Bramnick vs. Sweeney: The politics of competing plans

Good for Jim Florio… at least he remembers who he is.

When asked whether or not he would endorse law partner Doug Steinhardt for Governor, the former Governor put it very simply:  “He’s not the right party as far as I’m concerned.  I would not vote for him.  I’m a Democratic voter.”

Doug is the Chairman of the Republican State Committee.  The two are partners at Florio Perrucci Steinhardt & Cappelli.  This insight came courtesy of that doyen of bloggers… David Wildstein. 

But hey, Florio gets it.  Party means something.

It is the job of the leader of every legislative party caucus – the Speaker, the Senate President, and the minority leaders – to defend and expand their caucus at the expense of the other side.  Those are the rules.  It is first and foremost.  We all understand this.

Last week, Assembly Republican Leader Jon Bramnick rolled out his plan for addressing New Jersey’s fiscal crisis.  It was a direct appeal to elect more Republicans to the Assembly and centered on what they would do if elected.

Bramnick did exactly what he needed to do.  After pointing out the fiscal evils perpetrated by legislative Democrats, Bramnick lays out three solid policy positions that points New Jersey Republicans in the direction of what we should be for…

(1) Cap State Spending at 2% (just like local government spending is capped).

(2) Cut the State Income Tax by 10% (make NJ more competitive w. other states).

(3) Full Deduction of Property Taxes on the State Income Tax (a move that takes the property tax issue away from Democrats like Andy Kim, Mikie Sherrill, and Josh Gottheimer).

In a political sense, the Assembly Republican Leader’s plan does not demonize any organized, well-funded interest groups – it simply starves government for the benefit of taxpayers.  Bramnick makes war on spending, not people.  And that is good politics.    

Bramnick avoids the mistake made in 2015 by then Governor Chris Christie and his Republican Party.  Christie’s pension/health benefits commission called for many changes but he went further and directly confronted the unions and their members, demonizing them in the process.  Christie inadvertently created well-organized, well-financed cells of opposition in every Republican district in the state. 

Like this year, 2015 was a low-turnout election with the Assembly at the top of the ticket.  Public employee unions targeted Republicans and Democrat super PACs – including those controlled by George Norcross – poured money into the campaigns of Democrat challengers.  Republicans lost four seats – four friends by the names of Donna, Caroline, Mary Pat, and Sam.

Yesterday, Senate President Steve Sweeney announced his “bi-partisan” plan that targets many of the same people that Governor Christie pissed off in 2015.  It should be noted that Sweeney’s plan was formally rolled out after the filing deadline for the Democrat primary.  Unfortunately for Republicans… it is some months until the November election.

This is not about the merits of the “bi-partisan plan” but rather, it is about the politics and timing of the plan.   

Are Republicans in danger of repeating 2015 again? 

Will the super PACS’s controlled by Sweeney allies like George Norcross back up every Republican legislator on the ballot this year?  Or will they stay true to form and support their Democrat challengers?  Will the Republicans on the ballot this year end up getting it from both ends?

This situation might be different if New Jersey Republicans had taken the time to build a base of small dollar donors and activists.  But as fundraiser Ali Steinstra noted at the March NJGOP Leadership Summit, broad-based Republican fundraising can only be accomplished by appeals to the party’s conservative base.   

The GOP establishment in New Jersey is barely on speaking terms with its base, so the ground has not been prepared.  We have no equivalent to what the NJEA and the Norcross super PACs will throw against us, so pissing on a hornet’s nest probably isn’t a good idea.  At this moment in time, it is more likely to motivate the kind of turnout that will cost us another four or more seats in November.

Assembly Leader Bramnick has a sensible, Republican plan that addresses the problem of spending and taxation.  It avoids drawing fire from well-organized, well-funded interest groups.  Those on the ballot this year have a choice to make.

Suburban Democrats ran and won on property taxes.

Has Fred Snowflake ever run a political campaign in his life?  We suspect not.

If he had, he’d spend less time in the shithouse dreaming and more time paying attention to how campaigns are run and what’s said.  But Snowflake – who writes for a website owned by a slimebag vendor who sells shit to governments that spend taxpayers’ money – does most of his work behind the latrine door these days.  His latest spin is that taxes don’t matter… especially property taxes.

