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Pallone’s Family Values

Pallone familyBy Art Gallagher

Frank Pallone has been my congressman for almost twenty years.   Through ten election cycles, I don’t recall Pallone ever promoting himself as a family man.  I didn’t even know he was married (to a woman) until 2010 when, during Anna Little’s first campaign against him, triCityNews columnist Ernesto Cullari revealed that Pallone’s wife, Sarah had secured a six figure job in the Environmental Protection Agency.

So I was surprised to find the above Pallone family portrait on Frank’s Senate campaign website and facebook page.  In his video ad, Typical Jersey Story, Frank looks into the camera and says, “Sarah and I have three teenagers, which means that things are a little crazy at home, most of the time.”  Frank’s facebook introduction starts,”Husband, Father, Democrat, Public Servant.  Frank Pallone, Jr. has been fighting for the people of this state for over 2 decades.”

After wondering why Pallone’s eldest daughter isn’t squinting, the next question to occur to me upon seeing the portrait was, “Why after almost three decades of keeping his family life private, is Pallone trotting his family out on the campaign trail?”

It seems obviously that Pallone is seeking to create another contrast between himself and Newark Mayor Cory Booker, who is not married and keeps his private life private, just like Frank did, until this campaign.

But “typical Jersey story” Pallone was already a member of Congress for 2 terms when he married Sarah, then a real estate industry lobbyist from Maryland.  Booker is only two years older now than Pallone was when he got married and started his family in Washington.

Pallone also contrasts himself to Booker by advertising the fact that he drives a Chevy.  “I approved this ad because New Jersey needs a Senator who drives a Chevy. Let the other guys take the limo,” Pallone says at the closing of his Chevy ad.   But a review of Frank’s campaign finance reports shows that he paid Chase Auto Finance $614 per month from August of 2009 through January of this year out of his campaign fund for car payments.  That’s an expensive Chevy, paid for by campaign donors, that was serviced at a Jeep dealership.

Posted: July 20th, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: 2013 Election, 2014 U.S. Senate race, Cory Booker, Frank Pallone, Pallone, Primary Election, Senate Special Election | Tags: , , , , , , | 45 Comments »

45 Comments on “Pallone’s Family Values”

  1. Tommy De Seno said at 1:41 pm on July 20th, 2013:

    I knew he had kids because I used to write about how every time we invited him to a fundraiser for Asbury Park children he would ignore us, but did come to Asbury Park once to a fundraiser for the Ranney School – where his children were enrolled.

    Being fair (as I always am) I have run into Frank more than once eating at Burger King. So, he has me as a witness to that blue collar endeavor.

  2. Pretty Ridiculous Post said at 4:36 pm on July 20th, 2013:

    Shouldnt shock from a partisan Republican.

    Im sure everyone sees Holt, Smiths kids all the time!

  3. Gidget said at 6:21 pm on July 20th, 2013:

    I love those STTS commercials featuring Chris Christie with Mary Pat and their kids.

  4. bill said at 12:09 pm on July 21st, 2013:

    Talk about real issues question each candidates about each stance on preserving social security and medicare.

  5. Pallone’s Family Values | The Save Jersey Blog said at 4:37 am on July 22nd, 2013:

    […] By Art Gallagher | MoreMonmouthMusings.com […]

  6. Never saw Holt's, said at 7:26 am on July 22nd, 2013:

    and never saw Frank’s.. Perhaps because they are so pro-abortion, and support all the welfare and programs that continue to dissolve the family unit in this country, that we don’t usually get exposed to their liberal hypocrisy: which is, they take and do the good parts of the system, yet help destroy it for the rest of us..the “ruling class”is simply destroying this country, every day..

  7. Ira Spelvin said at 8:52 am on July 22nd, 2013:

    Mr. Gallagher…
    I assume you believe your comment about not knowing that Congressman Pallone is married “to a woman” is funny. It is not funny; it is offensive, childish, and sexist. Are you offensive, childish, and sexist, or did you simply offer a bad joke? Would you like to apologize to your readers?

  8. Apologies not required said at 10:09 am on July 22nd, 2013:

    @Ira S.
    Art only posted what thousands were thinking. (He just refused to come out of the closet. ). Must say though, It is a nice family photo. How long has he been married? Are they their biological children ? Just hers? Or both ?

  9. Art Gallagher said at 10:10 am on July 22nd, 2013:

    Welcome back Mr. Spelvin,

    Why were you offended? What else are you assuming, besides what you think my sense of humor is?

    Sexist? How so?

