Corzine for Governor

CORZINE AD BACKUP

Title:
All Forrester's Got

Type:
:30 TV

Date launched:
11/4/05

AD SCRIPT
BACKUP

ANNCR: In the final days of the campaign, Doug Forrester has brought the Bush-Rove smear tactics to our state with last-minute, desperate attacks against Jon Corzine.

Forrester Is Now Employing The Bush-Rove Smear Tactics That He Has Endorsed In The Past.

Forrester's New Ad Was Produced By Greg Stevens. Forrester's new ad was produced by the firm of Stevens Reed Curcio, of which Greg Stevens, Forrester's media consultant, is president. [Forrester TV Ad, as posted on PoliticsNJ.com, 11/3/05; Stevens Reed Curcio, Website, as of 11/05]

Forrester Hired Stevens Despite His Role In Orchestrating The Swift Vets Smear Campaign On Behalf Of Bush. In January 2005, Forrester hired Greg Stevens as the media consultant for his gubernatorial campaign. The New York Times reported of Stevens that his firm "created the swift boat ads that helped sink Senator John Kerry's presidential campaign last year [2004]." [Forrester, Campaign Release, 1/10/05; New York Times, 2/20/05, 2/21/05]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 4, 2005
CONTACTS:
Ivette Mendez
Allyn Brooks-LaSure
Gloria Montealegre
732-729-9820

CORZINE AD BACKUP

Title:
All Forrester's Got

Type:
:30 TV

Date launched:
11/4/05

AD SCRIPT
BACKUP

ANNCR: In the final days of the campaign, Doug Forrester has brought the Bush-Rove smear tactics to our state with last-minute, desperate attacks against Jon Corzine.

Forrester Is Now Employing The Bush-Rove Smear Tactics That He Has Endorsed In The Past.

Forrester's New Ad Was Produced By Greg Stevens. Forrester's new ad was produced by the firm of Stevens Reed Curcio, of which Greg Stevens, Forrester's media consultant, is president. [Forrester TV Ad, as posted on PoliticsNJ.com, 11/3/05; Stevens Reed Curcio, Website, as of 11/05]

Forrester Hired Stevens Despite His Role In Orchestrating The Swift Vets Smear Campaign On Behalf Of Bush. In January 2005, Forrester hired Greg Stevens as the media consultant for his gubernatorial campaign. The New York Times reported of Stevens that his firm "created the swift boat ads that helped sink Senator John Kerry's presidential campaign last year [2004]." [Forrester, Campaign Release, 1/10/05; New York Times, 2/20/05, 2/21/05]

After Swift Vets Were Denounced For Smear Tactics, Forrester Contributed $1,000 To Closely Linked Group. In late October 2004, Forrester contributed $1,000 to Vietnam Vets for the Truth LLC, a group closely linked to the Swift Boat Vets for Truth, the group that had in August launched a television smear campaign against Kerry. In September 2004, respected New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof wrote that the Swift Vets “are engaging in one of the ugliest smears in modern U.S. politics.� The group to which Forrester contributed in October had previously launched a website – www.kerrylied.com – smearing John Kerry. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that the leader of Vietnam Vets for the Truth “said his group joined with� the Swift Vets “in lambasting� Kerry. [FEC, Contribution date 10/25/04; AP, 8/5/04; New York Times, 9/18/04; Forth Worth Star Telegram, 1/16/05]

„ Forrester Was A Bush “Ranger� – He Raised Over $200,000 For Bush. In July 2005, the Associated Press reported that “Forrester was one of Bush's ‘Rangers,’ meaning that he raised at least $200,000 to help the president get re-elected.� [AP, 7/22/05]

ANNCR: What else can Forrester do?

After Ruling Out Using The Quote In An Ad, Forrester Broke His Word.

· 11/2/05: Forrester On Using Joanne Corzine’s Quote: “I Would Rule It Out.� On November 2, Forrester clearly stated he would not exploit Joanne Corzine’s quote, as published in the New York Times, responding to Andrea Forrester’s television ad. On the question of whether he would use the quote in a TV ad, Forrester said, “I would rule it out.� In response to a reporter’s saying, “You will not use Joanne Corzine’s comments in a television ad?,� Forrester said, “No.� On November 4, the New York Times reported that, “by Thursday morning, the Forrester campaign had released a 15-second commercial� using the quote. [Morristown Press Conference, 11/2/05; New York Times, 11/4/05]

