Congressman Frank Pallone fired the first salvo of the 2014 Democratic U.S. Senate primary with a “scathing letter” sent to Newark Mayor Cory Booker complaining that the city of Newark is not fulfilling its obligations to the Hyacinth AIDS Foundation, a New Brunswick based non-profit that services patients with HIV/AIDS, according to a report in The Star Ledger.
The Star Ledger received a copy of the letter dated on Friday, May 10, before Booker received the original.
Booker’s staff dismissed the letter they haven’t seen yet, telling the Ledger that Hyacinth’s funding is working its way through the Newark bureaucracy and will be paid out this year earlier than it was last year.
Governor Christie’s office released parts of his interview with NBC’s Rock Center that did not make it to the Friday night broadcast.
Christie will be accompanying Prince Harry to the Jersey Shore this week. If there is a Prince Albert in Christie’s future, it will probably be a better kept secret than his lap band surgery.
State Senator Barbara Buono, the presumptive Democratic nominee for governor, continues to lag terribly in name recognition in various independent polls that show her losing the November general election to Governor Chris Christie by over thirty points.
Worse for ‘Dawn Quixote’ Buono, as she was dubbed by MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, she can’t raise the money needed to increase her name ID and message. Numerous media reports indicate that Buono will likely be the first major party nominee not to qualify for the maximum in New Jersey’s state matching fund program for gubernatorial candidates.
Christie, who has opted out of the state matching fund program for the primary, is spending $850,000 of the $6+million he has raised to boost Buono’s name ID and define her by her record of voting to raise taxes 154 times and as former Governor Jon Corzine’s budget chair.
Cory Booker was out of state exploring a his candidacy for U. S. Senate, so Governor Chris Chistie had to rely on his father, Jon Bon Jovi, Alec Baldwin, James Carville, and Kim Guadagno playing solitaire to co-star in this year’s video for the New Jersey Press Association Legislative Correspondents Dinner. The dinner took place last night in Hamilton.
Anyone who has read Henry Vaccarro Sr’s book, Johnny Cash is a Friend of Mine, will recognize that Bon Jovi was reprising a role he’s mastered.
Governor Chris Christie and Danny Shields in Highlands last week. Shields, an owner of Windansea, is Sen. Jennifer Beck’s husband. facebook photo.
Governor Chris Christie secretly underwent lap-band surgery in February. He has lost 40 pounds since, according to a report in the New York Post.
Christie told NYP that he underwent the aggressive weight loss procedure because he recently turned 50 and wanted to be around for his kids. He said it had nothing to do the presidential ambitions.
“I’ve struggled with this issue for 20 years,” he said. “For me, this is about turning 50 and looking at my children and wanting to be there for them.”
He also insisted that, contrary to what observers may say, the effort to slim down was not motivated by thoughts of a presidential bid.
“It’s so much more important than that,” he said.
The governor went to great lengths to keep the procedure secret. He did not go to his surgeon’s office, having the doctor visit him at his Mendam home. He checked into the surgery center under an assumed name.
The surgery took 40 minutes on the morning of February 16. Christie was home in the afternoon after having a silicone tube placed around the top of his stomach.
Before having the surgery, Christie spoke privately with Jets coach Rex Ryan. Ryan had the procedure in 2010 and has lost 100 lbs. since. Dr. George Fielding of the NYU Medical Center’s Weight Management Program performed the surgery on both men.
State Senator Barbara Buono, the presumptive Democratic nominee for governor, told urban residents that Governor Chris Christie is too focused on rebuilding New Jersey after Superstorm Sandy, according to a Star Ledger report.
Christie, she said, had focused too much on rebuilding after Hurricane Sandy, while the cities have been suffering for years under his economic policies.
“There’s a whole other New Jersey that needs to be rebuilt,” Buono told a crowd in Irvington, vowing to reverse many of the Republican governor’s moves.
In a little more than three years in office, Christie’s economic policies are responsible for the condition of our cities? Christie is not working to improve the quality of life in our cities?
The Democratic Mayor of Camden, Dana Redd, seems to disagree:
Transcript:
Camden Mayor Dana Redd: To our Governor Chris Christie, and you’ve often heard him say this when we’ve stood side-by-side on matters of importance, of education, of Renaissance Schools, public safety and now public education. He’s often talked about, listen, I didn’t get but 28 votes out of Camden but that’s not why I’m doing this.
