Character, scholarship, temperament and a demonstrated ability to do the job. One would hope that those are the most important qualities our U.S. Senators consider when they participate in the vetting of potential federal judges.
Evidently, who potential judges share their beds and bodies with are a more important consideration to New Jersey’s U.S. Senators; Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez.
Two weeks ago we read the news that Lautenberg passed over candidates expected to be nominated for federal judgeships in New Jersey and “out of nowhere” endorsed New York Senator Chuck Schumer’s brother-in-law to sit on New Jersey’s District Court.
Today we read that Menendez is using senatorial courtesy to block the nomination of U.S. Magistrate Patty Shwartz to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.
Shwartz has been in a relationship with James Nobile for two decades, according to The New York Times. Nobile is the head of the New Jersey U.S. Attorney’s public corruption unit which investigated Menendez in 2006 while the Hudson County pol was running for his own term as Senator after having been appointed by Governor Jon Corzine.
Menendez was elected despite the news of the investigation. The investigation has been closed with no charges filed.
Posted: January 6th, 2012 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: 2012 U.S. Senate Race | Tags: Frank Lautenberg, James Nobile, Jon Corzine, Patty Shwartz, Robert Menendez, Senatorial courtesy, sex, Third Circuit Court of Appeals, U.S. Attorney's Office | 2 Comments »
Maybe they were decoys during a shop lifting investigation.
The Asbury Park Press is reporting that a detective in the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office was involved in a head-on collision at 10:32 PM on Friday December 23. Det. James Powers was driving a county owned vehicle. He was determined to be at fault in the accident. He wasn’t given a summons by the Wall Township police officer on the scene. His kids were in the car.
The Press article seems to take issue with the fact that no summons was issued. I don’t have a problem with that.
But it appears that Powers was engaged in personal use of a county owned vehicle.
Joan Marini of Wall was the driver of the 2011 Lexus that Powers hit head-on. According to the app report, she sustained minor injuries and was taken to the hospital. She has a lawyer who told her not to make public comments about the accident.
Litigation to follow. The deeper the pockets of the owner of the vehicle at fault in a motor vehicle accident, the more serious and long term are the injuries.
Here’s another 2012 prediction; Marini will get paid. Her lawyer will get paid. The lawyers defending the county will get paid. Powers will be named in the suit but the same lawyers that defend the county will defend him. Monmouth County taxpayers will get the bill.
Powers is the son of former Freeholder Director Thomas J. Powers.
Posted: January 5th, 2012 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: 2012 Predictions, Monmouth County | Tags: James Powers, Joan Marini, Monmouth County, Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office, Wall Township | 9 Comments »
The Monmouth County Republican Committee will be electing a Freeholder on Saturday, January 14, to fill the vacancy resulting from Freeholder Director Rob Clifton’s election to the State Assembly.
The candidates are Holmdel Deputy Mayor Serena DiMaso, Atlantic Highlands Councilman Peter Doyle, Manalapan Committeeman Ryan Green and Howell Mayor Bob Walsh.
MMM will be reaching out to the candidates this week in preparation of a piece to be published next week prior to the Bayshore Tea Party Group’svetting session on Tuesday the 10th and the Monmouth County Affiliated Republican Club’sCandidates Night on Friday the 13th.
Among the questions I am thinking of asking the candidates are:
Why do you want to be a freeholder?
What is your most significant accomplishment as a municipal office holder?
What do you want to accomplish during your first year as a freeholder?
How has your previous experience as a municipal office holder prepared you to be a county freeholder?
What distinguishes you from your opponents? Why are you the best candidate?
What else should I ask? Tell me in the comments.
Posted: January 4th, 2012 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Bayshore Tea Party Group, Freeholder, Monmouth County, Monmouth County Board of Freeholders, Monmouth County Republican Committee, Monmouth GOP, Monmouth GOP Affiliated Club | Tags: Bayshore Tea Party Group, Bob Walsh, Freeholder, Monmouth County, Monmouth County Affiliated Republican Club, Monmouth GOP, Peter Doyle, Rob Clifton, Ryan Green, Serena DiMaso | 17 Comments »
Senator Loretta Weinberg has been creating a media storm touting Bergen County Assemblywoman Connie Wagner as the Democratic candidate to challenge Congressman Scott Garrett in the newly redrawn 5th congressional district.
The Star Ledger/NJ.com played along, mentioning Wagner most prominently in a piece about potential Garrett challengers.
Yet someone at NJ.com either doesn’t like Wagner or never heard of Google Images. They ran a 2008 file photo of Wagner with the article. Wagner looks a bit different in the more recent photo on her assembly website.
2008 Star Ledger photo of Assemblywoman Connie Wagner
Assemblywoman Connie Wagner's website headshot
With 46% of the votes counted, former Senator Rick Santorum has pulled narrowly ahead of Mitt Romney in Iowa Caucus balloting. Santorum has 25%, Romney 24% and Ron Paul 22%, according to the real time data feed at FoxNews.
