By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog
It’s on, Save Jerseyans…
Citing the dangerous military situation in Eastern Europe, CD3 GOP candidate Tom MacArthur turned his cannons on primary opponent Steve Lonegan today for supporting military spending cuts during last year’s U.S. Senate race.
“We live in a dangerous world and must always have a strong military capable of defending our interests and supporting our allies,” said MacArthur in a statement released to Save Jersey. “That is why I strongly disagree with President Obama’s unilateral decision to weaken missile defense systems in Europe, which has emboldened Vladimir Putin.”
MacArthur referred to an August 2013 NorthJersey.com article in which Lonegan pledged to cut government spending, including “massive, bloated military” expenditures. CD3 boasts a large military presence, both active and retired.
“It’s also why I oppose President Obama’s planned Pentagon cuts; and believe Steve Lonegan description of our armed forces and military budget as ‘massive’ and ‘bloated’ is dangerous and out-of-touch with the Third Congressional District. Burlington and Ocean counties need a representative who will stand up and fight for a strong American military, especially Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and the 44,000 jobs and billions of dollars it means for our region,” MacArthur continued. “The last thing we need is someone in Congress who will side with the President and put its future mission at risk.”
Mayor MacArthur remains the odds-on favorite to carry the county lines in both counties with territory in CD3, Ocean and Burlington, having been endorsed by both screening committees, but one published poll commissioned by the news site PolitickerNJ indicated strong support for Lonegan among CD3 Republicans.
Until now, neither campaign has directly engaged the other or invested heavily in paid media with under three months to go.
Lonegan, for his part, has talked up the need to strengthen benefits for disabled veterans, most notably during a recent presser at McGuire Air Force Base.
No one knows BRAC better than the independent for Senate, Eugene Martin LaVergne, who represented the State to keep the Joint Base here, at the behest of Senator Lautenberg. Facts are facts – and Lautenberg had him as counsel, rather than the AG’s office, because, as he put it, “I want to WIN”. Lautenberg also retained LaVergne as personal counsel, because, as he also said, he would “never want to walk into a courtroom and see THAT MAN on the other side of the aisle”.
Lonegan is horribly out of touch.
Remember, the Line doesn’t necessarily mean the nomination – right, Mr. Bennett? Nice they named a track for you – you can run and run and never get anywhere. Where’s the Pappas Podium?
Everybody running for Congress in this district wants higher pay and benefits for active duty personnel as well as veterans. But don’t assume that just because military folks want more money for themselves that they are just itching for a fight and a chance to rerun the Crimean War along with The Charge Of The Light Brigade.