(In tribute to my dad on Veterans Day, I repeat one of my favorite columns. Thank a veteran today.)

"What did you do in the war, Dad?"

That was the question that Miss Connor, my 4th grade teacher at PS 277 in Brooklyn ,wanted each kid in our class to ask their dad. We had an entire sheet of questions that Miss Conner handed out---you know, printed on mimeograph paper that had that rich chemical smell.

The tsunami gubernatorial candidate named Christie swept into office many Republican candidates around the state. In my hometown of Flemington, the two Republican Councilmembers-Elect are Michelle Oberst and Marc Haine. Now, prior to the election I did not know either Mr. Haine or Ms. Oberst that well at all.

OK, aside from the governor’s race, the House Health Care Bill (H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act). was the big news of the week. And the bill is faaaaaaaaaaar from perfect. The bill contains the Stupak/Pitts Amendment which prohibits federal funding of abortion. But it does allow Viagra to be paid for as a prescription drug. And yet the Speaker of the House is a woman. Guess it’s one step forward, step and a half back.

Patrick Murray is the founding director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute. According to their website, “The Monmouth University Polling Institute has become a premier independent survey research center known for its in-depth tracking of public policy and quality of life issues.”

Tuesday, November 3rd was not a particularly good day for Democrats across the state, or in Hunterdon County. Although Democrats in Hunterdon are generally used to fielding candidates who face a tough campaign season against a more well-funded Republican opponent, combined with an over-whelming 3-1 voter registration advantage----there are many ‘true believers". 

It’s time to end the partisan bickering.
 
It’s time to end the partisan bickering process that has and continues to cloud problem solving for our great state, north and south.  It’s time to return to true leadership. The time has come to end the partisanship that divides us not only politically but as a state, and replace it with unity and strength of purpose and direction.

But, while Chris Christie was rejected by 51% of New Jersey, the race for fourth place is still too close to call.

The latest figures, with 6242 of 6305 Precincts Reporting---99%--- showed Kenneth Kaplan, the Libertarian; Gary Steele, a lawyer, and Jason Cullen, a manager working in trade marketing, locked in a statistical dead heat for fourth place---each with listed with less than one percent.

If you remember about a week ago, the bartender “Tom” told me at a fundraiser ---when asked about whether he was going to support the two Democrats in Flemington----Democrats he voted for the first time around, and liked a great deal---when I asked if he was going to vote for them again, he said...

I attended two rallies for gubernatorial candidates this weekend. The first was for Governor Jon Corzine, Friday night in Elizabeth, Union County, the heart of Democratic political territory. The second was Saturday, day for Republican candidate Chris Christie, in Flemington, Hunterdon County, the heart of Republican political territory.

On most days during campaign season, candidates walk door to door stumping for votes.  But on one day of the year, or more precisely one night of the year, the opposite is true.  On Halloween, the voters bring their children around neighborhoods for candy, and in some instances, they’ll knock on a candidate’s door.