Dem Public Defender got permission to run… AFTER winning the Primary!

By Rubashov

We’ve been keeping track of the local politics in a handful of “bellweather” towns across New Jersey. These towns are representative of a part of New Jersey and are a good indicator of trends. One such town is Ringwood, in Passaic County.

On Thursday, we reported that a Democrat candidate for borough council, Jessica Kitzman, was running for office even though she works in the criminal justice system as a public defender. Her LinkedIn page and the state’s attorneys website all indicate this, as do numerous other public documents.

A press release, issued by the New Jersey Attorney General’s office on July 23, 2021, notes that Kitzman – an “Assistant Deputy Public Defender” – was the defense attorney on a case involving a man who attempted “to lure a 14-year-old girl he met on social media for a sexual encounter. The ‘girl’ in reality was an undercover detective participating in ‘Operation Home Alone,’ a multi-agency undercover operation… that targeted individuals who allegedly were using social media to lure underage girls and boys for sex.”

We wondered how any self-respecting system of justice could allow the politicization of prosecutors and public defenders. So, we Googled can public defenders run for office in new jersey, and came up with this:

(a) All State officers and employees within the Office of the Public Defender are prohibited from becoming candidates for election to any elective public office and from accepting appointment to same (e.g. to fulfill the unexpired term of an elected public official).

According to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, Jessica Kitzman has been a candidate for borough council since March 18, 2021. So, we asked: “Is there anybody out there who can clear this up? Can a public defender run for public office? Please let us know.”

The local Democrat chairman answered our question and posted that Kitzman had received a “waiver” from the state and is allowed to run as an openly partisan Democrat for borough council. Another source produced a letter, dated July 1, 2021, from the Public Defender’s Office, giving Kitzman permission to run. The letter is signed by the Ethics Liaison Officer for the Public Defender’s Office and is copied to the chief Public Defender himself.

We found this strange, not only because Assistant Deputy Public Defender Jessica Kitzman had been a candidate (filed with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission) since March 18, 2021 – but also because Kitzman was a candidate on the ballot at the June 8th primary election. Kitzman won that primary and was certified the winner by the Secretary of State. Didn’t anyone pay attention to the fact that she was a Public Defender who had not yet received permission to run?

Kitzman was given permission to run months after she filed as a candidate and won the primary.

Based on this new information, will Jessica Kitzman be permitted to serve, if elected? Or will she face ethical charges for seeking permission after the fact?

Whatever the answer to those questions, there is a much larger question for the New Jersey legal establishment and the taxpayers who pay the bills to consider: Is it a good idea to turn the Public Defender’s office into an ideological redoubt for the Defund the Police movement? Or a patronage holding area for Democrat candidates? Is that what the Public Defender’s Office is for?

A partisan candidacy for local office is only the first notch in climbing the greasy poll of elected office. A successful candidate for local office will naturally consider or be considered by party insiders for higher office. Do we want those partisan political considerations to get in the way of finding the truth through the justice system?

Would a prosecutor be inclined to go harder on someone whose politics he or she disagrees with? Conversely, would he let someone else walk? Careerism has already produced prosecutors who think primarily in terms of win/loss records and not of justice. Finding out what really happened comes second to “making a case.” And the consequences of that can be terrible for both the reputation of the process, as well as for the poor souls involved.

So too, with a public defender, looking to embellish a political career. Will he or she hold back on zealously defending someone the voting public loathes? Will he or she favor the cases that elevate standing with targeted political constituencies at the expense of justice? Ever aware of changing fashions, public defenders now routinely paint the police with a broad brush – can a political public defender be expected to pay less attention to partisan opinion?

And what is the ethos of the Public Defender’s office? What are the policies that its leadership has pursued? Just what do you get when you elect someone from that institution? Well, let’s start at the top, with Jessica Kitzman’s boss. This is from his public biography on his office’s website…

“He has become an influential stakeholder in the NJ’s justice system on many issues, having spearheaded NJ’s pretrial release reform that eliminated monetary bail, advocated for sentencing reform on NJ.s Sentencing Commission, and directed the filing of three successful Orders to Show Cause in the Supreme Court for release of jail and prison inmates during the pandemic.

…handled numerous death penalty cases until the abolition of the death penalty in December 2007. He served on the Death Penalty Study Commission as a strong advocate for its abolition.”

Okay, that is a clear policy direction.

In September of last year, Kitzman’s boss wrote an opinion piece in the Star-Ledger (NJ.com) which was unambiguous as to the ideology it embraced and in the policy direction it advocated:

“Social awareness and protests are important but not enough. People in positions of power must adopt policies and enact laws that take concrete steps designed to eradicate systemic racism. It is time to act.”

“The main culprit is the so-called drug-free school zone law that requires mandatory minimum prison sentences for drug offenses committed within 1,000 feet of school property. We have long known that it is a discriminatory law.”

This kind of honesty is to be applauded. The voters know exactly what to expect from the novitiates of such an institution as they pursue political office.

There is a network of non-profits, funded by Democrat party interest groups, that actively recruit and train candidates for public office. Kitzman is a graduate of one such group. They openly talk about building a “bench” from which to groom future county and state leaders. That so many on this bench hold patronage positions on taxpayer-supported payrolls is a good indicator of where the Democrat Party is heading.

