U. S. Senators Frank Lautenberg and Bob Menendez, along with Congressman Frank Pallone held a press conference at Sandy Hook yesterday to let the public know about their efforts to keep the James J. Howard Marine Laboratory from being shuttered due to budget constraints at NOAA.
Let’s hope they are more successful than they were with Fort Monmouth.
“I’ve never seen a less optimistic time, in my lifetime, in this courtry. And people wonder why. I think it’s really simple. It’s because government’s telling them stop dreaming, stop striving, we’ll take care of you. We are turning into a paternalistic entitlement society…”
“….more importantly, there will be more money, more hope, more aspirations, in the hearts of our children and grandchildren than there are today. And that’s what will make the 21st century the second American century. That more than anything else, will allow the United States to export hope, and liberty and freedom around the world. Not by just saying but by living it everyday in the way we conduct ourselves and in the way we govern ourselves.”
~Governor Chris Christie
Chris Christie believes that unrestrained by oppressive and “paternalistic” government, that ordinary people can and will live lives of accomplishment.
Tom Moran, that sanctimonious polyhistor responsible for The Star Ledger’s editorial page, thinks that makes Christie conceded.
The Asbury Park Press editorial board, the Nudniks of Neptune who have fewer orginal thoughts that Joe Biden, agrees with Moran.
Christie made his remarks at a George W. Bush Presidential Center gathering in New York on Tuesday, April 10. Moran posted his rant calling the governor’s message “condescending” early yesterday morning, the 12th. The Nudniks followed yesterday evening calling Christie’s message “hectoring,” “insulting” and “condescending.”
The editorialists of New Jersey’s two largest news outlets must be appalled by Christie’s soaring popularity.
It was the content of Christie’s remarks in between the two phrases I quoted above that got to the liberal regressive pundits. Without naming the president, Christie had the audacity to point out that the Obama agenda has not resulted in hope, but in pessimism. That if it continues we will be financially and morally bankrupt, waiting for the check to show up rather than striving for bigger checks.
Here’s what Christie said, unfiltered by the bias of Moran, the Nudniks or MMM:
Attn: Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno
Re: Ballot Challenge- Purpora v Obama
Date: April 12, 2012
From: Dwight Kehoe
Dear Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno,
First let me introduce myself to you. Although we have met several times at campaign stops, those introductions were but a handshake and a hello.
I am and have been active in several Tea Party groups here in NJ and when with the Bayshore Tea Party we worked feverishly to help win the election for you and Governor Christie. I also run and edit the Tea Party coordination and information website, www.tpath.org
The reason I am writing is because it will be you who decides if the administrative court hearing this past week in Judge Jeff Masin’s court room, was valid and should be upheld. I write this not knowing if it is too late and your decision has already been handed down.
First I would like to ask why, so many times in court rooms across this country, judges and justices, can’t make a ruling based on the intent of the law as opposed to verbal gymnastics and merciless twisting of the objective and purpose of the statutes?
My point is that the people have become so disenchanted with the legal process and no longer feel they can depend on the laws to protect them against high priced word jockeys.
The ballot case which challenged Mr. Obama’s credentials and eligibility to be on a New Jersey ballot and hence, serve as President of the United States was brought for two main reasons. Both the State of NJ and the Federal Government wrote laws with the intent of maintaining the integrity of the election process. Why can’t one honest judge or Secretary of State make a ruling based on the intent and reason for those laws? Why write them, why vote on them if there is no effort to enforce them?
Here are the points:
1. Mr. Obama has shown no credible evidence of where he was born. When his petition was challenged, its very clear the intent of NJ Title 19 requires that a candidate prove his identity and qualifications.
2. John Jay, the first leader of the US Supreme court contacted George Washington and asked that the special provision of Natural born citizen be include in Article II. He did that for the purpose and intent of the term used in that time and which persists today except in court rooms where manipulation of the law is allowed.
