Dan Jacobson Is A Republican

By Art Gallagher

Former Assemblyman and triCityNews publisher Dan Jacobson has switched his party affiliation to Republican.  Jacobson is preparing to challenge Senator Sean Kean in the Republican primary should he and Kean reside in the same district when the new map is introduced.

Monmouth County GOP Vice Chair Diane Gooch, while not commenting on the prospect of Jacobson challenging Kean, said she was thrilled that Jacobson has joined the GOP.  “I always knew he was a closet Republican,” said Gooch, “I’m thrilled that he has finally had his epiphany and joined the right side.”

Jacobson has frequently espoused his affection for Gooch in his paper.  Diane was genuinely surprised by the news of Dan’s conversion when informed of it by MMM.  She had nothing to do with it. 

The credit or blame is still mine.

• Tweet

Jacobson vs Kean?

By Art Gallagher

Former Assemblyman and trCityNews publisher Dan Jacobson, a Democrat, says he’s seriously considering a challenge to Senator Sean Kean in the Republican primary and that it is this blog’s fault that he’s considering it.

Good.  I’ll take responsibility for that. 

This blog has never been about preaching to the choir, even though as Governor Christie says, preaching to the choir makes them sing better.   Democrats and Independents have always been welcome here.  I’m proud to have the only conservative blog with a link on Blue Jersey‘s blog roll. I’m proud when morons on the right who can’t count call me Arlen or a RINO.  I’m proud that Kathy Baratta can’t stay away, sprays some insults in the comments every now and then before going back to her little websites to rant about me.  If I’m not tweaking or out and out angering members of the mainstream media and members of the political establishment, on both sides of the isle, I’m not doing my job.

I think it is weird when friends, acquaintances or readers I don’t know personally tell me, often apologetically, that they don’t agree with me, but that they respect me and still enjoy the site. I think it is weird that the guy I ran against for council in Highlands years ago still takes it personally that I had the audacity to do so.  I think personal animosity and vitriol over differences of opinions is weird.  I think it is weird that Democrats and Republicans alike are offended that Democratic Chairman Vic Scudiery’s companies advertise on this site.  It’s sad that people can’t understand how Vic and I can be both friends and political adversaries.  It’s not sad for Vic or I.  It’s sad that so many people will only relate to people they agree with on everything and that differences of opinion can threaten a releationship.  It is weird that agreeing to disagree is a big deal.  It is almost as if differences of opinion is the new racism in terms of how we thoughtlessly separate ourselves from each other.

I’m especially proud that MMM is Dan Jacobson’s favorite blog and that he has chosen to participate here.   Dan and I have roughly the same size readerships.  His might be a bit larger than mine, but mine is more committed.  While we come at it from different angles, with different styles and mediums, Dan and I both seek to wake people up, challenge the status quo, shape opinion and influence action.

But enough about I why I publish Dan’s work here and why those of you who only relate to people you see eye to eye with are ripping yourselves off.  Let’s talk politics and piss some people off.

First, when it comes right down to it, I don’t think Dan will challenge Kean in the primary.  He’s too much of  kitten. Kitten, kitten, kitten!  He wouldn’t even call Sean Kean and talk to him.  Even though it is painless to do so. You leave a message and Sean doesn’t call back.  What’s so hard about that?   Dan’s such a kitten that I wonder if really ever called former Red Bank Mayor Ed McKenna.  For years Dan complained that McKenna wouldn’t return his calls.

Secondly, Dan’s candidacy would cause a Constitutional crisis.  Using his newspaper to promote his candidacy would raise interesting and challenging issues regarding New Jersey’s campaign finance laws.  Dan could be required to disclose his advertisers as campaign contributors on his ELEC reports and return ad fees/donations that exceed the limits.  Some advertisers have already spent more than the allowable campaign contribution amounts and would have to pull their ads for the remainder of the campaign.   Dan is just the guy to take campaign finance laws all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, accept for one thing….he’s too much of a kitten to do it.  That and he’s not pissed off enough about Kean’s anti-marriage equality vote to put his paper out of business.