Did Snowflake deliberately forget about the Trump tax cut and SALT?  Was it not discussed enough for him?  Did property taxes not emerge as a central issue in the congressional campaigns in New Jersey? 

As “proof” for his silly argument he offers us the Democrats elected to Congress from Northwest New Jersey – Josh Gottheimer and Mikie Sherrill.  According to Snowflake…

“taxes are high in New Jersey. But taxes are not the only issue.  More and more it seems that suburbanites are voting in favor of issues unrelated to taxes. They are voting in favor of abortion rights for women, a more welcoming policy toward immigrants, stronger gun control laws and an environmental policy based on science. That seemed to drive this year’s election in New Jersey…”

Seemed?  Only if you were in the shithouse. 

We looked… but cannot find a Democrat cable or broadcast advertisement that unpacks that particular issues grid.  Apparently, it wasn’t in their armory. 

What we actually got was this:  Democrats cleverly portraying themselves as Republicans on all the most important issues.  Hey, check it out for yourselves.  Go to Josh Gottheimer or Mikie Sherrill’s YouTube pages and watch the ads.

Immigration?  Are you kidding?  What you will find it this…

“Lower Taxes. Jersey Values.”

“Cut Property Taxes”

“Think your property taxes are too high?”

“Navy Pilot – Prosecutor – Mom”

“I’ll fight to restore your property tax deduction.”

Josh Gottheimer’s campaign doesn’t post any ads that could reasonably be called liberal.  Mikie Sherrill’s posts two conservative ads for every liberal ad.  And nobody says shit about immigration.

See what Snowflake is doing here?   

Snowflake’s vendor owner – a Hillary Clinton insider – is trying to convince New Jersey Republicans to screw themselves again, even as they pull that old Bill Clinton maneuver of co-opting and running on Republicans issues.  Anyone remember welfare-reform?  Or how about “the era of big government is over”? 

It’s an old trick.  And a good one.  Almost as good as the one Mikie Sherrill pulled on the constituents she’s about to represent.  Who is she?  Really?

In common with most of Democrat moes who ran this year, they all started out dancing in the street with pussy hats on, attending protests, and pretending they were back in the 1960’s (which none of them were in the first place).  The heady days of the Women’s March was that kind of Disneyland.  Then, after winning their primaries, they all suddenly became centrists and “bi-partisan”.  Not a mention of transgender anything.  Republican Bob Hugin spent more promoting abortion and gay marriage than all the Democrats put together.  Mikie Sherrill became “Navy Pilot – Prosecutor – Mom” in other words “War – Cops – and Motherhood”.  That ain’t a liberal message.

In the aftermath of Sherrill’s victory last week, most commentators missed the real reason why she won:  She got to pick her opponent for the General Election (and it was anyone other than the incumbent, Rodney Frelinghuysen).  Yep, her pussy hatted minions pushed the incumbent Republican out of the race (a fact Jay Webber should have played on).  You know, that well-respected, well-heeled, bi-partisan Vietnam War vet… yeah, him.

For that, she needed her grassroots.  All those crazies who pissed and moaned and carried on, and who, like a switch, suddenly dropped out of sight to return as blandly suburban or mildly eccentric door-to-door volunteers spitting out the party line.  Admirable discipline. 

We can only speculate as to what would have happened had the Navy pilot come up against someone who had actually tasted war.  Someone with a real record of bi-partisan accomplishment.  Who had attended to constituent service.  Or, if the incumbent had departed in a more timely fashion, a new candidate – without the encumbrance of a messy primary – who would have had the time and resources to use all those individual crazies as the means to define just who Mikie Sherrill really is.  We can only speculate.

Still, the road is long.  The opportunity will present itself again.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”  - Winston Churchill

Shame on Mikie Sherrill for trashing a Vietnam Vet

Is Mikie Sherrill full of shit or what?

She knew that Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen was getting up there in age and that his health was in decline.  She also knew that he was one of the most bi-partisan members of Congress… known for his mild, gentlemanly demeanor, respected by both parties, willing to work with all sides to find solutions.  