    In these days of marriage equality debates, I sometimes mention the genders of married partners. Why does that offend you?

    http://www.moremonmouthmusings.net/tag/patrick-kennedy/

  10. Art Gallagher said at 10:49 am on July 22nd, 2013:

    Not so, @Apologies not required. I was not “only” posting what thousands have been thinking. The phrase serves a few purposes.

    The Pallones were married in 1992. From the looks of the kids, I would guess they are natural born to the couple.

  11. Ira Spelvin said at 1:05 pm on July 22nd, 2013:

    Mr. Gallagher,
    What is sexist is your inuendo (sp?) that Cong. Pallone’s sexual orientation is in any way shape or form related to his professional functioning or his previous or current electoral efforts. How often have you actually made statements about the sex of the spouses of people you write about unless they are gay? What is offensive is that you choose to mock Mr. Pallone’s marital status by feigning surprise that he is in a traditional heterosexual marriage. You pretend that your remarks are innocent, and that, too is offensive. Own up to your “opinions” and do not pretend you do not hold them.

  12. Frank has always said at 1:28 pm on July 22nd, 2013:

    done and been whatever he needs to be, at the time,and his flip- flops on many issues over the years, like phony Save the Fort nonsense, plus going from pro-life Catholic as a state senator to pro- abortion lib when necessary, are two examples.. Am sure the kids are fine, and they look like their mom..

  13. Charles M said at 3:55 pm on July 22nd, 2013:

    Not only does Frank Pallone attend Planned Parenthood events, he also brings his daughter.

    Celeste Pallone and her father, Rep. Frank Pallone

    (first photo)

    https://www.google.com/search?q=Celeste+Pallone+and+her+father,+Rep.+Frank+Pallone&client=safari&hl=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=-EntUd3zBeri4AOvlIGACw&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=320&bih=444#biv=i%7C0%3Bd%7CCeN5UYP8zYY_yM%3A

  14. Art Gallagher said at 5:32 pm on July 22nd, 2013:

    Wrong again, Ira. If I was

  15. Yitzhak said at 5:32 pm on July 22nd, 2013:

    We can count on Frank. He is a real mensch who will do right by his constituents. Frank will be our next US Senator. The rest of the Democrats in the primary are all losers and have no chance when Frank’s campaign really takes off. Frank is a regular guy who relates to regular people and their concerns. Frank is a family man who supports families. Frank is not a Hollywood Superstar like his opponent who rides around in limousines and schmoozes with Hollywood bigshots over brie and chablis. Frank is a beer and a weiner guy, not a Hollywood matinee idol. Everyone who knows Frank loves Frank, and we will all do our best to see to it that he is our next US Senator. We can count on Frank.

  16. Art Gallagher said at 5:56 pm on July 22nd, 2013:

    Wrong again, Ira. If I was writing about Pallone’s sexual orientation I would not have put ‘to a women’ in parenthesis.

    As to how often I write about the gender of spouses who are not gay…more often than I write about spouses who are gay.

    Sure, I’ve heard rumors about Frank. I’ve had political opponents of Frank pitch me stories about his sexuality. I’m really not interested.

    What you are missing, Ira, is that Pallone is drawing a lifestyle contrast with Booker by rolling out his family in this campaign, when he has not done so for almost 30 years as a politician. Pallone is doing to Booker what you say I am doing to him.

    Sorry I had to spell that out for you. I know many other readers got it.

  17. Yitzhak said at 7:04 pm on July 22nd, 2013:

    Frank Pallone loves his family, and does everything he can to support all the other families. He’s not like that Booker character who probably spends all his free time hanging around the nightclubs with the likes of Matt Harvey and Derek Jeter.

  18. Ira Spelvin said at 7:07 pm on July 22nd, 2013:

    Art…

    You are transparent…I “got” it.

  19. Art Gallagher said at 7:31 pm on July 22nd, 2013:

    So what are you picking on me for? Bash Frank.

  20. Exactly- said at 7:54 pm on July 22nd, 2013:

    Exactly.. But, it will be a long way to an August primary no one knows or cares about: we have learned the hard way not to count out the paid union goons, the knock and draggers, and the paid sign- placers: Frank’s actually doing pretty well ,at the moment, in July- saw his boy out the other day, and home- base Monmouth, is pretty well sign- covered: if anyone could take down Cory, it’s Frankie: he only had to add the “green wave”, to his same old, state senate signs: don’t like him or his views and votes, but do admire his consistency: Cory and, Lonegan and Eck supporters, be warned: don’t take the “pride of Long Branch ” lightly!! At your peril!!