So far there has not been one individual of authority, in any party or any position, who has shown the backbone and courage to make a ruling based on the intent of the law and the reason it was written.
For the sake of the future I pray that you will take the meaning of the laws and ignore the manipulations and rule appropriately.
Middletown – April 12… Today, New Jersey State Senator Joe Kyrillos’ campaign for U.S. Senate against Bob Menendez made public the results of its first filing with the Federal Election Commission.
Putting Senator Kyrillos’ fundraising among the ranks of top tier incumbents and challengers alike for U.S. Senate seats around the country, the campaign revealed that it had raised over $1.75 million as of its first deadline on March 31st, 2012, from almost 2,000 individual donors – 90% of whom are New Jersey-based contributors. The campaign reported $1.4 million cash on hand.
Kyrillos’ strong fundraising report comes on the same day the results of the most recent Quinnipiac University Poll were made public, showing Kyrillos closing in on Menendez – who is still only at 44% on the ballot. Maurice Carroll, Director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute said, “Menendez’s numbers are lackluster, to say the least … This race could get interesting.’” Incumbents polling under 45% are in significant danger and Menendez has been consistently under 45% in recent public polling. This is Jon Corzine territory.
PolitickerNJ reports, “State Sen. Joe Kyrillos’ campaign for U.S. Senate has picked up steam over the past month with a new poll showing the Republican within 9 points of incumbent Democrat Bob Menendez.”
Senator Kyrillos said, “I am gratified and humbled not only by the amount we have raised for our effort thus far, but by the depth and breadth of support from my fellow New Jerseyans. As I have traveled this great state and met with individual New Jersey taxpayers and families, the message couldn’t be clearer: we simply cannot afford more politics as usual. Bob Menendez offers us only more of the same: more taxes, more spending and more job-killing regulation. I have worked alongside Governor Christie and like-minded reformers to change New Jersey for the better and I am confident that this, our first, fundraising effort demonstrates that we will have the resources necessary to take this fight to our opponent and bring the same kind of change to Washington in November.”
The Quinnipiac poll released this morning has some encouraging news for State Senator Joe Kyrillos and his supporters as they campaign to unseat U.S. Senator Bob Menendez in November.
Menendez’s lead over Monmouth County’s favorite son is down to single digits, 44%-35%, with 18% undecided or not saying. A February poll by Quinnipiac had the race at 49%-34% .
Menendez’s favorability and familiarity ratings remain anemic for an incumbent. 35% of voters have a favorable opinion of Menendez, 27% have an unfavorable view and 37% haven’t heard enough about him. In February, 38% approved of Menendez, 24% didn’t and 36% didn’t know enough. If this trend holds, Menendez is in trouble.
Kyrillos remains largely unknown, but the trends are in his favor. In today’s poll 14% view Kyrillos favorably, 6% don’t and 79% don’t know enough about him. In February 82% didn’t know enough about Kyrillos to form an opinion, 11% approved of him and 6% didn’t.
Perhaps more encouraging for Kyrillos than the head to head numbers against Menendez are the poll results of the presidential campaign.
Quinnipiac says that Barack Obama leads Mitt Romney by 9 points in New Jersey, 49%-40%. The presidential race in NJ tightens to 49%-42% if Governor Chris Christie is the VP nominee.
Obama won the popular vote in New Jersey by 15% in 2008. NJ’s GOP leadership expects that he will take our electoral votes again. However, they believe that if the race is within single digits, that Kyrillos can unseat Menendez.
Administrative Law Judge Jeff S. Masin ruled that Barack Obama is eligible to appear on the Democratic primary ballot, according to a report on Conservative News and Views.
Mario Apuzzo, Esq., argued for the objectors to Obama’s petitions yesterday at a hearing presided over by Masin. Alexandra Hill of Genova, Burn and Giantomasi argued for Obama.
Apuzzo has a write up of the proceedings on his blog.
CNV reports that Masin informed Apuzzo of his decision on the telephone at 7PM last evening and gave him a two hour deadline to file an exception to the ruling.
