Tom Kean Jr. was a frequent critic of the Corzine administration, particularly on the issue of transparency. But he seems to have taken a healthy dose of patience now that his man is in the Governor's office. Let's hop in the way back machine:
Consider 2008, when then-Gov. Jon Corzine created a nonprofit organization to promote his signature plan to pay down state debt through higher tolls. Kean (R-Union), the Senate minority leader, urged the Democratic governor to "immediately" disclose information about donors to "Save Our State NJ Inc.," saying it should be made public before the Legislature voted on Corzine's plan.
Corzine's effort never got off the ground, but they still disclosed who supported the effort. Now back to today:
So The Auditor wondered how Republican Kean felt about "Reform Jersey Now," the nonprofit launched last week by leading Republicans and allies of GOP Gov. Chris Christie to support Christie's agenda. It is structured exactly the same as the group that pitched Corzine's plan.
"The leaders of Reform Jersey Now should voluntarily follow Gov. Christie's continued commitment to a more transparent Trenton in a timely manner," Kean said. But he declined to say exactly how "timely" it should be.
Hopeful wrote about the Governor's new pay to play organization last week. I'm guessing a timely manner means no time soon, I'm sure it's longer than immediate. Clearly contributions to support Governor Christie aren't as important as those to Corzine. Way to be consistent Junior.
Just before the budget address yesterday, the Democrats put out a release with statements made by Republicans in the past few years when Governor Corzine proposed cuts in some of the same areas:
"The lack of state aid will translate into school property tax increases across most of New Jersey." - Sen. Tom Kean
Tom Kean, press release, October 9, 2009
"This budget will increase the property tax burden on the middle class at a time when they have borne bad decisions of the past several years. We've seen the flat funding or the cuts in municipal aid over the past several years increase the property tax burden...This is an extension of that." - Sen. Tom Kean
Tom Kean, press release, March 11, 2009
Cutting municipal aid, Check. But still the Governor swears he's not raising taxes. Next please:
"The governor claimed that he recognized that property taxes in New Jersey were high and needed reform. No one interpreted that as eliminating or curtailing the only program that provides some relief to taxpayers. The ultimate effect of doing what the governor is suggesting is actually a tax increase."-Alex DeCroce
Alex DeCroce, press release, 2/26/09
Cutting rebates, check. Still not gonna raise taxes though, right? Still more on the rebates:
"[This] budget proposal would remove property tax relief for middle-class New Jerseyans who are already struggling to survive in this tough economy. Now is the time when the people of New Jersey are most in need tax relief, but [the Governor] is offering little more than higher taxes." - Sen. Andrew Ciesla
Sen. Andrew Ciesla, press release, March 10, 2009
What a difference a change in Governors makes. Now they're all praising Christie's bold action and attacking the opposition by Democrats. This time the Republicans will have to stand up and vote for these changes rather than taking pot shots in press releases, which is clear from their difference in tone and response.
Even though there was very little publicicity, GOP chair Michael Steele was in the state yesterday. He visited a phone bank at the Union County GOP headquarters and was joined by Junior:
When they told 3rd district Congressional candidate Chris Myers that he had to organize the grassroots, he apparently thought that meant the golf course.
Chris Myers needs your help!
Please come join us as we organize The Myers for Congress Grassroots Team!
Bring a friend!
DATE...
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
TIME...
7:00-9:00pm
LOCATION...
Burlington Country Club
170 Burrs Road, Westampton, NJ 08060
PURPOSE...
Discuss campaign strategy.
Organize our grassroots team.
Find out what you can do to help.
Refreshments will be served.
April Fools' Day was yesterday, but Claire Heininger at the Star Ledger writes about Newt Gingrich's visit to New Jersey today and the apparently straight-faced advice he shared with the struggling Republican party:
"This is a state which if you look at the cost of bad government and bad culture ... the potential is there for a reform movement," said Gingrich [...]
This is absolutely true. I don't disagree with that at all. But I do question his sincerity. And I wonder about the motivation of those turning to Newt Gingrich for good government advice.