„ Forrester: “I Don’t Believe That It Is Appropriate� To Use The Joanne Corzine Quote. In an interview with a reporter, Forrester distinguished between the two Joanne Corzine quotes previously published in the New York Times, saying it would not be appropriate to use the quote referencing Andrea Forrester’s television ad. On November 4, the Star-Ledger reported that, “[a]t a campaign stop in Morristown on Wednesday [Nov. 2], Forrester said Joanne Corzine's comments about her ex-husband’s politics were fair game[.] … But Forrester distinguished between those sentiments and the comments about Corzine letting his family down. Asked directly about that quote by a reporter, Forrester said, ‘I think that's private life.’ He also ruled out using it in a television ad, saying: ‘Private life is just too complicated and I don't believe that it is appropriate to be brought into the political domain.’ � [Star-Ledger, 11/4/05]

§ Tom Moran: Forrester “Broke His Word.� On November 4, the Star-Ledger’s Tom Moran wrote that, on November 2, “Forrester stood on the Morristown green and made it official – he promised he would not use that quote. … Within 24 hours, Forrester broke his word. The campaign released a TV commercial that featured the very quote he promised not to use.� [Star-Ledger, 11/4/05]

ANNCR: He can’t run on his record of raising property taxes 200 percent.

Under Forrester, West Windsor’s Tax Rate Increased 200 Percent In Four Years. Between 1979 and 1983, when Forrester served as mayor and councilman of West Windsor, the town’s tax rate increased 200 percent. The New York Times reported that, during Forrester’s tenure, he and the Township Committee increased property taxes from 38 cents per $100 of assessed value to $1.19. As the Star Ledger reported, “the tax rate did triple.� In October 2005, the Trenton Times reported, “One thing is clear – property taxes indeed increased 200 percent during Forrester's West Windsor Township Committee tenure.� [West Windsor Budgets, 1979-83; New York Times, 5/26/05; Star Ledger, 6/2/05; Trenton Times, 10/17/05]

ANNCR: He can’t run on the $89 million in no-bid insider deals he’s gotten.

Spokesman Said Benecard Had $89 Million In Existing Contracts With Public Entities In New Jersey – A One-Year Estimate. In August 2005, Benecard said it held $89 million in public contracts to handle prescription drug health benefits for over 100 local government throughout New Jersey, including municipalities, counties, school boards, and other agencies. Benecard’s spokesman had previously said Benecard’s public contracts get renewed every year, suggesting that Benecard’s estimate of the value of its existing contracts was a one-year figure. [Star-Ledger, 8/2/05; Asbury Park Press, 7/30/05]

Benecard Public Contracts In New Jersey Are Not Subject To Competitive Bidding. In July 2005, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that “Forrester's insurance companies had more than 100 contracts with municipalities, school boards and other public agencies in New Jersey. The contracts do not require competitive bidding.� The Bergen Record reported that “[s]tate law does not call for competitive bidding on government contracts for professional services such as legal work, engineering and insurance.� [Philadelphia Inquirer, 7/29/05, 7/30/05; Bergen Record, 7/30/05]

ANNCR: And he sure can’t run on all the prescription drug rebates he’s put in his pocket.

When you really look at it, negative attacks are all Forrester’s got.

Court Documents Showed That Benecard Shared In Rebates. In August 2005, the Star-Ledger reported that court records “show[ed] that Republican Doug Forrester's pharmaceutical benefits management firm shared in rebates from drug manufacturers that were not passed on to towns it served.� The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that, in a 2004 court transcript, “a lawyer for Forrester's firm, BeneCard Services Inc., appeared to acknowledge that the firm pocketed rebates from drugmakers instead of passing them on to Hamilton Township and the City of Paterson, its clients.� [Star-Ledger, 8/19/05; Philadelphia Inquirer, 8/19/05]

2004: Benecard’s Lawyer Defended Benecard’s Pocketing Rebates, Calling Them “Loose Change.� During the New Jersey fraud case, Benecard’s lawyer admitted that Benecard pocketed manufacturer rebates. In a May 2004 court proceeding, James Tyrell, counsel for Benecard, defended Benecard’s pocketing of rebates from manufacturers, saying they did not need to be passed on to Benecard’s public clients. Of that proceeding, the Star-Ledger reported that the lawyer “said that if ‘somebody throws loose change on the table by way of rebates, we benefit more, lucky for us. We’re good businessmen.’ He added later, ‘I don't have to give it back to the City of Paterson or Hamilton. I can put that change in my pocket. And, that's what happened here.’ � [NJ Superior Court L-5908-02, Proceeding, 5/28/04; Fourth Amended Complaint, Filed 12/23/03; Star-Ledger, 8/19/05]