Sipprelle responds to the Neptune Nudniks

By Scott Sipprelle (Published in today’s Asbury Park Press)

The Asbury Park Press’ recent editorial endorsement in the 12th Congressional District race correctly described the contest between 12-year incumbent Rep. Rush Holt and me as providing voters a stark choice between two very different candidates with different visions about the future direction of our country.

Beyond that, the editorial read more like one of Rush Holt’s negative campaign attacks against me – nasty in tone and short on facts. I thank the editorial board for allowing me the opportunity to respond and set the record straight.

First, I encourage everyone reading this to visit my website at www.supportscott2010.com and read my comprehensive “Blueprint for Renewal.” I am confident they will find it to be the most detailed and thoughtful series of position papers put forth by any congressional candidate in the country this year.

I set out to run a positive campaign of ideas and I am proud to have done just that.

Now, on to the specific issues:

The editorial board falsely accused me of opposing insurance coverage for those with pre-existing conditions. This is a completely fabricated claim that has been promulgated by Holt. In fact, my website lays out a novel plan for large national insurance pools of “uninsureds,” grouped by medical specialty that would be subsidized by federal dollars.

The editorial board also parroted one of Holt’s misleading attacks against me regarding unemployment benefits, quoting a statement they claim was extracted from my campaign website. My campaign website has never had any reference whatsoever to unemployment benefits, another mistake that indicates a sloppy research effort by the Press or an excessive reliance on talking points distributed by Holt.

The truth is that while congressional Democrats have offered to extend benefits indefinitely and congressional Republicans have called for cutting them off immediately, I have discussed a sensible compromise that is both compassionate and fiscally responsible, while focusing on the critical task of rebuilding America’s economic engine.

The best social welfare net is a job. Holt has no plan to create private sector jobs; he is offering just more of the status quo.

The board’s most ridiculous attack against me was regarding partisan politics. The fact of the matter is Holt votes with his party nearly 99 percent of the time and believes any idea offered by a Democrat is good and any idea offered by Republican is bad. He’s part of the problem in Washington and has contributed mightily to the toxic environment there.

On the other hand, I have supported a reform Democrat for mayor in my hometown of Princeton against an entrenched political machine, and I took considerable flak during the Republican primary for my financial donations to Democrats with whom I agreed on certain issues. There is only one candidate in this race who has demonstrated a willingness to reach across the aisle to solve problems – and it is me.

Less than two weeks from today, voters will go to the polls to make a historic decision. I would like them to believe I am the candidate who can make America work again.

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Wake Up, America!

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Scott’s “Trail Mix” for October 19th

Team Sipprelle is Surging! A recent Monmouth University poll has us within the margin of error.

This same poll had Gov. Christie down by 3 points three days before his 4 point electoral victory. I won’t tell you where the polls had us back in April, but let’s just say we’re “tied” now with exactly two weeks to go. It comes down to a challenge that will be decided by which campaign has the most energy, passion, and commitment. My faith is squarely centered on Team Sipprelle. Let’s roll!

Mr. Holt Hits a New Low

A glaring confirmation of our momentum is the increasingly desperate tone of Mr. Holt’s campaign slurs. When his fabrications about my position on Social Security and Equal Pay for Women failed to gain traction, he turned to even more odious innuendoes. He is now filling the airwaves with two new charges: first, that my former investment firm set up an “offshore corporation” to manage capital for foreigners. But Mr. Holt doesn’t elaborate on this scary half-truth sound bite. Since foreigners and U.S. institutions are not subject to backup U.S. withholding taxes, they prefer to invest their money with U.S.-based money-managers through foreign-based funds, while all U.S. taxpayers (including myself and my former clients) invest through U.S.-based funds. It is a good thing for American jobs and prosperity that foreigners send their money to U.S. money-managers for investment in the American economy, but Mr. Holt does not really care about smart economic policy.

His second personal smear is truly bizarre: that I somehow colluded with the Democrat machine that controls my town, and with the independent appraisal firm that conducted a state-mandated, town-wide property revaluation, and fixed my own property tax assessment. In other words, I supposedly committed a crime to save myself a few thousand dollars in taxes. Does he even realize how ludicrous this sounds?

The Miracle in Chile

The miraculous rescue of the trapped miners in Chile presents a powerful statement in support of the miracle of our free-enterprise system and of the willingness of private sector entrepreneurs to step up and deliver in a time of crisis. The product which saved those trapped miners was a drill bit produced by a small Pennsylvania company called Center Rock. While Mr. Holt persists in vilifying corporate profits and business success at every turn, this profitable private sector innovation demonstrated that – any time, any place – a thriving business sector is often the difference between life and death.

More Double-Talk by Mr. Holt on Israel

At our debate last night in East Brunswick, Mr. Holt claimed that he was an “early sponsor” of the Iran Sanctions Act. Fact checking is an amazing thing: Mr. Holt was the absolute last of the 343 House members to sign on in support of this bill as a co-sponsor, adding his name on Dec. 9, 2009 – nearly 8 ½ months after the bill was introduced.

All-Hands-on-Deck for Our Trenton Blitz

Please mark 11:00 am, Sunday, October 24 on your calendar for Team Sipprelle to bring our hopeful message of economic empowerment to Trenton. After a short rally, we will break into teams in order to launch town-wide canvassing. We need as many volunteers as possible, so plan your road trip. Stand tall with us for these final critical weekend days. Stand by for the rally meeting location.

