Robert Menendez says he’s fighting a smear campaign against ‘ridiculous’ allegations

Robert Menendez says he’s fighting a smear campaign against ‘ridiculous’ allegations (via NJ.com)

JERSEY CITY — Saying he was the target of a yearlong “false smear campaign,” U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez yesterday blasted a television news report that said he allegedly used his office to help campaign contributors. At events in his native Hudson…

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NBC 4 NY: New, expanding criminal investigation into Menendez

FEDERAL PROBE INTO MENENDEZ IS WIDENING

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Booker, Menendez vote yes on historic “nuclear option”

Booker, Menendez vote yes on historic “nuclear option” (via NJ.com)

New Jersey’s two senators were among 52 votes in the upper chamber today in favor of the so-called “nuclear option” eliminating the filibuster and allowing a simple majority to approve executive and judicial branch appointments. The ‘majority rules’…

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Lonegan to House Republicans: Wait For My Victory, Obama Will Fold

GOP nominee for U.S. Senate Steve Lonegan today urged Republicans in the House of Representatives not to give into President Barack Obama’s demands for re-opening the government and raising the federal debt ceiling, declaring, “When I win, Obama will fold.”

“Republicans need to hold firm because seven days from today when Bob Menendez escorts me down the Senate aisle for my swearing in, the message about what our party should do will be clear for all,” Lonegan maintained.

“I have come as far as I have in this campaign by ignoring the advice from all the pollsters and consultants who have told me to change what I think and change who I am,” Lonegan added. “New Jerseyans are looking for a leader who fights for working taxpayers, not a Hollywood wannabe like Cory Booker who will rubber stamp the President’s far-left wing agenda.”

Lonegan says his internal polling shows a neck-and-neck race in the U.S. Senate contest and that all the momentum is in his favor. “My victory in this election on Wednesday will send a message to Barack Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi that the American people want an end to Obamacare and the rest of the President’s radical agenda.”

The former three-term Bogota mayor called on Republicans to stop listening to the same consultants and pollsters who blew the 2012 election and who are telling the GOP to fold and instead stand firm for seven more days.

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Charles In Charge

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Lonegan on Syria

Published on Aug 29, 2013

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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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FEMA Makes A Deal With Russian Emergency Ministry

By Art Gallagher

Photo courtesy of The Ministry of Russian Federation for Civil Defense, Emergencies and Consequences of Natural Disasters

During the immediate aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, it gave me and my neighbors great comfort when we were greeted by State Police Officers from Mississippi and Illinois when were coming back to Highlands.  It felt good to know that fellow Americans from far away were here for us in our time of need;  that trained police and other first responders were here to protect our lives and property along side our local police and first responders.

I’m not sure I would have felt as comforted if I had to pass through a checkpoint manned by armed Russian soldiers or police to get to my home.

That could happen in future disasters under an agreement that FEMA signed with the Russian Emergency Ministry last week, according to a press release by EMERCOM of Russian.

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Was Menendez Falsely Fingered?

The FBI’s investigation into allegations that U.S. Senator Robert Menendez was provided prostitutes by his benefactor, Dr. Salomon Melgen, has hit a dead end.  Now the feds are trying to find out who made the allegations, according to a report in The Washington Post.

Menendez’s relationship with Melgen and allegations that the senator accepted free travel and other favors in exchange for undue influence remain the subject of a federal grand jury investigation.

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Double Dose of Bad News For Buono

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.

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