Gingrich, after all, was the architect of the so-called K Street Project, which is at the center of the current corruption scandals. As the Post reported in 2002, "Starting in the mid-1990s, some Republicans, including then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) and [Representative Tom] DeLay, have advocated tracking the political affiliation of lobbyists, as part of an effort to place more conservatives on K Street." In return, K Street would help the GOP ram through corporate-written legislation and fill GOP coffers with campaign contributions. It worked perfectly. The American Prospect reported in 2000 that within the first six months of Gingrich's tenure as Speaker, "the Republican leadership introduced a spate of controversial bills gutting regulatory agencies" and that "business contributions more than doubled from what they had been during a comparable period in 1993."
New Jersey Republicans have been freaking out for the past few weeks about the prospect of running either Joe Pennacchio or Murray Sabrin against Senator Lautenberg.
Sabrin is the Ron Paul libertarian type (though not really: he's for a constitutional ban on abortion, a national language, etc): 1/3 good ideas, 1/3 "interesting" ideas and 1/3 absolutely crazy ideas.
Pennacchio wrote a manifesto in 1991 (that just got unearthed) that actually had a lot of good ideas in it (which Republicans hate), but he's since renounced most of those anyway. But it also had controversial stuff about how women are equal (but not really) to men and about putting homeless people onto military bases. And the whole thing overcompensates a bit on the issue of race. My favorite line reminds me of Joe Biden: "Shelby Steele, a black English professor at San Jose' State has written eloquently on American race relations."
Since Anne Estabrook dropped out of the race, Republicans have been throwing out all kinds of names as potential third options. Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, Al Leiter and lately, Andy Unanue - former COO of Goya Foods.
The last one stuck and he threw his hat in the ring yesterday. And it's funny how giddy Republicans are about him. NJ GOP chair Tom Wilson:
"The opportunity to put a different face on the Republican Party and have a candidate who is young, Hispanic and so dynamic excites a lot of the party leaders right now."
That is quite a different face. They're going from running a disgusting, racist campaign against Senator Menendez in 2006 to running a Hispanic of their own less than two years later.
The GOP still doesn't get it. You don't automatically win over Hispanics or blacks or any other group just by running them for office. You start by not being so racist and scapegoating them for all of the country's problems.
I don't know very much yet about Unanue, but I do wonder how it must feel to be drafted by and agree to run with the party that used your ethnicity to scare voters in the prior election.
We already know Tom Kean Jr. pales in comparison to his father in terms of political acumen. We regularly see comparisons between father and son that don't look too good for the son, with Senior's success and reputation raising expectations for Junior -- expectations Junior can't meet.
Now we see a new problem for Tom Kean Jr. when it comes to his father: Dad's negatives attach to the son, as well.
Yet with state debt at an all-time high and public pension and health care expenses rising, the political leadership agrees the time has finally arrived to take the car into the garage to do something about the spending, even if some are unhappy about it.
"There's a great deal more (cutting of) waste and structural reform that need to be implemented if we're going to get to the goal of making the state more affordable," state Senate Republican Minority Leader Thomas H. Kean Jr., of Union County, said. "We have to look at everything."
Yet when Kean's father, Thomas H. Kean Sr., was governor in the 1980s, state spending doubled during his eight years in office.
Oooooh, it was your own family's fault? Daaaaaaammmmmmnnnnnn.
The truth is that Kean Sr. not only drastically jacked spending but also handed his successor, Jim Florio, a massive deficit that Florio closed with increased taxes.
It's an old Republican trick since the Reagan days. They get in power and spend like drunken sailors, then give up power to the Democrats and scream to the rafters about taxes increasing to pay for their own excesses.
They get to give the public all the goodies of increased spending, then blast the Democrats who are forced to pay for it.
And that's just what Junior's doing today. Corzine inherited a mess that was in no small way created by 16 years of Kean Sr. and Whitman spending, debt and government growth. Kean Jr. and Kate Whitman are now blasting Corzine and making fixing it harder.
Because, you see, it's more important to get back in power so they can spend again than to actually fix the situation and help New Jerseysans.
