Free Republic

The campaign of Democratic rabbi and psychologist Dennis Shulman for New Jersey’s 5th District is beginning to gain steam, capturing local and national support as well as attention as he seeks to become the first blind member of Congress in generations. In his bid to unseat three-term Republican Rep. Scott Garrett , Shulman reported more than $300,000 raised through March 31, including donations from Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer ’s political action committee, Washington state Rep. Brian Baird ’s campaign committee, and members of the psychology and religious communities. Shulman also invested $52,000 in personal funds into his campaign. He...

Supporting embryonic stem cell research is not only morally misguided but fiscally irresponsible, Republican gubernatorial candidate Bret Schundler told a cheering crowd of 200 anti-abortion activists who gathered on the Statehouse steps yesterday to blast acting Gov. Richard Codey's $380 million research proposal. Schundler accused Codey of using the moral debate over whether stem cells should be extracted from embryos for potentially life-saving research to distract voters from the price tag. "To come up with that money, what are they going to do, of course? They are going to increase your taxes," Schundler told the crowd. "They have a $2...

Conservatives May Sit Out N.J. Gov Race By ANGELA DELLI SANTI, Associated Press Writer 37 minutes ago Conservative Republican Dave Pawson agrees with GOP candidate Doug Forrester on most issues in the New Jersey governor's race. But when Pawson goes into the voting booth next Tuesday, he won't pull the lever for Forrester — or for the other guy, either. Forrester's increasingly vocal support of abortion rights in his campaign against liberal Democratic Sen. Jon Corzine (news, bio, voting record) has so alienated Republican conservatives that they are threatening to withhold their votes on Election Day. "People like myself will...

2005 NJ Right To Life - PAC GENERAL ELECTION ENDORSEMENTSNRA Political Victory Fund New Jersey - 2005ANJRPC/PAC (NJ NRA Affiliate) Candidate Rating and Preferences For the New Jersey General Election November 8, 2005   NJ Family Policy Center Position Statements 1. Stem Cells, Needle Exchange, Right-to-Die2. Parental Notification, Partial Birth Abortion, Tax Reform Plans3. Education, Ethics Reform in NJ Politics & Government4. Judicial Appointments*, Defense of MarriageNJ Catholic Conference Questionnaire2005 Political Questionnaire Response from Mr. Forrester2005 Political Questionnaire Response from Senator Corzine

TRENTON, N.J. -- Just over a month before he jumped into the governor's race, U.S. Sen. Jon S. Corzine sank $7 million into a firm owned and controlled by one of the state's casino operators. The investment with Icahn Partners LP, a hedge fund headed by Carl Icahn, earned Corzine up to $100,000 by the end of last year, according to the Democrat's Senate financial disclosure statement. Corzine in a published report Friday conceded that if he defeats Republican Doug Forrester in November, the investment could run afoul of a state law that largely restricts governors from holding financial interests...

ON THE MORNING after Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Forrester conceded defeat, one of the party's most feisty conservative pugilists declared war. But Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan wasn't attacking Democrats. His target was his own party. Fire the GOP state chairman, Lonegan thundered. Fire the assembly minority leader, too. And one more thing: cleanse Republicanism of any taint of liberalism. "It's time to start winning again," Lonegan said. His blistering three-page e-mail, sent well before noon the day after Tuesday's double-digit triumph for Democrat Jon Corzine, was not so much a call for Republicans to regain their footing, but proof that...

The Corzine Agenda: Good for New Jeresyans? By MURRAY SABRINJerseyPolitics.com.com Columnist In his victory statement Tuesday night, governor-elect Corzine reiterated a number of goals he wants to accomplish in his first term. Let’s look at the major initiatives he wants to pursue. One of Corzine’s first priorities is property tax relief/reform. During the campaign he promised a 40% increase in property tax rebates over four years to seniors and middle-income families as well as rebates for renters. Tax relief for upper middle and upper income families and individuals are not on the governor-elect’s agenda. Why? Corzine is a proponent of...

The political flap over Democrat Jon Corzine's failed marriage — and his ex-wife's claim that he would "let New Jersey down" — followed him into church yesterday at the end of a gubernatorial racethat polls show to be close. At the Shiloh Baptist Church in Trenton, the Rev. Darrell Armstrong asked Corzine and his supporters to hold hands, then asked God to heal the wounds from his failed marriage and reach deep into his soul. "If it is your will for him to be the next governor of our state, I pray your will be done," Armstrong said to a...

Jon Corzine's Agenda Let's take a look at the Corzine agenda for New Jersey. It has many similarities to the Kerry Agenda for America in 2004. Economic Growth for New Jersey Jon Corzine seems to believe that the way to stimulate economic growth in the state of New Jersey is not to allow New Jersians to keep more of their own money, but to establish new Governmental departments under his control. Corzine believes that only government can stimulate an economy. Corzine says that putting the economy on top of the agenda is a key priority. Here is how he plans...

           November 1, 2005 -- * Supposedly, Corzine went for a $125,000 (give or take a few bucks) Cartier necklace to keep Carla from attending his son's wedding in San Francisco. * In a newspaper photo, Carla flashed a Cartier bracelet identical to one Corzine had bought Joanne before. Joanne returned hers to her husband. * Family members have mentioned certain credit card usage. * Although they have since broken up, he remains obsessed with pleasing Carla. Even complained that her children — not his, he never mentioned his — were suffering from the adverse publicity of their affair....