When you recruit public defenders, special interest lobbyists, government regulators, and corporate “government affairs” careerists – instead of average property taxpayers, blue collar workers, retirees, and small businesspeople – your party takes a different direction and you get a different kind of government.

The politicization of the Public Defender’s office should be addressed. Trying to balance the scales of justice with the demands of electioneering is a fool’s errand. It is an injustice to everyone involved and a taint on our legal system.

“Freedom and justice cannot be parceled out in pieces to suit political convenience. I don't believe you can stand for freedom for one group of people and deny it to others.”

Coretta Scott King

NBC “hit job” questions military-style training

Sarah Wallace attended college in the leftist hotbed of Berkeley, California, at a time of protest against the war in Vietnam.  She started her career in West Coast radio back during the era of “Governor Moonbeam” (AKA Jerry Brown).  She’s now out of New York City, where she pursues a relentlessly anti-law enforcement, anti-Republican, anti-Trump agenda. 

Berkeley hates the military and has consistently protested against military recruitment on campus – most recently in 2007.  So it comes as no surprise that Sarah Wallace looks down on traditional military training methods embodied in what is known as “boot camp”. 

Wallace has inserted herself into the race between Republican Sheriff Mike Strada and Jail Guard Andy Boden – acting as a kind of media consultant to the Boden campaign.  Wallace’s husband is, in fact, a Democrat and media consultant (more on this later). 

From her New York City offices at NBC, Wallace is attempting to choose the next Sheriff of Sussex County.  Her beef with Strada?  Sarah Wallace is pro-Sanctuary State, pro-abortion, and anti-Second Amendment.  Mike Strada opposes Governor Murphy’s Sanctuary State scheme, is pro-life, and pro-Second Amendment. 

Sarah Wallace is a Bergen County Democrat.  She is what’s called a “hard” Democrat – totally loyal to her party, never missing an election, always supporting whatever Clinton or Murphy that appears on the ballot.  And she is proud of it.

Complicating matters is Sheriff Strada’s central role in opposing Democrat Governor Phil Murphy’s Sanctuary State scheme.  In the past, Sarah Wallace has done interviews that were very favorable to illegals and against members of law enforcement.  In fact, Sarah Wallace is currently being sued by a police officer for her conduct and behavior.

Last November, a New York judge accused someone championed by Sarah Wallace – named Manny Gomez – of “coercing a witness to a gang slaying not to testify.”  According to the New York Daily News (November 3, 2018), police have suggested that Sarah Wallace and Manny Gomez have “an apparent relationship” and that Wallace does stories that favor Gomez. 

Given Wallace’s political and ideological biases, we were surprised when we learned that NBC chose her to do a segment on the primary campaign between Sheriff Mike Strada and opponent Andy Boden.  NBC and Sarah Wallace appear to have coordinated the attack on Sheriff Strada with Andy Boden and his campaign.  

A week before the Wallace attack aired on NBC, Boden himself bragged to local Sussex County media that the interview was going to be a “hit job” on Sheriff Strada.  And Wallace herself appears to have promoted her “hit job” to leftist blogs who oppose Republican Sheriff Strada over the Sanctuary State issue.

The coordination was so severe, that members of Boden’s campaign were promoting Wallace’s follow-up “hit job” in advance of it even being hinted at by NBC.  Some observers have suggested that this constitutes an illegal corporate campaign contribution by NBC on behalf of Andy Boden.

Wallace’s political and ideological agenda aside, and her manipulation of people on both sides of this race, this might come down to a simple case of a military culture vs. a union culture.  As anyone who has been through basic training knows, military culture is harsh and purposely demeaning – seeking to tear down a recruit in order to build him or her back up.

The culture in a labor union is more protective and coddling.  There is nothing especially wrong in this, but it does present a different perspective.  A real journalist, someone tuned in to more than fashion statements, might have written about this difference in perspective.  But that would be way beyond the blow-dried world that Sarah Wallace inhabits.

Police departments and Sheriff’s offices are para-military organizations, with the military and union cultures existing uneasily, side by side.  First rate military powers – like America, Russia, and China – do not have unionized armed forces.  Unions are only found in the armed forces of places like the Netherlands – whose plan of defense is essentially a telephone call to whomever is invading and the words “We Surrender” in the appropriate language.  That or getting America to defend them and American taxpayers to pay for it. 

Yes, in the American military there is no equivalent to the Dutch AFMP – the General Federation of Military Personnel.  Of course, the para-military police and sheriffs are unionized, which often makes for a clash of cultures.  Some leaders in law enforcement seek to impose military-style training and discipline, while others look on their organizations as unionized workers (except that they carry guns, have badges, and have power over civilians). 

And just to remind everyone of what military training and discipline is like, we turn you over to Gunny Hartmann…

Is this demeaning?  Is it the end of the world?  Or have Americans become a bunch of snowflakes?  If so, we shouldn’t look forward to tangling with North Korea, let alone Russia or China.  War aint beanbag.

There is a choice to be made here.  Do we want the people to whom we hand guns and badges to be informed by a disciplined, military outlook?  Or do we want them to merely be civilians with guns and badges?  Can we reach a happy medium?

So far as the complaints of individual employees go.  This is why Sussex County needs an Ethics Committee – a real committee, not one made up of hand-picked insiders.  The last Freeholder Board failed to create such a committee.  Jonathan Rose promised, but failed to deliver.  That’s a pity.