Third, he won’t win.  Sure, based upon the 2009 turnout a victory looks to be possible, but all Sean Kean has to do to win is spend a little bit of the SEIU/CWA/NJEA money he has collected on a post card and robo call and he’ll turn out more than enough voters in Wall Township to crush Jacobson district wide.  Just because he can, Sean would get lawn signs and a troop of volunteers to distribute them for overkill.  Dan might spring for a few signs and ask his paper boy to deliver them to stores that distribute the triCityNews, but the store owners won’t put them up.  Now he’s spending money for signs and losing ad dollars. 

Still, I hope I’m wrong.  I hope Dan is not too much of a kitten, kitten, kitten and that he goes for it.  Not because I want my friend to go broke (he’ll have to pay in advance if he wants an ad here!), but because Dan’s readers need to hear his message about goverment employee unions:

For years, I’ve criticized the Democratic Party for being clueless on economic policy. Becoming a subsidiary of the unions destroyed us. We lost our independence, and the ability to shrink the government and reduce taxes when needed. That’s why angry Democrats write in calling me a Republican.

Call me crazy. But if a government employees union has the right to collective bargaining, it’s absurd that they can elect those who sit across the bargaining table. And it’s absurd that they can elect those who enact the rules for that bargaining.

Tell you what: Government employee unions should not be allowed to collect mandatory dues – and then use those dues to elect those running the government that employs them. That gives them way too much power. That’s the root problem right now. It’s why collective bargaining can’t be fair. It’s why everything is out of whack. If these unions want to form their own  political action committees and convince members to voluntarily contribute, so be it. That’s democracy. But today’s situation is ridiculous.

When I write stuff like that many of my Democratic readers call me names, just like my idealogical right wing readers do when they don’t agree with me, and dismiss my arguments.    Even many of my Republican readers are affraid of that argument, given the power of the unions in NJ.  They need to hear from Dan and others too.

Maybe Dan can skirt the ELEC issues by waging a write in campaign.  I don’t know, he should ask a lawyer who knows stuff like that. 

But the message is important and needs to get out.

• Tweet

Mulling a run against Sean Kean…in the GOP primary!

By Dan Jacobson, Publisher, triCityNews  (Cross published in the triCityNews, Thursday, March 24, 2011)

I’m a Democrat. And I’m starting to seriously consider running against Senator Sean Kean in the Republican primary.

Why not? I’d love to see what that forbidden land looks like. Like when this newspaper sent me to Havana, Cuba on assignment. Running as a Republican would be one hell of a journalistic expedition. I think it would be a blast.

 Here’s my favorite angle to the Kean vs. Jacobson story:  If the contest were based solely on economic issues, he’d beat me in a Democratic primary. And I’d beat him in a Republican primary. I’m not kidding! It’s pretty wild.

For years, I’ve criticized the Democratic Party for being clueless on economic policy. Becoming a subsidiary of the unions destroyed us. We lost our independence, and the ability to shrink the government and reduce taxes when needed. That’s why angry Democrats write in calling me a Republican.

Conflicts with big labor predate my journalism career. I served one term as a Democratic Assemblyman in Trenton 20 years ago. In my final race, I told the NJEA that school vouchers should be tested in poor urban school districts. That didn’t go over well. They endorsed my Republican opponents. And when I lost my seat in 1991, a local AFL-CIO activist ran against me as an independent to siphon off votes. Many in that union were angry because I refused to support a state payroll tax to bail out their self-insured health insurance funds.

Now contrast that with Republican Sean Kean. Last week, I wrote about his history of taking endorsements from the government employees unions – specifically the NJEA and the state workers union (CWA). With those endorsements, Sean sold out the limited government principles of the Republican Party. He gave up his independence. Check out his campaign reports at the website of the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission. You’ll see union contribution after union contribution. I stopped counting at $20,000 between the NJEA and the CWA. And I only got through about one-third of his reports starting with his most recent. That was enough.

(And Sean got tons of police union money – he’ll never get a ticket from a State Trooper! Biggest surprise? Even I was stunned to see a large $5,000 contribution from the SEIU union out of New York – that’s the powerful union instrumental in pulling the Democrats way out of the mainstream. Google the SEIU and the Democratic Party. You’ll see.)

Call me crazy. But if a government employees union has the right to collective bargaining, it’s absurd that they can elect those who sit across the bargaining table. And it’s absurd that they can elect those who enact the rules for that bargaining.

