Buono’s Best Friend

She hasn’t officially secured the Democratic nomination yet and the wheels are falling off State Senator Barbara Buono’s gubernatorial campaign.

Buono will be the nominee.  Her only competition on the ballot is Troy Webster, an aide to East Orange Mayor Robert Bowser.  Webster isn’t really running for governor.  He agreed to through his hat in the ring on the same slate as Bowser for ballot positioning purposes in the primary.

But the wheels are falling off the Buono wagon. She can’t raise money.  She defiantly divided the party and broke with the legislative leadership with her choice of State Democratic Chairman. MSNBC’s Chris Matthews dubbed her Dawn Quixote.

Buono is on track to be the first major party candidate not to qualify for state matching funds for her campaign. She named Assemblyman Jason O’Donnell her choice as State Chairman, against the advice of Senate President Steve Sweeney and over the objections of Assembly Speaker Shelia Oliver.  A prominent Monmouth County Democrat told MMM “Buono should never go on TV again,” after her appearance on Matthew’s Hardball.

Just when things couldn’t get any worse for Buono they did. Over the weekend former  Democratic Governor Brendan Byrne, on a teleconference with former Republican Governor Tom Kean, told The Star Ledger that Buono should consider dropping out of the gubernatorial race.

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Kryillos Confident, Working It Hard

Sen. Joe Kyrillos and Mayor Fred Rast greeting voters in Atlantic Highlands. Photo by Art Gallagher. Click for larger view.

State Senator Joe Kyrillos said he won the U.S. Senate primary without the Bayshore Tea Party support, “by the largest margin in half a century,” and that he is confident that 13th legislative district Republicans will nominate him for another term in the June 4th primary election.

“We’re working hard,” Kyrillos said of himself and his running mates, “probably harder than we need to, but it is energizing and gratifying to meet with so many constituents.”

Kyrillos left the Golden, Arnone and DiMaso Armed Forces Day ‘friend raiser’ yesterday to hit the streets of Atlantic Highlands with Mayor Fred Rast.

Rast was a supporter of Bayshore Tea Party backed candidates in previous GOP primaries.  “Not this time,” said Rast as he and Kyrillos greeted residents at garage sales along Highland Ave.

Kyrillos said he saw no evidence that the BTPG backed challengers were making an impact on the campaign trail.

The challengers cancelled their door to door efforts today due to the weather.  Instead they made phone calls and had a picnic at Assembly candidate Edna Walsh’s house.

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Bennett: “We’re fighting this primary as if we’re down 25%”

Monmouth County GOP Chairman John Bennett sounded a rallying cry to about 125 Republican faithful on Saturday morning in Hazlet at a Armed Forces Day ‘friend raiser’ held at the Red Oak Diner for county candidates Sheriff Shaun Golden and Freeholders Tom Arnone and Serena DiMaso.

“We’ve had primaries before in Monmouth County that we did not take seriously,” Bennett said,”and bad things happened.  This time we’re running as if we are 25 points behind.”

State Senator Joe Kyrillos asked the assembled Republicans to make sure their friends and families come out and vote on June 4 for himself and Assembly members Amy Handlin and Declan O’Scanlon, in addition to Golden, Arnone and DiMaso.

Deputy Freeholder Director Serena DiMaso, former mayors Eddie Farve or Bay St. Louis, MS and Brett Warr of Gulfport, MS and former CNN correspondent Kathleen Koch

DiMaso introduced former CNN correspondent Kathleen Koch, former mayors Eddie Farve of Bay St. Louis, MS and Brett Warr of Gulfport, MS, as well as former Congressman Gene Taylor.  The group was visiting New Jersey to support the Bayshore Conference of Mayors, touring the destruction of Superstorm Sandy in Mantoloking and the rebuilding of the Seaside Heights boardwalk.

Golden used the presence of the guests from Mississippi to talk about his department’s response to Sandy. “We had no deaths or serious injuries in Monmouth County.  In Katrina, there were almost 2000 deaths,” he said.

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Buono Claims Gallagher’s Endorsement

With Governor Chris Christie racking up endorsements from Democratic elected officials, State Senator Barbara Buono, the cash strapped presumptive Democratic nominee for governor, has resorted to false advertising on facebook.

She is claiming Republican blogger Art Gallagher’s endorsement.

Gallagher is the publisher of MoreMonmouthMusings and a frequent contributor to SaveJersey.