Employees – whether PBA, FOP, CWA, or anyone else – should be able to report problems and they need to be taken seriously.  In the same way that the Office of the Inspector General works in the military.  So let’s resolve to ask the Freeholder Board to take action on this soon.  Form an Ethics Committee, so these issues don’t need to be fought out in a political campaign – with bottom feeders like Sarah Wallace using one and all for her own political and ideological purposes.

Self-described “Dixiecrat” running in Sussex County

Here are the opening paragraphs from the InsiderNJ puff peace, commissioned by her Trenton insider friends and penned by Fred Snowflake:

“Deana Lykins says her new hometown of rural Green Township in Sussex County looks a lot like her native Kentucky.  But the picture changes quickly when it comes to politics. Lykins says that when she grew up in Owen, Ky.,  her home county was more than 90 percent Democratic.”

Well, it’s still registered Democrat… there are over 4,400 Democrats to 2,300 Republicans, with 400 Independents… but Donald Trump carried the county with 75% of the vote in 2016.  Throughout the 1980’s and 90’s, Democrats generally carried the county (with the exception of 1984, when Ronald Reagan won the county with 52%), but after 2000, the county became reliably Republican.  

Owens County is 96.6% white, which makes it whiter than Sussex County (93.4%) but it’s a lot poorer.  The per capita income in Owens County is just $22,633 and 16% of the population live below the poverty line.  Yes, these are the white working class people who have been discarded by the global economy and the new economic elite.  They are part of a larger working class – of all races and ethnicities – who for twenty or more years have increasingly found themselves on the losing end, economically.  

$22,633 is a significant number for another reason.  We don’t know what her social strata was back in Kentucky, but when she moved east to New Jersey, lawyer-lobbyist Lykins became part of an elite than pocketed in one month what the average guy in her home county lived off for a whole year.  We know this because Deana Lykins told a federal bankruptcy judge in New Jersey that her monthly income was $23,576.

Candidate Lykins has a big house, fancy automobiles, and a wealthy lifestyle… but that didn’t stop her from spending herself into bankruptcy court.  And now she’s running for the Assembly – as a Phil Murphy Democrat.

In August of 2014, the candidate filed for bankruptcy (case #14-26076) in federal court and reported a monthly household income of $23,576.  From the court records, the debt appears to be consumer or lifestyle based… with a number of credit card companies listed as creditors, as well as tax authorities.  Property listed included a large, well-appointed house, as well as a BMW, Land Rover, and a Chrysler Sebring.

Candidate Lykins is well-known in Trenton, where she worked for the Democrats in the Legislature before turning into a lobbyist for the insurance industry.  What skills she has to offer are ominous – especially in the area of keeping spending in check and balancing budgets – but Lykins would be a safe vote in support of the spending and debt agenda of Democrat Governor Phil Murphy and the rest of the Trenton Democrats.  

But here’s where her candidacy gets really interesting.  

On her first video she made public for her current campaign for the New Jersey Legislature, Deana Lykins describes herself as a “Dixiecrat”.  Yes, you heard that right… she said she was a “Dixiecrat” on a campaign video meant for public distribution and then posted that video and distributed it through her campaign.

So just what is a “Dixiecrat”?

Well, let us for the moment turn to that well-known source of definitions, Wikipedia, for further enlightenment.  Here is what they have written to define the term “Dixiecrat”:

The States' Rights Democratic Party (usually called the Dixiecrats) was a short-lived segregationist political party in the United States. It originated in 1948 as a breakaway faction of the Democratic Party determined to protect states' rights to legislate racial segregation from what its members regarded as an oppressive federal government.

Supporters assumed control of the state Democratic parties in part or in full in several Southern states. The Party opposed racial integration and wanted to retain Jim Crow laws and white supremacy in the face of possible federal intervention. Its members were referred to as "Dixiecrats", a portmanteau of "Dixie", referring to the Southern United States, and "Democrat".

Wow…

And we have news for old Fred Snowflake… Dixiecrats really did fly Confederate Battle Flags, real ones.  Not Hank Williams Jr. Country & Western Band banners.

In the weeks ahead, we’ll have more entertaining background from Ole Kentucky and Owens County “Dixiecrats”.  So stay tuned… it is going to be fun.

Speaker Tip O’Neill: “Reject obstructionism”

Many of the people in politics today weren’t around to actually witness the Reagan Revolution.  They have had to rely on hearsay and myth. 

There is a myth going around that President Ronald Reagan, a Republican, and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tip O’Neill, a Democrat, never had a harsh word for each other.  This simply isn’t true.

The truth is, they behaved like adults of their generation did at the time.  A less sensitive time than ours… before trigger words and safe spaces.  Men like President Reagan and Speaker O’Neill didn’t take the rough and tumble of politics personally, the way everyone appears to today… not that it didn’t hurt (but you sucked it up to get the job done). 

Here’s President Reagan himself on the subject… 

And here’s an ad the Republicans used on Tip O’Neill…

Being of men of their time, we have no idea what they would make of Congress and Washington today.  Indeed, America might look foreign to them.  But they got things done, despite their differences, and in the words of Democrat Tip O’Neill, “We expect conflict, but I hope we will reject any obstructionism.”

Lisa Bhimani tries to have it both ways on abortion

Voters can’t stand a bullshitter.

