure it was an oversight on his part, but the man pictured locked all the Monmouth GOP computers with passwords no one else knows, on his way out the door.

He's also using a blog paid for with party funds.

I'm sure once he hears of this problem he will clear it right up.

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The jerk to the left of Pelosi

Highlands Republican Art Gallagher reports on his blog that Senator Menendez wrote him espousing the benefits of legislation that Gallagher asked him to support, a month after Menendez voted against the legislation. What a two faced sleaze the Senator is.

I hope Tom Kean's campaign knows about this and hammers Menendez with it at the debates on Sunday (WNBC-TV at noon) and Monday (NJN at 8PM) and beyond.

Not since the NJ Supremes allowed Frank Lautenberg to come out of retirement to take disgraced Senator Bob Torricelli's place on the ballot have NJ Republicans had such a good shot at a US Senate seat. Let's send Menendez off to his new career as a lobbyist. I've argued that it is unwise for Kean to debate Menendez so early in the campaign, but since he's doing it, his numbers better go up after these debates or Menendez may not debate him again.

Some prominent Monmouth County Republicans have been critical of this blog for criticizing other Republicans and giving the Democrats material to use against us in the campaign. Given that any Republcans I've been critical of are not on the ballot or are out of office, I really don't see the harm. However, now that things appear to be on the right track in our county party, I will now be focusing on promoting our good Republican candidates and exposing their opponents weaknesses. If you have something you'd like covered here, feel free to send it to me at Billsewardnj@aol.com

Were they on the clock?

Thousands of state workers listen to speakers during a rally outside the Statehouse annex in Trenton Monday. Public workers rallied to support Gov. Corzine's budget plan. (APP)

Isn't amazing that New Jersey's economy and government did not grind to a halt yesterday while thousands of government workers left their desks to rally in support of Governor Corzine's cut to the bone budget that increases spending over 10%, increases the sales tax by 14% and adds taxes on water and hospital beds.

Dem Senator Stephen Sweeney has proposed that state workers take a 15% cut in pay and benefits so that we can avoid these new taxes. But the Governor has airbathed with the union's president and won't hear of pay cuts.




The Govenor has resisted suggestions that the state income tax be increased on the super rich, his peers, because they are "highly mobile" and will change their residency with ease. Guess what Govenor? The middle class is leaving too, for real.

New Jersey needs real spending cuts, not reduced projected increases. We need to get rid of the waste of the Abbott districts and the School Construction Corp. Increasing state employees work week from 35 hours to 40 hours would have the same effect of a 15% pay cut if we laid off 15% of the work force and took away their rally pay. Let's do that this year and then get to work on cutting the state payroll back to pre-Whitman levels. If yesterday is any indication, the reduced "work" force won't be missed.

Separated at Birth?

Chairman Adam Puharic

By an overwhelming majority, 61%, Adam Puharic was elected Monmouth County GOP Chairman.

Despite my endorsement of Jim Giannell, I admit that the best candidate won. The buzz in the room clearly indicated a Puharic victory was at hand, prior to the speeches. Adam's speach was so good, and Giannell's so bad that I briefly considered changing my own vote.

Giannell was at his best at the end of the evening, when after the authentic show of unity, Jim reminded Adam to thank and acknowledge former Chairman Frederick P. Neimann. Adam was at his best when he disavowed his "the conventions are a cancer" statement and publicly asked Jim to help him with the conventions.

In an email to me earlier this week, former Freeholder candidate Tommy DeSeno said,

"It's no secret who the two main fighting factions were in the last two conventions, and not enough time has passed for the wounds they have inflicted upon one another to heal for one faction to fall in line behind a leader from the other faction. The party will remain split if someone from either side wins.

Adam Puharic was not part of either of those factions. I can say that with absolute certainty from being a candidate which gave me front row seats to the action - Adam didn't involve himself in making an enemy of either side.

That's why I'm sure Adam can bring the party together. Both of the factions can easily fall in behind him, because doing so does not involve the setting aside of ill will, which is hard for anyone to do."

While I agree that we all should unite behind Adam, I'm not sure all will easily fall in behind Adam. There were some prominent concerned faces in the crowd at the end of the night. In the last week it as appeared that Adam was aligned with a faction. Yet Adam declared that he is his own man. He promised to heal and unite the party. Now he needs to do it. I am rooting for him and I am behind him.

I hope Adam does everything he said he would do and that he makes me find new material to keep this blog interesting.