We Want Your Feedback on the Debates

If you were able to attend or view the recent Sipprelle-Holt debates, please give us your feedback on the highlight moments: http://www.allourideas.org/scottsipprelle

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Sipprelle – Holt Debate

In case you missed it, last night’s debate between NJ-12 Congressional Candidates Scott Sipprelle and Rush Holt can be heard in six segments at statehousesteps.com

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Sipprelle – Holt Debate Tonight

Rush Holt, fresh off his visit with the crazed sex poodle , refused to appear with Scott Sipprelle last evening at Temple Shalom in Aberdeen.   MMM was busy editing video of the Little-Pallone debate.  Politickernj has summaries of Holt’s and Sipprelle’s appearance at the temple.

Holt won’t be able to avoid Scott this evening as they face off in their second debate, 7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m, at Young Israel of East Brunswick 193 Dunham’s Corner Road, East Brunswick . The debate is co-sponsored by the Middlesex County Jewish Federation and the Monmouth County Jewish Federation and will be moderated by NJ101.5’s Eric Scott.

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The Sipprelle-Holt Debate, #1

A replay of the debate between Scott Sipprelle and Rush Holt which was held yesterday at Rider University can be view by clicking here.

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NJ Restaurant Association Endorses Sipprelle for Congress

Princeton, October 14, 2010 – Calling incumbent politician Rush Holt “all wrong” on the economy, the New Jersey Restaurant Association has endorsed the congressional campaign of Scott Sipprelle in the 12th District, announced the Sipprelle campaign today.

“When you compare Rush Holt and Scott Sipprelle on the issues that matter to small businesses in New Jersey and the country, it’s simply no contest,” said Deborah Dowdell, President of the New Jersey Restaurant Association. “Scott Sipprelle is a successful businessman who knows that to fix our economy and create jobs we need to rein in federal spending and cut taxes for individuals and businesses. We need smaller government, not bigger government.”

“Rush Holt has certainly not been a friend to small businesses, and we look forward to seeing his political career come to a close on November 2nd,” added Dowdell.

“I am honored to have won the endorsement of a leading small business group like the NJRA,” said Sipprelle. “The cornerstone of my campaign has been a ‘Blueprint for Renewal’ that offers specific plans to create jobs, control spending, reduce debt, incentivize entrepreneurship and restore prosperity to America. I look forward to working with the NJRA and others who believe that we simply cannot spend our way out of this recession, and that we need a new direction in Washington.”

About the New Jersey Restaurant Association
The NJRA represents owners and operators of full-service restaurants, catering facilities, taverns & pubs, brew pubs, diner restaurants, hotel restaurants, coffee shops, limited & quick service restaurants, institutional feeders, delis, pizzerias, country clubs, culinary students and schools. Today, the New Jersey restaurant and hospitality industry includes 25,000 eating and drinking establishments generating over $12 billion in annual sales and employing 311,000 people. Visit www.NJRA.org.

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CD 12 Debate

Scott Sipprelle and Rush Holt will debate this morning, 11:45-12:45 at Rider University.

The debate will be webcast live and can be viewed by clicking here.

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Monmouth Poll: CD-12 Holt 51% – Sipprelle 46% Margin of Error 3.9%

The Monmouth University Polling Institute released a poll of NJ-12 this morning indicating that Congressman Rush Holt leads GOP candidate Scott Sipprelle in their race to represent the district by a margin of 51% -46%.

A copy of the poll release can be found here.

According to the poll, Holt leads Sipprelle by a wide margin in the western parts of the district; Mercer County and part of Hunterdon, 63% to 33%.  Sipprelle leads Holt in Monmouth County 58% – 33%.  In the central part of the district, parts of Middlesex and part of Franklin Township in Somerset, Holt’s lead is 4%, 50%-46%.

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Sipprelle Earns Endorsement of Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA)

Princeton, October 13, 2010 – Calling incumbent Congressman Rush Holt (NJ-12) a “disaster” on issues affecting saltwater fishermen, the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) formally endorsed challenger Scott Sipprelle for Congress in the 12th District.

The RFA has a history of endorsing both Republicans and Democrats running for office.

“We are proud to Scott Sipprelle for Congress in New Jersey’s 12th District,” said RFA Executive Director Jim Donofrio. “Congressman Holt has been a disaster for anyone who fishes in saltwater and the small business owners who makes their living off of the sport fishing industry. Frankly, Congressman Holt has been MIA on all of our fishery and coastal issues. In clear conflict with the district he is supposed to represent, Congressman Holt continually sides with the radical environmentalists whose mission it is infringe upon our rights as fishermen and small business owners.”

“I am humbled by the support I’ve received from fisherman and sportsmen all across Central Jersey,” said Sipprelle, who called the RFA’s endorsement “critical” in Monmouth County. “As a Congressman, I pledge to recognize the importance of my constituents who fish and the small businesses they support. I look forward to working with respected organizations like the RFA to manage our nations’ fisheries with sound science, support reforming arbitrary fishing laws, and backing candidates for the Mid Atlantic Fishery Management Council that best represent the interests of our fishing community and their businesses.”

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