They can’t stand it when somebody manipulates them, makes a false appeal, and then steals their vote. 

Wouldn’t the world be so much better if politicians simply told us what they believe, how they think, and let the chips fall where they may.  Instead, many politicians behave like high school kids trying to score a date.  They’ll say anything to get a “yes”.  And afterwards… they won’t return your text. 

When she ran for the state Legislature – just last year – Lisa Bhimani told Emily’s List what they wanted to hear.  She told them that she was Pro-Abortion and wanted more money for Planned Parenthood. 

Now Emily’s List is an organization that is very straightforward about who they are.  They describe themselves this way:  “We elect pro-choice (on abortion) Democratic women to office.” 

On top of the Emily’s List endorsement, Lisa Bhimani also got the endorsement of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey.  It’s pretty clear what they are about too. 

So how come at her announcement on Monday afternoon, Lisa Bhimani told several of her Pro-Life supporters that she stood with them on abortion?  She blamed having to run as a Democrat for the reason she had to adopt the positions she did.  “You do know that I am running on the Democrat ticket?”  That’s the excuse she gave.

Bhimani, a medical doctor, was very explicit in assuring one supporter that she “never performed a late term abortion.”  Oh, “late term” – what about abortion, full stop?  This is curious because she was trained as an OB-GYN doctor.  

She said that she hadn’t read the 20-20 bill (babies feel pain at 20 weeks bill) that would bring New Jersey’s abortion laws into line with Europe and the rest of the civilized world, but again… you know, that running as a Democrat thing… her campaign handlers would probably say it was a no-no. 

You can respect someone for thinking about an issue and then forming an opinion.  But what Bhimani is doing is bullshit.  Trying to have it both ways, all ways.

And do we really need another bullshit politician in Trenton?

Fred Snowflake tries to make excuses for Menendez and the underaged girls.

We remember when Fred was the editor for a legit newspaper – a real journalist.  Then he went corporate and ended up writing for a blog that shills for a Democrat vendor – yes, a greaser greasing the grease machine of contributions and contracts – a guy who lives so far up Bob Menendez’ ass that he wanted him to be Vice President instead of Joe Biden. 

Writing from the perspective of a Left Wing Blog, Fred tries to dismiss something because he claims it was written in a “Right Wing blog” and fails to see the irony in doing so.  It’s kind of pathetic.

Hey Fred, BelieveWomen!  Women made the accusation against Bob Menendez and just because those women are darker-skinned than Dr. Christine Blasey Ford or don’t have her economic and educational “privilege” – and maybe they don’t speak English, so what – that doesn’t make them liars, does it?  What’s wrong with you, Fred, are you some kind of racist?

Oh, you say they say they got their stories wrong?  After what?  After some corrupt criminal billionaire calls up the local Establishment he’s paid into down there and sets the “man” on them?  And the “man” down there don’t do due process, Fred.  Read up on it sometime, Fred, they have death squads down there.

And how about those lovely young ladies from Eastern Europe who the Honorable Member from New Jersey helped traffick into the United States for his old-assed buddy to play with?  Are you going to argue that they just hold hands?  Huh, Fred?  No Fred, it’s  a crime against nature that’s what that is.

Fred tries to dismiss what the FBI said and President Obama’s Justice Department said (that’s right – President Obama’s Justice Department – not Trump’s) about the scumbag behavior of Bob Menendez.  But Fred doesn’t examine the documents, he just waves his tallywhacker and expects all that documentation to magically disappear.

Documentation like this…

And this…

menendez Doc 2 by Sussex Watchdog

 And don’t forget this…

Yeah, it all comes down to hypocrisy, don’t it Fred?  Bob Menendez brought this upon himself the day he wanted to play “butter-doesn’t-melt-in-my-mouth” at the Kavanaugh confirmation.  The old Fred, the journalist, would have got it.  The new Fred, the shill for the greaser vendor and Menendez fundraiser, not so much.  Hey, things change. 

John McCann’s FAKE endorsements (starting with Trump)!

Over the weekend, many of you received a mailer from the campaign of congressional candidate John McCann.  The mailer was professionally designed and carried out by a well-known, national Democrat campaign consultant.

Democrats have been a feature of the McCann campaign.  John McCann was recruited from a Democrat office to run in the Republican primary for Congress.  McCann was a $151,000 a year (plus benefits) Bergen County patronage employee – working for a Democrat office holder in a Democrat-controlled county – when he was plucked from obscurity to challenge long time conservative Steve Lonegan. 

McCann, an attorney, had a deal with his Democrat employers that was so good that they allowed him to collect $498,000 in “fees” in one year – that’s in addition to his full-time salary (with benefits).  That’s right, he owes the Democrats a lot.

John McCann is the hand-picked candidate of a party boss who was convicted on public corruption charges and sent to prison.  McCann’s campaign chair is a liberal pro-abortion campaigner.  McCann’s campaign manager holds contracts from Democrat politicians. 

Photoshopped image of Trump?

The mailer used a controversial image of President Donald Trump.  The image is controversial, because it has been obviously photoshopped to suit the needs of the campaign. 

(SOURCE:  McCann for Congress website)

(SOURCE: McCann for Congress Facebook page)

Unwinding a Scam

This brings us back to the mailer the McCann campaign sent out over the weekend.  The mailer used the words, “Guess Who Is Endorsing John McCann?”