In his parting remarks, former Chairman Fred Neimann took another shot at the blogs. Many think that this blog and Abe's contributed to Fred's demise as Chairman. Apparently Fred is among them. Fred was chairman at a very difficult time. Of that there is no question. For taking it on, hanging in there when the unimaginable happened, and still winning, Fred deserves our deep gratitude. For graciously bowing out and not seeking another term, he also deserves our gratitude.

Giannell for Chairman

Since Joe Oxley withdrew his name from consideration for County Chair, I have been calling for the two major factions of our party to come together to lead the party.

I am still calling for that.

Operation Bid Rig should have destroyed our party. It did not. The exist of our long time leaders should have crippled us. It did not. What happen is that two strong groups were revealed.

The grass roots wants an open process that invites participation in our democracy. The professionals want to manage the power and money of that government. Working together these two groups could give us a great county government. Without that balance we will have less than that.

Over the last 2 years, Jim Giannell has organized and empowered the grass roots. He has given us Lillian Burry, Anna Little and Andrew Lucas. They have given us a fresh start and a new spirit.

The professionals didn't like it.

Adam Puharic offered the promise of a united party. Grass roots and professionals working together. But the devil is in the details, and Adam's details look like Fred II or worse.

Adam, if you really want a united party, embrace Jim Giannell and offer to be finance chair. I bet he accepts.

A Tough Choice

UPDATE

Jim Purcell reports rumors that Scott Broschart will be Adam's Executive Director. If true, the choice of Jim Giannell just got a whole lot easier.

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I was just about to post an endorsement for Jim Giannell. I've always favored Jim's open candidate selection stand, and I was persuaded that we would have well funded campaigns under his leadership.

Then an email that Adam's campaign sent out this afternoon was forwarded to me, which included what I understand to be a change in Adam's position on conventions. The email states,
"I seek a convention process that empowers our Republican County Committee, and allows them to make fair, even-handed decisions. I seek a process that not only produces great candidates like Freeholder Burry, Freeholder Little, Rosemary Peters, and Andrew Lucas, but one that also heals divisions and ends factionalism."

Shortly after receiving that email, Puharic supporter Brett Palat posted:

"I would like to clarify some misstatements made about Adam Puharic's position on the election process for County Chairman. Adam cannot and is not seeking to change the election process. His idea is simply to create a screening committee to ensure that potential candidates are serious about running for the position." "

I have some concerns about Adam latest communication, which overall I really like.

How does a chairman create conventions that "heals divisions and ends factionalism", without closing the process. A chairman can't mandate maturity. Races will be hard fought and a good chairman will bring all sides together after the contest and heal the wounds. And for that to happen, the chairman can't openly favor one contestant over another.

Regarding Brett's clarification, "His idea is simply to create a screening committee to ensure that potential candidates are serious about running for the position." Has that really been a serious problem? So what if a candidate wants to use a race to get better known for future races, knowing that they don't have a chance this time. We don't need a screening committee. Let the candidates do the work to win over the county committee. Its good practice for general elections.

The other concern I have is the same one I stated in the last post. Adam apparently has party resources at this disposal that the other candidates do not have. Will this favoritism continue during a Puharic chairmanship?

All of this still has me leaning toward Giannell. Yet I can't pull the trigger. Adam has promise. Both men want a united, well funded party with by laws and county committee participation. So I say to both of you...show me. BE UNITED. Stand at the dias tomorrow together, hand in hand with Jim as Chair and Adam as Vice Chair, or the other way around. Work it out and make it work.

Back to our regularly scheduled programming. The Chairman's race

The Two River Times has an excellent article on our Chairman's race.

The candidates are:

Jim Giannell of Red Bank. Jim is the Red Bank Municipal Chair, a member of the Monmouth County Transportation Council and the Chairman of the Two Rivers Group, an alliance of Municipal Chairs in the Two Rivers area. Jim is an unabashed grass roots whip and is largely responsible for the success of Lillian Burry, Anna Little and Andrew Lucas in securing the party nominations for freeholder.

Ed Stominski and Mel Hood, running together as Chair and Vice Chair. Ed is well known as a former Freeholder and Mayor of Eatontown. Mel is a the Neptune Municipal Chair and is a member of the Neptune planning Board. This team is said to have by-laws ready for the committees approval.

Elias Abinernia a Millstone committee member, former mayor and deputy mayor, and lawyer.

Adam Puharic who has found his enthusiasm for his candidacy. Adam is a former Aberdeen municipal chair and former Under Sheriff.