But that’s Sean Kean. He’s the recipient of all that union largesse. And how hilarious that it takes a Democrat like me to say it! You won’t hear a local Republican speak up. Party loyalty, you know. Man, I hate that shit.  So remember this: Sean Kean would bury me in a Democratic primary with all his union support. And that just cracks me up!

Tell you what: Government employee unions should not be allowed to collect mandatory dues – and then use those dues to elect those running the government that employs them. That gives them way too much power. That’s the root problem right now. It’s why collective bargaining can’t be fair. It’s why everything is out of whack. If these unions want to form their own  political action committees and convince members to voluntarily contribute, so be it. That’s democracy. But today’s situation is ridiculous. Exhibit A is Sean Kean’s campaign finance reports.

So why have I stayed registered as a Democrat? Because I don’t want to live in a theocracy. That’s what the cultural right-wing of the Republican Party represents – and they’re as powerful in the GOP as the unions in the Democratic Party. I just don’t like hypocrisy. While Republicans politicians claim they want limited government, many will happily order the government to tell a woman what to do with her body. Or tell a huge chunk of our population who they can marry.

Sean Kean’s vote against same-sex marriage last year is what really pissed me off. That’s what got me. It was a moral issue that he called a “tough” vote, meaning a politically tough vote because he represents a sizeable gay community. What bullshit. There’s nothing “tough” about a moral issue – you vote what you believe. Period.

But back to my kamikaze Republican candidacy. Let’s get it all out. Over the years, I’ve also derided the Republican Party as being dominated by anti-gay bigots and gun nuts. With pro-lifers I’ve been more gentle (at least as far as I can remember). Because they’re motivated by legitimate religious beliefs. I just don’t think the issue has any place in our secular government. It’s between a woman and her doctor.

(And gun nuts hold your fire! I would not tighten New Jersey gun laws. Every cop I know tells me that weapons used in crimes here are coming from other states with lax gun control laws, particularly in the south. That’s the problem. So don’t shoot! I’m not running for federal office, where I’d change that. Nor am I running for state Senate in Georgia. If I were, you bet I’d be wearing a bullet-proof vest right now.)

But forget all this stuff.  My beliefs are united by one thing – a knee-jerk reaction against the concentration of power, wherever it may be found. That includes government employee unions. That includes powerful corporations that get government favors instead of competing in the free market. It also includes big media – my disgust with the Gannett-owned Asbury Park Press is well-documented. And it includes political parties who order elected officials what to do. I recoil against it all.

You know what? I sound a lot like a Tea Party type. I just can’t call myself one! They’re way too kooky. But on the big issues they’re right, and they’ve done a huge service for our nation by turning the Republican Party upside down and forcing it to stand for fiscal responsibility.

OK, so here’s my political situation:

I can never run again as a Democrat. The unions and I have a bad 20 year history. Sorry, I just love repeating this: Sean Kean would beat me in a Democratic primary with all his union support. Hands down!

Sure, I could run as an Independent in the general election but voters are asleep. They don’t pay attention. It would be no fun and a waste of time. People are lazy and apathetic. Yes, I’m insulting the voters.

Yup, a kamikaze run in the Republican primary as the most unconventional of insurgents makes sense. It’s a very small electorate that pays attention. And they understand the debate about economics, limited government and the dangers of concentrated power in our economic and political system.

Could I win? You tell me.

Only 2500 people voted in the last state Senate Republican primary. That’s it. When they learn about Sean’s and my divergent experiences with unions, I bet you I peel off a third of them. Maybe more. Lots of Republicans have long respected my independence. They’re motivated by economics and freedom. They will not like Sean’s alliance with the unions. For many, the social issues aren’t as important. Or they agree with me on them.

Anyway, peeling off a third of the usual vote makes the tally about 1700 to 800 in Sean’s favor. But the question is whether I can convince, say, just 1000 independents to come out and vote for me. That would put me over the top. Remember, independents can vote in the primary. And they’ll definitely like what I have to say.

Here’s where it gets interesting. The triCityNews has about 25,000-30,000 regular readers who read the paper every week or two. They are tuned in politically. And they reflect our region’s overall distribution of Republicans, Democrats and Independents. I bet close to 20,000 Republican and Independent triCity readers would be eligible to vote in the primary. That’s a lot.

And I’m sure they’ll enjoy following such a wild race. What great political theater! Guarantee they’d love what I had to say. Or love to hate it! Hey, that’s why they read the paper now.

Whether they can stomach voting for me is another story. Of that I have no idea. But I may only need an extra 1,000 or so to come out. Out of about 20,000. Not bad odds. (Then again, 5,000 could come out against me!)

Nah, I’ll never win. It’s preposterous. Perhaps in some ways I’d rather lose. After all, I’ve got a fake newspaper to run here, and that takes time.

Of course, Republican leaders have nothing to fear if the unthinkable happens and I win. We’ll get along just fine. I’ll ignore them, and they’ll ignore me. I have no interest in getting involved in campaigns for anyone else – Republican or Democrat. I have no interest in party politics, fundraisers or rallies. And I have no interest in party leaders telling me how to vote.

 It’s quite simple. I’d just want to do the job of Senator and advocate for my principles. Imagine that.

But me running in a Republican primary is way too nutty, right?  I mean, this is crazy? I can’t really…

Help! Someone please stop me! Stop me, please! Stop me before I run again….as a Republican!!

xxx

This the following was not published in the triCityNews. It’s Dan’s addendum just for his growing MMM readership:

This is your fault Art!
 
After your commentary last week — and also the comments by TR — I started to think about this much more seriously. I am now likely to do it, and am moving forward on organizing.
 
Looking forward to MMM reader feedback. No doubt it will be uniformly positive. And I think I know who TR is! (I’ll send him a code: He’s svelte, has great vision and is a dogged defender of the downtrodden in the criminal justice system…of course, if I’m not right he won’t know what the hell I’m talking about).
 
Also, anyone is welcome to say whatever they want in the triCityNews in response to this article. Our email is [email protected] Please put something in the email captoin about letter to editor kean/Jacobson. Please note that the shorter and more concise the better. While we normally reserve the right to edit letters, in this situation it is not appropriate for us to do that. But if it’s too long, we can’t guarantee that we’d print it. I’d suggest 400-500 words max. Obviously, if there’s something libelous or defamatory it won’t be printed.
 
Nor will we print any expletives. Just kidding.
 
(Note to my fellow Republican Mike Golub: Your comments last week were excellently written as usual. I would have printed any of them in our paper. But we normally couldn’t have fit ALL of them. Please feel free to send in a response with that in mind. Still, if you don’t want to cut back what you have to say, I don’t want to censor you. Please send whatever you like and I’ll do my best to get it in regardless of the length. After all, the triCityNews is, as they say, Fair and Balanced.)
 
Please submit letter to editor by monday at 9 am for us to get them in this week.

• Tweet

Tea Party target? Republican Sean Kean is long allied with the NJEA and government employees unions

By Dan Jacobson, Publisher tri-CityNews

We’re pissed at Sean Kean.

Ever since the pussy voted against same sex marriage, we’ve had it with the always amiable – and consistently cowardly – Republican State Senator.

So we want Sean to do a little work for his reelection this year. Instead of cruising to victory in a district that hasn’t elected a Democrat in 22 years.

(And after the last Democrat they elected – some 28 year old clown with too little life experience to know what the hell he was doing – you can understand why voters have gone Republican since 1989. That last Democrat, of course, was me.)

When it comes to politics, this Publisher loves stirring up trouble. Got a long history of it as both a journalist and an elected official. Keeps people from getting too complacent. More importantly, it keeps me from getting bored.

So here’s a fun fact about Sean Kean that surprises every Republican we tell:

In his past elections, the Republican Senator has repeatedly been endorsed by the most powerful government employee unions in the state. Specifically, the NJEA and the CWA (the union representing state workers). Yup, the same unions in bitter battles against Republican Governors in places like Wisconsin, Ohio and – well, what do you know! – New Jersey.

Sean Kean sold out the Republican principles of limited government for those endorsements. And Republicans we’ve told don’t like it one bit. Kean has also been backed by the state AFL-CIO. They too are in alliance with the NJEA and the CWA in their battles against Republican Governor Chris Christie.

Don’t kid yourself. Those union endorsements come at a price for a Republican like Sean Kean. That price is his independence. Obviously, the Democratic Party lost theirs a long time ago with these groups. Everyone knows that.

