Despite resistance from some NJ Republicans, 2nd Amendment advocates score victories

By Sussex County Watchdog

What began in Virginia as an important demonstration of popular support for the Second Amendment has spread all across America with towns and counties formally passing resolutions declaring public support for the Second Amendment and the Bill of Rights.  These resolutions have served as a rallying point for political action – bringing people together, educating voters, recruiting new activists – which has manifested itself in grassroots political action and lobbying.
 
What started out as a movement to pass pro-Second Amendment resolutions in Virginia became a grassroots effort that shaped a surprise win that successfully blocked passage of an “assault weapons” ban in the Democrat-controlled Virginia Legislature.  The resolution movement quickly turned into a wide-reaching and comprehensive grassroots movement that frightened 4 Democrat legislators into joining a solid block of Republicans to kill the “assault weapons” ban. 
 
Here in New Jersey, grassroots activists Bill Hayden and Mark Cheeseman have led a similar pro-Second Amendment resolution effort that has led to the passage of resolutions in towns and counties across the state.  This effort has aided the work of longtime Second Amendment advocates – like the 2nd Amendment Society’s Alex Roubian – who successfully stopped two anti-Second Amendment bills on Monday. 

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The Second Amendment Society has taken legal action against 28 towns in New Jersey and won every battle.  They have sued the state 3 times and won every time – winning back legal fees of more than $200,000.
 
Imagine the grassroots movement that could be built if even just a portion of New Jersey’s Republican establishment would lend a hand?  There have been some notable heroes – the District 24 legislators, particularly Parker Space, as well as freeholders from half a dozen counties, particularly Sussex County’s Dawn Fantasia – but too many pretend not to notice as the Bill of Rights is assaulted. 
 
Worse still are those who actively talk down the work of Second Amendment advocates and the grassroots resolution movement.  This includes the campaign of Mayor Michael Ghassali of Montvale, a Republican candidate for Congress in CD05. 
 
Ghassali has resisted passing a pro-Second Amendment resolution in his town, which is controlled by the GOP.  But he had no hesitation in adopting a leftist “anti-hate” resolution authored by a Democrat “social justice” activist and elected official.  
 
And Ghassali’s campaign has gone even further, by publicly crapping on the pro-Second Amendment grassroots movement itself.  His campaign issued this statement in a two-part social media post yesterday:
 
“The 2nd Amendment on its face is the right to bear arms as such, why would a municipality need to pass a 2A resolution?”
 
“Exactly, it’s one of the dumbest things I’ve heard…”
 
While we don’t expect establishment GOPer’s to possess the imagination to energize the Republican base, they should at least have the intelligence to copy what conservatives in Virginia and many other states are successfully doing.  The grassroots resolution movement is producing victories, which is more than can be said of these establishment types.
 
Ghassali is a victim of one of those GOP confabs where a few insider consultants are presented as “experts” (while their actual win-loss record are, shall we say, glossed over if mentioned at all).  For some establishment GOPers, the idea of a grassroots movement mobilizing the Republican base and bringing in thousands of new pro-Second Amendment voters is a nightmare that disrupts all their calculations.  They don’t want that.  That doesn’t serve their interests.
 
But Mayor Michael Ghassali – who after all was mentored and urged to run by Steve Lonegan – should have better instincts than those he hired to run his campaign.  We expect better from anyone who is a Lonegan person and Michael is a Lonegan guy.  So what’s the deal?  Is Ghassali afraid to take a stand and help grassroots conservatives?
 
Steve Lonegan had no problem standing up for what was right.  Say what you will, the guy had balls.  Does that make Michael Ghassali a Steve Lonegan without the balls?
 
Michael Ghassali needs to get real and soon.  And stop taking the advice of GOP establishment wimps.    

Ted Cruz Endorses Lonegan For Congress In New Jersey’s 5th District

HOUSTON, Texas – U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, today announced his endorsement of New Jersey's conservative standard-bearer Steve Lonegan who is running for Congress in New Jersey’s Fifth District.

“Steve Lonegan is a tireless advocate for our founding principles who has proven his willingness to boldly take his message directly to the people of New Jersey, and I am proud to endorse him to become the next Member of Congress from the Fifth District,” Cruz said. “I have known Steve for many years, and look forward to working with him to grow jobs, expand freedom, and ensure the security of the American people.”

Lonegan graduated from William Paterson College with a B.A. in business administration, and went on to earn his MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University.  He is the former Mayor of Bogota, NJ and was the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in the 2013 special election.

