David Richter should run for congress in CD-12

By Art Gallagher

David Richter

David Richter, the former CEO of Hill International, a global construction management firm, has had a tough start to 2020. Richter, of Princeton, was the front runner for the GOP nomination for Congress in the second district of New Jersey and was poised to end the political career of Congressman Jeff Van Drew.

The impeachment of President Donald J. Trump upended Richter’s self-funded path to Congress.  In a deal brokered by former Governor Chris Christie, according to the NY Times, Van Drew became a Republican and pledged his undying support to the President. Trump, seeing a opportunity much larger than picking up one congressional seat in New Jersey, provided Van Drew with a first class political operation and cleared the path for the freshman congressman to win the GOP nomination for reelection.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Bramnick for Governor?

By Art Gallagher

Assemblywoman Serena DiMaso, Clerk Christine Giordano Hanlon, “top contender for governor” Jon Bramnick and Freeholder Director Tom Arnone on the Walk to Washington train last winter.

The pre-primary of the 2021 GOP nomination for NJ Governor got a lot more interesting this morning.

In a Star Ledger Friendly Fire interview with Democrat strategist Julie Roginsky and Republican strategist Mike DuHaime that Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick shared on facebook, DuHaime declared Bramnick to be a “top contender for governor after a strong 2019.”

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Seaside Boardwalk Fire Was Six Years Ago Today

Today marks the six year anniversary of the fire than engulfed the iconic boardwalk of Seaside Park and Seaside Heights.

The blaze that destroyed 1000 feet of boardwalk and businesses that had been repaired/replaced following Superstorm Sandy which occurred only 11 months prior, was determined to have been caused by electrical wiring that had been corroded during the historic storm but not replaced during the rebuild. Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Keady won’t shut up, Wants to sit down with Christie

Monmouth County Democratic Socialism activist Jim Keady wants former Governor Chris Christie to give him another fifteen minutes of fame.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

White House Budget Has No Gateway Tunnel Funding—Booker Suggests Naming The Tunnel For Trump

photo via Gov Cuomo’s flicker

President Trump’s 2020 budget has no funding for the Gateway Tunnel and Deputy Secretary of Transportation Jeffrey Rosen said New York and New Jersey should pay for the tunnel, according to AMNY:

“Those transit projects are local responsibilities, and elected officials from New York and New Jersey are the ones accountable for them,” said U.S. Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary Jeffrey Rosen on Monday, during a budget briefing call with reporters.

New Jersey Senator Cory Booker responded by suggesting that the tunnel be named after Trump, according to the NY DailyNews: Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Baroni gets 18 months for Bridgegate conviction

Bill Barnoni, 47, a former NJ State Senator and the former Deputy Executive Director of the Port Authority of NY/NJ was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison today for his role in the September, 2013 George Washington Bridge lane closure known as Bridgegate, Assistant US Attorney Attorney for the United States Mark Coyne announced.

U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton imposed the sentence in Newark federal court.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Mary Pat Christie for Congress? From the 11th or the 3rd district?

CHRISCHRISTIE.COM PHOTO

Former Governor Chris Christie floated the idea of his wife, Mary Pat Christie, running for Congress in the 11th district next year as a challenger to freshman Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill, according to a report at NewJerseyGlobe.

Sherrill, who flipped the Republican 11th district convincingly with a 57%-42%  victory over Assemblyman Jay Webber, and raised a gazillion dollars to do it, will be tough to beat in 2020.

Mary Pat would have a much easier race against 3rd district freshman Congressman Andy Kim who barely beat Tom MacArthur last year.   The Chrisites own a house in Bay Head, in addition to their home in Mendam.  MacArthur relocated to Ocean County from Morris County to run for the seat after Jon Runyan retired in 2014.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Christie’s book is worth reading

LET ME FINISH: Trump, the Kushners, Bannon, New Jersey, and the power of in-your-face politics, former Governor Chris Christie’s memoir and plea for a political future is not likely to change any minds about him.  If you’re one of the 15% of New Jersey residents who admire Christie today as much as you did during the early aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, you will love the book and your admiration for Christie will grow.

If you believe that Christie knew about and was involved in the George Washington Bridge scandal known as Bridgegate and that he closed New Jersey’s beaches for all but his family on the July 4th weekend in 2017, his book will tell you why you’re wrong.  Christie is the victim of the two events that define his legacy so far; Bridgegate and Beachgate.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Christie: Kushner’s vendetta hurt Trump’s presidency

In his soon to be released book, Let Me Finish, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie claims that he was dismissed as Chairman of the Trump transition team at the behest of Jared Kushner, the President’s son-in-law, and that the Trump White House would be a much more effective place today had he, instead of Vice President Mike Pence, overseen the establishment of the Administration, according to a review of the book published at The Guardian.

At the heart of it is Christie’s desire to tell the American people that had his transition plan been adopted after Trump’s shock victory on election night in November 2016, the Trump White House would be a much more effective place today. Once he had been tossed overboard, the new transition team led by Vice President-elect Mike Pence had a “thrown-together approach” that led to appalling choices of senior personnel “over and over again”.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Chris Christie’s official portrait will cost $85K

Graphic by Phil Stilton @ShoreNewsNetwork

Former Gov. Chris Christie’s official portrait will cost $85,000, which is more than taxpayers shelled out for paintings of his three predecessors combined. The Record reports that Australian artist Paul Newton will paint the portrait of the Republican who left office after eight years in January. The cost detail was obtained through an open records request.… Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet