The final debate of the race between U.S. Senator Bob Menendez and State Senator Joe Kyrillos for a 6 year term in the U.S. Senate was taped for television yesterday afternoon. It will air at 9:30 this morning on ABC in Philadelphia and at 11 on ABC in New York. NorthJersey.com reports on the debate here.
Kyrillos will be attending the 14th Dushahra Celebration in Edison this afternoon at 3:50. This morning he makes a South Jersey swing, appearing at the Southern Jersey Jewish Coalition Brunch at the Hotel ML in Mount Laurel at 10:30. At 11:20 he will be attending the Blackwood Pumpkin Festival before heading to Atlantic County for the Smithville Irish Festival at 1:20.
Governor Chris Christie will be campaigning with Kyrillos in Princeton tomorrow, 10:30am at the Princetonian Diner on Route 1.
Joe Kyrillos had a much stronger performance last night in the NJ 101.5/Verizon FIOS1 debate against Bob Menendez than he had last week at Montclair State.
In his opening statement Kyrillos framed the hour as a choice between Menendez’s “Corzine economic strategy of more spending, more taxes and more debt.” With the exception of $46 billion in defense spending cuts Menendez touted, more spending, more taxes and more debt were at the heart of all of the accomplishments the incumbent pointed to as his justification for another term. Throughout the hour Menendez called for more federal spending as the way to improve the economy while Kyrillos called for a “private sector stimulus package” of lower tax rates and less onerous regulation.
Menendez answered the Corzine label by tying Kyrillos to George W. Bush and former Governor Christie Whitman.
“Bob is laughable,” Kyrillos said to the charge that he favors millionaires over the middle class. “Bob protects lots of millionaires. Jon Corzine is one of them, along with the many others he takes money from.”
” I can’t believe you’re still talking about that,” Kyrillos said in answer to Menendez asking “Why would your not reject Mitt Romney’s 47% comment?” “I issued a statement right way saying I support 100% of Americans. Mitt can say what he wants. You issue a lot of press releases Senator, you should read some of mine.”
Each candidate got to ask the other two questions.
In his second question to Kyrillos, Menendez confronted Joe on his “War on Women,” citing 6 votes Monmouth’s senior State Senator cast against funding for women’s health care and a vote that he “walked out on” regarding an equal pay bill. Kyrillos handled it well, point to the “millions” he voted for in women’s health care funding over his career and the need to balance the budget. Regarding the equal pay bill, Kyrillos said, “that was not a women’s bill, it was a lawyers bill. “I don’t women want to sue their bosses. I want them to be the boss!”
Kyrillos questions to Menendez were consistent with the “Corzine economic strategy” theme he had set for the debate. In his first question, Joe asked if, given the economy since Menendez has taken office, would the incumbent senator do anything differently. Menendez rattled off the same talking points he used in both debates so far and proudly said he would do everything the same.
In his second question to Menendez, Kyrillos asked what the incumbents jobs plan, “besides spending more and raising more taxes.” Menendez took the bait and rattled off the federal monies he’s brought to New Jersey’s BioTech companies, solar energy companies and transportation projects.” “That’s all government spending,” Kyrillos said. “No, no, no,’ said Menendez trying to amend his answer before moderator Eric Scott cut him off.
As well as Kyrillos performed, there was no game changing moment that will dominate the news. As he did the the first debate, Menendez performed very well. He has a well practiced script of talking points that he accesses with ease and will not divert from.
The final debate will be on Sunday October 14 at 3PM, during the second half of the Colts/Jets game and the Lions/Eagles games. The will be broadcast on ABC television. Set your DVR.
Who do you think won the second senatorial debate?
U.S. Senate candidates Joe Kyrillos and the incumbent Bob Menendez will square off in their second debate of the campaign tonight at 7PM. NJ 101.5 will broadcast the debate which is being moderated by the radio stations New Director Eric Scott. Verizon FIOS1 will live stream the event.
