Lonegan on Syria

Published on Aug 29, 2013

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The Candidates

“It’s easier to build a healthy child than to fix a broken man”
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Booker vs Lonegan on Foreign Affairs, Syria

By James Hogan

According to a recent poll, the majority of Americans, 50%, don’t approve of their Commander in Chief, Barack Obama.  (http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_presidential_tracking_poll ).

Beyond that, an even greater majority of Americans, over 75%, disapprove of our nation’s Congress (http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/congressional_job_approval-903.html).

Meanwhile, a report regarding Syria is claiming that nearly 75% of Americans want the President (that they disapprove of) to get permission from a Congress (that they also disapprove of) before involving our nation in a war with Syria (http://www.usatoday.com/story/theoval/2013/08/30/americans-obama-congress-approval-syria-strike/2736855/ ).

Even more interesting, the USA Today link claims, “When respondents were asked if the military action meant launching cruise missiles from naval warships — 50% favored it, while 44% opposed military action.”

Consider then what the poll numbers might show if Americans were asked if they were in favor or opposed to the North Koreans doing We The People a favor by parking their warships off of the coast of Virginia and start firing cruise missiles down on DC, or the homes and offices of our elected representatives, that we disapprove of? 

Would Americas approve of the *friendly* aide provided by the North Koreans? Or would we unite as a nation against these aggressors, declare war on North Korea, gather our allies and crush the North Koreans for attacking our land and our people? 

Before you answer, remember, the North Koreans would just be here lobbing cruise missiles at our nation to help us obtain freedom and democracy from a government that we don’t approve of, it’s not like they’d be invading our nation with soldiers or anything too terrible. They would just be providing some peace seeking missile attacks, aimed specifically at the people we don’t approve of (according to the media polls) so that we can be free at last.

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What is Booker Hiding? Why?

Neither Booker nor Lonegan have been as forthcoming as Mendenez and Kyrillos were last year

© Jim Urquhart / Reuters;

Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Cory Booker has not released his tax returns, despite a promise to do so, according to the New York Post.

“We will release his tax returns,” vowed Booker campaign spokesman Kevin Griffis more than two weeks ago, yesterday claiming Booker “will continue to raise the bar on transparency — both in this election, and if elected, in the US Senate.”

GOP nominee Steve Lonegan provided three years of returns exclusively to The Post.  The paper said that Lonegan earned $515,280 in 2012, mostly from property sales, and paid nearly $100,000 in federal taxes.

Lonegan said Booker is refusing to release his returns because he used his office, Newark Mayor, to accumulate personal wealth.

“It’s indicative of the fact that he’s got something to hide,” Lonegan told The Post. “It’s clear to me that Booker leveraged the office of mayor . . . to gain wealth.”

The Post has previously reported that Booker received an undisclosed amount in an equity payout from the law firm he was a partner in before being elected mayor. The payout was made from 2007 through 2011.  During that time the firm, Trenk DiPasquale,  collected more than $2 million in fees from local agencies that Booker has direct influence over.

The New York Times reported in May that Booker has earned $1.3 million in speaking fees since becoming mayor and that his Newark home is assessed at $406,000. He earns a salary of $174,496 as mayor.

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Lonegan on MSNBC’s UP with Steve Kornacki

GOP U.S. Senate nominee Steve Lonegan went toe to toe on UP with Steve Kornacki this morning and drew a clear contrast between himself and Democratic nominee Cory Booker.

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Did Booker Endorse Christie?

It sure sounds like it in the beginning of this video as the Democratic U.S. Senate candidate sings Governor Christie’s praises during an appearance in Newark yesterday, while GOP Senate candidate Steve Lonegan’s campaign manager Rick Shaftan on was hand to video the event.

Booker remains hopeful

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Booker Has Corzine Covered

Off With His Head!

Those young campaign staffers do the darnedest things.