Governor Chris Christie launched a $1.2 million television ad campaign this morning entitled Jersey Proud. Thankfully, the ad does not mention the words ‘Corzine’ or ‘Democrats.’ It does include a photo of Christie with Sea Bright Mayor Dina Long, a Democrat who has endorsed the governor for reelection.
State Senator Barbara Buono, the presumptive Democratic gubernatorial nominee dubbed “Dawn Quixote” by MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews responded with an email plea to her supporters asking for money.
I’ll keep this short. Chris Christie went up with his first ad of the election today. If we want to respond we’ve got to hit our goal by the May 6th deadline. There isn’t a moment to waste – Christie will spend millions to try and hide his failed record, and we can’t afford to fall behind. Can you click here and donate today? Your contribution will be matched 2-1.
That means for every $1 you contribute today, our campaign will get $3. This could be a true game changer – we just have to hit our goal in the next six days. Your support will go a long way toward making sure the people of New Jersey get to meet the real Chris Christie. We need your help to stop Chris Christie.
Thanks for standing up and rejecting Chris Christie’s failed agenda.
Barbara
Buono, who is receiving state matching funds for her primary campaign, is on the verge of being the first major party candidate in the history of the program not to qualify for the maximum state match. Since declaring her candidacy in December, Buono has raised an average of $29,000 per week. In order to ‘max out’ on state matching funds, she will have to raise $216,000 per week over the last six weeks of the primary campaign.
Yet, good news for Trenton Democrats—the NJ Republicans are trying to lose
By Art Gallagher
State Senator Barbara Buono, the presumptive Democratic nominee for governor, received two doses of bad news today (so far) for her fledgling campaign to unseat Governor Chris Christie in November.
1) A Quinnipiac poll released today indicates that Buono has made no progress over the last month in increasing her dismal name recognition. 78% of those polled don’t know enough about Buono to form an opinion. That compares to 79% last month. Of the few who recognize her name, 43% have an unfavorable opinion.
Christie’s numbers remain amazingly strong. 67% approve of the job he is doing as governor. 66% says he deserves to be reelected. In a head to head match up with Buono, Christie wins 58%-26%, with 13% out to lunch.
2) Even worse for Buono, PolitickerNJ reports that she is likely to be the only major party gubernatorial candidate in the history of New Jersey’s matching funds campaign program not to qualify for the maximum amount. PolitickerNJ said that Buono has raised only $29,000 per week since she declared her candidacy in December. In order to earn the maximum $2 million in state matching funds for the primary, she would have to raise $216,000 per week over the next six weeks of the primary campaign.
Christie has opted out of the state matching funds program and has raised upwards of $5 million to date for the primary.
Trenton Republicans Trying to Lose
With Chrisite’s polling and financial numbers so strong, one would think that the Trenton Democrats that control the legislature would be concerned about Christie coattails. Trenton Republicans seem enthused about the prospect of taking control of the legislature, but so far their campaign is deploying the stupidest strategy imaginable.
I’m not a professional political strategist, I just play one of the Internet. In my not so humble opinion the NJ GOP‘s campaign against Corzine Democrats is the dumbest political strategy since Christine O’Donnell declared she is not a witch.
Governor Christie meeting with business owners at McLoone’s Pier House in Long Branch, April 18, 2013. Photo by Art Gallagher
After meeting with business owners in Long Branch yesterday, Governor Chris Christie told the press that the businesses’ biggest frustration is the amount of phone calls they get asking if they are open. “They’re happy that at least the phone is ringing,” said Christie, emphasizing that the perception that the Shore is not open has to be impacted.
Christie said that there would be a multi-media ad campaign launch by the Economic Development Authority next month to promote Jersey Shore Tourism. It has not been determined if Christie will appear in the aid. “I haven’t been asked. If I’m asked and I think it is appropriate I will consider it,” the governor said in response to a reporter who asked if he would appear in the state funded ad during the gubernatorial campaign season.
The governor said that EDA would be announcing a working capital grant program for businesses impacted by Superstorm Sandy in May and that the Department of Community Affairs will be administering a grant program for homeowners who can apply for up to $150,000 in federal money, over and above what they have already received from FEMA and their insurance companies to rebuild their homes.
, will recognize that Bon Jovi was reprising a role he’s mastered.