Questions of the candidates can be called into 1-800-282-1015, sent via text by texting DEBATE to 89000 or via Twitter: #SenateDebateNJ. Additionally, there is will be a live interactive blog on NJ 101.5’s site.
The duplicity of Bob Menendez and the creation of Middle Class ghettos
During Bob Menendez’s first year in the U.S. Senate, 2006, there was a health care bill before the Senate designed to make insurance premiums more affordable for small businesses. The bill would have allowed small businesses to join together as larger groups in order to enjoy the economies of scale in their insurance purchases that large corporations enjoy. Chambers of commerce and other business associations would have been allowed to form groups to decrease the cost of health insurance so that more of the members could afford to insure the health of more of the employees and families.
At the time, I was a leader of the Northern Monmouth Chamber of Commerce and a member of the National Federation of Independent Business. The company I owned was paying 100% of the insurance premiums of its employees. Premiums were raising at about 13% per year. It was getting difficult to continue to provide health insurance. Potential hires who did not need insurance because their spouse’s employer provided it became the most attractive candidates to employ. Increasing insurance premiums consumed what would have been raises to loyal employees.
NFIB was lobbying hard for the bill. It had already passed the Republican House and President Bush had indicated he would sign the bill if it passed in the Senate. The Republican Senate majority support for the bill but the Democrats were filibustering. NFIP worked its members to contact their Democratic Senators asking that they stop the filibuster and allow the bill to be voted on.
I wrote Mendendez and Senator Frank Lautenberg asking that they support the bill. As I expected, they didn’t and the bill never made it to the Senate floor vote. Lautenberg wrote back thanking me for contacting him. Menendez wrote back telling me why he supported the bill that he voted to defeat.
Menendez’s reelection campaign is just as duplicitous as his letter to me in June of 2006.
The theme of our junior senator’s campaign is The Middle Class Is Under Attack. He says he’s fighting for the Middle Class and wants to rebuild the economy from the “middle out.”
Joe Kyrillos and Bob Menendez will face off tonight in a U.S. Senatorial debate at Montclair State University. The event will be broadcast on NJTV and live streamed on njtvonline.org at 8PM.
Menendez, the incumbent Democrat is seeking his second term term in the Senate. He was appointed by Governor Jon Corzine in 2006 to fill the seat that Corzine vacated when he was elected governor. Menendez defeated State Senator Tom Kean, JR in 2006 to earn his own term. Prior to his appointment to the U.S. Senate, Menendez represented Hudson County in the House of Representatives for 13 years. He served four years in the State Assembly and one year in the State Senate before being elected to Congress. Menendez was also Mayor of Union City while serving in the Assembly.
Kyrillos has represented Monmouth County in the State Legislature for since 1988. He served as GOP State Chairman in the early 2000’s, was Mitt Romney’s 2008 New Jersey campaign chair and Governor Christie’s campaign chairman in 2009.
Despite their long careers in public service, neither Menendez or Kyrillos are well known statewide.
30% of registered voters, including 25% of Democrats, did not know enough about Menendez to express an opinion about him in September 25 Monmouth University/Asbury Park Press poll. That is a horrible statistic for an incumbent U.S. Senator that indicates he was not been engaged with his constituents. The campaign has not boosted Menendez’s name recognition much. In February, the Senator was unknown to 33% of the electorate in a Monmouth/APP poll.
Kyrillos has done a much better job increasing his name ID with voters this year. In February, 80% hadn’t heard of him and 14% heard of him but did not know enough about him to express an opinion. In the September 25 poll, 48% of likely voters had no opinion of Kyrillos and 12% had never heard of him. Of the 39% of likely voters who know of Kyrillos, 27% view him favorably.
While most of the media is justifiably covering the events in Libya and Egypt today, I thought I’d bring some attention to a foreign policy issue in the Middle East that has been going on for two years involving our junior New Jersey U.S. Senator Bob Menendez that has escaped the attention of the New Jersey media.
It came to our attention today, via the president of Azerbaijan, that Menendez has been similarly abusing his senatorial courtesy power in the domain of foreign affairs.