And then it used the same suspect photograph that had been clearly photoshopped above.  But this is a clear lie.  Donald Trump has not made an endorsement.

To make matters worse, on the reverse of the mailer, the McCann campaign listed several endorsements that also turned out to be lies.

Sussex County Freeholder Herb Yardley was listed and he felt so strongly about it that he paid for a call to Sussex County residents and a radio ad that set the record straight:

“This is Freeholder Herb Yardley.  Some of you may have received a mailer from candidate John McCann claiming that I endorsed him.  That is not true, I endorsed Steve Lonegan for Congress.

Now McCann is running a radio ad that lies about our Senator, Steve Oroho.  In fact Steve Oroho and Mike Doherty are the two most conservative Senators in New Jersey, according to the American Conservative Union.

On June 5th, say NO to John McCann’s lies.”

Former Congressman Scott Garrett also issued a statement claiming that Sussex County Freeholder Carl Lazzaro had also not endorsed John McCann, despite being listed as an endorsee on the McCann mailer.

See, this is how Democrats do it.  They lie.  With so many Democrats around him, McCann can’t help it.  He lies too.

UPDATE

We learned that Sussex County Freeholder Jonathan Rose did endorse John McCann for Congress, although he is not listed on the mailer.  The reason for that is probably a reluctance by McCann to list a public official who supports Governor Phil Murphy’s position on the legalization of marijuana.

That’s right, Jonathan Rose backs legalizing pot!  He says so here…

Hey, McCann is a liberal, but he’s not that liberal.  In supporting McCann, Freeholder Rose apparently takes a liberal stand on abortion and gun control.

Last Friday, candidate John McCann outed himself in an interview with the Bergen Record.  Here, read it for yourself…

Lonegan is staunchly pro-life, and recently told an audience at the Knights of Columbus in Fair Lawn that he'd support every anti-abortion bill that came before him. He's tried to tag McCann as being pro-choice, but McCann says the label doesn't fit.  

"I believe that life begins at conception," McCann said.

But when asked whether he would support any future bill to further limit abortion, McCann indicated he would not.

"The law is what is," he said. 

Hey, that’s NOT Pro-Life.  That is pro-status quo, which equals, pro-abortion.

Now on guns:

Both candidates wrap themselves in the Second Amendment right to bear arms. McCann favors requiring universal background checks perspective gun buyers but Lonegan opposes them they would  just "add another layer of bureaucracy."

Ditto on the Second Amendment.

Here read the whole article for yourselves:

https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/politics/2018/06/01/nj-election-2018-john-mccann-steve-lonegan-congress-candidates-play-trump-card-primary/659599002/

Memo to Andy Kim: Americans celebrate Labor Day, not May Day

Hey, we all get that Democrat Andy Kim is from Washington, DC, where he owns a million dollar condo in a really cool part of the city -- but that is no reason for him to go all bubble-world elitist on us and start celebrating May Day.

American workers celebrate Labor Day, in September, and we celebrate it the good old fashioned way -- no we don't have some stupid political protest -- we have a beer, maybe go to the shore, or throw a few burgers on the grill.  We spend it with our families and friends and NO, we don't talk progressive politics at all.

Yesterday, the man who would be King issued a statement worthy of what the Queen does on some high and mighty event.  Andy wrote:  "The heart of America and the strength of the American economy lies with the American worker and middle class. I will always stand up for them..."  Funny how he doesn't include himself.  It's them, as in, "Hell no, I'm not a worker!"

Andy Kim ends his comment with #MayDay.  You can almost see the little right-on hand-popping.  Well Andy, in honor of you and your May Day holiday (the rest of us worked), this one goes out to you...

Now to an even more important topic.

Transparency.

Andy Kim has said he believes in transparency.  He says he will let the people know everything he is doing.  But back on April 18th, Andy Kim held a fundraiser at a big-deal law firm in Cherry Hill. 

We've been looking for it on his campaign's Facebook page, but it's not there.  No pictures, no report on who the host committee was or what fat cats showed up with their checkbooks.  Here's the invitation below.  Note who it is paid by...

Andy Kim likes to claim that he's not taking "corporate money" -- but that's not really true, is it Andy?  Many law firms are corporations of a kind and your fundraiser was held at a law office.  These lawyers all represent big corporations and they contribute big money to trial lawyers' associations. 

We believe Andy Kim throws out the word "corporate" as a distraction -- to make you believe he is better than he is.  How are lawyers better than manufacturers?  Most people probably think they are far worse.

Boasting about giving up one kind of sugar while devouring bowls of honey isn't really a way forward.  You are still going to get fat.  And that's what is happening with Andy.  We goes to Weight Watchers and brags to everyone that he's off carbs, but then when it's time for the weigh-in, it emerges that he's fatter than ever.

Don't go on fooling the public and, just as important, don't fool yourself.  It turns out you are no better than all the others.

Boss Conaway plays god. Gov't not parents to decide on vaccination.

Is this the face of god?

A venial politician?  The great god moe.

Assemblyman Herbert "the moe" Conaway runs the Assembly Health Committee by grant of one of the most corrupt political machines in history.  He's no angel.

Conaway is a part of the Medical Industrial Establishment -- you know, the same folks who pushed opioids on us and assured all the world that there was no danger.  To give you an idea of how that turned out, think on this:

In 2017, seven children died in school shootings.

