“Ask yourself why Rob Ortiz has the endorsement of over 80 elected officials and municipal leaders  and Bob Yudin has 2.  It’s because that these people know that the future of Bergen Republicans is better trusted to the care of Rob Ortiz than Bob Yudin.  Bob Yudin’s history of failure and infighting clearly demonstrates why he is not the man for this job.’

Hackensack –  The Bob Yudin misinformation machine is in full spin cycle with  a series of fairy tales recently published by Bob’s new spinmeister George Ajjan, the same man that brought you Murray “14% “ Sabrin.  You remember George and Murray don’t you?  They’re the same guys who filed nominating petitions to run a rival slate against the BCRO freeholder candidates selected this year by you, the county committee. They’re the same guys who hired Bergen County Democrat Machine lawyer Dennis Oury to pursue a legal challenge so they could continue to attack the BCRO candidates in a primary.  They’re the same guys who spent the better part of the last 4 month months attacking the BCRO and just about every Republican party organization throughout the state.  If you’ve been paying attention, then you’ve noticed that they’re also Bob Yudin’s newest and bestest buddies.

Now such poor judgment might be forgiven.  After all, thanks to Chairman Ortiz, the BCRO legal team and BCRO loyalists, the Ajjan/Sabrin nominating petitions were rightfully tossed out and our candidates avoided a primary for the first time in 5 years.  It’s not just Bob’s new friends that are the problem though.  Have you gotten a load of his old friends?  Bob’s been hanging with his old homeys from the disastrous Talarico days.  Remember those dark days?  You should: It was only last year…..

FLASHBACK early summer 2007 …BCRO HQ Hackensack NJ.  There’s an eviction notice stuck to the door.  The phones aren’t ringing.  Why? They’ve been disconnected for non-payment.  Bob Yudin and Guy Talarico are huddling and talking about that evening’s primary.  The primary where Talarico with Yudin’s blessing, refused to let you, the County Committee, select its own candidates.  The primary where Talarico, on his own, decided to take on sitting legislators and call back Todd Caliguire from a deserved retirement to run for office for a 3rd consecutive year, even though Todd lost his county wide race by 40,000 votes the year before.  Guy Talarico has just sent out a horrifically offensive racist mailer against then senate candidate Kevin O’Toole.  Bob Yudin is the ONLY BCRO freeholder candidate who does not publicly condemn the piece.  After the votes are counted, the Talarico/Yudin legislative slate loses by 17 percentage points.  Between the 2 sides, more than $300,000 in desperately needed Republican funds are wasted on this pointless exercise,  BCRO is bankrupt, deep in debt…lifeless.  For this poor judgment Bob Yudin cannot be forgiven.

There’s no way around this.  Bob Yudin is a direct link to the dark days of the Talarico chairmanship.  He was nominated as Guy’s candidate 3 times during guy’s 5 year reign. 

For the past 7 months he has embarked on a relentlessly negative “campaign” against Chairman Ortiz.  Talarico bankrupted and destroyed the party and got a free pass from his buddy Bob Yudin.  Ortiz raises money, eliminates debt and is publicly condemned by Bob Yudin at every opportunity.  To his credit, Chairman Ortiz has conducted himself as a gentleman, refusing to engage in negative personal attacks.  That will not change.  But the days of Bob Yudin getting a free pass are over. 

THIS IS THE TRUTH ABOUT BOB YUDIN

Besides the obvious link to the worst period in Bergen Republican history, Bob Yudin has said a lot of things in his campaign that simply aren’t true.  Don’t take our word for it -  Check the facts:

TRUTH #1  --  SHOW ME THE MONEY

BOB SAYS:  He can raise money.

THE TRUTH:  He can’t. 

According to ELEC reports, other than money he has donated or “loaned” to himself and other than contributions from fellow candidates and local political clubs, Bob Yudin has raised a grand total of $86,000 in 3 separate election cycles; half of that 4 years ago.  In 2004, Bob raised $40,000 from 3rd party sources.  In his 2006 cycle, the number dipped to $34,000 ($18,500 of which is giving Bob credit for 25% of the amount raised by his joint candidate committee).  Last year, the number dropped to an anemic $14,000.  The Yudin average: $28,000/year.  Check the reports.  If Bob can’t raise money for himself in 3 separate tries, how can we believe that he can raise money for county candidates?