Anxious to promote President Obama’s endorsement of Newark Mayor Cory Booker for U.S. Senate earlier this week, a Booker staffer searched for a photo of Obama and Booker together to post of the campaign website.  The problem, apparently the only time Booker and the President have been photographed together was at the 2009 rally for former Governor Jon Corzine’s failed reelection bid.

The kid was savvy enough to know that Booker really doesn’t want to be associated with the disgraced former governor who remains under investigation for the missing $1.2 billion in customer funds that disappeared during the MF Global collapse.

So he/she put a text box over Corzine’s head.

Lachlan Markay caught it and shared it with the world before the adults in the Booker campaign had it taken down.

So far the New Jersey media is not making a big deal about this gaffe, like they did about the Lonegan staffer’s gaffe on twitter. But Business Insider picked it up for fun.

Lonegan did not fire his staffer for the “silly, childish” tweet that caused a stir.

Booker’s daily inspirational social media message this morning indicates that he might not be so forgiving.

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Christie: “It is my honor to endorse Steve Lonegan”

“Steve will be a clear and powerful voice for putting people back in charge of government; not government in charge of people.”

“Let there be no doubt about the Republican apparatus being behind Steve Lonegan.”

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Monmouth Poll Shows Booker’s Weakness

Lonegan can close the gap

New Jersey voters do not buy that Newark Mayor Cory Booker is a “new kind of politician,” according to the Monmouth University/Asbury Park Press Poll released this morning.

Booker responded on social media. He’s a kind politician, not a new kind of politician.

Hmmm.  This post might give New Jersey more insight into Booker’s foreign policy philosophy than the Lonegan campaign’s “silly and childish” tweet during a Democratic primary debate. Let’s be kind to terrorists and our foreign enemies.  That fits with the Obama/HClinton/Kerry foreign policy of apologizing for America.

Patrick Murray’s poll of likely voters continues to show Booker beating GOP nominee Steve Lonegan by double digits.  Today’s 54%-38% Booker lead is nearly identical to the pre-primary 53%-37%  lead the Newark Mayor enjoyed in June.  In other words, Lonegan has gained no ground by deploying his anti-Obama campaign strategy in the last two months.

But despite his huge victory, the Democratic primary took something of a toll on Booker’s favorability ratings, which have dropped 12 points net since June.  Given how easy Congressmen Frank Pallone and Rush Holt went on Booker during the primary, a 12 point drop is significant.

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In order to close the gap and make the Special Senate Election competitive, Lonegan needs to scrap the idea of making the campaign a referendum on President Obama’s policies.  We had that referendum last November and Obama won in New Jersey by 18 points.  Lonegan has said that Obama’s numbers are going to drop. They have dropped a bit, only 49% of New Jersey likely voters told the Monmouth University poll that they approved of the President, while 43% disapprove.  If those numbers suddenly plunge, Lonegan will benefit without trying.  If Obama’s approval stays stubbornly positive, as they have through various scandals, Lonegan stands to gain little ground.

50% of those who said they have a favorable opinion of Booker also said they could change their minds.  Booker’s favorables are soft.  Obama’s have proven to be stubborn.

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Lonegan’s Own Words

GOP U.S. Senate nominee declared in his primary victory speech last Tuesday night that he would not that he would not alter his message nor parse his words during his special election campaign against Democratic nominee Cory Booker.

In his appearance with NJTV’s Michael Aron this weekend (video not yet posted), Lonegan presented himself as a reasonable fiscal conservative focused on the economy.  He distanced himself from the Tea Party, which he characterized as an eclectic, leaderless network.

During an appearance MSNBC’s Weekends with Alex Witt yesterday afternoon, the former Bogota mayor again comes off as reasonable, not a radical, framed Booker as an extreme liberal and stuck to economic issues:

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This morning on Fox and Friends (also not yet posted Save Jersey has the video), Lonegan emphasized his Ridgefield Park roots, 32 year marriage, and two Gold Star Girl Scout daughters to make the case that he is representative of New Jersey and its values and that Booker is the liberal extremist.

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