That year more than 66,000 died of opioids.  Thank you Medical Industrial Establishment.

Now Boss Conaway wants government to determine how genuine are your religious convictions.  No kidding.  A lousy politician wants to sit in judgment and decide if you recognize who the real god is... him.

The Star-Ledger reported the action from Moe Conaway's committee on Thursday:

"Parents erupted in anger Thursday after state lawmakers advanced a bill that would make it harder for families in New Jersey to avoid getting their children shots based on religious grounds. 

Moments after the state Assembly Health Committee at the Statehouse in Trenton approved the measure, dozens of people leapt to their feet shouting, 'You are going to hell!' 'Shame!' and 'You Democrats destroy America!'

The outburst followed two hours of testimony from parents, grandparents and religious leaders, which ranged from indignant and pleading to tearful and angry. 

It took 20 minutes for Chairman Herb Conaway, D-Burlington, also the bill's sponsor, to read the names of opponents who declined to testify.

Under the bill, families who avoid getting their children shots based on religious grounds would have to submit a notarized letter explaining how vaccinations violates their faith.

The opponents called the proposal burdensome, intrusive and discriminatory, and sharply questioned why the government had the right to judge their beliefs."

How indeed?  How does a career politician like Moe Conaway -- a true bottom-feeder -- set himself up in judgment over the religious beliefs of the very taxpayers who pay for his salary and perks? 

Currently New Jersey's religious exemption requires only that parents send the school district a letter stating that vaccines violate their family's religious beliefs.  School districts granted more than 10,000 students, or 2 percent of the student population, religious exemption during the 2016-17 academic year, according to the New Jersey Department of Education.

Conaway's legislation (A-3818) says parents who want to claim a religious exemption must submit a notarized statement to the school explaining how permitting their child to be vaccinated "would violate, contradict, or otherwise be inconsistent" with a tenet or practice. 

The letter must show the parents' request is not solely based on "political, sociological, philosophical, or moral views, or concerns related to the safety or efficacy of the vaccination."

The parents also must include a statement that says they understand the risks and benefits of vaccines, and that the Health Commissioner may exclude their unvaccinated child from school in the event of a communicable disease threat.

Finally, a doctor or other medical professional designated by the state must verify in writing the parents have been counseled to the risks of declining vaccine for their child, according to the bill.

Conaway said the bill was "common sense based on science" -- which is exactly what the Medical Industrial Establishment said when they told us that opioids were safe to use.

It's not common sense.  It is greed.  It is government compelling you to pay for a product.  Every crony capitalist wants a deal like this.

The bill is now going to the full 80-member Assembly.

Pro-abort McCann attacks Cruz endorsement of Lonegan

Self-described "Arlen Specter Republican" John McCann has attacked conservative Steve Lonegan for picking-up the endorsement of United States Senator Ted Cruz. 

Through an anonymous "spokesperson", McCann -- who the Bergen Record calls "the right hand man" of Democrat Sheriff Michael Saudino of Bergen County -- said that Lonegan was "out of touch" by accepting the endorsement of Senator Cruz. 

So let's see.  John McCann's model of a Republican office-holder is Arlen Specter, a RINO so extraordinary that he finally switched parties to Democrat because he believed he had become so distasteful to Republican primary voters.  A big government liberal who never met an abortion clinic that he didn't want to fund.

In contrast, Steve Lonegan has the strong support of one of the nation's top conservative leaders, Senator Ted Cruz.  The American Conservative Union rated Ted Cruz as voting the conservative position 100 percent of the time.  The National Taxpayers Union gave Cruz a 95 percent rating, while the Club for Growth rated Cruz at 96 percent.

When Arlen Specter was a Republican, before he embraced his "inner Obama" and became a Democrat in name as well as in practice, he didn't make it above 50 percent and some years flirted with zero.  This is who John McCann is modeling himself on.

You have to ask yourself... Don't we already have a liberal holding the seat?  And then the penny drops... McCann is a Democrat patronage employee put up by the Democrats to trash the Republican primary.  He isn't real.  Just a tool... for the Democrats.

The facts here are plain.  The Democrats (McCann included) know and respect the fundraising prowess of Senator Ted Cruz.  They know he will raise a half-million to a million dollars for the Republican in the race, Steve Lonegan.  They know that there are more than 2,000 Cruz donors who reside in New Jersey.

By attacking Ted Cruz, the spokesperson for "Stumbling John" McCann shows just how clearly out of touch he is.

Who is this John McCann being pushed on us?

Another "star" is born.  Courtesy of a SaveJersey "poll" and indicating little more than that somebody's hand has been working overtime.  Sigh.

We doubt that 425 people could pick John McCann out of a line-up.  But that hasn't stopped a few insiders from pushing him for Congress in CD05 as the latest, tired NJGOP... wait for it... "game changer"! 

Oh, how we love that phrase.  Such a long list of losers have been touted as "game changers" -- so many lifeless, idealess, dead-end sales floor mannequins.

The Republican party bosses in Bergen County, fresh from their most recent loss (in a long string of losses), have abjectly surrendered to the point that they now believe that the only way forward is to formally turn their county organization over to the Democrats, and to rest comfortably under the wing of the Democrat Party.  So they accept the Democrats' terms and lawyer John McCann, who works for and is paid by the County's elected Democrat Sheriff, will be their candidate for Congress. 