Yesterday, President Ilhan Aliyev said that Menendez is racist and that he is cooperating with a political adversary of Aliyev’s on behalf of the Armenian lobby in his country.
His compatriot Breivik killed about 80 people and he was sentenced to 21 year imprisonment. And it means that he got 3 month of imprisonment for each people.Is that possible? Why does he keep silence about this? Or there is one pro-Armenian Senator Menendez and he is against Azerbaijan and Islam. His last work was that he was not allowed to extend the term of the former U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan and to prevent his nomination for two reasons. The first reason is that the US ambassador does not recognize the so-called “Armenian genocide”. And he should not recognize as the U.S. government does not recognize this “genocide”.
The second reason is that the ambassador’s wife is of Turkish origin. It is racism. However, I want to stress that no one can affect my will, opinion, action, and have never affected.’
The ambassador that Aliyev is talking about is Matthew Bryza.
President Obama nominated the career diplomat Bryza to be the ambassador to Azerbaijan, an oil rich former Soviet state which is a rare constitutional secular republic with a predominantly Muslim population, in 2010. Menendez and California Senator Barbara Boxer put a hold on the nomination because, The Washington Post Editorial Page Editor says, of the senators ties to (and donations from) the Armenian community.
Azerbaijan and Armenia are long term geopolitical and cultural rivals.
Obama made Bryza a recess appointment. Menendez continued to oppose his nomination and Bryza’s diplomatic career came to an end this past January. Because Bob Menendez and Barbara Boxer get political donations and support from Armenians, a talented ambassador to an important Middle Eastern country was sent home.
MMM knows little about the Azerbaijan/Armenia conflict. We highly doubt it will be an issue in the campaign between Menendez and GOP nominee State Senator Joe Kyrillos, as Kyrillos has exceptionally close ties to the Armenian community. Joe’s wife Susan is of Armenian descent. The conflicts between the two countries and cultures is not the point.
The point is that Menendez has a pattern of abusing his power for his own personal and political interests, to the detriment of our national interests.
New Jersey’s mainstream media has not covered the Menendez/Bryza disgrace. Yesterday the President of Azerbaijan gave them a reason to cover it. When the head of state of a foreign country calls a U.S. Senator a racist, that should be news. MMM is happy to point the story out to our mainstream media friends, just in case they missed it with all the other pressing foreign affairs news.
Middletown, September 10… Today the Joe Kyrillos for U.S. Senate campaign formally announced that attorney Lawrence E. Bathgate II, of Lakewood, has been named Finance Chairman.
“Susan and I could not be more pleased and humbled that such a well-respected and influential fundraiser, business and community leader, has joined our ranks as Finance Chairman,” said Senator Joe Kyrillos. “My friend, Larry Bathgate is a man of integrity, and I know with his hard work and leadership, we will have the means necessary to beat our opponent, Bob Menendez, in November. I appreciate his acknowledgment of how important this election is not only to the future of our state, but also of our nation. Larry brings decades of experience to my campaign and will be a tremendous leader of our finance team.”
“I know that Joe Kyrillos is the right man to represent New Jersey in the U.S. Senate,” said Mr. Larry Bathgate. “I am proud to join the Kyrillos team and together, we will bring the same kind of reform that Joe Kyrillos has brought to New Jersey’s capital to the nation’s capital.”
Mr. Bathgate served as Republican National Finance Chairman under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush and also served in the same capacity for Governor Tom Kean. He is the co-founder and senior managing partner of the Bathgate, Wegener and Wolf law firm and has been recognized as one of the 100 most influential lawyers in America by the National Law Journal.
Kyrillos calls on U.S. Senator to defend his 20 year record in Washington
Is Bob Menendez planning to dance back into office without defending his record and debating his opponent?
