Senator Bob Menendez, left, and Congressman Frank Pallone, making like chimpmunks at the 2012 Belmar St. Patrick’s parade. Photo credit Charles Measley
First of all, Senator Bob Menendez might not even be indicted. Leaks out of the Justice Department have been notoriously unreliable since Chris Christie resigned as U.S. Attorney in 2008.
If Menendez is indicted, he probably will not resign. In his press conference this evening, the Senator defiantly insisted on the “appropriateness and lawfulness” of his relationship with Dr. Salomon Melgen, the Florida ophthalmologist who is Menendez’s friend and benefactor. He declared that he is not going anywhere.
If, as CNN speculates, Menendez is charged with corruption this month, it could be Halloween before he goes to trial. Former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell was indicted in January of 2014. His trial didn’t start until late July and didn’t end to early September. Unless Menendez makes a deal to avoid prosecution that includes his resignation, there is not likely to be a Special Election to fill the Senate seat until next year….2016, the year of the next presidential election.
If Chris Christie is still Governor in 2016 and Menendez’s seat becomes vacant, he will get to choose the next Senator and set the date a special election. There could be a mid-year Special Election or the Special Election could be on the same day as the presidential election. There’s no way to know now what is likely to happen.
Still, the prospect of a Senatorial vacancy stirs speculation and the phone lines among both Democrats and Republicans have been burning this afternoon since the news of the
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Posted: March 6th, 2015 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Bob Menendez | Tags: Bob Menendez, Brian Goldberg, Caroline Casagrande, Chris Christie, Cory Booker, Donald Norcross, Doug Forrester, Frank Pallone, Jay Webber, Jeff Bell, Jeff Chiesa, Joe Kyrillos, John Crowley, Jon Bramnick, Kim Guadagno, Phil Murphy, Rich Pezzullo, Rush Holt, Scott Sipprelle, Steve Fulop, Steve Sweeney, Tom Kean JR, Tom MacArthur, Woody Johnson | 4 Comments »
Monmouth County Clerk M. Clair French address the Monmouth GOP convention. Chairman Shaun Golden in background. photo by Art Gallagher
An impressive crowd of over 400 Monmouth Republican County Committee members gathered on Saturday morning to nominate their candidates for State Assembly, County Clerk and Freeholder. The size of the crowd was impressive not only because of the weather but because the results of the convention were a foregone conclusion as there were no challengers to the incumbent Assembly Members, Freeholder or Governor Chris Christie’s nominee for County Clerk.
Free of any competitive tensions, the mood at Colts Neck High School was upbeat, friendly and proud among the grassroots leaders who came out for Chairman Shaun Golden first nominating convention. Freeholder Deputy Director Serena DiMaso noted both the size and enthusiasm of the crowd. “This crowd is almost as large as last year’s convention when we had a competition for the freeholder nominations,” DiMaso said, “We’re in really great shape and that is a testament to Shaun’s leadership.”
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Posted: February 22nd, 2015 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Monmouth County Republican Committee, Monmouth GOP | Tags: Amy Handlin, Assembly Republcians, Caroline Casagrande, Chairman Shaun Golden, Chris Smith, Claire French, Congressman Chris Smith, County Clerk M. Claire French, Dave Rible, Declan O'Scanlon, Freeholder Deputy Director Serena DiMaso, Freeholder John Curley, Gary Rich, Jennifer Beck, Kim Guadagno, Lillian Burry, M. Claire French, Mary Pat Angelini, Rob Clifton, Ron Dancer, Rosemarie Peters, Sean Kean, Serena DiMaso, Shaun Golden, Sheriff Shaun Golden, Tom Arnone | 8 Comments »
The Green Bay Packers will eliminate the Dallas Cowboys from Super Bowl contention with a victory in the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs next Sunday.
Governor Chris Christie will announce that he is a candidate for President of the United States. Christie’s independent polling numbers will drop to the low 40’s in New Jersey, but his national popularity will rise.
Kim Guadagno will officially be the Governor of New Jersey on more days than Christie will be in 2015. Yet, Guadagno’s name recognition will not exceed 20% in independent polls.
U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman will announce 3-4 indictments in the George Washington Bridge/Port Authority fiasco. Christie will not be one of them. Neither will Acting Governor Guadagno.
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Posted: January 5th, 2015 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Monmouth County | Tags: 2015 Predictions, Caroline Casagrande, Dan Jacobson, Frank LaRocca, General Assembly, Governor Chris Christie, Joe Grillo, John Curley, Kim Guadagno, Lou Fligor, M. Claire French, Mary Pat Angelini, Matt Doherty, Monmouth Democrats, U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman, Vin Gopal | 8 Comments »
Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty, left, and Governor Chris Christie, on the Belmar boardwalk in 2011.
Governor Chris Christie and Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno will be celebrating the beginning of the summer season on the Jersey Shore with multiple visits in Monmouth County on Friday..
Christie has a busy morning. He’s scheduled to co-host the Boomer and Carton Sports Radio Talk Show at 8am and be on hand for the ceremonial opening of the Belmar Boardwalk at 9:30.
In the afternoon, Christie cuts the ribbon on Asbury Park’s new boardwalk at 1:30 and then heads to Ocean County to walk the Seaside Heights boardwalk at 3:30.
Guadagno will address the 89th Annual New Jersey State FFA Convention at Monmouth University’s Pollack Theater at 9 am. Anyone who knows what the FFA is, without using google or another search engine, gets a free subscription to Greg’s List. Members of the FFA and the Lt. Gov’s staff are not eligible to win.