THE ORTIZ FACTOR.  In his first 3 months as chair, Rob Ortiz raised $90,000.  In his next 3 months, another $60,000.  Don’t take our word for it.  Check the ELEC reports.  All told, in 10 months Rob has raised almost $220,000.  More is needed but that’s a heckuva good start.  Let’s see, $28k/yr or $220k+/yr.  DO THE MATH.

TRUTH # 2 -- SHOW ME THE RESULTS

BOB SAYS:  HE CAN WIN ELECTIONS

THE TRUTH:  Ummmm…..NO.

Bob is not only a 3 time electoral loser, he is the most prolific electoral loser in Bergen Republican history.  His name is synonomous with catastrophic electoral failure.  In 2004, Bob lost by 50,000 votes.  50,000!!!! In 2006, he lost by 40,000 votes.  This was a 20 percentage point loss…quite possibly the worst drubbing in county history.  What’s worse, Tom Kean, Jr. only lost the Senate race in Bergen by 8 points.  Bob Yudin ran a full 12 full points worse than Kean, Jr.  In 2007, Bob lost by 12,000 votes, a much smaller margin but still 5 figures.  The bottom line, Bob Yudin has NEVER WON a contested election for public office …ever!  Why would anyone believe that at 69, he has finally discovered how to run and win an election?

THE ORTIZ FACTOR:  Robert Ortiz had 3 months to make something work.  He inherited candidates that were already chosen, $40,000 in debt and an organization in smoldering ruins with no records, no infrastructure and no hope.  First, he raised six figures right off the bat, pumped more money into the county race than in previous years and embarked on a strategy to focus money and attention at about a dozen targeted races.  The result – 19 new elected Republicans, Republican gained control in a net of 7 municipalities and the narrowest margins of loss on the county level in 5 years.  A lot of people worked hard for those results but don’t let Yudin fool you, the BCRO town targeting strategy was a big part of that success.

PS – What was Yudin doing during this time you might ask?  Besides not raising any money for himself, he continually badgered Ortiz to arbitrarily commit to raising at least $200,000 for the freeholder race.  Eventually, he demanded that Ortiz take a personal loan of $200,000 to fund Bob’s 3rd quest for the freeholder office.  We know it’s ridiculous but we are not making this up.

TRUTH # 3 -- SHOW ME BCRO SUPPORT

BOB SAYS:  Ortiz didn’t support me in my 2007 run.

THE TRUTH:  The BCRO under Rob Ortiz contributed 4 ½ times more to last years county race than BCRO gave to Bob Yudin in his 2 prior general election runs…. combined.  Check the ELEC reports.  In 2004 BCRO gave $0 to Bob Yudin’s general election campaign.  In 2006, BCRO gave a $1,200 to Yudin’s general election account and $2,500 to the joint Victory 2006 account.

THE ORTIZ FACTOR:  The 2007 ELEC reports show a $3,300 BCRO contribution to Yudin’s general election account; $ 6,482 to Paul Duggan’s general election account; and $6,482 to Charlie Kahwaty’s general election account.  That’s a total of $16,500.  Actually, since such contributions are supposed to be allocated equally, Bob may have under-reported the BCRO contribution but we digress.  This $16,500 doesn’t count the BCRO funds spent on consultants or the $15,000 plus spent on the GOTV effort in the targeted towns which effort helped bring about the 19 new elected republican officials.

TRUTH # 4 -- SHOW ME UNITY

BOB SAYS:  He will unify and heal the party.

THE TRUTH:  Not a Chance

Has anyone else notice that this is the 3rd consecutive year that Bob Yudin is personally in the middle of a divisive intra-party battle?  3 YEARS IN A ROW!!!

In 2006, he stood with Talarico in a primary.  Once the votes were counted and the Talarico candidates won by a 1% margin,  Bob Yudin wagged his finger at Assemblywoman Vandervalk and screamed “You’re next Charlotte…we’re coming after you next.”  Unifying?  We think not.

In 2007, Yudin again stood with Talarico in refusing to let the county committee choose its own candidates in District 40 and in running a pointless and hopeless race-baiting primary against Senator O’Toole, Assemblyman Russo and Assemblyman Rumana.  Unifying?  Hardly.

In 2008, fresh form his most recent electoral failure. Bob Yudin immediately commences the attack on Chairman Ortiz, only 3 months into his term.  Why?  Bob feels slighted that he didn’t get enough money from Ortiz even though he Ortiz more than quadrupled prior BCRO contributions to Yudin’s general election campaigns.