Who needs a voter verified paper ballot? We all know our vote counts and the results are always fair and there is seldom any doubt after the fact, right?
Ok, I will suspend my sarcasm -- and the angel dust -- for a minute and say this much about Senate bill #1383: if the state Senate leaders (Sweeney and Kean, Jr.) have their way, we will endure another general election in New Jersey without the added security of a paper trail to verify the results. I oppose this bill because voting is too important to dick around with with yet another extension, our state legislators are basically telling us to say lots of Hail Marys and bring your rabbit foot to the polls.
And while S1383 is the big item up for bids in today's 10:30a Senate State Government committee in Trenton, it's not the only game in town. That panel's also hearing arguments for blowing up the ethics panel and starting from scratch.
(Note: Of course there will be fireworks in today's matinee session on Assembly, with Family Medical Leave Insurance getting its latest vetting! Feel free to share your predictions below.)
UPDATE by huntsu: PoliticsNJ is reporting that they got it wrong, but we suspect that there was some outrage generated by this post and comments on PNJ.
In a correction to an earlier report, Senate Republican Executive Director John Samerjan will leave his post after the conclusion of the current legislative session. Samerjan was not rehired by the new Senate Minority Leader, Thomas Kean, Jr., and according to sources, was not offered, nor did he request, a different assignment in the Senate.
They talk a good game about ending pension padding, double dipping and the like, but give them the levers of power and the Republicans pull the same old garbage.
Harkness replaces John Samerjan, who had held the post under John Bennett and Leonard Lance. Kean chose not to retain Samerjan, who is expected to remain as a senior advisor until he becomes fully vested in the state public employee pension system.
That's very nice of Kean to let Samerjan get vested in the system at taxpayer expense, by holding a made up job at taxpayer expense until he's eligible to collect. Especially since Samerjan is being fired for failing at his job. Instead of giving him a pink slip, Kean is giving a little political payback which has the potential to give guy a huge payout.
Put it this way, if Samerjan gets a $25,000 per year pesion at 60 and he lives until he's 90, that would potentially be an extra $750,000 for staying on an extra month or so. That's one hell of a golden parachute on the taxpayer dime.
It appears Kean and the Republican minority are following the poor example of corporations who fire their CEO's, but give them a huge payoff at the shareholder's expense on the way out the door. The only problem is that this time those shareholder's are the taxpayers.
I think a commenter on pnj put it best...
Heaven forbid anyone attempt to pull the tick off the dog until it has completely engorged itself.
(This is AMAZING news. Now let's work to clear the field of the Republican front-runners by showing support for Linda with a donation on the Blue Jersey Act Blue page! - promoted by huntsu)
After barely defeating Linda Stender last year, Congressman Ferguson says he won't seek reelection in 2008. His announcement is surprising considering he's only 37. His statement:
"I am announcing today that I will not be a candidate for re-election to Congress in 2008. I deeply appreciate the privilege the people of the 7th District have given me during the past seven years, and it has been my honor to represent them and our country.
"My wife, Maureen, and I have four children, the oldest of whom is 9 years old. Since first being elected in 2000, I have strived to balance my responsibilities to my family and to my constituents. I am indebted to Maureen, whose love, selflessness and patience allow me to meet my obligations to my constituents - from votes in Congress that extend past midnight to multiple trips each week between Washington and New Jersey and back again. Being a representative in Congress is more meaningful than I had imagined, and I know that now is the right time to step away from public life to focus more on family life while our children are still young. [...]
"After winning re-election in an extraordinarily challenging year for Republicans in 2006 and then witnessing the impressive gains Republicans made in the 7th District just this month, I am confident that Republicans will nominate a candidate who will continue to reflect the mainstream values of voters in the district and be elected as our next representative in 2008.
(full statement below) The district has a partisan voting index of R+0.6, meaning it's a serious pickup opportunity for Democrats. PolitickerNJ speculates on next year's race:
Senate Minority Leader-designate Thomas Kean, Jr. becomes one of the most likely GOP candidates for the seat. ....