With John McCann, Republicans will appear to have found a candidate to oppose incumbent Democrat Josh Gottheimer.  In reality, McCann's candidacy will be a hollow one, lacking financial resources or contrast with the Democrat.  It will serve the Democrats' will and cement Democrat Gottheimer into a district that no Democrat should hold.

John McCann is one of the NJGOP's "hollow men" -- having surfaced to run for the Assembly in 1995, he was crushed, fell to earth, and burrowed into the moist manure of crony politics.  Here he existed as a kind of chrysalis, without thought, ideology, or principles.  The money doesn't allow such things.  There are lots of "hollow men" about.  The NJGOP could not fill a room without them.

We are the hollow men
    We are the stuffed men
    Leaning together
    Headpiece filled with straw. Alas!
    Our dried voices, when
    We whisper together
    Are quiet and meaningless
    As wind in dry grass
    Or rats' feet over broken glass
    In our dry cellar
    
    Shape without form, shade without colour,
    Paralysed force, gesture without motion;

    ...Behaving as the wind behaves

At the very beginning of conservative Scott Garrett's career in Congress, at the very beginning, John McCann attempted to go from pupa to butterfly.  But it was to oppose both Scott Garrett and Gerry Cardinale in the primary because, so John McCann said, they were "too conservative."

McCann, a self-described follower of the ideology of Democrat-turned Republican-turned Democrat Arlen Specter, assured anyone who cared to listen that the only way Republicans could hold on to CD05 was to nominate a "moderate".  McCann spelled that out as someone who was liberal on abortion, the social issues, and the Second Amendment.  Oh well, he was wrong, and in any case, his campaign collapsed because he couldn't raise the money or support to sustain it.  That was in 2002.  Does anyone really believe that the GOP has gone Left since then?

But McCann is, so they assure us, a GAME CHANGER.  And if you look at it from the other end, he is.  It's the end game.  John McCann's candidacy promises to end the game and to deliver New Jersey's 5th Congressional District into Democrat hands for what might as well be an eternity in politics.  And the Democrat Sheriff will keep writing his Democrat checks, and the Bergen bosses will accrue some considerations, and one more piece will be removed from the already almost blank board.  One less contention to squabble over. 

This is the way the world ends
    This is the way the world ends
    This is the way the world ends
    Not with a bang but a whimper.

Dem operative Devine continues attack on Phil Murphy

New Jersey Democrat operative Devine James has continued questioning Democrat gubernatorial candidate Phil Murphy's fitness to hold public office.  Last week, Devine posted this nasty tweet:  "We are in a war with selfish, foolish & narcissistic rich people."

Over the weekend, we found these insightful comments by Devine on a website he maintains as a panegyric to himself: 

"We need to take the power to sway elections away from the greedy rich billionaires and put it back in the hands of the people. We need to make life livable so impoverished families are not at the mercy of uncaring politicians and greedy corporations. We need to restore faith among people that government can be a force for good and the first step would be stopping the government from doing so much harm."

We agree.  Rich liberal billionaires suck.  Big government sucks.  Corporate welfare and its enablers suck.

Devine's website calls himself a "masterful Democratic Party campaign strategist, a crusading journalist and an accomplished leader..."  He is also regarded to be a very trusted Democrat Party hand-job with a penchant for tortured prose like this: 

"A total of 7,765 Occupy protesters have been arrested around the U.S. since Occupy Wall Street began on September 17, 2011. Bankers arrested for robbing $22 trillion from middle class families, greedy corporate executives charged for wrecking the American economy and sanctions imposed on those greedy corporations are outnumbered by the words in this sentence."

Although oddly worded, Devine does make the point that it was bankers -- like Phil Murphy -- who sucked the life out of the U.S. economy and got both a bail out and a bonus for their efforts.  It does pay to lobby... don't it?

Democrat nominee Murphy was a Democrat Party fundraiser and finance chair before President Obama rewarded him with a grace and favor position as an Ambassador.  Murphy bragged that he raised more than $300 million for Democrat Party candidates and himself spent at least $2 million greasing the palms of office holders and candidates for public office.

And for all of you who still want to think of the media as political noncombatants, get a load of what Devine writes about himself:

"In addition to his decade of experience publishing a chain of weekly newspapers, including the News Record, the Patriot, the Perth Amboy Gazette, the Atom Tabloid, the South Amboy-Sayreville Citizen, Devine was publisher of several monthly special interest magazines, including New Jersey Wreck Diver and Kid Zone, During that period, he served two years as secretary of the Rahway Chamber of Commerce.

Devine started his career in journalism as a reporter for WKNJ FM Radio, the Elizabeth Daily Journal, and the Bridgewater Courier News (a Gannett newspaper) and as managing editor of the Kean College Independent, a student-run campus weekly newspaper. He is a currently a contributing editor and consultant to New Jersey's oldest weekly newspaper and its website, WWW.NJTODAY.NET."

This is the same guy who, when he is not dumping on Phil Murphy, says he wants to hunt Republicans.  Why?  Do they taste better than Democrats?

"In addition to being elected six times as a member of the Union County Democratic Committee, Devine served as a council coordinator with MoveOn.org, member of the Sierra Club, ACLU, NOW (National Organization for Women), AARP and NAACP, president of the Elizabeth Democratic Association and chairman of the Coalition for Quality Education."

