Pallone’s Vulnerability Exposed

Reports out of Long Branch are that Frank Pallone was shocked and dismayed that he lost his first election ever last night.

The story is that it took him two hours after the Associated Press called the primary for Cory Booker to show up at McLoone’s Pier House because he was holed up in his office, unable to compose himself.  It was only after he heard the media was leaving that he was able to pull himself together and join his own party while Senate nominee Cory Booker was delivering his victory speech on live TV from Newark.

But the big story, and what Pallone should really be upset about, is not that he lost a primary few thought he could win, but that he is now exposed as vulnerable for reelection in the 6th Congressional District.  Pallone performed poorly in his Middlesex and Monmouth base.Numbers and graphics from Politico.

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Bait and Switch: “Meet and Greet” turns into “Debate”

Asbury Park, NJ – When Jersey Shore Tea Party president, Mark Falzon, invited conservative Republican congressional candidate Ernesto Cullari to speak to his organization on Wednesday, May 23, Falzon said the event would be a “meeting with his members”.   

Now Anna Little, Cullari’s opponent in the June 5th primary, and the Bayshore Tea Party Group, which is supporting Little, have created a Facebook invite that hypes the event a little differently:  “Debate!  Anna Little vs. Ernesto Cullari!”  

“I’m happy to go anywhere to meet people, but this is the wrong venue for a debate,” said Cullari, who is seeking the nomination in New Jersey’s 6th congressional district, now held by liberal Democrat Frank Pallone.  “Mark Falzon is one of Bayshore founder Barbara Gonzalez’ closest allies.  I look forward to a debate, but on neutral territory.”

“We have a lot of questions we want to put to Anna Little,” said Cullari manager Kelly Hart, “Like why Little is running on the Bayshore ticket with Bader Qarmout.”  Little, an immigration attorney, is on the Bayshore Tea Party Group “ticket” with U.S. Senate candidate Bader Qarmout.  Qarmout is the author of a controversial amnesty plan for illegal immigrants.  For a nominal fee of $19.25 a week, Qarmout’s plan would allow an illegal immigrant to remain in the United States, work here, open a bank account, and obtain a driver’s license.

“The Qarmout-Little team would let illegals stay in the United States for $2.75 a day – less than the price of a Big Mac,” said Hart.  “It is the most liberal amnesty plan being pushed by a Republican candidate anywhere in America.”

Hart noted that conservative columnist and Ron Paul enthusiast Paul Mulshine published a column today that links to a story on this:  http://conservativenewjersey.com/tpath-joins-effeort-to-give-drivers-licenses-to-illegals

Hart said:  “Let’s have a debate, but let’s have one on the level, with a neutral moderator and a neutral venue.”

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DiMaso Wins Tea Party Straw Poll

Holmdel Deputy Mayor Serena DiMaso scored a surprisingly strong victory tonight at the Tea Party vetting of Freeholder candidates sponsored by the Bayshore Tea Party Group, the Jersey Shore Tea Party Patriots and the East Jersey Tea Party.  The meeting of about 50 people was held at the West Park Recreation Center in Oakhurst.

DiMaso earned 50% of the vote in the four person race with 16 votes.  Atlantic Highlands Councilman Peter Doyle got 8 votes followed by Howell Mayor Bob Walsh with 6 votes and Manalapan Committeeman Ryan Green getting 2.

While each of the candidates promoted their accomplishments as municipal leaders and their plans for county government, the Tea Party members were more concerned with federal and constitutional issues, for the most part.

Jersey Shore Patriot leader Mark Falzon said that DiMaso won over the group, which he said was very impressed with all four candidates, on the strength of her commitment to fight to repeal ObamaCare.  

Joe Abbruscato of Tinton Falls expressed his frustration about Republican elected officials who seem resigned to the implementation of ObamaCare.  Walsh and Green expressed their opposition to ObamaCare.  Doyle said he was hopeful that the U.S. Supreme Court would overturn the law.  DiMaso said that as a member of the Board of Trustees of Meridian Health and as a physician’s wife, that she is actively fighting ObamaCare and was intimately familiar with the damage it will do to the country.

Brett Rappaport of Manalapan asked what Green said were the toughest questions of the campaign. 1) Name a Republican office holder who should be voted out of office, and 2) name an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that should be repealed.

All four candidates revealed that they are not terribly familiar with the Constitution they have sworn to uphold.

Regarding the “bad Republican” question, DiMaso hit it out of the park,  “I’ve done it twice in primaries in Holmdel.”  Walsh spoke of running against the party as an Independent in Howell.  Green and Doyle punted.

Assuming there is a quorum of 386 present, the Monmouth GOP Committee will elect one of the four candidates to fill the seat vacated by Assemblyman Rob Clifton on Saturday at Colts Neck High School.

The final opportunity to hear all candidates will be on Friday night at the Monmouth Affiliated Republican Club’s candidates night dinner at Doolan’s in Spring Lake.

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Kyrillos Running Unopposed?

By Art Gallagher

The Democrats gave Senator Joe Kyrillos, who turned 51 yesterday, a nice birthday gift. 

The party’s nominee for the 13th district senate seat, former Hazlet Mayor Chris Cullen, did not file his nominating petitions according to Politickernj.

The Democrats will now have to spend money a primary where they have no opposition in order to ask voters to write in Cullen. 

Maybe Tea Party Democrat Mark Falzon will wage a write in campaign for the nomination.   Falzon filed to run against Congressman Frank Pallone in the primary last year only to have his petitions successfully challenged by the Democratic organization.

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