We often complain about the leftist slant of the mainstream media here at MMM. However, now is a time for those of us who live and do business at the Jersey Shore to say thank you in advance, and least to Comcast’s NBC properties.
NBC’s Today Show is broadcasting from Highlands on Saturday morning (Hint for Greg, put that on the list.) and 300 Comcast and Sherman Williams employees will volunteer to help Highlands business and homeowners rebuild their properties.
On Monday the 29th, MSNBC’s Morning Joe will broadcast from the Fifth Avenue Pavilion in Asbury Park, according to a report on Asbury Pulp.
It’s not just a problem of attracting ‘bennies’ to come back with their money. A few weeks back, a local elected official called me to ask for a recommendation for a Highlands restaurant on the water to hold an event. For years his group gathered at Bahrs. Where can he go on the water now that Bahrs is closed? “Bahrs Landing is Still Standing“, I told my friend.
This kind of news coverage does not happen by accident. I’d bet Christie’s team had something to do with it happening. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him appear on his two favorite morning shows. I’d love to see him in Highlands on Saturday morning, but I would guess he’s more likely to hang with Mika and Joe on Monday. Maybe he will bring his bff Bruce with him.
Chief Victor “Buddy” Amato of the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals (SPCA) is asking for help from the public in the investigation of a dog suspected of being burnt to death in Eatontown on Tuesday evening.
Eatontown firefighters responded to a report of smoke and possible fire in the wooded area behind the Country Club Apartments off Tinton Ave between 7:00pm and 7:30pm where they found the burning remains of what is believed to be a beagle.
The animal’s remains were taken to the Red Bank Animal Hospital were a necropsy will be performed to determine the cause of death.
Amato asks that anyone with any information about the dog call him at 732-312-7153.
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.
Bellew for State Senate campaign manager Dwayne Horner called from Texas to say that the campaign polled 5,000 Republican voters in LD 13 on Sunday evening and that 83% said they favored replacing the incumbents. Horner refused to name the polling firm, saying only that its a well respected Republican firm that worked for the Romney campaign in Florida and several Texas congressional campaigns.
Horner declined to say what questions were asked of those polled, saying he would not get into the specifics of the poll. Twice MMM asked if the incumbents were named in the polling questions. Twice Horner declined to answer.
“83% said the incumbents should not be re-elected,” Horner said. “Did you tell them who the incumbents are?” we asked. “I’m not getting into the specifics of the poll, but Leigh-Ann Bellew’s name was mentioned,” Horner responded.
Horner challenged Senator Joe Kyrillos and the anonymous Republican political operative quoted below to go door to door and find 8 of 10 voters who plan to reelect Kryillos.
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The slate of candidates challenging LD 13 legislative incumbents, Senator Joe Kyrillos, Assemblywoman Amy Handlin and Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon claim they have polling data that indicates “voters overwhelming want to fire the incumbents.”
An email sent to Bayshore Tea Party Group members by co-founder Barbara Gonzalez reads, in part, as follows:
Momentum is on the side of the candidates of R4CL. Voters overwhelmingly say they are ready to fire the current incumbents. Internal polls show that voters are ready to support a new slate of candidates.
Gonzalez told MoreMonmouthMusings that she does not know who is conducting polls for the primary challengers led by state senate candidate Leigh-Ann Bellew or what the numbers say. “That message was sent over by the campaign, I just cut and paste and sent it out,” said Gonzalez, “but my internal poll agrees with it. Everyone I talk to wants a change.”
The Judge presiding over the Philadelphia trial of Dr. Kermit Gosnell has dismissed three of the eight murder charges against the abortionist after agreeing with defense attorney Jack McMahon that the prosecution failed to prove that any of the slaughtered infants were born alive, according to reports at LifeNews, WND and The Blaze.
Five counts of corpse abuse were also dismissed.
Gosnell still faces charges that he killed a mother and four babies born alive. The prosecution rested its case last Friday after five weeks of testimony. The defense started presenting its case today.
Assembly Republican Budget Officer Declan O’Scanlon, commended the New Jersey Economic Development Authority for its commitment to Monmouth County’s efforts to rebuild after Superstorm Sandy and redevelop Fort Monmouth.