  21. Stop reinventing the wheel, said at 8:09 pm on July 22nd, 2013:

    Everyone who seeks to stop Frank- please , get real, right now- and understand, his strength is in a well- oiled, true political machine, which so many have valiantly tried to suppress: and failed: ya all gotta go for his dismal record of leftist policies, more government, and regulating of our lives, more of our hard- earned dollars going to those who won’t work, more government dependence, and the rest of it..anybody of either party running against him, right now, MUST tie him to the very unpopular, system- ruining, Obamacare that he claims to be an author of!.. If you do not successfully make that point, Mr. Man-of-the People, sort of, could win it all!!

  22. Yitzhak said at 8:18 pm on July 22nd, 2013:

    I support Frank. The rest are nebbishes and losers. Frank is from Monmouth County, and Frank is the only candidate who cares about Monmouth County. Stop picking on Frank and pick on the other guys instead. Do you all really want to have a US Senator who spends all his free time riding around in limousines partying with Hollywood celebrities while the rest of us suffer?

  23. Maybe, Just Maybe said at 12:16 pm on July 23rd, 2013:

    The truth about Phoney Pallony hurts his long term sycophants, that all of a sudden; he is trotting out his family to bolster an image that might be suspect and people are calling him out for it.

    Poor syncophants, all they are doing is trying to protect a phoney. How sad.

    Signed,

    Silence Dogood, Redux

    P.S. Now we’ve got Jewish Frank Bots? Will such childishness ever stop?

  24. Ira Spelvin said at 2:15 pm on July 23rd, 2013:

    Art,
    What does “P.S. Now we’ve got Jewish Frank Bots?” mean to you?

  25. @Ira Spelvin said at 4:54 pm on July 23rd, 2013:

    it’s a play on Rullbots, (automated robots) which are incessant posters for a failure of a candidate, aka Joseph Rudy Rullo who repeat campaign style talking points, almost childlike at times; ad infinitum to the point of being obnoxious.

    Case in point, Yitzhak who posted these kinds of things three times on this commentary alone.

    Nothing politically incorrect meant by it.

    Lighten up.

    Signed,

    Silence Dogood, Redux

  26. Ira Spelvin said at 5:11 pm on July 23rd, 2013:

    “Silence” who is for some (easily understood) reason reluctant to post its name…Asking Art, not you.

  27. Art Gallagher said at 5:31 pm on July 23rd, 2013:

    But Silence is who you should have asked, Ira. He wrote it and as I expected, came back to explain it.

  28. Ira Spelvin said at 9:08 pm on July 23rd, 2013:

    Art,
    There is no avoiding; no hiding from who and how you are. “Man-up” take some small measure of responsibility for your own ideas. At the very least you have used your name. If you insisted that all readers do the same many of them would retreat back into the walls or under the sink.

  29. Yitzhak said at 9:57 pm on July 23rd, 2013:

    I’m glad to see pictures of Frank’s family. It shows he is a family man who cares about family values and supporting other families. Not like that loser from Newark who runs around in limousines chasing skirts in nightclubs and hanging out with all sorts of unsavory characters and Hollywood bigshots.

    We don’t need a loser fron Newark who represents Hollywood values. Frank Pallone will bring Monmouth County values to Washington.

  30. @Ira Spelvin said at 10:00 pm on July 23rd, 2013:

    I ASSURE you, I am not Art, and Art is not I. COUNTLESS others here use pen names and such. Do you make these same requests on blogs all over the country?

    If not, “get over it.” You know, I wonder if Ira Spelvin is even your real name. You see, no one knows. I could use some one else’s name or a made up name that could look like a real name.

    “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Prov. The nature of a thing is more important than what it is called.”

    That you are attacking Art for something someone else wrote says volumes about you. I know Art and to the best of my knowledge I doubt he would use a pen name.

    It’s the CONTENT that counts, not who says it. If you can not accept the content or veracity of the point made then pen names are not the problem.

    What liberals want (and I suspect you are one) is a name to attack because for the typical Dem or liberal it is “the seriousness of the charge, not the facts.” It’s right out of Alinsky, *

    RULE 12: Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.” Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy”

    BTW, you do know who Silence Dogood is don’t you?

    Signed,

    Silence Dogood, Redux

  31. Joe Centonzi said at 12:39 am on July 24th, 2013:

    “BTW, you do know who Silence Dogood is don’t you?”

    Wee Willy Winky?

  32. Ira Spelvin said at 3:33 pm on July 24th, 2013:

    When “Silence” can no longer make sense, it attempts to dazzle with BS.

  33. @Ira said at 5:13 pm on July 24th, 2013:

    me thinks you ought to be looking at a mirror when you talk about no longer making sense.

    That aside, I think you have been cornered; so you reverted AGAIN to Alynski Rule #12; as most little liberals do.

    So, riddle me this little Ira, in your irrational mind; what exactly does not make sense about what I said.

