September 18, 2008 - 10:07am
News
Schundler sides with Manzo in attempt to remove Healy from office
By Matt Friedman, PolitickerNJ.com ReporterCount former Jersey City Mayor Bret Schundler as one ally of former Assemblyman Lou Manzo in his quest to force Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy to forfeit his office.
“If what the officer said happened actually happened, then I think Healy should be removed,” he said.
After grand jury testimony surfaced from a police officer alleging that Healy tried to use his political status to “sweep” his 2006 disorderly conduct arrest in Bradley Beach “under the rug,” Manzo filed a lawsuit asking the Monmouth County Prosecutor to look into the matter.
Manzo feels that Healy was held to a different standard than former Newark Councilwoman Dana Rone, who was forced to leave the city council after a disorderly conduct conviction in which she tried to use her influence to get her nephew out of a traffic ticket.
Manzo’s suit met with harsh criticism not only from Mayor Healy, but also from fellow potential mayoral rival Steve Fulop – who’s no friend of Healy’s. Both pointed to what they said was a pattern of Manzo using lawsuits to further his own political ends.
Schundler, who is also plotting a return to City Hall next year, thinks that criticism is unwarranted.
“I would imagine that an awful lot of people think that he should be removed from office if that’s true,” said Schundler.
“Instead of an ad hominem attack on Lou, the question is whether what Lou is seeking is appropriate. What I really dislike very much about politics… is that rather than people dealing with your policy proposal, or in this case with the merits of Lou’s lawsuit, they attack him personally. What does that have to do with it?”
Fulop argued that he never personally attacked Manzo, and accused Schundler of hypocrisy.
"I’m just point out the facts. Lou has a track record of taking legal action to try to win elections, as opposed to going to the ballot box," said Fulop. "Bret has a very short term memory, because he did a hatchet job on Governor DiFrancesco when he was running in the (2001 gubernatorial) primary."
Timothy Howes, a lawyer representing Manzo in the lawsuit, is a former Schundler political ally, and donated to his 2001 and 2005 gubernatorial campaigns. But Schundler said that he’s not working in conjunction with Manzo.
Schundler also said he won’t have his own official campaign kickoff until after the November election.
“When you do the kickoff, when a lot of people call and say I want to volunteer, you want to have built your infrastructure so you can put them to work,” he said.
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Anything to get his name out there
First Bret leaks out he may run for mayor again, then he shows up at Fulop's pay to play ordinance and say he would have done the same thing grabbing headlines, now this Manzo headline grabber.
Come one Bret, put that Super EGO in check, your own people who used to support you got real tired of it too, you're not our Saviour, so move on Loser.
What infrastucture
Where is that kickoff going to take place,in a phone booth.Bret has been stalking all of fulops events by himself.
He has reached out to everyone who is anyone in political circles and
gotten the brushoff every-time.
Most people just think he is trying to keep a hi-profile so that Chris Christie will pick him for Lt governor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hh0_DGArxq0
shorekid
That's uncalled for, regardless of your feelings for Schundler.
But Natty...
...don't you wind up doing exactly what Schundler and so many voters detest? Instead of discussing his mission you trash his motives. Of course, he has a huge ego. I would expect a large ego from anyone seeking the big chair at City Hall. But if laws were broken (and only a court can determine that) shouldn't penalties be paid?
Mister NJ misses the point.
you missed the point, Schundler is grabbing headlines, it has nothing to do with why.
He's stalking Fulop and because this councilman gets a leg up on him and will draw from his base, Brilliant Bret just pops his head in and says, "Yeah I thought of that too, or would have thought of it first".
First it was Fulop's idea, now Manzo, anymore idea Bret's going to "Me too" to?
Come on, this story is yet another stupid attempt by Bret jumping on the bandwagon for more cheap media mention.
Let's get real Bret.
Should Fulop Run, I am Behind Him 100%
That said your post again does exactly what Schundler and so many voters detest.
He says he supports Manzo legal steps. Instead of discussing the plusses or minuses of the legal rangling, you bash Schundler's motives.
Voters don't care about motives. When Steve was collecting petitions, Healy's folks accused Steve of having political motivations. Guess what? I don't care. Pay2Play and Double Dipping is bad for the City. If Steve stands to benefit because he's championing the effort, Good for him. He deserves it.
As a former Mayor, Schundler is a leader (how big of a leader is yet to be determined) in the City. I am interested in what side of this he would take. By your logic though, if he criticized Manzo position he would be looking for the spotlight as well. Was Steve looking for the spotlight when after Healy trashed Manzo, he said "Me too!"???
Of course not, as a leader, his constituents deserved to know where he stood on the issue.
liberal scum
attacking Schundlers wife. Typical; these are the same idiots that are hacking into Palins family email. Both the angry Drunken MIck Healy and Ful crap have turned Jersey City into a third world toilet bowl.
Bret is using this
to avoid annoucing his pick for President. The guy won't go with McCain because McCain is too close to the middle and not an extreme mad man like Bret's buddy George Bush.
Manzo should be aware of Bret's hatred for a woman's right to choose, gun control, and gay rights.
don't you just hate it
when subtle posters like humbleservant couch their opinions in nuance? tell us how you really feel about progressives, the irish, and everyone else.
no wonder bret has no chance.
Schundler is pathetic and a stalker
How Pathetic, Schundler was once known as the "Wall St Wiz" and up and coming star of the NJ GOP is now reduced to showing up putside other political events, looking to sneak in for free, by himself, just to shake a few hands, hoping to get noticed.
He misses the attnetion he is not longer getting, but honestly, standing outside other political functions just to garner the spotlight for a few minutes just to make people notice you, without even an entourage, is pretty pathetic and cheap.
Next stop, Bret will have to hire a few friends to stand with him to make it look like he's got some following but will continue to stalk other Jersey City politicians.
Healy Singing
The Crosstown Country Allstars call up Mayor Jerramiah Healy to sing "Bradley Beach Prison" at thier gig at Lucky 7's in Jersey City on Sept. 13 2008.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hh0_DGArxq0
Quite a combo
Manzo and Schundler what a combo! The wannabee and the used to be ganging up on the still is.