Other possible GOP candidates include: Assembly Minority Whip Jon Bramnick, outgoing Senate Minority Leader Leonard Lance, State Sen.-elect Christopher Bateman, Bridgewater Mayor Patricia Flannery, and Franks, now the President of the Health Care Institute of New Jersey.
This is a huge pickup opportunity for Democrats. Help New Jersey send a woman to Congress. Support Linda Stender with a contribution today!
On behalf of Gina, we want to thank everyone who helped us and provided support in our race against Tom Kean Junior in the 21st District. In what ended up being a very Republican year in the 21st District (only 4 Dems running for local office won in the 21st), we were proud of the campaign that we ran. We stayed positive while being buried by hundreds of thousands of dollars of negative attacks, and kept the soon to be minority leader occupied in his own district. We were proud to run a campaign focused on stem cell research, property tax reform, environmental action and equality for all New Jerseyans. We hope that those inspired to work for Gina in the 21st work in 2008 to help out Linda Stender, Tom Wyka, Senator Frank Lautenberg and others who share our progressive values.
Chip Robinson
Campaign Manager, Gina Genovese for NJ Senate
Starting his 2006 campaign for U.S. Senate as the young, well-coifed namesake of our popular former Governor, many across the state had high hopes in Tom Kean jr. They saw in him the promise of a truly clean, moderate, barely-partisan Republican who could fill his father's impressive shoes. It wasn't long before he showed his true colors. The apple, sadly, had fallen far from the tree. Hurling relentlessly muddy attack upon attack, voters began to see Tom Kean jr not as the second coming of his father, but rather a practitioner of the same old tired politics of smear and sleaze.
You're all familiar with the way he conducted himself last year. It was a campaign of lies and innuendo that relied on criminals and sketchy staffers for its research. Tom Moran laid it out perfectly in the Star-Ledger.
At 38, [Kean jr] still looks like a choir boy. But he knows he can't win this race on the issues. So he's hired a team of consultants and turned his campaign into a snarling machine that would make Karl Rove proud.
To troll for dirt on Menendez, Kean's campaign has enlisted Chris Lyon, a political hit-man who was last seen fleeing New Hampshire after the attorney general there deemed his tricks too sleazy for the Granite State.
It seems Lyon was spreading rumors that the wife of a gubernatorial candidate in New Hampshire was a member of a cult that worshipped orgasms. That is not a joke.
Lyon has become pen pals with Robert Janiszewski, the former Hudson County executive who is now in prison on corruption charges.
Yes, Janiszewski is a liar with a grudge against Menendez. But Kean needs dirt, and he's not real fussy about the source.
510PM: I am at Gina Genovese's (http://www.ginagenov...) headquarters in Bekrley Heights, New Jersey (588 Springfield Avenue, for those not in the know), where the campaign team is about to formally open for business at 6PM. In reality, we have been open for several weeks now, in a comfy brick building along a busy intersection. From 11 in the morning 'till 8 at night, Gina's headquarters has been teeming with activity. And today we're inviting Democrats from all over the 21st Legislative District (and elsewhere) to see what we're up to.
We're going to take out Tom Kean, Jr. in November 2007. Today is the first day we show why.
I am excited to announce that I will be Gina Genovese's campaign manager in her race for the 21st District State Senate against Tom Kean Junior. While some may consider Gina an underdog, there are a variety of reasons why she has a serious chance of winning the seat.
First, Gina is an extemely hard worker. At age 24 she started her own business, Gina's Tennis World in Berkeley Heights. It's gutsy doing that sort of thing at 24, but Gina knew if she worked long and hard she could make it successful.
She decided several years ago to run for local office in Long Hill, traditionally a very Republican and conservative town. Through hard work and perserverence, she won the election by 10 votes. She was subsequently chosen by her colleagues both Republicans and Democrats to serve as the first Democrat to become Mayor of Long Hill Township. She also made history as the first openly gay mayor in the history of New Jersey.