Speculation is swirling around a Corzine scandal and political types on both sides who read yesterday's post responded with some variation of "Oh yeah, that..." (As we noted in our comments, other bloggers, with better connections to the Corzine campaign than Enlighten-NewJersey, have hinted at what it might be.) This story clearly has some traction. But there's more. Today in an email: That's not the end of it. Reporters are after a videotape of Corzine, inebriated, making statements that will damage him beyond belief with African Americans. (Carla Katz supposedly makes an appearance.) People who have seen this thing say...

Forrester Camp Calls It "Despicable" (AP) NEWARK A paralyzed wrestler on Tuesday endorsed Jon S. Corzine in the latest gubernatorial ad, touting the Democratic U.S. senator's support of embryonic stem cell research. The director of Doug Forrester's campaign responded that the Republican differs from Corzine only on the topic of who should pay for the research. The 30-second television ad features a personal testimonial from Carl Riccio, a 19-year-old from Warren who lost the use of most of his limbs nearly three years ago during a match. "Doug Forrester doesn't support embryonic stem cell research, therefore, I don't think he...

When Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jon S. Corzine's finances come into question on the campaign trail, he says he doesn't know much about them. "For the life of me, I don't know what's going on," he said in an interview. Sometimes, however, the see-no-green approach has drawn fire from critics. The multimillionaire U.S. senator did not know five years ago that some poor people who lived in the 315 trailer parks owned by Affordable Residential Communities Inc. of Denver were unhappy. A former Goldman Sachs chairman, Corzine is an investor in that company, run by two former Goldman subordinates. Now, as...

Forrester cleared of criminal wrongdoing over contributions By ANGELA DELLI SANTI Associated Press Writer October 27, 2005, 6:32 PM EDT TRENTON, N.J. -- Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Forrester won't be charged with violating campaign finance law, the state's attorney general said Thursday, although he added that the statute Democrats accuse Forrester of violating should be re-examined. The state law bars people with a majority interest in insurance or banking firms from contributing to political campaigns. Forrester, a multimillionaire majority owner in an insurance brokerage, has donated millions of dollars to his own campaign and hundreds of thousands to other GOP...

Marilyn Flax won't be voting in this year's governor's race because neither Jon Corzine nor Doug Forrester will promise to execute her husband's murderer. "New Jersey politicians are a bunch of cowards," Flax said. "Why even have a trial by jury if you're not going to do what the jury says after they have heard all the evidence in the case? Might as well not even have a jury, not have a court, just let the governor decide." The death penalty was reinstated in 1982, but for decades it was largely an academic issue because death-row inmates kept filing appeals...

WASHINGTON (AP) — New Jersey Sen. Jon Corzine, a former Wall Street executive with a portfolio worth $261 million, has been giving some of his money to black churches, raising questions about whether it's generosity or politics. The Democrat, who is in a tight race for governor, donated or loaned more than $2.5 million last year to black churches. He has received the endorsement of more than two dozen black ministers.

For Corzine, government can be a solution The Democratic candidate for governor proposes an agenda in which the state will be a force for improving lives. By Chris Mondics Inquirer Washington Bureau WASHINGTON - Even among Democrats, Jon S. Corzine is considered one of the Senate's more reliably liberal members. He voted against the resolution empowering President Bush to go to war in Iraq and took the lead for Democrats in fighting Bush's tax cuts, making the rounds of Sunday morning talk shows to argue they were bad for the economy. He has fought efforts to restrict abortion rights, voted...

Dear Friends, An e-mail has been circulating which asks people to write in my name for Governor this November. Please do not do that. Vote for Doug Forrester, instead. The differences between Doug Forrester and me are not nearly as great as the differences between Jon Corzine and me. Moreover, if I had won the Primary, we certainly would have wanted, and expected, Doug Forrester's supporters to get behind our efforts. If Jon CorzIne wins, New Jersey will be hurt. For the sake of our families, we have to support Doug! Sincerely, BRET SCHUNDLER

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- New Jersey's governor's race, once considered a Democratic lock, is now in a dead heat with four weeks to go before the Nov. 8 off-year election, a new independent poll shows. Republican business executive Doug Forrester has gained significant ground on Democratic Sen. Jon Corzine, whose once double-digit lead has dwindled to a 44 percent to 43 percent statistical dead heat, according to a WNBC/Marist poll of 600 registered voters. "What was supposed to be a coronation is actually turning into a bloody duel. Two weeks ago, I had Corzine ahead of Forrester by seven or eight points, so...

TRENTON — In the past, Edward Forchion has run for office to promote the legalization of marijuana. This year, he is taking a more extreme stance in his bid for governor. "This time it's a whole angrier thing," said Forchion, 41. "I'm openly advocating that my whole reason for running for office is to specifically give the finger to the attorney general, the Republicans and the Democrats." Forchion, of Browns Mills in Pemberton Township, is angry over being jailed for five months in late 2002 for filming ads advocating the legalization of marijuana while he was on probation for possession...