That seems to be his strategy so far. Menendez refused to accept a written challenge to debate from GOP nominee Joe Kyrillos last month. This morning, the Kyrillos campaign announced that Menendez is also ignoring media and academic invitations to debate. Menendez has not responded to then following invitations according to the Kyrillos release:
1. League of Women Voters/WPVI-TV, WABC-TV, and Univision
2. The Record/FIOS 1 News
3. Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University and WNYC’s Brian Lehrer Show/WNYC Radio and NJPR AM Radio
4. William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey/ NJTV
5. Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey/Jewish Standard News
6. The Uribe Society/Hudson County TV
“One of us will be the next United States Senator from New Jersey,” said Senator Joe Kyrillos. “New Jerseyans need to know our position on the issues before, not after the election. I’m ready to talk about my record of saving New Jersey taxpayers $11.9 billion in new taxes and bringing bipartisan reform to Trenton. I’m proud of my record and it’s time for Senator Menendez to stop running from and defend his.”
MMM left a voice mail for Menendez 2012 Communications Director Paul Brubaker asking if Menendez would be accepting any of these invitations. Brubaker has yet to respond. Nor has he called back, as promised, for comment on the polls that were released last week.
Barack Obama leads Mitt Romney for President, 51%-44%, and Bob Mendendez leads Joe Kyrillos for U.S. Senate, 50%-40% among likely New Jersey voters, according to a Quinnipiac poll released this morning.
Quinnipiac says that this is their first likely voter survey and it can’t be compared to eariler polls of registered voters. The university surveyed 1471 likely voters between August 27 and September 2. They did not disclose the partisan breakdown of those responding to the survey which they say has a margin of errror of +/-2.6%.
The methodology of the Quinnipiac poll differs from that of the internal poll released yesterday by the Kyrillos campaign in that Quinnipiac randomly calls phone numbers, land lines and cells, and the respondants self identify as voters or likely voters by the way they answer the questions. The Kyrillos pollster called a data base of known voters. Kyrillos’s poll showed him trailing Menendez by 4% with 65 days to go before the election.
“Our poll shows we are within 4 points of Bob Menendez and gaining and the Quinnipiac University poll shows positive movement as well,” said Kyrillos Campaign Manager Chapin Fay. “That’s because Joe Kyrillos has a plan to create jobs and opportunity for New Jersey families, while Bob Menendez is proposing more of the same- more debt, more spending and more job killing regulations.”
Menendez 2010 Communications Director Paul Brubaker still hasn’t called me back from yesterday when I asked him to comment on the Kyrillos poll.
The Kyrillos for U.S. Senate campaign released an internal poll this afternoon that shows the GOP challenger within 4 points of the incumbent, Democrat Robert Menendez, with 65 days left to go before election day. 45% of those survey said they would vote for Menendez, 41% would vote for Kyrillos and 14% are undecided.
Of the Menendez voters, 76% said they were definitely voting for the Hudson County incumbent while 24% said they probably would. 71% of Kyrillos voters were solid compared to 29% probable.
The poll, which was conducted by Magellan Strategies between August 30 and September 3rd, is a survey of 746 likely general election voters from New Jersey. The margin of error is +/- 3.5% with 95% confidence. The survey was weighted based upon past general election turnout demographics.
29% of the respondents were Republicans, 39% Democrats and 35% Independents. 27% of the respondents consider themselves conservative, 16% say they are liberal and 51% say they are moderate.
“Joe’s message of creating jobs for the middle class and working together with members of both sides of the aisle is resonating with the voters of New Jersey,” said Kyrillos Campaign Manager Chapin Fay. “It’s clear New Jerseyans want change and, if this surge continues, in two months they will have it when Joe Kyrillos is elected the next US Senator from New Jersey.”
“This marks another poll in which Menendez is yet again under 50%,” said Adam Geller of National Research, the Kyrillos campaign’s pollster.
Menendez 2012 communication director Paul Brubaker was not immediately available for comment. This post will be updated if he calls back.
If they follow their usual pattern, Quinnipiac will likely release a Kyrillos-Menendez poll from the survey they took August 27-September 2 within the next few days.