The endorsement by Senator Cruz is only the latest in a string of endorsements coming to Lonegan from state legislative leaders like Bergen County's Senator Gerry Cardinale and grassroots organizations representing Second Amendment voters, property taxpayers, Pro-Life and traditional values.  Conservatives continue to rally to Steve Lonegan as their best chance to elect an alternative to the warmed-over Clintonista policies of liberal Democrat incumbent Josh Gottheimer.

Later today, Lonegan will be meeting with conservative leaders in Washington, DC, including Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform.  For more information on Steve Lonegan's campaign for Congress, visit www.Lonegan.com.

Steve Rogers: Conservative hope for Governor?

Well he certainly looks and sounds like a Republican Governor.   If he were playing the part on TV, he'd be totally believable.  And he has a resume packed with interesting experience:

Commissioner Steven L. Rogers

Steven L. Rogers is currently serving his first term on the Township of Nutley Board of Commissioners. Elected in May 2012, he is the Director of Public Affairs.

Commissioner Steven L. Rogers served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War era, achieving the rank of Sergeant.  He was discharged from the Air Force in 1974 and became a police officer in East Orange, NJ. In 1976 he joined the Nutley Police Department, where he served until July 2011, retiring at the rank of Detective Lieutenant. In 1986 he graduated William Paterson University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice.

Commissioner Rogers became an expert in Community Policing and wrote two books on the subject. He lectured throughout the country on the effectiveness of community policing and was invited to address the command staff of the Israeli Police Academy, in Israel.

Commissioner Rogers enlisted in the U.S. Navy Reserves in 1981 – and studied U.S. military intelligence and other national security subjects at many schools including the U.S. Naval War College Newport, R.I.  In the mid 1980’s he was assigned to brief U.S. military personnel on military matters related to the Soviet Union and other nations hostile to the United States.

Soon after the terrorist’s attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, Commissioner Rogers was recalled to active duty and assigned to the U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence in Norfolk, Virginia. He was promoted to the rank of Lt. Commander and assigned to the U.S. Northern Command as a Senior Naval Intelligence Officer for the FBI National Joint Terrorism Task Force in Washington D.C.

Commissioner Rogers returned to the Nutley Police Department in 2004 to continue as Commander of the Nutley Police Department Detective Bureau.  In 2005 he traveled to Louisiana where he led an Animal Rescue Team in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

In 2009 he was elected to the Nutley Board of Education and completed one full term before being elected to the Nutley Board of Commissioners in 2012.

Commissioner Rogers is the author of several books and a frequent commentator on CNN and FOX News.  (Source: Nutley website)

Rogers writes mainly about his experiences as a police officer and the ideas for reforms that have come from that experience.  Some of his work is listed on Amazon.com:  Cops and God (1997), 21st Century Policing: Community Policing, A Guide for Police Officers and Citizens (1998), and Proven Strategies for Effective Community Oriented Policing (2008).

Steve Rogers  was a Trump delegate and an early supporter of the incoming President, which says something for his political radar.  In his speeches, Rogers is less a movement conservative than a populist.  In contrast to outgoing Republican Governor Chris Christie, Rogers appears to have no problems with public employee unions.  He is more like a traditional conservative when it comes to discussing his belief in God.  And Rogers is by far the most solidly pro-second Amendment candidate running. 

It is natural to compare Rogers' candidacy with that of Steve Lonegan, the former Mayor of Bogota.  Both candidates had solid municipal credentials, but in their speeches, Lonegan was the more ideological of the two. 

Compare Lonegan...

...with Rogers.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1777969852416770/permalink/1817759875104434/

The next hurdle for Steve Rogers is to collect the first $430,000 in campaign contributions to qualify for gubernatorial matching funds.    Under the new thresholds announced last June, gubernatorial candidates who qualify for public funding can spend a maximum of $6.4 million in primary elections, and $13.8 million in general elections. Under the Gubernatorial Public Financing Program, candidates are eligible to receive up to $4 million in public funds during the primary election, and $9.3 million during the general election.

After raising $430,000, Rogers will qualify to receive $2 from the state for every $1 he raises from private sources.  Running as a third-party candidate for Governor on the Libertarian Party ticket, Professor Murray Sabrin reached this threshold in 1997.  Needless to say, Mayor Lonegan easily reached the qualifying threshold.  It is important to remember that qualifying for matching funds guarantees a place at the public debates.

So this is doable and it has been done in the past by conservatives like Sabrin, Schundler, and Lonegan.  And they did so before there were all these Tea Party groups to go to and ask for their help. Steve Rogers has a road map.  Will the groups that form the Tea Party focus and provide the help he needs?