But to see a Republican like Sean Kean do it is enough to…well, it’s enough to trigger a challenge in the Republican primary this June! Especially in these times.

After all, the recent events in Wisconsin have solidified the battle lines over the size of government and the power of government employees unions. Meanwhile, New Jersey’s Republican Governor is one of the leaders in the battle. And local Republicans overwhelmingly support Chris Christie in the fight.

Republican primary voters in Sean Kean’s district will not be happy with his choice of political allies – these unions are the most determined adversaries of their beloved Republican Governor! And that should make Sean Kean a big fat target for a Tea Party insurgent challenger in this June’s GOP primary.

Of course, Sean Kean made these alliances in past elections. Basically, when nobody was looking. And nobody cared. The game was always to lock up as much support as possible from wherever it came, principles be damned. It was all about winning elections. Nothing more.

That’s what voters are rebelling against today. Sean Kean is a typical politician – wonderfully amiable, a terrifically nice guy…and one who’s genetically incapable of ever rocking the boat. There’s your answer as to why nothing changes. We keep electing such friendly people from both parties. Sure, as far as the drek in Trenton goes, Sean Kean actually stacks up quite well. I’ll readily admit that. Then again, that’s additional evidence of why nothing gets done. He’s the standard.

Of course, I’m just stirring up controversy here. I love seeing Republicans fight each other. That’s why I want someone to run against Sean Kean in this year’s GOP primary. As a Democrat, I don’t think there’s anything inherently wrong with being backed by the NJEA or the CWA (the state workers union).

And all this demonizing of unionized government workers by Republicans nationwide is a bit much. It’s not like we’re talking about Al Qaeda here. These are our teachers, state workers and fellow citizens. The many government workers I’ve dealt with have been as serious about their job as those I’ve encountered in the private sector. Many even more so.

I really mean that. Sure, political hacks appointed to jobs because of their connections may be a different story. But my encounters with regular public employees from behind the scenes, when I’ve known the real story of what’s going on, have been almost uniformly positive. I’ve been an aide to elected officials, an elected official myself and I’ve represented local government entities as a lawyer. I also served as a municipal public defender. And I was a real reporter years ago and a fake one today. So I’ve had over 25 years of exposure to government workers. I’m positive on them.

The problem, however, is that the power of government employee unions today is way out of balance. We all know that. They’re too strong and have built too many advantages into the system with their power. Union leadership will never concede that. They can’t. They’d be out of a job as a union leader. So no one will speak the truth to their members.

The result has been unions who’ve thrown their political weight around, and everyone else resents it. Meanwhile, these unions are insulated and mostly talking to themselves about  political issues. That only makes it worse. And politicians like Sean Kean have always given them what they want. That makes it doubly difficult to change the system.

A politician like Sean Kean can’t be trusted as an honest broker when it comes time to reform the state government. He can never be trusted to say no to the unions in those cases when that legitimately needs to be done. To Republicans, Sean Kean has cut his deal with the devil. He’s a rarity in the GOP – Kean is like a union-backed Democrat who’ll give in too much.

Here’s the funny part. I’ll bet Sean Kean will abandon his union allies if he thinks that’s the best way to keep his seat. Just watch what happens if a Republican primary challenger steps forward who can beat him. That will be fun to watch – and write about – when Kean inevitably back-pedals away from his union backers. Can’t wait to see their reaction too.

OK, so who can take on Sean Kean?

 Got to be a Tea Party type. The obvious choice is Anna Little. She scored a stunning upset last year in the Republican primary over the establishment-backed Diane Gooch to run against Democratic Congressman Frank Pallone.

After losing to Pallone, this former Mayor of Highlands and former Monmouth County Freeholder announced she was running against him again. Recently, Little has talked about running for U.S. Senate, after Tea Party groups in other parts of the state suggested it.

That’s all nonsense. Little would lose again against the powerful Pallone. And forget the U.S. Senate. She doesn’t have the resources or recognition for that.

But Little could beat Sean Kean in this year’s primary for state Senate. Especially with his union baggage among Republican primary voters. And Little could then become the Tea Party’s darling in Trenton. Not a bad role to play as a Republican in the age of Governor Chris Christie. After a few years in that role, Little could then make a credible run for statewide office. (Oh man, are we creating another Frankenstein here – just so we have controversy to write about?)

