Perry To End Presidential Bid

The New York Times in reporting that Texas Governor Rick Perry is dropping out of the contest for the 2012 GOP Presidential nomination.

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Kryillos Will Make Senate Bid Official Today

The dean of the Monmouth County legislative delegation is running for United States Senate.

MMM has confirmed that State Senator Joe Kyrillos has completed his exploratory activity and will announce his candidacy to replace Robert Menendez in the United States Senate today.

Kyrillos has represented northern Monmouth County in the state legislature for over two decades.  The close friend and advisor of Governor Chris Christie is also a former NJ GOP State Chairman.  He chaired Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign in New Jersey in 2008 and was Christie’s campaign chairman in 2009.

Kyrillos established an U.S. Senate Exploratory Comittee last June to evaluate the viability of a potential campaign to unseat Menendez in a presidential election year.  His announcement today is an indication not only that he and his senior supporters see a path to victory, but that the highest levels of the NJ GOP believe that New Jersey’s 14 electoral votes are in play during the presidential election.

New Jersey has not elected a Republican U.S. Senator in 40 years and has not voted for a Republican presidential candidate since George H.W. Bush in 1988.

Republican pollster Adam Geller, who has consulted with the Kyrillos Exploratory Committee says Menedez is vulnerable.  Despite out polling Kyrillos, former Highlands Mayor Anna Little and a generic Republican, only 43% of New Jersey voters support the incumbent Senator.  “That is Jon Corzine territory,” Geller said in a memo to the Kyrillos committee last week.

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STOP PIPA (Senate 968) & SOPA (3261)

Imagine a world without craigslist, Wikipedia, Google, [your favorite sites here]…

News Corp, RIAA, MPAA, Nike, Sony, Comcast, VISA & others want to make that world your reality.

80 Members of Congress are in their sway, 30 against, the rest undecided or undeclared.

★ ★ ★ Please take a minute to tell your Members of Congress you OPPOSE PIPA & SOPA ★ ★ ★

CLICK HERE for MORE INFO & EASY ACTION ITEMS

PS:  corporate paymasters, KEEP THOSE CLAMMY HANDS OFF THE INTERNET

Graphic credit: downwithtyrnanny.blogspot.com

Call Senator Bob “Never Mind” Menendez right now, 202-224-4744, and tell him he is wrong on this bill just like he was wrong on Judge Patty Shwartz.

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SOPA AND PIPA

There is a bill rapidly working its way through both houses of congress that, if it becomes law, would empower governments and corporations to shut down websites such as this one without due process, according to opponents of the bills that I trust.  I haven’t yet studied the bills myself, which is my usual custom before bringing a concern to you, MMM readers.

The opposition to the “Stop Online Priracy Act” (HR 3261) and the “Protect IP Act” (S 968) have alarmed me enough to bring the conversation to MMM before doing my own research so that we can learn about it together.

PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

So far among the New Jersey congressional delegation, only U.S. Senator Robert Menendez has taken a postion of the bill, according to propublica.org .  Menendez is for the bill, so its a pretty good bet that it is a threat to freedom.

Craigslist has quite a few links with more information about the bills, including who is for it and who is against it.

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Governor Chris Christie: The Jersey Comeback Has Begun

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State of the State

Governor Chris Christie will deliver his State of the State address this afternoon, 3PM, before a joint session of the legislature.

The address, orginally schedule for last Tuesday, was postponed due to the untimely death of Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce.

The address will be livestreamed here:

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Political Conservatism and Religious Conservatism

By Art Gallagher

A couple of weeks back, in between the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, presidential contender Rick Santorum was subject to claims that he wanted to outlaw birth control.

During an interview with FoxNews’s Brett Baier, Santorum explained that as a Catholic he believed that birth control is wrong, but that he would not support his religious belief regarding birth control becoming law.  With regard to birth control, Santorum is able to be both a political conservative and a religious conservative.  The position is politically conservative, consistent with the U.S. Constitution, religious freedom and personal liberty.  His choice to strictly follow the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church regarding sex and procreation is religiously conservative.

Political conservatism and religious conservatism are not the same thing. 

Actually, neither of them are “things.”  They are abstractions.  Philosophical constructs. Values.  They are not things.

Political conservatism and religious conservatism are not the same distinction.  Santorum demonstrated in his interview with Baier that, in the matter of birth control, he is both politically conservative and religiously conservative.

In a follow up Baier asked about marriage.  Regarding marriage, Santorum’s religious conservatism trumps his political conservatism, it seems to me.  The former Pennsylvania senator is able to think, to distinguish, between his political conservatism and religious conservatism, with regard to birth control, but homosexuality is too much of a sin for Santorum to distinguish between his religious convictions and the law of the land.

Why that is doesn’t really make sense to me. 