Now, she is seeking the State Senate seat currently held by Tom Kean Junior. She is everything that Tom Kean Junior is not. He inherited the seat, she'll earn it. He was appointed, she'll be elected. She started her own business and made it successful, while he has been around politics for decades. Furthermore, Gina comes across as the type of natural leader that people are looking for to solve their everyday problems like high property taxes and traffic congestion.
Tom Kean Junior's status was seriously diminished by his negative campaign against Bob Menendez last fall. Not only did the state realize that Kean Junior was just another vote for Bush, they came to realize how seriously unqualified Tom Kean Junior was to hold elected office.
The 21st District is changing, and while still Republican, Democrats have taken over many of the local offices in the district in places like Summit, Millburn, Madison, Long Hill, Chatham Township, and others. Gina Genovese winning her State Senate seat is the logical next step. Please join her campaign at www.GinaGenovese.com and be a part of electing a fantastic Senator to represent the 21st District.
Chip Robinson
Campaign Manager, Gina Genovese for State Senate
Now that the Primary Season is over, it's time for us all to start focusing on what's really important -- turning some more legislative seats blue this November. And I just wanted to let you all know that I'm focused like a laser-beam on beating Tom Kean Jr. to become the 21st District's next State Senator.
But to do this, simply put, I need your help. Over the next five months, I hope I can count on the Blue Jersey community's support and counsel. So I invite you all to check out my new website to learn more about my campaign and how you can get involved.
I know some here have asked why Democrats like myself think we can take on entrenched, well-funded Republican challengers in red areas and win. It's a fair question, and one I'd like to answer.
Professor Tom Kean Jr objects to Corzine rating himself an "incomplete" for his first year:
I believe that the Governor was being more than generous when he graded his first year in office as an incomplete. Governor Corzine presided over a more than billion dollar tax increase on already over-taxed citizens and was responsible for the first shutdown of state government in history. I think history will show that his freshman year earned failing marks.
During the campaign, Tom Kean Jr was asked to grade the Bush administration whose accomplishments included trillions in deficit spending, a catastrophic war, and a botched response to Katrina. He gave Bush a B-minus.
New Hampshire beware! Jill Hazelbaker is coming to a blog near you!
Jill Hazelbaker, battle tested in New Jersey this year as Tom Kean Jr.'s Communications Director, is headed to John McCain's presidential campaign. She will serve as Communications Director for McCain's campaign in New Hampshire.
Last September, Hazelbaker spent valuable work time posing as a Democrat on Blue Jersey -- from Junior's office!
Rep. Michael Ferguson has ruled out a bid for U.S. Senate against Frank Lautenberg. Chris Jones, Ferguson's Chief of Staff, says that the 36-year-old Ferguson will positively not run for statewide office in 2008, and will seek re-election to a fifth term in the House. State Sen. Thomas Kean, Jr., Assemblyman Bill Baroni and Assemblyman Michael Doherty are viewed as the most likely contenders for the nomination to challenge Lautenberg, who will be 84 when he seeks his fifth term.
Had Ferguson lost to Stender, or had he run for the U.S. Senate, there was a good chance that State Senator Thomas Kean, Jr. would have run for the House instead. (He finished second in the 2000 primary, behind Ferguson.) Now the 38-year-old Kean must decide whether he is willing to chance a second statewide loss (something that usually signals the end of a political career) by running against Lautenberg -- or even against the more conservative rivals in a contested Republican primary.
So, it's down to Baroni and Doherty. Any other strong contenders?
The Inside Edge reports that Gina Genovese, the openly gay mayor of Long Hill, will challenge State Senator Tom Kean Jr, who has yet to publicly state his sexual orientation:
New Jersey's first openly gay Mayor is expected to run for State Senator next year against incumbent Thomas Kean, Jr. Gina Genovese, the Democratic Mayor of Long Hill, has been preparing for a campaign against Kean since the summer, according to local Democratic leaders.
Genovese comes from Morris County, which represents only a small part of the 21st district. She must still win the backing the Union County Democratic organization, which typically decides who will run in this fairly Republican district. But in 2003, attorney Ellen Steinberg easily won the Democratic primary for State Assembly running off of the organization line.
