Save Jersey Ad Banner

D&D Banner

Save Jersey Ad Banner

Category: Election 2014

Tom Kean in 2014

May. 28 Election 2014, Tom Kean, U.S. Senate 9 comments

OPINION: TK2 Gives the NJ GOP Its Best Chance of Beating Booker Next Fall

By Jordan Rickards | The Save Jersey Blog

Tom Kean, Jr.A few weeks ago, the Save Jersey blog ran a poll asking the mostly conservative readership to vote on who they would support in the Republican primary for the 2014 United States Senate election.  Readers were given six choices:  Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, Sen. Joe Kyrillos, Asm. Jay Webber, Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick, Sen. Mike Doherty, and “other.” As of this writing “other” is winning, and rightly so. 

“Other” should be Tom Kean, Jr.

That is not to imply that there is any deficiency in any of the named candidates.  New Jersey is blessed to have in Lt. Gov. Guadagno a great executive, and a most magnanimous and gracious ambassador of the state and the Republican party.  Sen. Kyrillos is an experienced campaigner and a dedicated public servant.  Asm. Weber has the résumé of a Supreme Court justice.  Asm. Bramnick is brilliant and genial.  And Sen. Doherty combines the rhetoric of Reagan with the leadership qualities, and West Point background, of General Patton.

This is not a criticism of any of them.  It is a blessing to have such a strong roster from which to choose, and I would proudly support without reservation and with all of my might any one of these candidates should he or she eventually become our nominee. But for the last decade, nobody has worked harder and more effectively to advance the Republican cause and rehabilitate the Republican brand in New Jersey than Tom Kean, Jr. 

CONTINUE READING….

2014 Gets Ugly Early

May. 15 Cory Booker, Election 2014, Essex County, Frank Pallone, Newark, North Jersey 4 comments

Pallone Says Booker Is Withholding Funds For AIDS Patients

By Art Gallagher | MoreMonmouthMusings.com

Frank PalloneCongressman Frank Pallone fired the first salvo of the 2014 Democratic U.S. Senate primary with a “scathing letter” sent to Newark Mayor Cory Booker complaining that the city of Newark is not fulfilling its obligations to the Hyacinth AIDS Foundation, a New Brunswick based non-profit that services patients with HIV/AIDS, according to a report in The Star Ledger.

The Star Ledger received a copy of the letter dated on Friday, May 10, before Booker received the original.

Booker’s staff dismissed the letter they haven’t seen yet, telling the Ledger that Hyacinth’s funding is working its way through the Newark bureaucracy and will be paid out this year earlier than it was last year.

CONTINUE READING…

Where In The World Is Cory Booker?

Apr. 26 Cory Booker, Election 2014, U.S. Senate 8 comments

Newark Mayor Away On Latest Out-of-State Fundraising Swing

By Art Gallagher | MoreMonmouthMusings.com

Booker CardNewark Mayor Cory Booker is not officially a candidate for U.S. Senate, but his Booker for Senate exploratory fund is raking in the Hollywood cash.

Last night Booker had a $5,000 per person fundraiser at the Beverly Hills home of producer Jerry Weintraub and Susan Elkins.  Jersey guy Bruce Willis was on the host committee, as were the Capshaw-Spielbergs and Meathead.

CONTINUE READING…

A 2013 U.S. Senate Race?

Apr. 08 Election 2013, Election 2014, Frank Lautenberg, U.S. Senate 10 comments

Lautenberg ailing…..what if he retires early?

By Art Gallagher | MoreMonmouthMusings.com

LautenbergU.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg missed work, on doctors orders, for the entire month of March.  On Friday he released a statement saying he will not return to Washington on Monday as the Senate convenes after a two week recess, according to reports in The Star Ledger and Politico.

“I regret that I will not be returning to Washington next week as I continue  treatment for, and recuperate from, muscle weakness and fatigue. My physician  continues to advise me to work from home and not travel at this time,”  Lautenberg said in a statement issued by his office.

Lautenberg added: “I am disappointed I will not be present for the opening of  the debate on gun legislation in the Senate. It is an issue I am deeply  passionate about, and my victories over the gun lobby are among my proudest  accomplishments. I am, however, gratified that my legislation to ban  high-capacity ammunition magazines will be one of the key amendments offered to  this bill.”

Lautenberg will also miss the confirmation of U.S. Magistrate Patty Shwartz to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, a nomination that was initially blocked by New Jersey’s junior senator, Bob Menendez.