Another choice to run against Sean Kean is powerful Republican blogger Art Gallagher out of Highlands. He was a key factor in Anna Little’s success last year, using his blog to relentlessly promote her candidacy and coordinate activity among Tea Party volunteers. However, there is a rift between Gallagher and Little these days.

We’re not sure what that rift means. But if Gallagher has significant support among the local Tea Party movement, then he can take a shot against Sean Kean. Gallagher is well-known among rank and file Republicans by his MoreMonmouthMusings blog. Even better, he’s been on the front page of the triCityNews. That’s much more powerful.

In the end, we don’t care who takes on Sean Kean. We just want some Republican to do it. And give the Senator a run for his NJEA and CWA money. (Sorry, we couldn’t resist that clever line!)

Of course, Sean Kean is always welcome to give his side of the story in the triCityNews. Hell, he can even take this column. I’m always happy to do less work. Sean won’t do it though. Too much of a pussy.

Pussy! Pussy! Pussy!

Although he’s a helluva nice guy. Aren’t they all?

So if anyone credible wants to take on Sean Kean let us know. This Democratic newspaper is always happy to provide a platform for Republicans to attack each other. Our front page awaits you!

After all, we’re the triCityNews. We’re here to help.

Editors note: MMM is thrilled that Dan Jacobson has finally consented to having his work published on the Internet.  We never understood why Dan doesn’t like the Internet, after all, Al Gore invented it!  We’re honored that the publisher of the only profitable newspaper in the universe chose MMM to stir things up.

In addition to publishing the tri-CityNews, Jacobson is a former Assemblyman from the 11th legislative district.

• Tweet

MMM In The News. The triCityNews

By Art Gallagher

As a blogger, it is always nice to be recognized by another media outlet.  Over the years, MMM has been cited by FoxNews, CNN, The Drudge Report, The Star Ledger, Asbury Park Press, NJN, and others.

This week  we hit pay dirt with front page exposure in the only profitable newspaper left in America, Dan Jacobson’s triCityNews.

I’d link you to the story, but Dan doesn’t publish on the Internet. That is why he has the only profitable newspaper in America, according to the New York Times.

You’ll have to pick up the paper, for free, at one the the coastal Monmouth establishments that carries it, from Atlantic Highlands to Belmar.

I recommend you pick up the paper.  The story featuring me and MMM, Rumble on the Right, is filled with intrigue, sex and money;  intrigue over the power of this blog, Mickey Gooch’s money and Jacobson’s sexual fantasies.

I don’t like to toot my own horn, but I love it when others do. I’m happy to return the favor and toot my horn for Dan Jacobson. 

Today is the 12th anniversary of the triCityNews, which is another reason to pick up the paper. With my mug on the cover, this historic edition is likely to become a collectors item.

What Jacobson has accomplished as a business, and the difference he has made in the communities he serves, as an “alternative”  newspaper is remarkable.  As he said in his first publisher’s message twelves years ago, which is reprinted in this week’s edition,

Alternative newspapers hit the issues mainstream media won’t touch. That means the triCityNews will be there to inform you about relevant local politics, the gay community, youth, sex and all radical and ethnic groups.  News coverage will be incisive and perceptive.  Photo and stories about politicians handing plaques to constituents are left to the other guys.

Many on the Jersey Shore are unfamiliar with alternative newspapers.  They have told us that the triCityNews is like nothing they have ever seen. We’re proud of that.  That’s where we always want to be.

There is something else Dan should be proud of.  He’s done it with class. 

As irreverent as Dan often is, his publication is anything but “underground” as many, most in my experience, alternative newspapers are.   The Village Voice and the Boston Phoenix  are two alternative papers I am familiar with from my twenties when I lived in both New York City and Boston.  They were underground rags predominantly funded by ads for adult services establishments, strip clubs and head shops. 

Dan’s publication is funded by ads for first class small businesses in Monmouth County.  To find an ad for an adult service establishment in Monmouth County, you’ll have to look to the publication that Dan and I both love to bash, the Asbury Park Press.

Congratulations Dan.  Here’s to another 12 years or until Mickey’s check clears.

• Tweet