Apuzzo took exception to the following:
Judge Masin ruled that Obama was born in Hawaii with no evidence on record, after acknowledging that fact during the hearing.
Judge Masin ruled that Obama need not comply with statute to show that he is eligible, solely because he need not “consent” to someone circulating a nominating petition for him.
The judge suggested that Obama might have to show eligibility later. He laid no basis for such a ruling.
The judge misread the precedents and gave short shrift to the historical evidence that the Framers of the Constitution defined “natural-born citizen” as one born in-country to two citizen parents. Apuzzo devoted half of his 30-page exception to this analysis alone.
Apuzzo plans to appeal to the Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court.
59% of New Jersey voters approve of the job that Governor Chris Christie is doing, according to a Quinnipiac Poll released this morning. 36% disapprove.
Republicans approve of the governor’s performance by 92%-6%. Independents approve by 64%-32%. Democrats disapprove by 64%-30%.
Women give Christie positive marks at a rate of 52%-42%. Yet the gender gap remains. Men approve of Christie’s performance by a measure of 67%-30%.
New Jersey’s traditionally Democratic urban areas are evenly split in their assessment of the governor’s job performance. Christie scored 48%-48% in the cities. “Philly Land” approves by 55%-38%, suburan areas approve by 60%-36%, ex-urban by 67%-29% and the shore by 65%-31%.
Tax decreases are popular in New Jersey.
Voters approve of the way Christie is handling the state budget by 58%-35% and approve of his proposed 10% across the board income tax cut by 54%- 32%. Voter also like Senate President Sweeney’s 10% property tax cut for residents earning less than $250,000 per year by 57%-24%. If we have to choose, we prefer Sweeney’s plan by 49%-38%.
Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,607 registered voters between April 3-9. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 2.4 %.
The New York Times is reporting that former Pennsylvania U.S. Senator will announce that he is suspending his campaign for the GOP Presidential nomination this afternoon.
The group that exposed corruption at ACORN and Planned Parenthood has exposed how ludicrous it is that the Obama administration is squashing state Voter ID laws .
Watch a Project Veritas volunteer being offered U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder’s ballot to vote in the DC presidential primary.
Like Kane, Politikernj and The Star Ledger framed their articles as if the PACs set up to funnel campaign donations from engineers, lawyers and their firms to political campaigns were doing something scandalous. Each of the articles acknowledges that the contributions are legal, yet they say that the donors “skirt” or “cloud” the law or that the contributors are “buying” the candidates that ultimately benefit from the contributions.
The real scandal is that campaign finance laws at every level of government, federal, state, county and local, that are ostensibly designed to eliminate the influence of money in our political system and to increase transparency actually have the opposite effect, by design.
Money is like air and water. Set up a structure to restrict it and money, like air and water, will find a crack in the structure to get to where it wants to go. With enough pressure the structure breaks. Fix or reform the structure and the cycle repeats itself.
Our campaign finance laws decrease transparency in the process. Kane and the reporters from Politickernj and The Star Ledger spent many unproductive hours combing through ELEC reports of campaigns and PACS to connect the dots. Not many people have the time or resources to make that effort. Kane, Politickernj and The Star Ledger reporters did us all a service by connecting those dots. It is appropriate for the public to know who is financing the campaigns of their candidates for public office.
Restricting the amount of money that a person or entity can contribute to a campaign is inappropriate. Such restrictions are impediments to free speech and push otherwise well meaning people out of the political process or into breaking ill conceived and complex laws. Such restrictions don’t and won’t keep “bad money” out of the process.
The only way to increase transparency in the process is to require immediate disclosure of campaign contributions. Removing the limits that candidates and campaigns can accept would reduce the utility of PAC, Super PACs, etc.
Creating a simple system of full disclosure would increase participation in the political process. It would increase competition among government contractors and professionals. It would make the entire process more democratic, which is probably why we won’t see such a simple system anytime soon, if ever.
