Pallone punts on women’s right to choose to be topless

Congressman Frank Pallone stopped at Asbury Park’s Night Out celebration this evening where Mayor Myra Campbell introduced him as a candidate for “State Senate.”

MMM caught up with Pallone for a brief moment before the formal festivities and asked him to take a question about equal rights.   He said he couldn’t answer whether women should have the right go topless wherever men do because no one had ever asked him that question before.

He said he doesn’t think the New York City woman sitting in Monmouth County Jail for going topless in Spring Lake has much of a case because of laws against indecent exposure.

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Democratic Senatorial Debate

The Democratic candidates for the nomination to replace the late U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg will debate tonight at 7:30 in the Dumont Television Center at Montclair State University.

The candidates are Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Speaker Sheila Oliver, Congressman Frank Pallone and Congressman Rush Holt.

The primary election is one week from tomorrow, August 13. The winner of the Democratic Primary will face off against the Republican nominee to be selected in the Republican primary also on the 13th, either former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan or Dr. Alieta Eck.

You can watch the Democratic debate here:

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Middletown Democrats, Asbury Park Press Follow MMM’s Lead In Endorsing Pallone

Following the lead of MoreMonmouthMusings, the Middletown Democrats and the Asbury Park Press have endorsed Congressman Frank Pallone for the Democratic nomination to complete the term of the late U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg.

Frank Pallone at 2010 Highlands Clamfest.
The 19th annual clamfest ends today in Highlands. Pallone was there on Friday night

MMM, the first website in the world to endorse Pallone for the Senate nomination, did so on June 25 because the congressman asked publisher Art Gallagher for help, because Gallagher believes the Republican nominee, likely to be former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan, stands a better chance against Pallone than against Newark Mayor Cory Booker, and most importantly, a vacancy in Pallone’s 6th district congressional seat would be fantastic for MMM’s web traffic.  Our advertisers would love it!

The Middletown Dems say they endorsed Pallone because he “did the best he could” on a variety of issues.  In reality, they are hoping for money from Pallone to fund races even porn distributors are taking a pass on.

The Asbury Park Press endorsed Pallone, even though they say, “Voters can’t go wrong, no matter which way they lean in this primary, ” because they hope hometown Pallone will spend some advertising dollars,drive up newsstand sales and website visits.

All three endorsements come down to money.  Only MMM will admit that.  We like money and we need it!  Go Frank Go!

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Work Horses or Show Horses?

Rush Holt doing Steve Holt. Who is Steve Holt? facebook photo

Frank Pallone doing Frank Pallone

Congressmen Frank Pallone and Rush Holt have each been trying to close the canyon in the polls between themselves and Newark Mayor Cory Booker for the Democratic nomination to succeed the late U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg be asserting that they are “work horses” that get the job done while Booker is a “show horse” celebrity.

There’s not much evidence that it is working.  Nor is there much evidence that Pallone and Holt are indeed “work horses.”

In the 24 years Pallone has been in Congress, 6 bills that he sponsored became law.  The Affordable Health Care Act, aka ObamaCare was not one of them.

Holt has been in Congress 14 years. Three of his bills have become law.

Of those nine bills Pallone and Holt have successfully navigated to the president’s desk for signature, two were to name post offices.  One post office for each of them.

Booker may be a “show horse,” but what do Pallone and Holt have to show for their years in Congress?

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Booker won’t run for President in 2016

Former Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vic Scudiery and Newark Mayor Cory Booker

Newark Mayor Cory Booker, the front runner for the Democratic nomination to replace the late U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg, yesterday told Poltico, that he “unequivocally” will not be a candidate for President or Vice President in 2016.

“I think that people want me to be the next U.S. Senator from New Jersey,” he  said, adding, “I would not consider [a presidential run]. At this point, my  focus is 100 percent on being the next U.S. Senator and doing a great job  finishing out the unexpired term of Sen. Frank Lautenberg, and then doing six  years [in a full term].”

“There’s a lot of work to do here in the state of New Jersey and I’m excited  about it,” he said, adding later, “No presidential, no VP, no.”

No one asked Congressman Frank Pallone if he was going to run for President.

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Scudiery Aggressively Out To See Pallone Defeated

Former Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Puts His Money Where His Mouth Is

Victor V. Scudiery, the Monmouth County businessman and former 23 year Chairman of the Monmouth County Democrats, is backing up his endorsement of Newark Mayor Cory Booker in the August 13 Special U.S. Senate Primary with an aggressive negative endorsement of Congressman Frank Pallone.

