A Republican Disgrace
By Richard J. LaRossa | May 26th, 2009 - 11:18amMarcia Karrow picked a strange day to smear Mike Doherty.
Two years ago, the New Jersey GOP, lead by State Chairman Tom Wilson and Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce, issued a statement condemning a Republican consultant for a direct mail piece “used as an attack on a colleague”, calling that attack “inappropriate and offensive” and “not representing the values embraced by our party.”
The statement went on to state that the consultant who produced the advertisement had “crossed a line and we believe it would no longer be appropriate for him to do work on behalf of any candidate running as a Republican in this state.”
Here we are two years later and a different Republican consultant has attacked a different colleague in an “inappropriate and offensive” way that, I hope, doesn’t represent “the values embraced by our party.” I’m still waiting to hear the GOP establishment’s moral outrage.
Here’s the story: Assemblyman Mike Doherty is challenging Senator Marcia Karrow in the 23rd district. Doherty is running with Steve Lonegan and Karrow is Christie.
Karrow chose Memorial Day weekend to put out a direct mailer and a robo-call that accused Mike Doherty of supporting "Surrender in Iraq".
This is the same Mike Doherty who, after graduating from West Point, served for eight years in the United States Army. Mike was a missile defense officer on the trip wire between the West and the Soviet Union.
Mike and his wife, Linda, have three grown sons in military service. Their son Ryan just returned from a tour of duty in Iraq with the United States Marine Corps. He will shortly be redeployed to Afghanistan. Their son Matt is set to be deployed to Iraq with the United States Army. Their son Jared is stationed on remote duty in another hot spot – near the North-South Korean border – with the U.S. Air Force.
Can anyone name a single Republican official in all New Jersey with more at stake when it comes to the defense of America?
The author of the direct mail/ robo-call attack was Chris Christie’s political consultant, Jamestown Associates. Karrow’s and Christie’s mail use the same colors and type-face.
On Sunday, Steve Lonegan held a press conference and called on Christie, his campaign chairman, Senator Joe Kyrillos, and co-chairman, Senator Tom Kean Jr., to disavow this attack on the patriotism of a military veteran whose entire family is serving their country in harm’s way.
Instead of standing up for a fellow American, a fellow elected official, a fellow Republican – these three hid and didn’t return calls. You notice that I didn’t say “fellow veteran”, because these three have no military experience and really can’t contemplate what it’s like to be in uniform or to have someone in uniform – let alone every child in your family.
The Hunterdon GOP really is the limit. Last year their candidate was in a physical altercation with a local elected official. Last week, one establishment supporter wrote that an independent Republican candidate for Freeholder – a 40-something mother of three – deserved to be “bitch slapped”. Hunterdon County is a rural county with a nasty GOP machine worthy of some of the more notorious inner cities.
Not content with attacking Mike Doherty, we hear that this machine is preparing an attack on Mike’s wife. Yes, word has it that they are going to attack the mother of those three boys putting their lives on the line.
If that happens, we should hold the following men responsible: Hunterdon GOP boss Henry Kuhl, Freeholder Erik Peterson, Freeholder Matt Holt, Freeholder Ronald Sworen, Freeholder George Melick, and Freeholder William Mennen. A check of the Freeholders’ biographies doesn’t list military service for any of them.
This smear isn’t going to go away. Letters and e-mails are being sent across the country about this. Veterans – and people just plain tired with this kind of swiftboating are coming together to end this kind of thing.
How can an entire party stand by and allow this military family to be attacked as unpatriotic, when the leaders of that party stand behind the protective shield fashioned from the lives of the Doherty boys and their compatriots? It is beneath contempt.
I’m issuing a challenge to those same Republicans who signed that statement in 2007 to speak up now. Let’s hear from the following legislators about this: Alex DeCroce, Pete Biondi, Dave Russo, Chris Connors, Brian Rumpf, Jim Holzopfel, David Wolfe, Sean Kean, Jennifer Beck, Sam Thompson, Amy Handlin, Bill Baroni, Kip Bateman, Jon Bramnick, Alison McHose, Michael Patrick Carroll, Rick Merkt, Joe Pennacchio, Joe Malone, Ron Dancer, John Rooney, Charlotte Vandervalk, Kevin O’Toole, and – yes, she signed it in 2007 – Marcia Karrow. If 2007 was more than a cheap act of political revenge, you will stand up and say something.
