Activists take dissent in dangerous direction

By Congressman Chris Smith

Congressman Chris Smith

Who can argue that in 2017, we face an unprecedented number of seemingly insurmountable problems both domestic and international that require wise leadership and sustained problem solving by Congress, the president — and everyone of good will.

Perhaps as in no previous time, however, we live in the age of the perpetual campaign where truth and the common good too often take a back seat to political expediency and personal gain. Enabled by distortion, hyperbole, surface appeal argument and the 24-hour, seven days a week cable news cycle, the public is increasingly ill-served and resolving tough issues has become more elusive.

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Congressman Smith Announces National Blue Ribbon Schools

Biotech High School, Pace Charter School, Performing Arts Academy and St. Gregory the Great recognized

Congressman Chris Smith announced yesterday that four schools in New Jersey’s 4th Congressional District have been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as National Blue Ribbon Schools.

“Educating our children is among the most important investment we can make in our families’ and our nation’s future,” said Smith.  “I am thrilled that four of the 11 Blue Ribbon Schools in New Jersey are located right here in the Fourth Congressional District of New Jersey.”

The four schools being recognized for their overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups, which requires demonstrating that all students can achieve to high levels, are:

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Chris Smith is New Jersey’s only GOP Congressman to break 60%

Congressman Chris Smith easily defeated his Democratic challenger, Brian Froelich of Spring Lake, to earn his 17th term in the House of Representative.  Smith new 4th district includes most of Monmouth County and parts of Ocean and Mercer County.

With 68% of the vote, Smith is the only Republican in the New Jersey delegation to break 60%.

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Asbury Park Press Laments Lack Of Competitive Primaries Yet Fail To Do Their Part

Yesterday the Neptune Nudniks ran an editorial lamenting the lack of competition in the primaries.

This morning The Star Ledger reported that there are five candidates seeking the two major party nominations for U.S. Senate, 44 candidates for 13  congressional seats (they should have said 12 seats or 24 nominations) and 8 candidates for three special election primaries for State Assembly.

There are two GOP primary races in The Asbury Park Press’s coverage area.  The CD-6 race between Monmouth GOP candidate Ernesto Cullari and Middlesex GOP candidate Anna Little, and the CD-4 race between incumbent Congressman Chris Smith and Terrence McGowan of Howell.

A search for “Anna Little” reveals that the former Highlands mayor’s name has not appeared on the site since February. “Ernesto Cullari” produced no results in a search of the site.   On May 14 a letter to the editor in support of McGowan in CD-4 was published.  Nothing else.  Congressman Smith has made international headlines recently for his work to secure Chen Guangcheng’s release from China.  Yet the APP is interested only in what Smith is doing for Lakewood’s schools, an issue that Smith’s office has no authority over.  APP.com also reported that a 71 year old Manchester woman drove her car into the side of Smith’s Whiting office last November.

This is not to say that the press should cover every candidate that collects signatures to get on a primary ballot.  Earned media should indeed be earned and so-called “fringe” candidates should be challenged to earn their coverage.  MMM is aware that it could have made the CD-4 race more competitive than the rout it will be with Smith getting over 80% of the vote.  However, McGowan did nothing to earn coverage on MMM.  The first we heard from anybody in the McGowan campaign was last week when we were invited by a reader to a meet and greet a couple of hours before it started.

But there is no excuse for the APP’s lack of coverage of the CD-6 race where the competing candidates each earned the endorsement of a county Republican organization.  That is a story.

One could argue, and the Nudniks do as an excuse for their lack of coverage in their editorial, that the gerrymandered congressional districts make the CD-4 and CD-6 races uncompetitive and the end result of each election is a fait accompli. 

Where were they during the redistricting process?  They ran an editorial lamenting the gerrymandering after fact, but provided little coverage that would have increased public awareness before or during the process.

How do the Nudniks think that voters will get their information about the electorial process?  They are very supportive of pay to play restrictions that make it more difficult for candidates and parties to get their messages out, yet the APP does little to pick up the slack or provide coverage to to the electoral process.

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