The Answer We’ve All Been Waiting For

Governor Chris Christie is holding a press conference this afternoon at 1PM at his office.

Livestream coverage can be viewed here.

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Scott Sipprelle Joins The Real Jersey Guys On Tuesday Evening

Scott Sipprelle will be joining former Senator Dick LaRossa and Art Gallagher on The Real Jersey Guys Radio Show at 5PM.

Scott was the GOP nominee for Congress in New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District last year.   Since then he’s formed The Lincoln Club of New Jersey and led the effort to bring new leadership to the Mercer County GOP.

Look forward to a free ranging discussion.  Possible topics will be the Occupy Wall Street protests, the state of the economy, the upcoming legislative elections and “Will Chris Christie run for President?”

The show, which is sponsored by Repatriot Radio, airs every Tuesday from 5PM -6PM on WIFI AM 1460 and here  on the Internet.

You calls are welcome at 609-447-0236.

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NFIB Endorses Beck, Angelini and Casagrande

Third major business association to endorse 11th District Republican candidates

11^th District Republican candidates Senator Jennifer Beck and Assemblywomen Mary Pat Angelini and Caroline Casagrande issued the following statement today announcing that they were endorsed for re-election by the New Jersey Chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the country’s leading advocate for small business:

 “We are grateful for the endorsement of our candidacies by the NFIB. Getting our businesses in New Jersey back on track and creating jobs is our number one priority, and we are pleased that this is the third major business association to recognize our efforts. We will continue our efforts to make New Jersey an affordable place to do business.

The endorsement was the third major business organization to endorse the 11^th District candidates for re-election. NEW JOBS PAC, affiliated with the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, and PENPAC, the political affiliate of the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey had previously endorsed the three women.

 NFIB Executive Director Laurie Ehlbeck said that all three women scored a perfect 100% on issues affecting small business over the past year.

“Jennifer is one of the hardest working legislators in Trenton and she’s been one of our most reliable allies,” said Ehlbeck.  “She’s been a strong supporter of Governor Christie’s reforms and she is one of the leading voice in the Legislature for the spending reforms that we need to be competitive.”

 “We couldn’t ask for a better advocate in Trenton than Caroline Casagrande,” said Ehlbeck.  “She’s been with us on every key vote, and she’s been among the most energetic and thoughtful legislators in Trenton when it comes to the small business issues.”

“Caroline puts the interests of her constituents first, and she knows how important it is for their future to have a strong, healthy and growing small business sector,” said Ehlbeck.  “Most of the jobs in New Jersey are created by small businesses, and Caroline Casagrande keeps that uppermost in her mind on every issue.”

“Mary Pat Angelini had an outstanding year from our perspective,” said Ehlbeck.  “She was one of the most consistent supporters of small business, and she backed all of the important reforms that we need to get control of state spending and make New Jersey more competitive.”

“Mary Pat was with us every step of the way, and the small business owners in her district will be very proud to send her back to Trenton to keep fighting for their interests.”

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A “front porch” presidential campaign?

New York Republican State Chairman Ed Cox, son-in-law of the late President Richard M. Nixon, told Ben Smith at Politico that Governor Chris Christie should run a “modern front porch campaign” for president: 

As Chris Christie weighs the obvious appetite for his candidacy against the tremendous logistical impediments and political risks, a prominent Christie admirer is offering a path forward: A campaign run largely from New Jersey, its television campaign waged by an independent Super PAC.

New York Republican Party Chairman Ed Cox, an old Republican hand who is formally neutral, outlined the suggestion in an interview today.

“He just can not desert his job in New Jersey. He’s a recently-elected governor with a Democratic legislature on which he’s trying hard to impose fiscal discipline,” Cox said. “That’s the success on which his campaign rests.”

“The only way I can see him doing it,” he said, is a “modern front-porch campaign,” consisting of large-scale policy addresses like his speech at the Reagan Library last week, of participation in debates, and of a basic ground organization — but none of the immersive early-state retail campaigning that’s widely seen as a necessity.

“The air game would be [Home Depot founder] Ken Langone and others doing a completely independent committee,” he said.

Cox suggested Christie make a “Christie-like” declaration: “I’m governor of New Jersey, I’ve got a job to do here. If financial supporters want to go out and do an independent Super PAC, they can do it. I will register to run for president. But my duties as governor come first.”

Cox said his post prevents him from endorsing a candidate, but said Christie “should get into the race. His views are views that should be heard.”

An intriguing idea, even if it hasn’t worked since 1920 when Warren Harding  did it.

