Iowa Republicans Recruiting Christie For President

The Associated Press is reporting that a group of Iowa Republican fundraisers is coming to New Jersey this month with the purpose of recruiting Governor Chris Christie into the race for the 2012 presidential nomination.

Bruce Rastetter, Iowa entrepeneur and GOP fundraiser

The group, is led by Bruce Rastetter, the CEO of Hawkeye Energy Holdings, America’s third largest ethanol producer, will meet with the governor on May 31 at Drumthwacket.

Rastetter, who met Christie last year at a fundraiser for Iowa Governor Terry Branstad last year, is a major player in Iowa politics.  He was the chair of Branstad’s inaugural committee. Branstad appointed Rastetter to the Iowa Board of Regents.

“There isn’t anyone like Chris Christie on the national scene for Republicans,” Rastetter said. “And so we believe that he, or someone like him, running for president is very important at this critical time in our country.”

“He clearly understands smaller government, less government spending, job creation, and how to create a better education system — certainly, all the things I and those accompanying me care about,” Rastetter said.

Christie has been steadfast about not running for president.

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Happy Mothers’ Day

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“She’s Ugly and Orange. I Love Her”

~ my friend’s daughter, a Brookdale student, speaking of Snooki

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Keep your day job Governor

By Art Gallagher

I gave it twenty minutes, but I couldn’t take it anymore.

Governor Chris Christie is far more compelling when speaking policy and politics than he is when talking about sports.   Craig Carton was far more entertaining as a “Jersey Guy” than he was during the twenty minutes I endured watching the Boomer and Carton show on MSG this morning.  Christie is sitting in for Boomer Esiason.

They loved Christie at Harvard.  We love him at his Town Hall meetings.   I have called Christie the best communicator since Ronal Reagan.    Please Governor, when it comes to extended appearances on the radio, stick with Eric Scott and talk about New Jersey.

Maybe someone from the NJEA, Tom Moran or Steve Lonegan will call into the show and make it interesting.

Christie will be on the show until 10 AM.  The number to call in is 877-337-6666.

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Only the Dems can make $500 million = $9 billion.

By Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon

While pandering to his audience at a recent union rally, Democratic Party leader John Wisniewski said the state should raise the state’s income tax and otherwise “find a way” to pay all of its $3.5 billion pension obligation this year. He said, “It’s about keeping a promise.”

If that’s the case, why didn’t Assemblyman Wisniewski and his party make the annual required pension payments when Democrats controlled the Legislature and governor’s office for eight years?

The assemblyman has proposed raising the income tax on our state’s highest-income earners, also our job creators, as a “solution” to funding the $3.5 billion payment. Democrats admit such a tax hike would only garner $500 million.

Yet they have targeted that $500 million to fund $9 billion worth of programs, which also include property tax relief ($2.1 billion), schools ($1.6 billion), job incentives ($800 million), municipal aid ($445 million), preschool funding ($400 million), Medicaid ($300 million) and nursing homes ($70 million).

Seems Assemblyman Wisniewski is using the same type of warped mathematical calculations used to “balance” the state budget over the past decade — which has led us to the brink of fiscal ruin. Of course, if he can seriously explain how $500 million will fund $9 billion, I’m willing to listen. However, we need the answer by June 30, when a balanced budget is due.

I’m confident the various groups Democrats pander to are smart enough to see through this sham and demand the kind of serious reform that will benefit everyone in the long term. I know our taxpayers do.

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NJEA Spending Teachers Dues On Anti-Christie Ads

The New Jersey Education Association has launched an advertising campaign to encourage people to “Tell Christie he’s done enought to help millionaires.”

There is a full page ad on the back page of section A in the print edition of the Asbury Park Press (which is how using the header THE PRESS). Capitol Quickies reports that the ad also appeared in the Home News Tribune, Daily Record and Courier News, all Gannett owned papers.

The ad says “Governor Christie cut our schools, women’s health care and our public safety to give a tax break to millionaires” and touts their website, MillionairesForChristie.com.  The website encourages readers to email their legislators to “to let them know that you’re against Governor Christie helping millionaires.  Its time to protect our schools!”

Readers of the site can also sign a petition to Governor Christie and preview a TV ad that repeats the nonsense.

I wonder why the NJEA waited until after the school board elections to launch this advertising campaign.

Governor Christie has not given any tax breaks to millionaires.  The Democrats let the millionaires tax surcharge expire before Christie took office.  Christie vetoed the reinstatement of the tax last year, just as he promised he would in his campaign.

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Christie To Co-Host The Boomer And Carton Show Friday Morning

Governor Chris Christie will Co-host the Boomer and Carton Show tomorrow morning with former Jets quarterback Boomer Esiason and former NJ 101.5 “Jersey Guy” Craig Carton.

The show starts at 6am and is broadcast live on WFAN 660 radio and on cable TV on the MSG Network

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Obama To Visit Ground Zero Today

By Art Gallagher

President Barack Obama will visit Ground Zero today for a wreath laying ceremony. 

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Senator Robert Menendez will be among the dignitaries attending.

Published reports say that former President George W. Bush declined Obama’s invitation to attend today’s ceremony, siting his desire to stay out of the public eye during his post-presidency.

While I respect the dignity with which Bush has conducted himself since leaving the White House, I think his appearance with Obama to celebrate the death of Osama Bin Laden would have been an opportunity for the nation to come together, if only for a moment.

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Chris Smith’s “No Federal Funding For Abortion” Bill Passes The House

By Art Gallagher

H.R. 3, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, championed by Congressman Chris Smith, passed the House of Representatives this week, 251-175.  All Republicans in the House and 16 Democrats voted for the bill’s passage.

The bill would make permanent the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal funding of abortion through Medicaid and other federal programs.  Additionally “indirect subsidies” like tax credits and deductions for abortions, insurance premiums on policies that cover abortion, and the use of tax-exempt savings plans to pay for abortion, are prohibited by the measure.

The bill has less of a chance to pass the Democratically controlled Senate than a African American or Hispanic fetus has of surviving its mother’s visit to a Planned Parenthood clinic.

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Birdsall Resigns As Brookdale Chair

By Art Gallagher

The fallout associated with the financial mismanagement of Brookdale Community College continued today with the resignation of Howard Birdsall, the chairman of the board of trustees.  Birdsall served on the board since 1998.  His resignation is effective Friday, according to The Asbury Park Press.

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