Democrats In Competitive South Jersey Races Have No Courage

Sorry for the lack of blogging lately, but I was on the road working.

I’m back and the first thing I learned is that Democrats in competitive South Jersey Legislative District completely lack courage.

The issue is a bill (A5207/S3361) that passed both houses back in June. The bill, according to NJ.com, bans local and private jails “from signing contracts to hold federal immigration detainees.”

According to the NJ.com piece Governor Phil Murphy unceremoniously signed the bill Friday:

Murphy, a Democrat who is running for re-election in November, quietly signed the bill the day after he returned from his trip. He did not release a statement about why he signed it.

I can only guess at the reason Murphy quietly signed the bill – my guess is that Murphy already has enough problems with possible illegal immigrants given his women’s professional soccer team’s involvement in an alleged visa fraud scheme.

Murphy obviously has a reason to be sneaky about signing the bill. His lack of courage in supporting this bill can easily be explained.

What really jumped out at me is the South Jersey Democrats in competitive races who didn’t even have the courage to vote on the bill.

According to the roll call LD8 state Senator Dawn Addiego is listed as “Not Voting,” on the Assembly side Assemblyman Ryan Peters and Assemblywoman Jean Stanfield both voted “No.”

In the competitive LD2 race Assemblyman John Armato and Assemblyman Vince Mazzeo each showed a complete lack of courage and are listed as “Not Voting.”

In LD8, where Stanfield voted no to the bill in the Assembly, she is challenging Addiego for the Seante seat. Stanfield’s Assembly runningmates are Brandon Umbra and Mike Torrissi. In LD2 Armato is running for reelection and his runningmate is Caren Fitzpatrick, an Atlantic County Commissioner. They are being challenged by former Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian and Claire Swift, a former NJ Deputy Attorney General. On the Senate side Mazzeo is running against former Assemblyman Vince Polistina.

I can only guess the reason Addiego, Armato and Mazzeo did not have the courage to vote on a bill banning local and private jails “from signing contracts to hold federal immigration detainees,” is they feared taking a stand when it comes to illegal immigrants.

It is time for Addiego, Armato and Mazzeo to tell South Jersey voters where they stand on illegal immigration. Not voting is unacceptable!

We know where their opponents, Stanfield, Umbra and Torrissi, stand, and that’s on the side of the rule of law. If you want a better, safer South Jersey, the choices in LD8 and LD2 are clear.

OPINION: Jeff Van Drew Should NOT Give Any Refunds Of Campaign Donations

Jeff Van Drew

Before I begin, I have no dog in the CD2 fight. As of today, it still looks like there will be a GOP primary in the district. I have friends who are running (they probably won’t like this blog post). I haven’t endorsed anyone, and I won’t. I live in CD1 and can’t vote for any of them anyway.

With all that said, there are Democrats still upset that Congressman Jeff Van Drew flipped and became a Republican. They are so upset that our friends over at New Jersey Globe reported that “The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is pushing Rep. Jeff Van Drew’s donors to ask for their money back…” From New Jersey Globe:

“We’re being very aggressive on that front,” Lucinda Guinn, the DCCC executive director, said on a conference call this afternoon.

Guinn said that the House Democrats’ campaign arm is helping donors recover donations made to Van Drew before his December announcement that he was switching parties.

“We have sent out an e-mail to our folks in New Jersey giving them instructions on how to ask for their money back,” Guinn said.  “We are helping donors do anything they can to recover their donations to Jeff Van Drew. Many of our members and donors have already requested their money back as well.”

Congressman, if you are reading this, DO NOT GIVE THE MONEY BACK!

The Democrats did not call on state Senator Dawn Addiego to return donations to Republicans after she switched parties and became a Democrat. Calling on Van Drew to return the donations makes them hypocrites, but that’s nothing new.

The Pine Barrens Tribune in reporting that many Republicans wanted their money back after Addiego’s switch pointed out that she didn’t have to return any money:

However, Joseph Donohue, deputy director of the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC), a state agency which monitors the campaign financing of all elections in the state, said there is no rule that a candidate must refund money if they switch parties.

“Of course, there also is no rule stopping them from doing so voluntarily,” he said. “Keep in mind that most candidates probably receive checks from constituents of both parties, regardless of their affiliation.”

I’m betting if anyone called the Federal Election Commission (FEC) they would get a similar answer.

Besides, if you are so moved that you are writing a check to a candidate you’re doing so because you believe in what that candidate believes. That means if you wrote a check to Van Drew after at least March 29, 2019, when Van Drew appeared on Fox News, you knew that he believed in strong border security and stopping the impeachment talk:

Starting at about the 2 minute 35 second mark of the video Van Drew says, “We need to have a physical barrier, we do need some wall, we do need vertical structure…” At the 5:27 mark Van Drew says, “For us to stop asking for impeachment of the President.”

Not only did Congressman Van Drew speak out against impeachment, he also spoke in favor of strong border security. There is video to prove it! If you wrote him a check, you should have known where he stood on the issues. And, if you didn’t do your homework before writing your check, then shame on you. Buyer’s remorse is not a reason to ask for a refund.

Congressman, keep the money and if you have any to spare share the wealth. Send some of it to Camden and Gloucester so they can keep the Norcross machine money in his backyard.

PRESS RELEASE: NJGOP Chairman Steinhardt Statement On Senator Addiego's Party Flip

NJGOP Chairman Doug Steinhardt issued a response to the news that state Senator Dawn Addiego flipped to to the Democrats today. His statement follows:

For Immediate Release

Trenton, NJ - NJGOP Chairman Doug Steinhardt released the following statement on Senator Dawn Addiego's decision to turn her back on the voters that put her in office as a member of the Republican Party:

"South Jersey Democrats see the writing on the wall and know they are only a few months away from being down one more Senator in LD-1. This move is political self-preservation by Senator Addiego and South Jersey Democrats who know every indicator south of Burlington is bad for their coalition. From losing LD-2 to Senator Brown in 2017,  losing the Salem County Freeholder Board and not denting the Atlantic County Freeholder Board, to strong performances by Donald Trump and Bob Hugin in Cape May, Cumberland, Salem and Gloucester Counties, Democrats know they are staring down the barrel of more losses on their home turf."

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