I know, mentioning Nixon and Harding in the same post is not exactly showing my Republican love.  Still, it is an intriguing idea.

Christie continuing to do his job as Governor full time while campaigning for president part time would not be all that different a schedule than he has kept for much of this year. 

The worst case scenairo for Christie in a presidential campaign is that the loses the nomination race and also loses his standing with the voters of New Jersey.  Should he start campaigning for president full time now, spending most of his time out of state and ultimately lose the nomination, he might come back to governing New Jersey full time with approval ratings in the 30’s and an New Jersey electorate that resents him for abandoning his post before the job was done. 

But, if he spends the next several months primarily in New Jersey forwarding his reform agenda, education reform in particular, his New Jersey agenda becomes part of the national conversation.  Instead of witnessing him live on the stump, voters in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida will be witnessing him on the job via television and youtube.

Television and youtube is why Christie is tied with Obama in the polls now.

If it doesn’t work, Christie is no worse for the wear in New Jersey because he kept doing the job we elected him to.  He’s still a front runner for 2016 or 2020 nationally because he wasn’t “really running.”

If it does work and he wins the GOP nomination, he was drafted, not just by the party elite elders and the big money donors, but drafted by the rank and file Republican voters.

We probably won’t know Christie’s decision tomorrow.  He has no public schedule.

Lt. Governor Kim Guadango will be making company visits in Ocean County tomorrow.  Gaspari Nutrition will receive Guadagno at 1:30, KOMO Machine at 3:00.  Both companies are in Lakewood.

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No Christie Announcement Scheduled

Governor Christie’s public schedule for Monday has just been released.  His only public appearance scheduled is the swearing in ceremony of Judge Donna Gallucio in Passaic County.

On Friday, Gannet’s Bob Jordan told me that the Statehouse Press Corps was preparing for Monday to be “the biggest day since McGreevey resigned.”   That will have to wait.

Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno will be visiting SGS North America Inc and American Fittings Corporation, both of Bergen County, tomorrow afternoon.

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The purpose of government is to do the things we have to do together that we can’t do on our own

By Michael Laffey

It was reported today in Politico that Bill Clinton attacked the Tea Party during comments to a group of reporters. His comment was as follows,

“We need to understand that one of the things that tends to tilt things toward the Republicans’ anti-government narrative is our country was born out of a suspicion of government,” Clinton said. “King George’s government was not accountable to us. That’s what the Boston tea party was about. When the tea party started out, at least they were against unaccountable behavior from top to bottom. Then it morphed into something different. If you want to go against that grain, you’ve got to tell people you understand it’s a privilege and a responsibility to spend their tax money, but there’s some things we have to do together. And that’s what the purpose of government is, to do the things that we have to do together that we can’t do on our own.”

I am confused as to why this was viewed as an attack.  I don’t think there is hardly a person in the Tea Party or in the Republican Party who would disagree with this. In fact I think this statement sums up the conservative philosophy.

The problem is that too many politicians and too many liberals don’t view it as a privilege and a responsibility to spend our tax dollars they view it as a right and they spend our taxes on things we can do for ourselves. 

Of course Bill Clinton is a very smart guy and he knows this.  He also knows that most people in this country if they really think about it agree with this philosophy of government.  What he is really doing is misrepresenting what Conservative Republicans and the Tea Party stand for.  This is all part of a concerted effort to make us look like the radicals.  There is a real danger that this disinformation campaign can work.

We must make it clear to the public that we know there are some things the government should do for us, things like provide police protection, provide for the common defense, maintain roads and infrastructure and protect public health.  Though some might disagree I would add provide for universal education and maintain public lands.

Then we need to ask people like Bill Clinton how subsidies to farmers and corporations (like solyndra) fit into his definition. How is something like medical insurance something we cannot provide for ourselves?  For that matter, why is retirement something we cannot provide for ourselves going forward?  Why should the government subsidize mortgages through Fannie and Freddie Mac? Why does government subsidize a TV station and artists and obscure museum’s in out of the way places. Why why why to thousands, maybe millions of government expenditures.

If the Democrats are going to play this game we need to turn the tables on them.

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Statement from Governor Chris Christie Regarding Settlement with Federal Transportation Administration

Trenton, NJ – Today, Governor Chris Christie released the following statement regarding the settlement between the State of New Jersey and the Federal Transportation Administration:

“I am pleased to announce that we have negotiated a good-faith settlement with the Federal Transportation Administration that puts the interests of New Jersey taxpayers first by substantially reducing the federal government’s original demand. The 5-year payment schedule on a $95 million settlement – which contains not one additional dollar of New Jersey taxpayer money – would be offset by more than $100 million in insurance premium refunds. This represents a fraction of the federal government’s initial claim and won’t cost New Jerseyans any additional money, which would otherwise go to infrastructure improvements. I want to thank U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and his staff for their good-faith efforts in working with us and putting the interest of New Jersey taxpayers ahead of politics. I also want to thank New Jersey Transit and Executive Director Jim Weinstein for their commitment to working toward this settlement.”