Posted: January 3rd, 2012 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Uncategorized | 3 Comments »
Thomas Westfield, a Morris County attorney who began practicing law after retiring from the Port Authority Police Department, has filed a class action suit against the Pork Authority seeking to reinstate free tolls and parking for retirees and $2000 per class member for as long as the benefits have been rescinded. There are at least 400 class members, according to a report at New Jersey Law Journal.
Westfield admits that the loss of benefits cost him no particular hardship, just the annonyance of having to pay tolls when going to an occasional Yankee game. He also said he doesn’t know how often class members use the Hudson River crossings or park at the agency’s three airports.
Westfield, 65, has retired from the full time practice of law.
Posted: January 3rd, 2012 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Port Authority | Tags: Add new tag, New Jersey Law Journal, Pork Authority, Port Autority, Thomas Westfield | 2 Comments »
John Farmer, the tie breaking member of the congressional redistricting commission, chose the Republicans’ map because, in his view, it created the possibility of two more minority districts than they Democratic map did, according to a report by Mark Magyar at NJSpotlight.
The new 9th district’s population is 53.1% minority. Leaders of the minority community were pleased with the map, counting on it becoming a minority represented district once Bill Pascrell, who turns 75 this month, retires. But Steve Rothman, 59, challenging Pascrell in the Democratic primary makes eventual minority representation less likely, which could lead to a minority challenger entering the 9th district Democratic primary. That’s the point of Magyar’s piece.
The addition of all of Trenton and Plainfield in Rush Holt’s district, presumably makes the 12th the other potential minority district.
The NJGOP should identify and agressively recruit high quality minority candidates to run in these districts. A Hispanic in 9 and an African American in 12. Then the GOP should raise the money to make those campaigns competive.
The GOP should recruit and fund an Asian American to challenge Frank Pallone in the 6th, while they are at it, unless Diane Gooch decides to run.
If running competively in the 9th, 12th and 6th is considered a pipedream, than it is also a pipedream that Joe Kyrillos can beat Robert Menendez for U.S. Senate or that the GOP presidential nominee can win New Jersey.
If the NJ GOP uses the same old playbook it will get the same old result.
Posted: January 3rd, 2012 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: 2012 Congressional Races, 2012 Presidential Politics, 2012 U.S. Senate Race | Tags: Bill Pascrell, CD 12, CD 6, CD 9, Diane Gooch, Frank Pallone, Joe Kyrillos, John Farmer, Mark Magyar, New Map, NJSpotlight, Rush Holt, Steve Rothman | Comments Off on Republicans’ map favors minorities
Brian McFarland, twice a Democratic candidate for Holmdel’s township committee, died from head trauma after falling from a ladder at home today, according to a report at the Holmdel Patch.
He is survived by his wife Karen and their 13-year old twins.
Posted: January 2nd, 2012 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Brian McFarland, Holmdel | 1 Comment »
“If you want to survive in this business, keep your mouth shut.”
That was the first piece of advice I got as a newly elected member of my county’s governing board in the 1990s. I was an idealistic political neophyte. My self-appointed mentor was a jaded party boss, one of the longest-serving political strongmen in the state. To me, accountability was key to integrity. But among his sycophants and hangers-on, this was a silly notion for suckers, fools or wimps.
Assemlywoman Amy Handlin in no sycophant or hanger-on. Nor is she a sucker, fool or wimp.
In her hard hitting ebook published by HarperCollins, Handlin tells of her encounters with Monmouth County and New Jersey “Crony Capitalists”, and gives Tea Party members and other citizen activists and blueprint on how to fight corruption at the lowest levels of government.
The essay includes tales of Hanlin’s career as a Middletown committeewoman, Monmouth County Freeholder, Assemblywoman, as well as references to corrupt practices throughout the nation.
Crony Capitalist in Out Backyards: Who they are, What they do, and How to fight back is a must read for every citizen who wants to actually do something, and not just complain, about the wasteful and corrupt practices in government.
It’s only 30 pages and it only costs $1.99. You can buy it here or here.
If you’re a regular reader of this site, you’ll recognise some of the characters in Handlin’s essay.
Posted: January 2nd, 2012 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Public Corruption, Reform Agenda | Tags: Amy Handlin, Citizen activists, Crony Capitalists, Crony Capitialist in our backyard, ebook, HaperCollins, Tea Party | 5 Comments »
NJ Watchdog reporter Mark Largerkvist released a report this morning about 125 “retired” police officers who are double dipping as employees of county prosecutors or the Attorney General.
The average age of the officers when they retired was 49. On average they receive $79,000 in salary and $69,000 in pension payments annually.
Posted: January 2nd, 2012 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: New Jersey Watchdog, Pensions | Tags: Mark Largerkvist, New Jersey Watchdog, Pension System | 10 Comments »