This was the man Mikie Sherrill set her Antifa hoodlums on.

They screamed and shouted down old Congressman Frelinghuysen – spat insults at him, called him vicious names, trashed his name and all the good works that he stood for.  Just as Rodney Frelinghuysen was about to secure mass transit service for Sussex County… Mikie Sherrill’s loudmouths tortured the old fellow, drove up his blood pressure, rattled his nerves, to the point that he quietly exited the stage. 

Good job, dirtbags. 

You lost New Jersey one of its most powerful advocates in Congress – no, not with press releases, but in his quiet way, he knew how to get things done in Congress. He secured the post of Chairman of the Appropriations Committee in 2017. In this powerful position, Rodney Frelinghuysen would have been able to accomplish so much for our state.  Now that’s all gone.  You killed the guy who was in the best position to serve our state and don’t think for one moment that some wet-behind-the-ears freshman is going to make a patch on Rodney’s arse. 

What got us to thinking about this was candidate Mikie Sherrill’s bullshit cable advertisement in which she poses in front of a helicopter that wasn’t in Vietnam and talks about how she wants to be a “bi-partisan” force for good. That’s bullshit.  You just killed off the most effective “bi-partisan” force for good in the state.   

These are just words to Mikie Sherrill.  She thinks she’ll get credit for saying them, even though her actions have rendered them meaningless.  She reminds us of the  clueless schoolgirl in that send-up from the 80’s. 

In her campaign advertisement, Mikie Sherrill spouts off some more bromides like this… “For decades the people of New Jersey have been footing the bill and paying the price of Congress’ inability to work in a bipartisan manner with input from both parties… That’s why I’m running for Congress.  We need new leadership in Congress and leaders who will put partisan politics aside to get the job done for families and the communities they serve – especially here in New Jersey.”  

Wow, Mikie Sherrill has certainly strung a lot of meaningless platitudes together for that one.   

How can anyone who plays at being a member of the French Resistance while pretending that 2018 America is 1942 France under Nazi occupation even bring up the word “bi-partisan” and keep a straight face?  Mikie Sherrill and her ilk are living in a historical action video game come to life… and they are acting it out.

Some are worse than others. A mixed-race couple having breakfast at a café were set upon in Philadelphia because they happen to hold free-market ideas on economics and somebody recognized them.  Racial epithets were shouted at them by enlightened members of the “Resistance”.  

The Antifa “resistance” smashed up a United States Marine Corps recruiting office and attacked police because… heck, who needs a reason these days?  Because it is there?   

Same reason they went after Vietnam Vet Rodney Frelinghuysen… because he was there, in the way, somebody wanted the cool title or somebody wanted to do the job it took him twenty years to be in a position to do… but that’s all over now.  Freshmen congresspersons don’t get to chair the Appropriations Committee.  That’s all over now, for New Jersey, our loss… because Mikie wanted a cool title. 

Why won't Bob Gordon stand up for trafficked children?

Human Trafficking is modern day slavery.  It is happening TODAY -- in the HERE and NOW! 

But many Democrats don't want to admit that it is happening, because too many are in hock to contributions from special interests who benefit from the massive profits generated by everything from goods made with indentured labor to Internet porn.  Human trafficking is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world, second to drug dealing and tied with arms dealing.

Some Democrats have chosen to ignore modern day slavery and -- in order to change the subject and appear virtuous while doing so -- they focus on the slavery of the middle 19th century and on monuments and other "symbols" of an institution that was happily eradicated long before radio, the telephone, or refrigeration were invented.  Meanwhile, modern technology is rapidly expanding the means by which human beings are ensnared and  trapped into modern slavery and then trafficked as though they were meat.  Some recent stories:

"A 3-month-old girl and her 5-year-old sister were rescued in Colorado last week from a child predator, who was offering to sell the children for sex, the FBI said Wednesday."

Read more...

http://www.denverpost.com/2017/10/18/sex-trafficking-ring-colorado-children-rescued/

"FBI and local authorities say they recovered 17 children in Colorado and Wyoming as part of a national operation that recovered 84 children and teenagers who were being sexually exploited across the country."

