Zeitz buoyed by DCCC designation
By Max Pizarro, PolitickerNJ.com Reporter
Josh Zeitz, left, speaks to a Saturday crowd that includes Mercer County Executive Brian J. Hughes, right.: Politicker photo
TRENTON - Since the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee last week listed the 4th Congressional race as one to watch, Democratic challenger Josh Zeitz has received, on average, cash commitments of $10,000 per day for his campaign, according to spokesman Steven D’Amico.
"It’s more than what we were getting before," said D’Amico, who wouldn’t specify exactly how much more.
Bolstered by the cash infusion, Zeitz took the floor at Saturday’s Obama HQ opening and declared that Nov. 4th will usher in a Democratic sweep.
Today, he joined fellow candidate for Congress, Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-Fanwood), excoriating U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-Hamilton) for standing by and allowing President George W. Bush to come into the 4th District today for a GOP fundraiser.
Zeitz, who said he opposed the war in Iraq from the beginning, recalled how the Bush administration told the American people that the war would pay for itself.
As he goes door-to-door in the district, the longshot candidate who faces a veteran in Smith, said he regularly encounters working people who are having a harder and harder time making ends meet, while the war continues at $10 billion a month and Wall Street crumbles.
"The economic squeeze has become a vice grip," Zeitz said.
On the campaign trail, he says he has met young people "who have had to defer the dream of a college education.
"Fundamentally, something has to change," the candidate argued. "Leonard Lance and Chris Smith, by accepting Bush’s help, show they would be excellent foot-soldiers."
Of the federal government’s proposed $700 billion bailout package for Wall Street, Zeitz said the plan must be vetted very carefully, particularly given the Bush administration’s history when it comes to trying to solve problems.
"Before billions are spent, we need to know exactly how this plan operates and what the conditions are," Zeitz said.
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What???
Josh Zeitz must be believing his own nonsense he writes in his fiction novels.Josh is behind in his own Democratic polls by 20+ points. The DCC has lost all its credibility and they did not have much to start out with.
Great Operation Josh
What a money maker operation for the elitist left wing liberals.The DCC makes up lies that Josh is in a close race when all the poll numbers show he is going to be crushed.The public gets manipulated into thinking the race is close so they give their hard earned money to Josh Zeitzs campaign who in return give the money to Democratic election consultants.
House of Cards
The Zeitz campaign is a house of cards. They talk about money 'commitments' but won't say how much they actually have. Commitments? The article last week showed what a sham the DCCC rating is. All the propping up indicates one thing-- this non-campaign was over before it began.
Let's talk issues
To get something out of the way, do Republicans really think that Dr. Zeitz doesn't know he's the underdog in this race? This former Cambridge University professor, I'm sure, understands his position in the race, just as I, someone whose been impressed by his positions, do, too. The DCCC designation is a compliment, of course, and speaks to some degree of real, palpable strength in Zeitz's campaign.
Anyone interested, heaven forbid, in actually discussing the issues? Specifically, from reading Zeitz's web site, writings, and postings on Blue Jersey, I am highly impressed with his command of the issues and his comprehensive policy positions. His proposal on alternative energy, for example, centers on investments in green jobs and, in his words, "developing new, innovative technologies we can create a green economy that provides high-paying jobs here in Central Jersey" (Swing State Project). Zeitz has repeatedly brought up the repurcussions of global warming and its relation to gas prices, among other economic issues; and he views the dichotomy between job creation and environmental preservation as a false one (and rightly so).
Though Congressman Smith has a good environmental record, he has been recently making some anti-environmental votes since Democrats have taken control of the house; this includes his vote against protecting the Taunton River from development (HR 415) to his recent, and unfortunate, vote to encourage oil drilling in Alaska (HR 6515).
Conclusion: On the topic of alternative energy, Zeitz has presented a much more comprehensive plan and would therefore be the superior candidate on this and other environmental issues.
Source #1:
http://www.swingstateproject.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=2276
Source #2:
http://www.votesmart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?cs_id=21116&can_id=269...
Mr. Zeitz has published two
Mr. Zeitz has published two works of serious non-fiction, not "fiction novels." And by the way, all novels are fiction, which GOP Mercer would know if he had read a "word definition dictionary." Is it not refreshing to have candidates who are literate and scholarly?
Zeitz has taken strong stances
As the third commenter rightly pointed out. I'd like to know which "all the polls" are that show a big Smith lead. There haven't been any public polls done that I've seen. And no, internal Smith campaign polls don't count.
Smith
Chris Smith is stronger than you all give him credit for. All huffing and puffing by Joshy only makes him look weak.
Smith has supporters on both sides of the aisle and no GOP or Dem who has supported Smith in the past will jump to Joshy's side because he says so? Because Joshy is so wonderful?
Please, Smith supporters who have elected him again and again will do so. Joshy has nothing to offer and it is painfully clear.