ALBANO & MILAM: MONKEY SEE, MONKEY DO

(SOMERS POINT, October 14) – First Legislative District GOP Assembly nominees Mike Donohue and John McCann – responding to incumbent Democrats Nelson Albano’s and Matt Milam’s refusal to appear on the same stage with Donohue and McCann at this morning’s Somers Point Business Association candidates’ forum – used the episode to once again tie their Democrat opponents to incumbent Democrat Governor Jon Corzine.

“Monkey see, monkey do – that’s a line we use with our children, as we try to teach them not to copy others’ bad manners,” said Donohue. “But here in the First Legislative District, it appears that line could be applied not just to children, but to Nelson Albano and Matt Milam. They seem to be taking a page directly out of the ‘Jon Corzine Playbook,’ refusing to engage me and my running mate John McCann in an open and honest exchange of the issues.

“This morning, in Somers Point, we were surprised to learn that the rules of our engagement had changed,” Donohue continued. “Rather than allow all four Assembly candidates on stage in front of the assembled members of the Somers Point Business Association, we were informed that the two Democrats would entertain questions only after John and I had been escorted out of the room. And then, as if that wasn’t enough, Nelson Albano complained that one of our campaign supporters was still in the room, and he would just tell me and John what Albano and Milam had said in our absence – so he tried to have him removed from the room as well!”

“What is it with Democrats being afraid of engaging their Republican opponents in a fair and open exchange of ideas? I don’t get it,” said McCann. “Jon Corzine didn’t want to debate Chris Christie, either. First, he tried to move the NJN debate back in the campaign schedule. Then he refused to debate Chris Christie on NJ 101.5, the most listened-to radio station in the entire state.

“I always knew I could count on liberal Democrats to vote for bigger spending and higher taxes,” McCann continued. “But I always assumed they had the courage of their convictions, and would gladly defend their positions and their votes in open debate. To find out that they’re unwilling to sit on a stage with us and explain why it is that they voted 95 percent of the time for Jon Corzine’s agenda, and why they voted for nearly a billion dollars in higher taxes, well … let’s just say it’s ‘disappointing,’ and leave it at that.”

Paid for by Donohue McCann 2009