Scudiery is launching a personally financed campaign this morning designed to weaken Pallone’s support in his 6th Congressional district home base of Monmouth and Middlesex Counties. Scudiery’s efforts are independent of and without the prior knowledge of the Booker for Senate campaign.

The $45,000 campaign includes a mailing to 75,000 likely Democratic primary voters, print ads in local weekly newspapers and a web based ad campaign on local websites.

“I might even spend more by the time the 13th (the August 13th primary) comes around,” Scudiery said this morning.

“He’s all about himself, not for the people,” Scudiery said of the congressman whose tenure coincided with his own marathon as party chairman, “When I brought him to events, non-political events, like for senior citizens, Italian-Americans or small businesses, people would always say, ‘Frank, you never got back to me, I need your help,’ He’s been an embarrassment.  He rarely followed through. When he did follow through, it was usually with excuses, not results.”

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Lonegan agrees with Christie and Paul

Former Bogota Mayor Steven Lonegan, the front runner for the GOP nomination to succeed the late U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg, issued the following statement regarding the controversy between Governor Chris Christie and U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) regarding libertarianism and the federal government’s anti-terrorism measures:

Lonegan: Rand Paul is Defending Our Freedom

Metuchen, NJ – Republican U.S. Senate candidate Steve Lonegan today spoke out on efforts by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) and others to curtail NSA surveillance. Lonegan said, “I agree with Gov Christie that we must be vigilant in our defense against terrorism, and this can be achieved without sacrificing our fundamental liberties. Senator Rand Paul is defending our freedom against the overreach of our government into our lives and privacy, and the NSA surveillance scandal clearly highlights this administration’s abuse of its power to invade our private lives. I support Sen Paul’s efforts. “

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Lonengan and Eck Debate Debates

With less than three weeks to go until the Special Senate Primary on August 13, the GOP hopefuls are debating debates.

Yesterday, Dr. Alieta Eck’s campaign Tom Roberts put out a statement with the headline Lonegan Refuses To Debate.

(Somerset, NJ) – Today, Eck for Senate learned that Steve Lonegan has refused a debate organized by the League of Women Voters of New Jersey, which would have matched him against Dr. Alieta Eck on Saturday, July 27th.

“That Steve Lonegan doesn’t want to debate Dr. Eck should probably come as no surprise. Mr. Lonegan has run for office many times and can identify some problems facing Americans, but without solutions he would just join the ranks of those already in DC who are watching our nation’s economic decline. In contrast, Dr. Eck has outlined proven, workable solutions to provide health care and reduce spending. The contrast in a debate would not have been favorable for Mr. Lonegan. We still welcome any future opportunity to debate,” according to Campaign Manager Thomas Roberts.

That sounded like a sound political strategy on Lonegan’s part to me, given that Eck had only 9% name recognition and support from only 5% of registered voters in the last Quinnipiac poll.  For the last week or so, Lonegan has been ignoring Eck and running a general election type campaign, focusing on Newark Mayor Cory Booker and this week, the mad scientist, “millions will die if we don’t tax carbon and make energy completely unaffordable,” Congressman Rush Holt.

But I’m not Lonegan’s strategist.

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Pallone’s Family Values

By 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?”

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Booker Opens Monmouth County Campaign Office

Newark Mayor Cory Booker, the runaway front runner for the Democratic nomination to replace the late U.S. Senator Frank Launtenberg, opened a campaign office in Victor Scudiery’s Airport Plaza in Hazlet today.

Booker has a commanding lead against 49% to 12% lead over Congressman Frank Pallone in the Monmouth University Poll of likely voters released earlier this week. Congressman Rush Holt gets 8% in the Monmouth Poll and Assembly Speaker Shelia Oliver has support of 3% of the likely voters.  28% are undecided.  Pollster Patrick Murray classified Booker’s lead as “impregnable.”

If Booker prevails in the August 13 primary, he will face off against the winner of the Republican primary on the same day in a special election to be held on October 16.  Former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan is the heavy favorite to win the Republican primary over political novice, Dr. Alieta Eck of Piscataway.

Booker’s Hazlet office is having a grand opening celebration this evening from 6-9.  The office will be open and staffed from 9-9 daily through the primary.

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