And I’m asking elected officials, community leaders, and citizens from whatever party affiliation, to speak up and to condemn this vile, cowardly attack on a distinguished veteran, his wife, and three sons serving in harm’s way. The swiftboating has got to end!
Wake-Up Call
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One Question
What part of the mailer was not true?
Every single thing said there was true, and it wasn't received in any mail boxes ON Memorial Day.
It's funny to see Lonegan people rush to the defense and play the "divisive negative campaigns are bad" game. Where was this outrage as "Republican News" was spread around town with complete lies in them?
What???????
Surrender in Iraq? Attack a veteran and a military family? Why don't you come out of your Afgan cave, stop consorting with the enemy, having dinner with the Osama lovers and tell us who you really are instead of hiding and attacking americans who fight for this country so you can be what you really are; a true, liberal, asshole coward.
C'mon Senator
Senator -- with all due respect, you and Winkler have said and done worse in your past campaigns, have you not? Your complaints are ringing a little hollow.
Jeff Michaels Running for Office?
A, Jeff, how did you pay Winker when you ran for office?
Care to divulge?
Irony
The irony here is amazing. The same conservatives who use the "surrender" line when democrats wanted to pull out are now pissed it is being hurled at them.
Dick, are you freaking blind. How on earth can you cry smear at this when your last article was a one sided smear attack on Christie. You my friend, are the ultimate disgrace when it comes to smear attacks.
This fake outrage bursting
This fake outrage bursting from Lonegan's failed campaign.
OMG!! Dickhead is right!!
Aside from being in poor taste at this time of the year, it was really stupid as well. She not only smeared her opponent but the thousands of Ndew Jersey Republicans, many of them in her own district, who support Ron Paul and his policies.
I wonder if Karrow ever served in the military or has family members who served. My guess is she doesn't, and she's just another chickenhawk Republican who's ready to fight to the last drop of blood from someone else's kid.
If she had any decency or political acumen left she should immediately apologize not only to Doherty but every other New Jersey Republican who voted for and supported Ron Paul. There are alot of Paulistas in her own district and my guess is this will cost her some votes if she doesn't move quickly to rectify it.
Truth? Smear?
Smear is a personal attach with no basis in fact. While a column may be totally one sided it does not make it a smear. It also does not make the factual matters in it a lie.
To attack Mike Doherty and then plan to go after his family members is about a low as it gets. "support surrender in Iraq"?
This is a new low for either party and that is really something considering we are talking about New Jersey politics.
Just what do you expect
from a Guy who would not get past basic training.
I would live to see a drill sergeant kick Christies fass $ assets arount an obsticle course.
Not a new low
This is not a "NEW" low. The national GOP has been using this "Surrender" line for years when attacking those, mostly Democrats, who wanted withdrawl from Iraq. Stop acting like this is new. And yes, a one side column is an attack and smear when it mentions a politically times federal lawsuit and tries to write on it as an objective piece of news with the sole source being a sham website set up by Lonegan supporters. So I repeat, Dick, you are the king of smear.
Smears
Smears, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder and a matter of perception. And as most of us know in politics, perception is reality. If it looks like a smear, and sounds like a smear, then it is a smear.
The problem for Karrow isn't that what she did was, IMHO, in bad taste and especially inappropriate for this time of the year. Her real problem is how will the thousands of GOP voters who live in her district and supported Ron Paul for president will react to this mailing. She may also have to deal with all the veterans and other military families who may find her ad distasteful, to say the least. It will be interesting to see how the local media in her district deals with this.
BTW, those who have been following my comments these past few months know that I consider Doherty to be a megalomaniacal reactionary who should be in a museum for endangered political species. I am not a huge fan of Ron Paul either though I happen to agree with him on some issues. But if there is anything I detest more than a wingnut is a chickenhawk who wants to fight a war until the last drop of blood from someone else's kid.
