Politickernj cites a source saying that the investigation is into campaign contributions, including the Middlesex County PACS first exposed by Harold Kane writing for MMM in September of 2011. Politickernj is erroneously claiming credit for first exposing the activities of the Middlesex County PACs and their donors.
Birdsall Services is cooperating with the investigation, according to The Asbury Park Press account.
“I voted for Obama in 2008, but I’m not going to vote for him this time.”
By Adam Geller
We’ve all heard someone utter this phrase, or something close to it by now. Whether we are in the business of politics, analyzing polls and focus groups, or having a more casual conversation about the political scene, this is a statement that seems to come up more often as we draw closer to Election Day 2012.
Now, to be fair, there are plenty of folks who are saying, “I voted for Obama in ’08, and I will vote for him again in ’12.” As long as we are being fair, let us also acknowledge the fact that we have yet to hear anyone state that they voted for McCain last time, but this time they will vote for Obama.
So, the pressing question is the extent to which previous Obama voters will, in fact change their mind. How many mind-changers are needed to make a difference, and swing the election away from Obama?
The answer is: not that many.
Rather than add to the body of analysis that already exists on a state-by-state basis, I want to simply concentrate on the popular vote. In sticking with an analysis of the popular vote, I make every assumption that much of the movement that I describe herein would take place in the battleground states with which we are all familiar.
Let’s start with a reasonable, conservative (small c) theory: let’s assume that no more than one-out-of-ten 2008 Obama voters actually do, in fact, change their minds and this time vote for the Republican. Now, some may say that the actual number may be higher than that, but for now, let’s stick with a smaller safer assumption. Let’s also assume, for now, that turnout matches 2008 turnout.
First, let’s go back and look at the actual popular vote results. Recall that in 2008, the vote tally was:
Governor Chris Christie held a Town Hall meeting in Garfield, Bergen County this morning. Two video’s released by his office follow.
In the first video, Christie describes how he’s raring for for the fight with the legislature over the State budget that he expects over the next 60 days and appeals to the crowd for support.
In the second video, Peter, a student asked the governor for advice on how to handle a situation where someone is authority is bullying him. Christie responds as a father and as governor. Peter follows up asking Christie for a note excusing him for missing school.
Middletown, May 2…The Senate Banking Committee held a hearing last week to investigate the collapse of MF Global Holdings, a major financial commodities brokerage firm.
The collapse of MF Global, also under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the FBI, federal prosecutors, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, resulted in the loss of $1.6 billion of investors’ funds.
In his questioning, Banking Committee member U.S. Senator Bob Menendez asked whether there were “structural problems” that led to the collapse. Terrance Duffy, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Executive Chairman responded, “There is nothing structurally wrong.”
“MF Global was poorly capitalized, had liquidity problems, was highly leveraged; was that the harbinger of its doom?” Menendez continued during his questioning.
Menendez avoided mentioning former CEO of MF Global Jon Corzine, who may face potential legal liability in the wake of the collapse and who appointed Menendez to his current position in the United States Senate.
See no evil. Hear no evil. Menendez whiffs on asking the tough questions and the obvious role his mentor Jon Corzine played in MF Global’s collapse.
Previously, the Star Ledger’s auditor shed light on the Menendez duck: “Menendez [is] not keen to question Jon Corzine on MF Global scandal on Senate Banking committee.”
The column continued, saying Menendez doesn’t want to be “questioning the man who handed him his current job.”
Click here to watch the full webcast of the hearing…
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich released the following video, a message to “insiders,” to his supporters and volunteers this morning in anticipation of the press event at which he will suspend his campaign for the GOP presidential nomination tomorrow.