    Signed,

    Silence Dogood, Redux

  34. Joe Centonzi said at 7:17 pm on July 24th, 2013:

    “so you reverted AGAIN to Alynski Rule #12; as most little liberals do.”

    Meh…it’s a tactic YOU have often employed, Wee One.

  35. Focus: said at 9:49 pm on July 24th, 2013:

    gotta defeat Frank!

  36. Peter Simpson said at 9:51 pm on July 24th, 2013:

    It’s a shame we aren’t talking about our enthusiasm for a Republican candidate.

  37. @Joe said at 10:29 pm on July 24th, 2013:

    It’s time they get a taste of their own tactics.

    The problem is that the libs can’t handle their own tactics, so the heck with them and their feelings getting hurt.

    You see, for libs and if you include yourself in that column, it’s “do as I say, not as I do.”

    Silence.

  38. Dr. Davidson Gary Pinchot II said at 12:13 am on July 25th, 2013:

    Frank Pallone is going to win this primary, which is a very good thing! Why? Hear me out…with Pallone in the Senate, Chris Christie will be able to become president, because voters will know more about New Jersey since there will be a Senator from New Jersey in the Senate for the first time since I don’t know when! Then, in 2017, when it comes time to run for Governor, Joe Rullo, who is super well-known in Ocean County (if you live in Ocean and don’t know Rudy then you don’t live in Ocean! Ha!) will run for governor, win by a giant margin, and then run for president AFTER Christie’s second term, get elected, and get this country back on track! He will also use his expertise in solar panels to win over liberal voters—he and Pallone can then work together while in Washington on some important bills and laws!

    -Dr. Davidson Gary Pinchot II

  39. This above message was brought to you by: said at 7:57 am on July 25th, 2013:

    Santa Claus, Tinkerbell, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny.. I fear Frank’s ground game may in fact succeed, although, if you see Holt’s demand for the carbon tax, we can now put Holt in as the most dangerous lib in the pack- Frank second, Booker third: hey, I agree with just about every single one of Lonegan’s points, and am supporting him: he could be the first new Senator to finally try and get some sanity back into that Senate- and remember, picky critics: the man has very poor eyesight, so, like last time, please do not bust him for not “looking you in the eye,” ok?- he can be the beginning of a fresh start in saving our Constitutional republic!

  40. Ira Spelvin said at 7:59 am on July 25th, 2013:

    Ah ha! Silence reads and adopts John Hawkins’ tactics. But alas, Silence is so upset it still cannot even spell A-l-i-n-s-k-y.
    Silence is perpetually annoyed with something or someone. Silence is a charicature, which is both funny and sad. Nonetheless, Silence is in love with itself and for it, that’s what counts.

  41. @Ira said at 8:35 am on July 25th, 2013:

    Whatever on the spelling. Such a picayune and wasted front to attack someone on, but then you love personal attacks, don’t you?

    Upset? Why would I get upset over a moron like you?

    Why don’t you deal in reality instead. Let’s go back to your original problem, the use of pen names.

    I asked you, you do know who Silence Dogood is, don’t you? For which you failed to respond. If you had, you would have understood that pen names are as old as time, which would have deflated another picayune attack point of yours.

    THAT’S what counts, issues and facts; not names. And you can’t deal with the facts about your liberal issues.

    Signed,

    Silence Dogood, Redux

  42. Ira Spelvin said at 9:22 am on July 25th, 2013:

    Silence…

    I knew Ben Franklin…and you are no Ben Franklin! As I noted above, your love affair with yourself and what you call your “ideas” makes it impossible for reality to enter into your world. This story is done.

  43. @Moron Spelvin said at 11:53 am on July 25th, 2013:

    I never admitted to being Franklin, adding Redux. I use it “satirically” to anger people like yourself who are infatuated with people using their real names.

    In effect, you are attacking the idea of Ben Franklin who as a great man used a pen name. So, the joke is on you because pen names are used throughout history. Yet, you don’t like this.

    Again, you did not answer the other riddle I posed you. Do you go on every blog in the world and denounce pen names? Betcha not.

    So, please go look up the line that Tommy Lee Jones used as he was trying to get his gun back from the alien cockroach in the movie Men In Black.

    That concludes the abject lesson. From now on, from me; you will only get

    Silence

  44. Dr. Davidson Gary Pinchot II said at 1:37 am on July 26th, 2013:

    I see nobody has dared comment on Joe Rullo’s future presidency. My bullet proof argument remains unpierced.

  45. @Dr. Davidson said at 7:40 am on July 26th, 2013:

    Is that argument based on Rullo being so popular in Ocean County?