The Chairmanship and Conflicts of Interest
My friend Jim Giannell asked that I write a short piece about conflicts of interests and the County Chair, as it relates to the current race between Christine Hanlon and John Bennett.
Jim is supporting John Bennett for Chair. While I haven’t made an endorsement yet, most people assume I am supporting Christine Hanlon given my recent coverage of John Bennett. I’m on the fence between Christine and Bayshore Tea Party Group Co-Founder Bob Gordon. No, not really.
Jim and I started our friendship working on Anna Little’s 2006 Freeholder race. Over the last six years we’ve been on the same side and opposite sides of various races. We’re not go on vacation together or spend Christmas Eve together kinds of friends, but we always take each others calls, help each other when we can, and neither of us is ever bitter with the other when a race is over. I always tell him the truth and he usually tells me the truth after I call him on his bullshit. When I launched this site and started selling advertising, Jim wrote me a check, even though he didn’t have a website to link an ad to. We’re friends. I owe him an ad.
In politics, as in life, holding grudges only nails you’re own foot to the floor. It can be both humorous and maddening to watch grudge holders spin around in circles, while they think they are getting somewhere.
But enough about my friendship with Jim, and on to his request.
In the comments of the Chair’s race Part 3 post, Jim said,
Hi Art,
Wow ! Things are getting wild out there !
Anyway, talk about “Deals”, many of us have heard the rumor that a certain Chairperson of a fairly large town has been promised the job of “Commissioner of Registration”; an $80,000/yr job to support Christine, should she win. I know you can figure out who.
There is no question that a Republican County Chairperson should not have any business with County Government that is controlled by Republicans yet Christine fails to address this critical issue. Could you do a short piece on this before Tues ?
I could go on with many things I’ve heard but have to get to work. Lunch is either on you or me at the end of the week, we shall see Tuesday eve and then I’ll let you know why you have been wrong & vice versa !
I responded,
@ Jim Giannell
We both know how rumors work.
I promised you that I would find out the truth. From what I hear, the Commissioner of Registration appointment is indeed coming up. I hear that several inquiries have been made about it and that no deals or promises have been made by Christine.
Who, if anyone, has John promised the job to? I’m sure you know.
Regarding the chair doing work for the county, that only became a conflict of interest because John decided to say it is a conflict of interest and his supporters, like yourself and Gerri, are running with it. We all know its a red herring. County work is no more of a conflict for the chair than municipal work is. The county chair has as much power on the municipal level as he/she does on the county level.
In a perfect world, someone who doesn’t need to earn a living would be county chair and do the job passionately. We don’t live in a perfect world. The demands of the chairmanship would put most people out of business or out of a their jobs, or they would not be a successful chair. Vic Scudiery is such an example. Politics is not his business. He always took care of his family and his business and did the best he could as chair of the Dems with the deck stack against him. More than once, political pros tried to take him out. The Dems would have been more competitive in Monmouth if a politico was their chair all these years. There is really no question about that.
If John becomes chair, his income will not take a hit. If Christine becomes chair, her income will not take a hit either.
If a business person like you or me became chair, our incomes would take a hit.
I don’t like it, and I know that you don’t like it. But that is the way it is.
See you Tuesday night and again for lunch on Friday.
More from my site
Who is Christine Hanlon? The Monmouth County GOP Chair’s Race, Part 4
Remembering About John Bennett What Art Gallagher Has Forgotten
Bennett’s Rage: The Monmouth GOP Chair’s Race, Part 3
Bennett’s Baggage: The Monmouth GOP Chair’s Race, Part 2- The Candidate’s Partners
An Open Letter of Thanks
Guadagno Disavows Bennett Mailer
Bennett responds to the Soprano State anonymous mailer- Unity or Strange Bedfellows in the Monmouth GOP?