Rather than protest or “unlike” Barbarba Buono for NJ, Gallagher encourages his facebook friends and followers to click on the link when they see it. “By clicking on Barbara Buono’s ad, her campaign will be charged more money by facebook,” Gallagher said to himself while writing this article, “that will weaken her campaign further and give facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg more money to donate to Christie.”

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The Right To Bare Arms, And Then Some

The New York City Police Department has reminded its 34,000 officers than women appearing in public “simply exposing their breasts” have committed no crime, according to a report in The New York Times.

New York’s highest court decided in 1992 the law which prohibited females exposing their breasts below the top of the areola violated the equal protection clauses of the Federal and New York Constitutions.  The equal protection clause is part of the 14th amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Topless advocate Moira Johston says that baring breasts is a human rights issue and a health issue.  She says public toplessness would reduce the incidents of breast cancer. (Warning, the link features Johnston speaking topless, which is considered nude in New Jersey, but not in New York.)

New Jersey’s courts have taken a different view of female public toplessness.

In September of 2011 the Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court upheld a Spring Lake Borough ordinance that considers female toplessness lewd and indecent.  Affirming a 2001 case, the Court ruled that there is no constitutional right for women to appear topless in public and that and restrictions on the exposure of the female breast are supported by the important governmental interest in safeguarding the public’s moral sensibilities.

As the summer season approaches, female beach goers and roadside rallyers are advised to keep their tops on in New Jersey.

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2-1 Yankees Tickets This Weekend

Our new advertiser, Seastreak, is offering half priced tickets to the New York Yankees’ games this weekend, Saturday, May 18 and Sunday May 19.

They picked up some great tickets for you to see America’s favorite pastime.  Give them a call, 1-800-BOATRIDE / 1-800-262-8743,  to reserve your all-in-one ticket packages and ride in style aboard a Seastreak ferry to Yankees Stadium this weekend at half-price!

Tell them MoreMonmouthMusings sent you.

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Was Menendez Falsely Fingered?

The FBI’s investigation into allegations that U.S. Senator Robert Menendez was provided prostitutes by his benefactor, Dr. Salomon Melgen, has hit a dead end.  Now the feds are trying to find out who made the allegations, according to a report in The Washington Post.

Menendez’s relationship with Melgen and allegations that the senator accepted free travel and other favors in exchange for undue influence remain the subject of a federal grand jury investigation.

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Time laspse video of Jet Star removal #STTS

Courtesy of Casino Pier via facebook

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Steve Sweeney’s Hissy Fit

NJ Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-West Deptford) is having another tantrum.

The puerile legislator who called Governor Chris Christie a prick over a budget veto and responded to Superstorm Sandy by calling for the elimination of beach badges on the Jersey Shore is upset that he will face competition in November.

Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield) had the audacity to recruit a strong candidate, Niki Trunk, to challenge Sweeney in the 3rd legislative district. Sweeney’s been pissed about that for months, as if he is entitled to being reelected without having to make his case to the voters in November.

Sweeney went off the deep end when he learned that Kean donated $8200 to Trunk’s campaign.

Yesterday Sweeney knocked all Republican sponsored legislation off of the Senate’s agenda.  The following bills won’t be heard in committee next week:

S1071, permitting conversion of fines for violation of certain municipal ordinances into tax liens; S1726, requiring municipalities to comply with state audit prior to receiving state aid; S1852, authorizing municipalities to deliver property tax bills, construction permits and receipts for payment via email; S2494, permitting municipalities to use beach fees to improve tourist areas; S2617, properly closing the hazardous Fenimore Landfill; S2618, concerning valuation of properties condemned for dune construction or beach replenishment; and S2457, making discretionary driver’s license suspension for first offense of driving without motor vehicle liability insurance.

Let’s get rid of Steve Sweeney.  Donate to Niki Trunk’s campaign account.  Volunteer for her campaign.

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Prosecutor Seeks Help In Manalapan Car Fire Investigation

Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni

Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni is asking the public to assist detectives in the investigation of a Manalapan car fire.

Manalapan police and fire departments responded to multiple ‘911’ calls at 4:11 a.m. on Monday, May 12, reporting a car fire at 8 Elisa Court. The fire was quickly extinguished and no injuries were reported. The fire is currently under investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Charles Alaimo from the Manalapan Township Police Department at 732-446-4300 or Detective John Leibfried from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office at 732-620-4022.

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