CONTINUE READING…

Fear Isn’t All Bad

Mar. 23 Cory Booker, Education, Election 2014 2 comments

If Standardized Tests Aren’t the Answer, Then the Free Market is the Only Game in Town

By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog

Cory Booker

Cory Booker said something that I agreed with this week, Save Jerseyans, during an appearance at NJPAC (h/t NJ.com):

The problem we have right now is we cannot get into a world of high stakes testing where teachers live in fear of standardized tests that don’t take into account the totality of the issues.”

Well, at least I agree in part.

CONTINUE READING….

Pallone Boxed In By Booker

Mar. 13 Cory Booker, Election 2014, Frank Lautenberg, Frank Pallone, Monmouth County, U.S. Senate 6 comments

FDU Public Mind Poll is Bad News for Frank Pallone and the Politicos Who Want to Replace Him

By Art Gallagher | MoreMonmouthMusings.com

Frank PalloneThe hopes of Middlesex and Monmouth County mayors, freeholders and legislators hoping to move to Washington in early 2015 as the newly elected representative of the 6th Congressional district were set back a bit this morning by a new FDU Public Mind Poll that shows Newark Mayor Cory Booker dominating the Democratic field to replace Senator Frank Lautenberg.

Congressman Frank Pallone has been considered Booker’s main competition for the 2014 Democratic U.S. Senate nomination among the media and political establishment.  However,  12th District Congressman Rush Holt has almost twice the support among self identified Democrats than Pallone does, according the FDU’s survey.

FDU surveyed its respondents cable news viewing habits, polling the trustworthiness of CNN, FoxNews and MSNBC.  Given Holt’s surprising showing, they should have surveyed how many of their respondents are Jeopardy fans.  Holt is famous for being a five time Jeopardy winner and beating IBM’s supercomputer, “Watson,” on the TV trivia game show.

CONTINUE READING…

Unconcerned By Voter Apathy

Mar. 11 Election 2012, Election 2014, Election 2016 3 comments

Is Low Election Day Participation Really a Bad Thing? An Analytic Approach to Voter Turnout

By Nicole Sanders | The Save Jersey Blog

Voting BoothsAs a democracy we are privileged to have the ability to vote for those we want to represent us. There was a time when only white men who owned property could vote, then the Fifteenth (15th) Amendment of the Constitution gave black citizens the right to vote and then the Nineteenth (19th) Amendment gave women the right to vote.

Our ancestors before us fought for these rights and today a lot of people seemingly take them for granted. The question becomes “have Americans lost the passion to vote” and is it necessarily a bad thing?

I decided to study the presidential elections of 1988, 1996 and 2004 in an effort to try to answer just that, Save Jerseyans…

Case Study #1 Voter Turnout 1988

First we will start with the presidential election of 1988. During that year, the Republican nominee George H.W. Bush was running against the Democratic candidate Michael Dukakis. Mr. Bush chose then-Senator Dan Quayle to be his running mate and Mr. Dukakis chose then Senator Lloyd Bentsen to be his.

CONTINUE READING….

Lautenberg Won’t Run in 2014

Feb. 14 Election 2014, Frank Lautenberg, U.S. Senate 12 comments

New Jersey’s Senior Senator Plans to Retire, Setting Up Potential Democrat Primary Battle

Post Updated 4:30 p.m.

By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog

LautenbergCory Booker is about to have the best Valentine’s Day of his life, Save Jerseyans, because his recent arch-rival is borrowing a page from Pope Benedict XVI’s book.

U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg has announced that he will not seek reelection in 2014.

h/t Matt Friedman of NJ.com:

I am not announcing the end of anything. I am announcing the beginning of a two-year mission to pass new gun safety laws, protect children from toxic chemicals and create more opportunities for working families in New Jersey,” Lautenberg told the Star-Ledger. “While I may not be seeking re-election, there is plenty of work to do before the end of this term and I’m going to keep fighting as hard asever for the people of New Jersey in the U.S. Senate.”

Governor Chris Christie and Senator Lautenberg regularly scrapped over various political issues, but the state’s top Republican released the following statement upon learning of the senior N.J. Democrat official’s retirement:

Frank Lautenberg and I have had our differences through the years, but I’ve always respected him for his tenacity, devotion to the people of New Jersey and his love for and commitment to public service. I will always be grateful for his doggedness in fighting with me and the delegation to ensure congressional passage of an aid package after Hurricane Sandy that is delivering necessary assistance to our residents. I wish him the best in his retirement.”

Today’s news is only surprising due to the timing; Lautenberg had put forth a scrappy defense to Booker’s over-eager antics in recent weeks, and Democrats now face the prospect of a potentially bruising primary between the Newark Mayor and Pallone/Sweeney/Buono… fill in the blank.

The GOP field might get more interesting now, too. Geraldo? Some other dark horse? Or one of the likely veteran Republicans on Chris Christie’s short list?

Your thoughts?