The Catholic Church teaches that practicing birth control is a mortal sin.  If a faithful heterosexual married couple bumps uglies with a barrier, physical or surgical, or with the use of a chemical, that prevents conception, they are going to hell if they die before they get to confession.  If they bump the uglies in the wrong holes, like homosexuals do, and die before confessing, off to Lucifer they go for eternity.   That’s OK with the politically conservative Santorum and many, many others.

If a faithful same sex couple bumps uglies in the wrong holes and die before going to confession, they are also going to hell, according to Catholic teaching.  But while their queer souls are here on earth, in the United States of America, Santorum and many other religious conservatives want them to have different political rights and responsibilities than the heterosexual couple.

I don’t get how that is politically conservative.   Why is same sex marriage different than birth control in the minds of Santorum and so many “conservatives?”

Can someone explain that to me?

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Christie and Oprah

Governor Chris Christie’s interview with Oprah Winfrey will be broadcast on Oprah’s OWN network Sunday evening at 9PM.

You can find OWN on your TV by entering your zip code here.

First Look: Governor Chris Christie on Politics Today

While talking openly with New Jersey’s governor, Chris Christie, Oprah asks if he thinks Congress will ever not be at war (based on a quote from Governor Christie). Watch him share his thoughts on Washington politics and President Barack Obama’s chances for re-election. Tune in on Sunday, January 15, at 9/8c to watch their entire discussion on Oprah’s Next Chapter.

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Winners and Losers From the Freeholder Election

Winners

Serena DiMaso. In her third try for the office, Monmouth County’s new freeholder was victorious by a wider than expected margin.  During this campaign, Serena revealed a dignified strength and tenacity that had been missing from her earlier bids.

Joe Oxley. The chairman who had done away with conventions due to the chaos and deep divisions that often resulted, lead the county party in an orderly and adult gathering that left the party stronger.

Peter Doyle.  The previously little known West Point graduate, a councilman from a small town (only 8 committee votes in Atlantic Highlands) introduced himself to the county as a strong leader with a bright political future.  He exceeded expectations with his third place finish and is considered a front runner for future county or state vacancies.

Bob Walsh.  The Howell Mayor ran a positive, passionate and clean campaign.  His concession to DiMaso during the first few moments of the second ballot vote was the right thing to do for party unity. 

“I treat people the way I’d like to be treated,” Walsh said in an post election interview,  “Serena won, it’s a simple as that.  She worked hard and ran a clean campaign.  She’s a wonderful woman who has my complete support as a freeholder and in the coming election in November.”

Tom Fitzsimmons.  The Matawan councilman and political consultant managed a positive campaign for DiMaso. He proved to be the best vote counter and bs detector in the field.

The Monmouth County Republican Party.  The days of a raucous divisions are certifiably behind us.  The party produced four very qualified candidates, elected the best, and left the convention unified.  Worries of having a quorum present proved to be unjustified as 487 committee members showed up to preform their statutory duty.

Monmouth County Residents have an outstanding Board of Freeholders.

Holmdel Patch provided accurate and timely coverage of the election which is syndicated throughout Patch’s other Monmouth County sites.

Losers

Ryan Green.  The Manalapan Committeeman didn’t realize that, like Doyle, he was never going to overcome the countywide support that DiMaso and Walsh had built in previous runs for the office.  Doyle got it in the last week of the campaign and kept building relationships for the future.  Green threw an ill advised Hail Mary pass with his 11th hour press release bashing DiMaso.  DiMaso intercepted the errant pass and ran it back for a touchdown, leaving Green and Manalapan Chairman Steve McEnry, the advisor, damaged.  Rather than leaving this campaign with a base to build on going forward, Green finds himself stuck in a hole that McEnry let him dig.  Green was slated to be Mayor of Manalapan prior to entering the freeholder race. Now he’s an ambitious committeeman who has been publicly chastised by a newly elected freeholder for breaking the “11th commandment.”

Steve McEnry.  See Ryan Green above. Manalapan has 52 county committee members.  Green only received 39 votes total.  An embarrassing failure for the Manalapan Chairman.

Jim Giannell. The Kingmaker’s winning streak has been broken.  After his candidate, Walsh, conceded, Giannell graciously passed the mantle to Fitzsimmons.

Monmouth County Democrats.  DiMaso was not the candidate they were rooting for.  Regardless of who their new chairman is, Vin Gopal or Frank “LaHornica” LaRocca, they will be hard pressed to field a competitive slate this year.

The Asbury Park Press.  As of 5:25PM they still have not reported that Monmouth County has a new freeholder.  APP has made no mention of the special Title 19 election since Christmas Eve.

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Freeholder Serena DiMaso

Freeholder Serea DiMaso embraces Freeholder Director John Curley seconds after she is sworn into office. Curley and DiMaso, who challenged each other for the 2008 Freeholder nomination, will be running mates this fall.

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