Phil Murphy is a Wall Streeter who made his money at the notoriously anti-worker firm of Goldman Sucks.  Here is what Wikipedia has to say about Mr. Murphy's career there:

From 1997 to 1999, Murphy served as the President of Goldman Sachs (Asia).[9] In that capacity, he was officed in Hong Kong.[19] During this time Goldman Sachs profited from its investment in Yue Yuen Industrial Holdings, a shoe manufacturer which became notorious for its harsh labor practices.[20]

... Then in 1999 Murphy secured a spot on the firm's Management Committee.[7] There his colleagues included Hank Paulson and Gary Cohn, both of whom later served at highest levels of the federal government.[17] This coincided with the Glass–Steagall: aftermath of repeal and made a profound change in how Murphy and his colleagues made their profits, with much greater use of leverage than before.[17]

In 2001 Murphy became global co-head of the Investment Management Division of the firm.[7][21][17] This unit oversaw the investments of foundations, pensions, hedge funds, and wealthy personages, and by 2003 it had amassed some $373 billion in holdings.[17] Hedge funds in particular received large lines of credit from Murphy's unit.[17] Another company initiative that Murphy helped to undertake was the unit that did major business in the emerging markets within the EMEA region.[19]

According to Wikipedia, Murphy thinks of himself as a member of an "elite" and actually bragged about this to the Wall Street Journal in 1998, comparing Goldman Sucks to the United States Marine Corps... but with a different pay scale... and you don't get shot at... and you get to rip-off child workers... and finance regimes that uphold the best traditions of slave labor and human trafficking.

Likewe said, Devine James makes some real strong points about Phil Murphy, and that's something, coming from the former political director of the New Jersey Democrat State Committee.  Here's a photo of Devine with the first Phil Murphy, another corporate Democrat billionaire who made his dough ripping off the folks.

"An ardent believer in lifelong learning, Devine studied Political Science, Journalism and Mass Communications at Kean University. He has been accredited by the New Jersey Press Association and as a member of the Academy of Political Science, as well as numerous other professional and civic associations.

Over the years, Devine has been employed by seven Democratic state lawmakers as a legislative aide or chief of staff."

That's a lot of smoke to blow up your own ass.  Little guy... big ego?  Let's ask an expert...

But the smoke from this hero's pipe just keeps blowing...

"Throughout his life, Devine maintained vast moral courage, often paying a high personal price for showing unequaled bravery by taking principled stands against fierce adversaries and standing up to his friends when he believed them to be wrong. The qualities his critics may never acknowledge have been documented from his earliest days in politics right through to the current time; by some of the very friends he suffered for opposing."

Yep, in this hero's mind, his shit is vast and unequaled.  So what does our expert think?

To close, here is the hero himself, caught short, in a candid pose, outside the corporate offices of a local pharmaceutical giant.

Trump polls well in four shore leg. districts

Ever watchful of national fashions, some GOP legislators have taken steps to break with Governor Chris Christie over his endorsement of presumptive Republican  presidential nominee Donald Trump.  Recent polling might make them want to reconsider.

Polling was conducted on June 1st and 2nd, by a highly respected, national survey research firm.  The legislative districts polled were District 1 (Cape May, Atlantic, Cumberland counties), District 2 (Atlantic County), District 11 (Monmouth County), and District 13 (Monmouth County).  

This is how voters responded to the following question regarding Donald Trump:

T5. Do you support or oppose Donald Trump for President?

Legislative District 1

Sample size:  378

Sample by voter registration: Independent, 37.4%; Republican 35.0%; Democrat 27.6%.

Total Support .......................................................... 56.2% 

Total Oppose .......................................................... 42.0%

Strongly Support ...................................................... 42.4%

Somewhat Support .................................................. 13.8%

Strongly Oppose ..................................................... 38.3%

Somewhat Oppose .................................................... 3.7%

Unsure, No Opinion ................................................. 1.8%

Legislative District 2

Sample size:  349

Sample by voter registration: Independent, 36.6%; Republican 28.8%; Democrat 34.7%.

Total Support .......................................................... 44.9% 

Total Oppose .......................................................... 45.9% 

Strongly Support ...................................................... 30.2%

Somewhat Support .................................................. 14.7%

Strongly Oppose ..................................................... 42.4%

Somewhat Oppose .................................................... 3.5%

Unsure, No Opinion ................................................. 9.2%

Legislative District 11

Sample size:  388

Sample by voter registration: Independent, 44.5%; Republican 26.0%; Democrat 29.5%.

Total Support .......................................................... 55.6% 

Total Oppose .......................................................... 42.4%

Strongly Support ...................................................... 39.5%

Somewhat Support .................................................. 16.1%

Strongly Oppose ..................................................... 38.3%

Somewhat Oppose .................................................... 4.1%

Unsure, No Opinion ................................................. 2%

Legislative District 13

Sample size:  344

Sample by voter registration: Independent, 41.9%; Republican 28.9%; Democrat 29.2%.

Total Support .......................................................... 61.5% 

Total Oppose .......................................................... 35.8%

Strongly Support ...................................................... 45.3%

Somewhat Support .................................................. 16.2%

Strongly Oppose ..................................................... 32.1%

Somewhat Oppose .................................................... 3.7%

Unsure, No Opinion ................................................. 2.7%

Interesting results... stay tuned for more next week.