If word coming out of last nights screening by the current party leadership is accurate, it would appear that Adam is Fred's candidate.

Adam advocated candidate selection by executive committee without the races, grass root participation and elections we've had for the last four non-incumbent Freeholder candidates. Given that 3 of those 4 nominations were "upsets" with the "organization's" candidate losing, it is unlikely that the rank and file will want to go back to the way candidate selection happened under Bill Dowd.

Vice Chair Noreen Kelly reportedly declared that the competitive conventions we have had "don't work." Well, they didn't work for Noreen and Joe DiBella, but they worked for the rank and file. They encourage participation and avoid costly primaries. They are the best thing Fred's reign as Chairman has given the party.

Additionally, the return address on Adam's mailing is 16 West Main Street, Freehold, NJ. Once again, the party apparatus and resources are favoring one candidate over others. This has back fired 3 times now. As the song says, "When will they every learn, when will they eeeveeer learn.

To his credit, Adam praised all the other candidates and said he wants them to be part of his team. Would Adam serve on Jim or Ed's Team? Adam does have excellent fund raising skills. He has a bright future, so long as he chooses his friends carefully.

RAY O'GUILTY

From the Star Ledger


U.S. District Judge William Martini called the evidence in the trial "overwhelming" and said he was bothered by the defendant’s lack of recognition of any wrongdoing. "I never got a sense during the course of this trial that the he had any understanding of just how offensive his conduct was," Martini said. "Somewhere in his career – and I get a sense it was a long time ago – he lost sense of what it was to hold public trust."

June 13, 2006 7PM Brookdale

The Monmouth County Republican Committe will convene on Tuesday June 13, 2006 at 7pm to select a Chairperson. The convention will take place at the Robert Collins Arena, Brookdale Community College, Middletown.

Good Riddance

Who's that guy 2nd from the right? Another NJ Scandal?

O'Grady Trial

UPDATE June 8, 2006 Verdict Likely Today
Pulughi's instablity likely to impact other cases. O'Grady mounts no defense. On closing his attorney asserts that no public work was promised in exchanged for cash, no proof of bribes from International Trucks.

UPDATE June 6,2006

The Star Ledger reports that Tony Palughi did indeed attempt suicide last week, and that he will continue to testify. The paper also reported that Palughi was released from UMDNJ Hospital yesterday.

There must be more to the story and Palughi's custodial status. I've never heard of a suicidal patient being released four days after the attempt. I imagine the FBI or US Marshal's office has a very close on on Tony.

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Asbury Park Editorial writer, Larry Benjamin, predicted in his blog that Ray O'Grady's Operation Bid Rig trial could be the stuff on a television court drama with political heavey weights Senator Joe Kryillos, former Assemblyman Joe Azzolina and Middletown GOP Chair Peter Carton listed as potential witnesses.

There is speculation that in addition to the "Palughi's a liar" defense, that the O'Grady dream team might use an entrapment defense, alleging that Kryillos and Carton got the US Attorney's office to launch Operation Bid Rig for their own political purposes.

The drama took an unexpected turn this morning when government witness Tony Palughi "fell ill" and was unable to testify on cross examination. There is unconfirmed speculation that Palughi attempted suicide by consuming an entire bottle of blood presure pills. O'Grady's attorney said he would ask for a mistrial if Palughi is unable to testify on Monday.

For real drama, read the transcripts of undercover recordings between Palughi, O'Grady, Steve Appolonia of International Trucks and various undercover agents.

Stay tuned for a "ripped from the headlines" episode of Law and Order next season.

Senatorial Debate in June?

US Senator Robert Menendez, trailing in the polls to NJ Senator Tom Kean Jr, has challenged Kean to a televised debate by the end of this month. WNBC-TV in New York has offered to host the debate on Sunday June 25.

No one except campaign workers and Gabe Pressman's great grandchildren will watch this proposed live debate, but, Menendez hopes, millions will watch the clips of a Kean gaffe or stutter that the Menendez campaign will blast over the air waves in commercials.

The Kean campaign has rightly called the challenge a stunt, but sound like they might fall for it anyway.

Don't take da bait Tom. Use the summer to press the flesh with the voters throughout the state. Refine your message and your delivery of such. Get comfortable in front of TV cameras. Spend several hours a week in debate preparation. Then debate the Hudson County Boss in October when the voters are paying attention and when you are prepared to deliver a knock out.

UPDATE

Kean has accepted the challenge and will debate Menendez three times in June, once on WNBC, once on NJN, and once on Philadephia station CBS-3.