The Morris GOP AWOL on defense of parental rights.

The NJEA argues that removing any book from a school library is something akin to the book burning that went on in 1930s Germany. Of course, the NJEA and its allies think nothing of canceling an author with whom they disagree – mirroring a practice common in authoritarian regimes of all ideological stripes.
 
There is a great difference between canceling an author along with his or her work and deciding that certain reading material isn’t “age appropriate” for a certain audience. If it is all the same, then it would follow that Penthouse magazine and Hustler would be found on the shelves of school libraries, and their presence supported by the NJEA as a “defense against book burning.”
 
You can’t cancel the author of the Harry Potter series because you disagree with her, but then claim that setting age-appropriate standards at a school library is a bridge too far. But that’s what’s being done at the Roxbury School District in Morris County. This recent Fox News coverage explains the controversy:

“The battle for our children’s future is not being fought in China or in the Middle East. It’s happening inside their minds and inside our classrooms.”

Roxbury has become ground zero in the fight for parental rights in New Jersey. Advocates and parents are even being sued by a board of education employee, a school librarian, for pushing back and demanding that the board remove certain sexually explicit books from the school library. Books that parents believe are inappropriate for their minor children.
 
Remember, unlike those who want to cancel author J.K. Rowling, an adult, for having an opinion – these parents only wish to limit the access their minor children have to this material. Adults are free to do what they like (and that goes for their children, once they are adults).
 
At a meeting of the Board of Education on Monday night, parental rights advocates from around the state showed up to support the parents being sued and to speak out in their defense. But not the Morris County GOP. Not the Republican establishment.
 
Parental rights advocate Josh Aikens was there. Aikens, a candidate for Assembly, was joined by running mate Jason Sarnoski. Aikens delivered an impassioned defense of parental rights – as he has hundreds of times before throughout his effort to recruit and train conservative school board candidates. But where were all those Republicans who claim to be “conservative” and claim to be “pro-parent”.
 
Are the language pimps who run the campaigns of GOP establishment politicians doing to the phrase “pro-parent” what they did to the word “conservative”?
 
A year ago, the GOP legislative caucuses were big on parental rights. After all, parental rights is the issue responsible for Republicans winning in Virginia in 2021 and for Florida going from a purple state to one that is bright red.  
 
But then a GOP State Senator stood up in caucus and claimed a family member was “transitioning”. And that’s how quickly the rot sets in. Never underestimate the power of the personal to undermine policy. To a GOP leadership unsure of its principles, not wishing to offend a colleague is a ready excuse to take the chicken run on a controversial issue.
 
Overnight… the GOP’s digital and social media campaign in support of parental rights dried up. Now, “pro-parent” is just a convenient label, to be applied on campaign mailings, and media advertisements – by the language pimps who run establishment politicians’ campaigns. A label that, if allowed to, will be forgotten the moment the election is over.

McCann: After victory… radio silence?

The primary over, most winning campaigns are asking supporters and potential supporters for money – to retire their debts from the primary as well as looking forward to the General Election in November.  But not John McCann.

His campaign has been silent.  Despite the fact that the McCann campaign is deeply in debt. 

According to the Federal Election Commission, as of May 16th, the McCann campaign had managed to raise just $61,155 in campaign contributions.  The rest of the campaign’s cash came from the candidate – who was convinced by his consultants to dump even more of his personal resources into the effort in the weeks and days leading up to the primary election.

So where is the effort to reach out to GOP donors who sat out this contentious primary?  And where is the effort to reach out to opponent Steve Lonegan and his donors?  After all, Lonegan was able to raise $429,803 in campaign contributions.  Even Jason Sarnoski – a Freeholder from Warren County who dropped out of the race – raised $75,998 before getting ending his campaign.

But rumors persist that many of McCann’s consultants and/or operatives were paid by sources outside his campaign.  This was a method used by former Essex County GOP boss Jim Treffinger in his abortive 2002 U.S. Senate race.  Treffinger’s race came to an end with his arrest and conviction on charges of political corruption.

That’s not the case with the Lonegan campaign.  Steve Lonegan’s General Consultants – former Ted Cruz political director Mark Campbell and Larry Weitzner (Jamestown Associates) – are clearly listed, as are a host of junior consultants, vendors, and operatives.  We are told that the law was followed in great detail.

One curious McCann connection that popped-up was with DC lobbyist Rosemary Becchi.  Becchi, who now resides in New Jersey, briefly considered challenging incumbent GOP Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ07).

Meanwhile, Democrat incumbent Congressman Josh Gottheimer had raised $4,444,660 by May 16th.  None of it loans from the candidate. 

With Democrat Gottheimer at +$4.4 million and McCann at -$260,000 is it any wonder that everyone who is anyone is downgrading this race, moving it off the board, and into the “safe Democrat” column.  Oh well… maybe next time?

NRCC backs Lonegan in CD05 race against Gottheimer

Two recent happenings in the race to unseat Clintonista Democrat Congressman Josh Gottheimer.  On Friday, the NJ Observer reported:  "The National Republican Congressional Committee, a key fundraising group for House races, is throwing its support behind Steve Lonegan in New Jersey’s 5th congressional district, giving him an advantage in a GOP primary and possibly the 2018 midterms."

This report was followed by other newspaper and media coverage from across the state noting the NRCC's choice to take on the liberal Gottheimer next year.  The NRCC's action signals that the GOP Washington, DC money crowd are placing their bets on Steve Lonegan as their best chance of retaking the seat once held by conservative Congressman Scott Garrett.