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What would a Christie presidential candidacy mean for New Jersey?

Would he resign to campaign full time?

If not:

*Loretta Weinberg and Joe Cryan will issue daily press releases highlighting the cost to New Jersey taxpayers of Christie and his security detail shaking hands at an Iowa meat packing plant or playing shuffle board at The Villages.

* Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno will be called Acting Governor but in reality she will be spokesperson and place holder for Christie should he lose the nomination or the election.

The New Jersey Press Corps will not take her seriously.  New Jersey’s newspapers will find the money to send reporters to follow Christie around the country.  Those reporters will ask the Governor New Jersey specific questions while the national press corps is asking him about his driving record and why he let a sex trafficker off easy in exchange for testimony against a corrupt public official while U.S. Attorney.

The legislative leadership will not take Guadagno seriously either.  The Democrats will work to forward their own agenda and undo the Christie reforms of the last twenty months.  Republicans won’t be as disciplined as they have been over the last twenty months.  Jockeying for the 2013 GOP gubernatorial nomination will start. Jockeying for the 2013 Democratic gubernatorial nomination will intensify.  Jon Hornick will no longer be considered a contender.

* Instead of answering to George Norcross and Joe DiVincenzo, Senate President Stephen Sweeney and the Assembly Speaker, either Sheila Oliver or Joe Cryan, will start answering to David Plouffe, David Axelrod and the White House as the New Jersey legislature becomes a subsidiary of the Obama campaign.

*Tom Kean Jr and Alex DeCroce will answer Weinberg’s and Cryan’s press releases with their own, highlighting how much the Trenton branch of the Obama campaign in costing New Jersey taxpayers.

* Nothing substaintial will get done in Trenton, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

If yes:

*Kim Guadagno becomes governor and the Christie era is over. 

Either way:

Who of Christie’s staff stays behind to support the Governor?  Does she have her own loyal team from which to build a staff?

*Steve Lonegan starts running for the 2013 nomination for governor.

* The best Republican talent in New Jersey latches on to the Christie for President or the Kyrillos for Senate campaigns hoping for powerful jobs in Washington come January of 2013.

Trenton goes back to business as usual.

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Anwar Al-Awlaki Is Dead

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Acting Governor Kim Guadagno Requests a Federal Disaster Declaration for Five New Jersey Counties for Tropical Storm Lee Damages

Trenton, NJ – Acting Governor Kim Guadagno today announced that the State is seeking a Major Disaster Declaration, including a request for Public Assistance, for five New Jersey counties most impacted by heavy rain storms and flooding associated with Tropical Storm Lee. The storm conditions arose on September 6 in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Irene, included heavy rainfall in areas around the state, and resulted in significant flooding along parts of the Passaic, Pompton and Delaware Rivers. In response to the situation, the Christie Administration took action under state law, including the issuance of a Statewide Emergency declaration on August 25 for Hurricane Irene that remained in effect through Tropical Storm Lee and the Christie Administration continued to coordinate sheltering efforts, resource requests and evacuation efforts throughout the state.

“I have determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that an effective response is beyond the capabilities of the state and the affected local governments and that supplementary federal assistance is necessary. This series of rain related events commencing on August 14, 2011 followed by Hurricane Irene and culminating in Tropical Storm Lee have put a severe strain on state, county and local budgets,” wrote Acting Governor Guadagno. 

Immediately following this storm and continuing through yesterday, a joint preliminary damage assessment (PDA) was undertaken between FEMA and state and local emergency management officials to establish that the state and counties had qualified for disaster assistance. The PDA indicated that the most severely impacted areas of the state, which qualify under Federal standards for a Major Disaster Declaration, are: Hunterdon, Mercer, Passaic, Sussex and Warren Counties. This request revises a September 9, 2011 request for a statewide Major Disaster Declaration, following the specific findings of the PDA. “Therefore, I respectively request at this time a Major Disaster Declaration for the counties of Hunterdon, Mercer, Passaic, Sussex and Warren Counties,” wrote Acting Governor Guadagno.

A letter outlining the State’s Public Assistance request was sent to President Barack Obama through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.  A copy of the letter is attached to the release.

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