New Jersey was stunned that U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg recommended U.S Senator Chuck Schumer’s brother-in-law to be a federal judge, according to a headline in the NYPost.
I live in New Jersey and I’m not stunned. Are you stunned?
Lautenberg and Senator Robert Menendez recommended Kevin McNulty of Short Hills for a federal judgeship in October. President Obama nominated McNulty for a seat on the New Jersey District bench on December 16th.
McNulty, a Director of the Newark firm, Gibbons, PC is married to Schumer’s sister Fran.
The Post says that McNulty was a last minute choice of Lautenberg who had been actively considering other candidates and that the choice was made to keep New Jersey’s senior citizen senator in the good graces of Schumer who will help him stave off a movement within the Democratic party to challenge his nomination for reelection in 2014.
Lautenberg will be 88 years old in January. He’ll be 90 on election day 2014. 96 at the end of another term, should he be reelected and survive.
Lautenberg’s staff denied that politics was involved with the McNulty appointment. The senator didn’t even know McNulty was related to Schumer when his name first came up for a judicial appointment in 2009. Maybe he forgot.
Schumer’s staff denied that he had anything to do with the nomination.
The point of the story seems to be that Lautenberg is running for another term. Not even Frank Pallone is stunned by that news.
The other point would be that a candidate for the bench other than McNulty was stunned. Oh well.
The good news is the McNulty appears to be qualified to be a federal judge. The Schumer-McNulty’s do not appear to have bought political influence. McNulty has made on $2000 in federal campaign contributionssince 2000; $500 to Jon Corzine’s senatorial election campaign and $1500 to his firms PAC. Fran Schumer gave another $500 to Corzine in 2000.
Whether you celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Festival of Lights, the Winter Solstice or nothing at all, MoreMonmouthMusings wishes you a joyous holiday filled with love and the warmth of family and friends.
If you’re traveling this weekend, be safe. If you’re flying United, avoid seat 29E.
Middletown remains divided between two congressional districts under the new map.
South of Route 35 is in the 4th district, represented by Republican Chris Smith. North of Route 35 remains part of Frank Pallone’s 6th district. Under the old map, the portion of Middletown south of Route 35 was in Democratic Congressman Rush Holt’s district.
At our first look at the map, we incorrectly concluded that Middletown had been combined entirely into the 6th.
Our apologies to Larry Cirignamo.
With this correct information, it would seem that district 6th remains safe for Frank Pallone.
Diane Gooch, Chairwoman of Strong New Jersey, Vice Chair of the Monmouth GOP, and a primary candidate for the GOP nomination in the 6th congressional district in 2010 is not ready to jump into another race for congress, according to a source familiar with her thinking.
Gooch, of Rumson, now resides in Republican Chris Smith’s 4th district. In 2010 her residence was part of Democrat Rush Holt’s district but she chose to compete in the 6th.
Former Highlands Mayor Anna Little, the 6th district GOP nominee in 2010 didn’t stop running against Pallone until recently. She now appears to be focused on competing for the nomination to challenge U.S. Senator Robert Menendez.
A Democratic strategist close to Pallone feels the new 6th is slightly safer for the incumbent. The Democrat thinks that Perth Amboy, Carteret and all of Woodbridge off set the loss of Plainfield.
Give it a minute to download. It’s a large file.
A few local observations:
Republican Chris Smith will represent most of Monmouth County in the 4th district.
Democrat Rush Holt, 12th district, will no longer represent any of Monmouth County.
Democrat Frank Pallone’s 6thdistrict includes all of coastal Monmouth and Marlboro. Middletown and Marlboro appear to be entirely in Pallone’s district. Under the old map it was split between Pallone and Holt.
At first glance, the new 6th district looks to be more competive than the last. Holt took all or part of Plainfield, a strongly Democratic town where Pallone dominated in 2010 by a huge margin. Middletown is a large Republican strong hold. Marlboro usually votes Republican except on the municipal level where they have voted in the “LaHornicca” Democrats.
The New Jersey congressional delegation will likely be equally divided between Democrats and Republicans, 6 of each, after the next election, thanks to John Farmer, Dean of Rutgers Law School and the tie breaking member of the redistricting commission. Farmer told the partisan members of the commission that he would vote for the Republicans’ map when the commission meets in at the Statehouse this morning, according to reports on Politickernj and NJ.com.
The new map will combine portions of the current 5th, 8th and 9th districts and pit incumbent congressmen Scott Garrett (R) and Steve Rothman (D) in a district that gives Republicans a 4% advantage based upon historical voting patterns.
According to the Politickernj story, the new map gives Congressman Chris Smith a larger portion of Monmouth County than his previous 4th district. The district remains safely Republican for Smith, New Jersey’s longest serving congressman.
The 6th and 12th districts, represented by Frank Pallone and Rush Holt, respectively, remain safe for the Democratic incumbents, according to Politickernj.
The 7th district, represented by Republican Leonard Lance will now be a safer district for the incumbent.
Financial Terms Recognize Fiscal Realities and Limitations as New Jersey Emerges from Recession
Trenton, NJ –The Christie Administration has reached a four-year contract agreement with a state employee collective negotiations unit representing more than 5,000 employees. The financial terms of the agreement, which provide for no across the board salary increases in the first two years and small increases in the third and final years, are a practical recognition by both the negotiations unit and the Christie Administration of the strains on budget resources and state revenues and the continuing need to restrain costs as New Jersey emerges from recession.
The agreement, which requires ratification by the union memberships, was reached with the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), AFL-CIO Local 195, and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Local 518. Both union locals are covered under one contract, and the new agreement will succeed the prior agreement which expired June 30, 2011. The agreement was reached last week and is expected to be voted on by the locals’ respective memberships in the coming weeks.
The across the board salary increases in the agreement are as follows: July 1, 2011 – 0 percent; July 1, 2012 – 0 percent; July 1, 2013 – 1 percent , and July 1, 2014 – 1.75 percent.
“The financial terms of this agreement are, at best, similar to what most New Jerseyans in the private sector have experienced in recent years. The same can be said for non-union state employees in the executive branch who have not seen a raise in over four years,” said Governor Christie. “I thank both union locals for their recognition of the reality we all confront and for their honest and fair negotiations with my administration. I can tell you that we have the same expectations for our other public employee contracts still being negotiated.”
IFPTE represents approximately 4,900 state employees throughout departments in the executive branch and at state colleges, with job titles falling into the categories of operations, maintenance and services; crafts (mechanics, engineers, plumbers, etc.); and inspection and security. SEIU represents approximately 190 employees at the state Motor Vehicle Commission. Together IFPTE/SEIU represents the third-largest state employee civilian negotiations unit.
The Christie Administration continues negotiations with 12 other public employee unions, the largest being the Communications Workers of America, representing approximately 35,000 state employees.
State Senator Joe Kyrillos (R- Monmouth/Middlesex) issued the following statement congratulating Governor Christie for coming to a contract agreement with state employees represented by the IFPTE and SEIU:
“The Governor promised that there would be someone fighting for the taxpayers at the negotiating table, and this contract makes good on that promise.”
“Through a commitment to collective bargaining, the contract agreed to by the Administration, SEIU, and IFPTE is fair to employees and taxpayers alike, and reflects the economic realities facing private sector workers across our state.”
“This approach to labor negotiations is a model that I hope future Administrations will follow, as it puts taxpayers’ interests first.”
New Jersey was stunned that U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg recommended U.S Senator Chuck Schumer’s brother-in-law to be a federal judge, according to a headline in the NYPost.