“We were knocked down by Sandy and the State has been there from the beginning offering a helping hand to get businesses and families back on their feet,” O’Scanlon, R-Monmouth, said. “From providing temporary housing units for families to providing grants and loans to businesses that suffered damage, the authority has been absolutely committed to our region and intends to place staff in our communities – potentially at Fort Monmouth – to ensure easy access to grants and assistance for business owners.”
Cable network HBO is in talks with to bring their hit series Boardwalk Empire to Asbury Park according to a report on AsburyParkSun.
HBO may shoot its popular drama “Boardwalk Empire” in Asbury Park in the future.
The cable network is in talks with the city and boardwalk redeveloper Madison Marquette to possibly bring the show here, said Madison Marquette’s senior vice president, Anselm Fusco, today.
“We are in conversations with HBO and the city,” Fusco said. “It would be really great. We think it would be fantastic if we could figure it out.”
The show stars Steve Buscemi as Enoch “Nucky” Thompson, an Atlantic City gangster. Martin Scorsese is the executive producer. Filming of its fourth season has reportedly begun.
The show, inspired by the true story of Atlantic City corruption during prohibition written by Superior Court Judge Nelson Johnson seated in Atlantic County, was primary shot in New York City during its first three seasons.
Monmouth County Legislators to Present Petitions Against JCP&L’s Rate Hike at Tomorrow’s Public Hearing in Freehold
Assemblywoman Amy Handlin
Assemblywomen Amy Handlin and Caroline Casagrande plan to present petitions tomorrow signed by 1,500 ratepayers opposed to a proposed electricity rate hike by Jersey Central Power and Light (JCP&L).
“We will speak for the hundreds of ratepayers who are tired of paying more for less service,” Handlin, R-Monmouth, said. “This proposal to take about $85 more per year from hard-working families lacks credibility because JCP&L has yet to answer very serious charges of pocketing corporate profit instead of investing in the improvements that would have made our service more reliable and our rates more tolerable.”
Gopal, Doherty and Nelson make Gannett’s ‘Other” List
Brian Nelson. Asbury Park Press Photo
In addition to the list of twelve ‘rising stars’ that Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande made on Sunday, Gannett published a list of 15 ‘up and comers’ to keep an eye on that includes three Monmouth players.
Democrats Vin Gopal, the 27 year old county chairman and Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty, 39 made the list. Noticeably absent among Democrats were Marlboro Mayor Jonathon Hornik and Sea Bright Mayor Dina Long.
Gopal, from West Long Branch, ran for Assembly in the 11th District in 2011 before being elected county chairman in 2012. It remains to be seen if the Monmouth Democratic party will become more competitive under Gopal’s leadership, but there is no question that he is developing a statewide portfolio of influence with his early support of Barbara Buono for the 2013 gubernatorial nomination, his non-stop fundraising schedule for candidates statewide and savvy media presence. Gopal has ties to both Newark Mayor Cory Booker and Congressman Frank Pallone. How he navigates the anticipated 2014 battle between Booker and Pallone for the U.S. Senate nomination will be fascinating to watch. MMM predicts that he will be seen as a supporter of the winner and an ally of the loser.
Monmouth County Legislator Has A Message That Republicans Badly Need To Win
Gannett’s New Jersey newspapers and websites published a list of New Jersey’s political “Rising Stars” yesterday. The editorial says those on the list are young (most are under 40, all are under 50) politicos that are likely to emerge as the “next generation” of leaders on the regional or state levels of New Jersey government and politics.
Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande is the only Monmouth County leader who made the top twelve of the list. As a three term Assemblywoman seeking her fourth term and the Assembly Minority’s Policy Co-Chair, one could argue that Casagrande is in the current generation of leadership. But at 36, her star is still very much “rising.”
If you are fortunate enough to talk to Casagrande about policy and politics, you will quickly realize that the real power of her ‘light’ is largely ‘hidden under a bushel.’
We often complain about the leftist slant of the mainstream media here at MMM. However, now is a time for those of us who live and do business at the Jersey Shore to say thank you in advance, and least to Comcast’s NBC properties.