Read more...

http://kgab.com/trafficking-sting-recovers-17-kids-in-colorado-wyoming/

Child trafficking is a $32 billion-a-year industry and is on the rise in all 50 states, according to the U.S. government.  4.5 Million of trafficked persons have been sexually exploited and nearly 300,000 Americans under 18 have been lured into the commercial sex trade.  The National Human Trafficking Hotline reported that in 2016, human trafficking in the United States increased by 35.7% -- in one year!

So why isn't Senator Bob Gordon on board with the Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Prevention Act (S-2928)?  A number of his colleagues are -- including some prominent Democrats -- but not Senator Gordon.  Why hasn't Bob Gordon stepped up?

It is time to do more than just talk about pulling down statues or passing resolutions.  It is time to address the problem of modern slavery that we face TODAY. 

It is time to become aware of just who labors to produce the products we buy and the clothes we wear and the services we receive.  It is time to be sure by buying American, buying union-made products, insisting on border controls which stop human trafficking, insisting that state and local police work with ICE to ask questions of undocumented individuals who may be victims of modern slavery, and by saying NO to sanctuary cities and states that are the allies of human traffickers.

And it is time for wealthy one-percenters like rich guy Senator Bob Gordon to step up and squarely oppose the slavery that we face TODAY.  How about it?

Will you join your bi-partisan colleagues who care enough to sponsor the Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Prevention Act (S-2928)?  We're waiting for your answer.

Rutgers SuperPac makes bi-partisan governance difficult

In the blue state to our west, Pennsylvania Republicans managed to use low turnout to their advantage to take another Democrat legislative seat.  Yesterday's Republican win in Senate District 37 extends their control of that chamber to 31-19.  Republican Guy Reschenthaler defeated Democrat Heather Arnet by 10 percentage points (6,000 votes).  The seat had formerly been held by Democrat Matt Smith.

Ditto for the blue state to our north, where NY Republicans easily held on to a seat the Democrats had hoped to pick up.  After Republican Senator Tom Libous was convicted of lying to the FBI, Democrats were buoyed by polling that showed the 52nd Senate District in play -- even though Libous had won his last election with 59 percent of the vote.   Democrats put up Barbara Fiala, a former county executive and state motor vehicles commissioner, against Republican Fred Akshar, a county undersheriff.  The Republican received 79 percent of the vote, crushing the Democrat by more than 50 percentage points -- a 30,000 vote margin. 

Here in New Jersey Republicans watched as all their challengers to Democrat incumbents were defeated, as well as the loss of three -- possibly four -- Republican incumbents.  Much of it had to do with the intervention of SuperPACs, funded largely by the super-wealthy one-percent.  It is important to note here that while the Democrats had critical assistance from SuperPACs, the Republicans did not.  The Republican SuperPAC that could have made a difference, pulled a Lord Howe on our own General John Burgoyne (read Jon Bramnick) and went instead to New Hampshire.  And slaughter followed that decision.

The Democrats' principal SuperPAC is the Rutgers Super PAC, so named because it is controlled by Rutgers' Board of Governors member Sue McCue (thank you, Governor Christie).  Not only is Rutgers allowing Governor McCue to operate as an influence on those who fund this state university, but Rutgers will be at fault when bi-partisan governance as we know it grinds to a dead halt.

Why?  Because the presence of the Rutgers SuperPAC makes it impossible for Republican legislators to cross the aisle and make difficult votes on the tough fiscal issues facing New Jersey.

The reason for this is simple:  The Rutgers SuperPAC exists to destroy Republican legislators.  Period.  Full stop.  That is its stated purpose.

Why would Republican legislators cast a controversial vote, knowing that the Rutgers SuperPAC will eviscerate them for it, while it gives their Democrat colleagues a pass?  And for Republican legislators, the lesson from yesterday is that nobody will be able to save you when the Rutgers SuperPAC decides to destroy you.

When this comes to pass, Rutgers and its SuperPAC will have to take the blame for the end of bi-partisan governance in New Jersey.