Negative Campaigning: The Monmouth County GOP Chair’s race, Part 5
Lemme get this straight… Bennett’s mad because if Hanlon becomes chair, she will have the ability to appoint someone to a position in gov’t. This is the same ability that Bennett will have if he wins the chairmanship.
Is Bennett delusional? Or just too stupid to think that people will realize how delusional he is acting?
I dare you to post this!
Dear Mr. Gallagher,
Glad to hear that………………
“In politics, as in life, holding grudges only nails you’re own foot to the floor. It can be both humorous and maddening to watch grudge holders spin around in circles, while they think they are getting somewhere”.
I hope you are seeing you arent getting anywhere holding your grudges now that you have had your ass kicked yet once again in Highlands. You cant even win a committee seat let alone a council seat or any other elected office. Even your butt boy Oneil got his ass kicked! And you whole slate lost one again. What a joke!
Maybe you will realize it is your foot as well as your brain that is nailed to the floor, and it is more than humorous watching you spin around in circles while you think your are getting somewhere. Its absolutely hilarious!
You need to have your own reality show. You can call it, “I cant get elected”!
Regards,Your biggest fan!
Talk about bitter and holding grudges. Your post sounds like the poster child for being bitte and holding grudges. I’m sure Art sleeps well at night. You, I bet not.
why,
Put a boat in the water with holes in the keel?
Why
Put old tires on a new car?
Why
Re-invent the wheel?
Why
Change the line-up, on a winning team?
Why
Upset the apple cart?
You don’t unless you want to lose, want forseeable trouble, and want to have to re-start from scratch. Or have a harder time winning.
You have it so wrong! Unlike our good pal Mr. Gallagher here, I have actually won elections. A winning feeling he has never experienced. Which is why he has to vent on his little website about everyone else who has!
A sad little man, with a sad little site, with a sad little plan, that never pans out.
Who could be bitter about that? Its great to watch the bad guys go down in flames!
You may have won an election, but so did Obama. Actions speak volumes.
You seem to still have anger issues, bitter and seem to seek revenge. If all was so well with you, you wouldn’t need to post the rage against Art.
Seems there is underlining issues. Just my opinion based purely on your post.
@Biggest Bitter Fan,
I find it highly doubtful that someone displaying your psychopathy has held office, but I could be wrong. Please tell us what lowly office you have held, or exactly what elections you think you’ve “won” by playing minion for someone more qualified?
You dont need to be bitter when you are a winner. Whats wrong with calling a spade a spade and telling it the way it is?
Is it not true that Mr. Gallagher fails to get elected to any office even though he continually tries? Its not bitter, just a fact. And a fact that those out in political land need to ask themselves why before taking him seriously and playing his games.
There is no bitterness here. Im not pyscho, and even one office held would be one more than Gallagher.
I guess its safe to say that those that cant be elected………blog!
If facts are bitterness, well than so be it! Mr. Gallagher does not seem to mind sprewing the so called facts all around on his little blog, isnt that bitter? Why arent you labeling him as “bitter”
To all those attacking Art, please remember, at the end of the day (after the convention) we will all unite behind our new Chairperson (J.B.).
It does not serve the Party to attack people that have nothing to gain from their efforts within the Party. Art has never been in this for the money and I’m sure the time & effort he has put in to maintaining the MMM Blog has cost him quite a bit of money over the years. In a sense, Art is providing a Public Service at no cost to readers and I have to admit I always check MMM just to find out the news !
I for one believe that respect is due Art for all he has done.
The biggest problem in the coverage of Monmouth County politics is the Asbury Park Press does not do its job! I find the online sources are better on keeping up with what is going on in the county! I cannot believe how the APP did not cover the 6th district primary at all and barely covered the US Senate primary! Unbelievable! The APP is a joke!
Bob Gordon is a better man than anyone writing and commenting on this blog will ever be. You should all only HOPE to be nearly as good as he.