Meanwhile, at an event in Sussex County at which Lonegan and two other "possible" GOP candidates attended, a couple of controversial figures were seen leading one of those "others" around.  Jack Zisa, a notorious figure from the underbelly of Bergen County politics had congressional wannabe John McCann by the hand, introducing him to those few ex-Trenton oldtimers at the event.  Zisa will be remembered for his role in electing corrupt liberal Democrat Bob Torricelli to the United States Senate in 1996.  Then the Republican Mayor of Hackensack, Zisa organized GOP turncoats for liberal Torricelli, who went on to become a particularly memorable dirtbag, even by New Jersey standards.  Now Zisa is part of McCann's brain trust (or brain fart, depending on how you look at it).

There was another creature slithering about -- an actual Democrat from the Bergen County Sheriff's office -- in attendance at the Republican event in conservative Sussex County.  Hey, shouldn't these guys be  at the Wicca rally down the street hosted by Blue Wash or I'm Blue and in Jersey or the Hand of Action or any one of a number of colorfully named leftist groups that go to rallies endlessly the way drunks head for the can.  It makes us wonder if Mr. McCann has actually ended his employment with the Democrat Sheriff of Bergen County.

The other "possible" candidate, Warren County Freeholder Jason Sarnoski, was bright-eyed and active throughout the event.  And no Democrats with him.

Speaking of his endorsement by the NRCC, Lonegan said:  "The 5th congressional district is a fundamentally conservative district... The people of North Jersey support lower taxes, job-creating policies, term limits, deregulation, smaller government, an end to Obamacare, and no funding for sanctuary cities or sanctuary states. Josh Gottheimer is on the wrong side of every one of these issues and that’s why he’s going to lose.”

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee was quick to label Lonegan a "Tea Party" Republican -- which is strange coming from a group of people who have routinely supported the activities of ANTIFA, Jihadist Linda Sarsour and her Women's March, and the Women's March organization's support for terrorist cop-killer Joanne Chesimard (AKA Assata Shakur).

At the event, Lonegan was basking in the glow of being named as part of the NRCC’s “Young Guns” program, which identifies candidates that could wage competitive races against Democrats.   An endorsement by the NRCC will mean an enormous financial edge for Lonegan in the June 2018 congressional primary.  Lonegan was one of 31 Republicans identified by the “Young Guns” program nationwide.  He is known as the "father of the conservative movement in New Jersey." 

Congressman Gottheimer's dilemma

Newly elected Democrat congressman Josh Gottheimer is in one heck of a pickle. 

Gottheimer represents a Republican-leaning district in which Donald Trump got more votes than he did.  And the economy in his district -- as well as the whole state -- has lagged behind much of the country, with persistent unemployment and underemployment, a high rate of foreclosure, record child poverty, and low job creation.  It is exactly the kind of district that will benefit from President Trump's plans to create jobs -- good, well-paid, union jobs -- rebuilding the nation's infrastructure. 

Unfortunately for Congressman Gottheimer, his base has gone nuts.  They demand that Democrats like Gottheimer reject EVERYTHING Trump.  They want leaders who sound like this:

But aside from the bad poetry, what is the policy agenda here?  Where are the jobs?  With an estimated net worth of $22 million, jobs for working class Americans isn't a concern that keeps Ms. Judd up at night.

Then there's the violence.  Just one example:  Pollster Frank Luntz was attacked by members of Congressman Gottheimer's base on Friday and he talked about the incident on Sunday’s Fox & Friends:

“A woman walked up to me in the Marriott Marquis and she shouted, ‘You fascist --’ and then two other words that would get me fired from your network [as Luntz tweeted later, the words were "mother f*cker"]. And she threw this red confetti glitter right in my eyes and she picked up another handful and she was no more than 6 inches away and I was covered with this stuff.” 

“Since when do you have the right or just the ability to attack people in a private setting, in a private matter?” Luntz asked the Fox hosts rhetorically. “I'm gonna tell you something. These protests are out of control. The language is out of control. There are 8-, 9-, 10-year-olds watching this, they read these horrible words from these signs... And to have to face this personally? 

"I never thought this would be America," he concluded. "I never thought this would happen in this country.”

Instead of calling out the juvenile antics of these super-rich "activists" (like Michael Moore, estimated net worth $50 million and Madonna, estimated net worth $560 million), the new congressman sounded apologetic when he recently explained to an audience at Ramapo College that he was attending the inauguration out of "respect for the office" as opposed to the man chosen to serve as President.  This is a hypocritical position for a fellow like Gottheimer who, after all, is someone who worked for President Bill Clinton -- and who has never been known to criticize his former boss for the disrespect he heaped upon the office.

Congressman Gottheimer was reckless when he recently told the media that he would fight against "President-elect Trump, the alt-right, or anyone else for that matter."  Linking President Trump to the so-called "Alt-Right" will only serve to inflame the passions of some of the nutcases we saw carrying on last Friday. 

Warren County Freeholder Jason Sarnoski, a conservative Republican, noted: 

"Congressman Gottheimer claims to understand why his fellow Democrats aren’t going to the Inauguration and says he respects their decision to peacefully protest.  Understanding and respecting this choice is tantamount to agreeing with it and taking part in it.

Last night I was dismayed to see a young boy on the news starting a fire in the middle of a riot on a street because, using his words, 'Screw the President.'  This is far from peaceful and far from constructive protesting.  When leaders such as Josh Gottheimer support and encourage this type of protest, it undermines the foundation on which this country was built."

The Congressman's rhetoric about Trump and the Alt-Right plays directly to the most violent elements within Gottheimer's base.  After all -- if you really, really do believe that Donald Trump is Adolf Hitler -- there is a logical course of action that is both chilling and insane (as well as illegal).  And that is why Congressman Gottheimer needs to stop beating around the bush.  That is why he needs to tell the members of his base who are prone to violence that they are over-the-line.

If he truly wants to be part of the Problem Solver's Caucus then he needs to ditch the rhetoric of hate.  Quit feeding the base and focus on the district.