Guadagno will visit the Keansburg Amusement Park at noon. She then heads to Burlington County for a Memorial Day Flag Placement Ceremony at the Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veterans Cemetery in Williamstown.
Posted: May 22nd, 2014 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Chris Christie, Christie Administration, Jersey Shore, Kim Guadagno, Monmouth County | Tags: Asbury Park, Belmar, Chris Christie, Future Farmers of America, Jersey Shore, Keansburg, Kim Guadagno, Long Branch, Monmouth University, NJ State FFA Convention, Summer Kick-off | 2 Comments »
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Posted: May 19th, 2014 | Author: admin | Filed under: Christie Administration, Economy, Kim Guadagno | Tags: Economy, Kim Guadagno, Lt Gov Kim Guadagno, NJ Economy, TechLaunch | Comments Off on Guadagno Visit to TechLaunch Sparks Small Business Week Enthusiasm
Five Bayshore business groups and the Jersey Shore Convention and Visitors Bureau joined together yesterday in Keyport to kick-off the Summer of 2014 on the Monmouth County Bayshore..Exit 117…the Gateway to the Jersey Shore.
Lt Governor Kim Guadagno, Congressman Frank Pallone, State Senator Joe Kyrillos, Keyport Mayor Harry Aumack were on hand as the Northern Monmouth Chamber of Commerce, the Keyport Bayshore Business Copperative, the Hazlet Business Owners Association, the Atlantic Highlands Chamber of Commerce, the Highlands Business Partnership and the Jersey Shore Convention and Visitors Bureau joined together in cooperation for ceremonial ribbon cutting for the region’s summer tourist season.
Posted: May 17th, 2014 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Atlantic Highlands, Business, Hazlet, Highlands, Jersey Shore, Keyport, Monmouth County | Tags: Atlantic Highlands, Atlantic Highlands Chamber of Commerce, Frank Pallone, Harry Aumack, Hazlet, Hazlet Business Owners Association, Highlands, Highlands Business Partnership, Jersey Bayshore, Jersey Shore Convention and Tourist Bureau, Joe Kyrillos, Keyport, Keyport Bayshore Business Cooperative, Kim Guadagno, Northern Monmouth Chamber of Commerce | Comments Off on Business groups join together to kick-off summer on the bayshore
Magyar admits mistake, promises to fix it but doesn’t
By Art Gallagher, [email protected]
Monmouth University pollster Patrick Murray responded to my post this morning, Patrick Murray is emphatic that his next poll will be negative for Christie, about his quote in Mark Magyar’s anti-Chistie spin piece on NJSpotlight with an email asserting that his analysis was mischaracteriszed.
Patrick Murray
Murray provided an email exchange between himself and Magyar wherein Magyar admits his mistake and promises to fix it.
Murray said:
My assessment of what is likely to happen to public opinion going forward was based on an analysis of the underlying dynamics of my own poll released on April 2 — specifically the public’s underlying initial skepticism of the Mastro report was in my own poll and my analysis of potential movement in that opinion. Mark, by his own admission, mischaracterized my analysis, which was based on actual public opinion data that I have collected and analyzed.
In the NJSpotlight piece, Magyar quoted Murray as follows:
A Quinnipiac Poll released last week showed that 56 percent of New Jerseyans regarded the report as a “whitewash” and only 36 percent believed it to be a “legitimate investigation.” Even more ominously, 65 percent of voters knew of the Hoboken case, and 57 percent of that group believe Zimmer’s allegation that the Christie administration improperly withheld Sandy aid from her city because she refused to support the Rockefeller Group development.
Murray said he expected to see similar results in his next Monmouth Poll. “It will be negative. This is not going to be positive,” Murray stated emphatically, asserting that the controversy over the Mastro report clearly resonated with voters. “The question now with Christie is, ‘Have we hit a floor where a certain percentage of people will defend him no matter what, and everyone else will attack him?’”
Murray corrected Magyar in a email at 9;32 this morning:
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Posted: April 16th, 2014 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Bridgegate, Chris Christie, Department of Community Affairs, Kim Guadagno, Monmouth University Poll, Patrick Murray | Tags: Bridgegate, Chris Christie, Dawn Zimmer, Hoboken, Kim Guadagno, Mark Magyar, Monmouth University Poll, NJSpotlight, Patrick Murray, Richard Constable | Comments Off on Patrick Murray: Mark Magyar mischaracterized his analysis
By Matt Rooney, SaveJersey.com
Having trouble keeping track of the Bridgegate sideshow going on in Hoboken, Save Jerseyans?
Fear not; we’ve put together a streamlined timeline for you to consult/post/share and, once you’ve reviewed it from beginning to end, I don’t think you’ll conclude that the chronology is flattering for Hoboken’s Mayor:
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Winter 2010 to Fall 2012
Mayor Dawn Zimmer is only one year into her new job when she decides to endorse the Governor’s property tax cap. She’s backed other major initiatives since then.
October 2012
Hurricane Sandy strikes New Jersey and floods much of Hoboken.
November 2012
Over the next year and change, Zimmer repeatedly — both online and in the real world, too — praises Chris Christie for his Sandy aftermath assistance without qualification:
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Posted: January 26th, 2014 | Author: admin | Filed under: Bridgegate, Christie Administration, Dawn Zimmer, Hoboken | Tags: Bridgegate, Chris Christie, Dawn Zimmer, Hoboken, Kim Guadagno, Matt Rooney, SaveJersey | 5 Comments »