Shame on you all and your dirty politics. Not many things can make me comment here, but this is one. And since I am here, I might as well clarify something…I did not put my article on this blog. Someone who has nothing better to do, takes my email to our members, hands it to Art so nameless people could throw mud. If Bob Gordon is nominated, he may not win and he may “ruin it” for the worst of the worst, but I can tell you one thing…..there will be no more voting with my nose held and I am not alone. We will chip and chip away. We ain’t goin nowhere!!
And Mr. Giannell….you look here for your NEWS??
Who are you supporting Mr. Giannell? I really need to know before Tuesday.
Not going any where? The Tea party is already gone. Unfortunately the idiots running it made it irrelevant.
Lets face facts. This is not Hanlon for chair. It’s Brian Nelson for chair. Christine is a nice person but a puppet for Middletown and Brian. He and the Middletown crowd will continue to carve up the County sacrificing the balance of the party. And in thinking of conflicts, how come no one brings up how Christine’s firm is the township lawyer in Middletown, padding their pockets on the public’s dime. That is ok? This is a battle of the Big bad Middletown versus everyone else and Brian’s thirst for power. Does anyone really think that it was not Brian behind the gutless, unnamed attack piece on Bennett? Please. John can do the thing we need the most the best — raise money and work with all factions. Christine is again a nice person but an amateur and untested. Plus, she has only been a registered Republican since 2007. So in this race its the Middletown power and desire to control everything vs. a strategy to unify the party and work county wide. We are electing a political leader here, not the head of the red cross. We need a seasoned and savvy political leader that can raise money, bring people together and design an infrastructure to win elections. If that is what you want, vote for John. If you want to be subservient to Middletown and kiss Brian Nelson’s ring, vote for Christine. Wake up people.
WHAT DID I MISS, WHAT DID I MISS WHILE BEING AWAY ALL DAY?
Oh Yeah, Bayshore Barb is off her meds again.
BTW Babs, I thought you threw a hissy fit and weren’t going to visit here anymore?
How so typically hypocritical of ya!
Now, to the topic of your post. I do here Bob Gordon is a fine guy, but you guys do not know how to lead and you pulled another Ron Paul/Bader moment with your endorsement
Finally someone dragged out the Middletown Boogeyman. 0000000 Big bad middletown has tooo much power its a scary monster that will eat your brains booogaboooga booga.
Go John Go!!! It will be Christmas in June this year…!!!Loving it!!!
Bwahahahahahahaha!!!
That’s one seriously funny comment, lol!
Well, THAT Says It All.
If a lib like you want’s John “Good Old Boys Network” Bennett, then we REALLY need to be voting Christine.
After all, like Obama wanted Romney because he felt Romney was the weakest, this is no different.
Keep believing that Tim. That and 75 cents may buy you the Asbury Park Press (who will be back in business if Bennett wins Tuesday).
I’ll bet you Nelson makes less in Middletown as attorney than Bennett does in Keansburg.
Tim, i live in in Middletown, so you made the decision easy for me.
And Rick must root for Bennett for the same reason we’re all rooting for Gopal
This is all over and we can move on to the Fall election. Oh, yeah; duh…
Everyone will be beating up on Obama, that is excepting Bob English & Rick Ambrosia
Who is Assemblywoman Casagrande supporting, Bennett or Hanlon? I haven’t seen her name mentioned…
I Will Be Glad-Actually I am expecting those that post on this site that said they would not be voting for Obama because of the price of gas will change their minds if gas prices continue to fall.
In my opinion, Joe Oxley was a very successful Chairman for our party here in Monmouth County. He righted the ship after some tumultuous years.
Chrsitine Hanlon did a hell of a lot of the work in making Oxley’s reign a successful one. In my opinion, she has earned the right to be his successor.
Look at that kids, I supported Christine without shitting on John Bennett. Go figure.
But if you really need it…While I don’t know that John Bennett ever actually kicked a puppy, I believe I saw him chuckle when witnessing someone else doing so.
Joe, Thats funny LOL