Doug Forrester, with the help of the national GOP, has started a desperate swiftboating campaign against Jon Corzine. Using national GOP funds and a well-orchestrated whisper campaign, the Forrester campaign is resorting to the GOP’s tried and true tactics of race-baiting and questioning the patriotism of Jon Corzine and Democrats.
Radar reports that millions of dollars previously earmarked for Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) are being redirected by the national GOP into Doug Forrester’s coffers:
Increasingly dubious about Santorum’s chances, Capitol Hill sources report GOP powerbrokers have refocused their attentions—and dollars—on Doug Forrester, a little-known party hack who’s currently embroiled in a dead heat race with multi-millionaire Democrat Jon Corzine for New Jersey’s governorship.
“The party is pouring millions of dollars in PAC money into Forrester’s coffers, but most of that money was previously earmarked for Rick,� reports a well-placed Republican senate staffer. “It’s disgusting. Rick used to be Bush’s biggest booster on issues like stem-cell research, Social Security, and the Iraq war. Now the White House won’t even take his phone calls.�
Leading the charge on this effort is Forrester’s media advisor Greg Stevens – whose firm, Stevens Reed Curcio & Potholm - the same firm that produced the Swift Boat ads against John Kerry, has been paid $16 million so far by Forrester’s campaign....
Forrester has repeatedly smeared Jon Corzine by questioning his patriotism and dedication to keeping New Jersey safe from terrorism. In a post titled Corzine’s approach to homeland security is going to get people killed, the Forrester campaign claims that Jon Corzine won’t prevent a terrorist attack, but he will show up for a photo-op after the attack has happened:
When will Corzine wake up and be a leader who can rise above politics and stop being mealy-mouthed when it comes to speaking out on what politicians in Trenton are doing to our homeland security policies? Probably the day after the next terror attack when he rushes in as a United States Senator for a photo-op, to claim he will catch those responsible but then forget to tell you why the State’s policies made it easier for the attack to happen in the first place.
The GOP is no stranger to race-baiting. Using coded language, Forrester is trying to scare white suburban voters into fearing Democrats and supporting him as the choice that will keep them “safe�. On a recent post on Forrester’s blog, they recount the situation outside the debate hall on Tuesday:
Reportedly, four years ago Bret Schundler’s campaign was violently threatened by a mob of his opponents’ supporters. I talked to more than one person who said it was a frightening experience. This time the organizers provided strong security, including campus police and State Troopers. Supporters from the four different campaigns were sort of cordoned off on a lawn, but when we arrived they were pushed together in competing, shouting groups. I’m not aware anything bad came of it, but it was a high-tension moment.
This is utter bullshit. The debate four years ago was a very public event and well-reported, yet no violent mobs were “reported� anywhere. This talk of a “high-tension� moment is code for: “suburban white folk – be scared of black people/union members.�
And while they use coded, hateful race-baiting language to divide our state, I wouldn't be surprised if they were spreading this money around to try to suppress black turnout. There were heavy rumors of Christie Whitman doing this in her victory:
At a November 9 Sperling breakfast, Rollins, boasting about how he had just helped win a governorship for New Jersey's Christine Todd Whitman, said the campaign had spent about $ 500,000 to suppress the black vote. He said GOP operatives had made payments to Democratic precinct workers in black areas on condition they sit on their hands on election day. And he said the Whitman campaign had contributed to church charities in return for black ministers keeping mum on the virtues of Democratic incumbent James Florio.
The campaign is using every means at their disposal to smear Jon Corzine. From online forums to blogs to radio, an intense rumor mill is whispering lies around in the hopes that a “serious� journalist picks it up. One of the more childish and idiotic rumors that was started online is that Jon Corzine would drop out of the race and be replaced by acting governor Dick Codey. The rumor was repeated a few days later by the Jersey Guys show on 101.5 radio. While this particular rumor is largely inconsequential, their real hope is that some lies about Corzine’s personal life are picked up and repeated by the mainstream press.
Forrester, like his national GOP counterparts, has no qualms about smearing an opponent. Anything that might help his flailing campaign is welcome - including millions in dirty money, race-baiting, questioning a person’s patriotism and loyalty, and spreading outright lies.