Clifford!
"But if there is anything I detest more than a wingnut is a chickenhawk who wants to fight a war until the last drop of blood from someone else's kid."
Well said. Proud to argue with you on other issues.
Karrow mailer
One reporter covered this laughable non-story. It shows how desperate Dick LaRossa and the rest of the Lonegan supporters have become. Who can blame them...they are down 20 plus...have little money...and are now relying on the DEMOCRATIC machine in D.C. to do their dirty work. What a waste of our taxpayers money(matching funds). Attached is the link...
http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20090526/OPINION01/905260314/1094/OPI...
Lonegan can work for McDonalds when the Primary is over
oops----I forgot he can't speak Sanish!
Courier Post
Endorses Lonegan:
http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20090527/OPINION/905270319/1046...
A great case for the best candidate.
Methodical madness
Sometimes there is method to madness, especially in politics. Rick Shaftan has been around long enough, and knows the libertarian element in this state. However the story gets out doesn't matter. What does matter is that tens of thousands of Ron Paul supporters who vote in the GOP primary, and many of them vote in Marcia Karrow's district, will not be happy about this.
So What?
Doherty supported Paul in 2008. So did I. So Doherty should just say yes Paul's position on Iraq is or is not Doherty's position. The mailer was not in bad taste at all. It pales in comparison to the Republican News that already came out and the one Lonegan and Shaftan are probably finishing up now.
I received an e-mail about abortion from the Lonegan camp on Memorial Day. That is in bad taste. The CC website on Memorial Day was about remebering, the Lonegan site that day had the same old mudslinging.
Actually, LaRossa slung far more mud in just about every single piece he wrote here than Karrow ever has. I liked Doherty, but he sold his soul to the devil (Lonegan of course).
GOP Sleaze
Marcia Karrow is a fat disgusting looking slob just like her pal Chris Christie. Thank you Senator LaRossa for having the courage to stand up to these nitwits.
This is exactly what Saxy Chambliss did to Max Cleland in Georgia. Questioning the patriotism of a double amputee.
Who is Senator Karrow to question the intentions of a West Point graduate who has three sons in the military?
This is the equivalent of attacking the patriotism of Private Ryan in that WW2 film starring Tom Hanks.
It's sleaze. It's the way Christie and Karrow operate. Theyhave nothing to say. They are co-conspirators in the demise of the GOP along with Wilson, DeCroce, et al!
Lonegan is surging and they know it.
The Wall Street Journal has backed his tax plan.
As a committed conservative, I will do everything in my power to stop Christie from destroying of what is left of the NJ GOP.
Vote Column "A" - All the way!
Padre. Stop the nonsense.
We get it.
You hate Lonegan's guts.
You make the same point everyday.
Are you obsessed or something?
Your supporting a man slightly to the center of Corzine when in fact Lonegan represents the true values of the party.
People who hate never win.
Vote Column "A" - All the way!
From the mouth of wingnuts
"Marcia Karrow is a fat disgusting looking slob just like her pal Chris Christie."
"People who hate never win."
Christie's Puke Fest is coming to an end
Thank God that Next week it will all be over.
Christie and Karrow both support Sotomayor another elitist lawyer.
He has the same views as her on Immigration and the 2nd amendment ( MARXIST VIEWS).
Demsanddonts:
Forget Padre Peon ( Hermansen an arrogant piece of S^&* from Mahwah who lies and rips off old ladies)) He ain't going nowhere in Bergen County
Christie Lies Through His Teeth.
This is why Chris Christie will never become governor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5XPf1b1RxA
Unfortunate Smears cut both ways.
It looks like the smear campaigns on both side have taken its toll. Attacking a family with such a pro military record is really an outrage and should be condemned by all.Apologies are in in order. I am never the less still voting for Christie because in my view Lonegan cannot in any way shape or form defeat Jon Corzine. That is why Ccorzine has taken to the air waves with negative commercials which can only help Lonegan the weaker opponent.The smears have gotten way out of line on both sides. We are losing focus here and that is that Jon Corzine must go. Lets stop the garbage campaigns and unite to get rid of Jon Corzine.