THE ORTIZ FACTOR:  Unlike Bob, who doesn’t appear to be happy unless he is complaining or fighting with fellow republicans, Chairman Ortiz has reached out to every corner of the party.  Don’t believe that nonsense about a small inner circle, it’s nonsense and all part of the misinformation campaign.  Everyone who has ever asked for Ortiz’s cel number, has it.  Everyone who has offered to get involved, has been welcomed with open arms.

TRUTH # 5 -   SHOW ME THE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE

BOB SAYS: Navy Fliers stick together.

THE TRUTH: Not so much.

Earlier this year Bob was casting himself as a McCain spokesman and lobbing grenades at Chairman Ortiz in that asserted capacity.  The McCain NJ operation called Yudin on the carpet and told him he was not an authorized spokesman for McCain and to stop invoking the Senator’s name in attack comments to further his own interests.

TRUTH # 6 – SHOW ME BOB’S AGENDA

BOB SAYS:  He has a “new” agenda for the BCRO.

THE TRUTH:  Bob’s “new” agenda looks an awful lot like the things that Chairman Ortiz has already been doing for the last 10 months. Let’s review:

Ø  Concentrate on municipal races – Hello…McFly??  That’s exactly what Ortiz did last year.  At the time, Yudin complained saying all the money should have been spent on him.  We’re glad he sees it Ortiz’s way now.

Ø  Creation of a smaller executive committee – This concept was in the proposed new by-laws introduced to the county committee about 4 months ago.  At the time Bob Yudin complained.  Again, we’re glad he sees it Ortiz’s way now.

Ø  Use of Internet for communications/fundraising – Welcome to the 21st century Bob.  You’ve seen an average of 2 email newsletter updates per month since the beginning of this year.  The YR’s make great use of Facebook, MYspace and related tools and BCRO is already integrating those strategies. Internet fundraising?  BCRO has been live with that for months.  Check the website.  We need to drive traffic and boost production but it is gradual process, a process that started months before Yudin got the idea.

Ø  Safeguarding Policies and procedures – Within 4 months Ortiz set up a task force to revise and update the dated and inadequate BCRO bylaws.  Proposed new bylaws were circulated and consideration was effectively tabled during the Chairman’s race.  Bob knows this.

Ø  Cultural outreach – do we even need to dignify the absurdity of a 69 year old white guy preach to a Hispanic man about cultural outreach?

TRUTH # 6 – SHOW ME THE PENNACCHIO AFFAIR

BOB SAYS:  Ortiz’s handling of the situation is why he’s running for chairman .

THE TRUTH:  Bob was running for Chairman for 4 months before this issue fell in his lap.  Of course, it doesn’t matter to Bob that Chairman Ortiz always honored and respected the county conventions selection, unlike the year before when Talarico, with Yudin’s support, disenfranchised the county committee as to the District 40 race.

THE ORTIZ FACTOR:  Hindsight is 20/20.  In retrospect, Chairman Ortiz would have done a better job in communicating his plans and intentions to the County Committee.  That was a mistake.  He does not regret, however, joining over a dozen other state party leaders to try to provide the Republicans with a more electable option.  The circumstances were unusual.  The frontrunner dropped out right before the convention and the convention winner had incredibly damaging revelations come out within days after.  Revelations so bad that Yudin’s new PR crew and bestest buddies Ajjan & Sabrin labeled Sen. Pennacchio a fascist and unelectable.  Ortiz was doing his job to help Republicans win elections.  Bob Yudin was just trying to exploit an opportunity to promote dissension.

THE FINAL TRUTH – ROB ORTIZ IS THE RIGHT MAN FOR THE JOB

Bob Yudin has been spouting one misrepresentation after another for 7 months.

He says he can raise money.  He hasn’t.

He says he can win elections.  He loses them.

He says he will promote unity.  He continually promotes division.

Rob Ortiz has brought the BCRO back from the brink.  From utter hopelessness to success.  There are more great things in store under Ortiz.  There is hope.  There is an upside.  We’re afraid we’ve already seen the best of Bob Yudin and it’s not so good.

Rob Ortiz is a step forward into a promising future.

Bob Yudin is a giant leap backwards in time to Talarico,to Caliguire, to embarrassment.

Take the time to learn the truth

Vote Rob Ortiz for Chairman.