Burlington versus Trenton in 3rd District showdown

By Max Pizarro | October 9th, 2008 - 1:50pm
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Trying to get disentangled from a corruption trial narrative that has put Democrats on the run these last two weeks, state Sen. John Adler (D-Camden) trained his sights on the Republican-engineered Burlington County Bridge Commission scandal, and urged his GOP rival in the 3rd District Congressional race to demand a return of $2.7 million in taxpayer dollars pilfered during that more local example of government gone bad.

“When it comes to rooting out corruption in Burlington County, (Medford Mayor) Chris Myers is nowhere to be found," said Mark Warren, Adler's campaign manager. "His silence is deafening."

The Adler campaign charged that Myers has kept his mouth shut on the issue despite the conviction of a lobbyist who was found guilty of over-billing the commission by $2.7 million. The convicted lobbyist, Robert Stears, headed a Trenton lobbying firm in which Tom Wilson, chair of the state Republican Party, was also a partner.

“Myers has accepted thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Burlington County GOP boss Glenn Paulsen and then-Bridge Commission chairman Garfield DeMarco, who looked the other way when the lobbying firm collected payments from the commission for work it didn't perform,” said Warren.

Why the silence? Adler wanted to know.

The Myers campaign responded by deflecting the issue back to state budget officer George LeBlanc’s still-fresh testimony at the trial of former Sen. Wayne Bryant (D-Camden) about the lack of administrative oversight of a $40 million property tax relief fund - and getting a dig in at Adler’s connection to the South Jersey Democratic Organization and embattled U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel (D-New York), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.

"Wow. Every time you think John Adler can't possibly get more desperate and pathetic he fires off a press release like this,” said Chris Russell, Myers’s campaign manager. “Here are the facts: John Adler is a creature of the most notorious county political machine in the state. John Adler was caught lying about his role in the operation of a secret slush fund that funneled taxpayer dollars to his friends, and even his own family members, and now he's scrambling to muddy the waters.

"John Adler is the only corrupt Trenton politician in this race," Russell added. "Chris Myers has made his position on government corruption very clear. If you break the law, you should be punished. Period. That goes for Republicans or Democrats. Speaking of campaign contributions, has Adler returned Charlie Rangel's money yet?”

Democrats argue that Republican lawmakers also used pet project money from the fund, but concede the lack of transparency in the way their party administered the money.

As someone from

outside the district, I would say that this Trenton "Slush Fund" debacle is really going to hurt Adler. Much how the economy has turned the focus of the presidential election, this issue seems to be changing the dynamics of this race too.

No Way

Adler getting $20,000 for his district is way different than Myers's associations with the machine that took $2.7 million from the Burlco taxpayers.

Myers is going to regret trying to blaspheme Adler on corruption. The guy wrote the state's toughest anti-corruption laws.

No Association

There is no "association" between Myers and Stears other than they are both from Burlington County. Your lies continue but what is mor etroubling is your blind defense to Adler's use of a slush fund to reward his political allies. The slush fund was secret and was so terrible, Corzine eliminated it. First Adler said he had nothing to do with it, then said he did but didn't direct the money, and now we find out that the towns confirmed he was involved. He lies more than you do. Are you John Adler? Four polls - four Myers leads. Watch out for the shoes John - Alice may fight you for the pink pumps.

Myers' Associations

Myers has never spoken out against the Republican party hierarchy in BurlCo. Why should he? After all, they bankroll his campaign (according to opensecrets.org, Boss Paulsen has given $4600 to the Myers campaign), provide his support staff (Russell and Layton are machine lackeys and don't know the meanings of the word "reform" or "clean government"), and intertwined at every level of BurlCo government. While Myers has been Medford mayor or councilman, Boss Paulsen's law firm, Capehart & Scatchard, has received lucrative town contracts for bound counsel and for legal retainer.

Myers was silent during all of this, and his tacit approval of machine-politics-as-usual does not represent a good, clean government approach to ethics reform. Compare that to Adler who wrote one of the toughest ethics laws in the state, one that repealed pension benefits for public servants convicted of a crime.

Holy Crap

And I didn't even know about the fat legal contracts doled out to Paulsen's law firm. It just keeps getting worse and worse for Myers.

IGNORANCE

Once again, ignorance is bliss. First of all, there is not one shred of evidence that Myers took any 2.7 mill personally like Adler did from the Bryant Slush Fund.

Secondly, any thing Myers has done for Lockheed is for promoting business. Myers has created many jobs, how many jobs has Johnny jump to it created? Please name one job or business that Adler has helped>?

Myers is clean compared to Adler, go ahead, keep spinning away and watch Myers keep rising.

Alice you are a joke

All innuendo and no facts. Typical. Myers knew someone who knew someone who knew someone who committed a crime. Guilty as charged. Sounds exactly like the story you told of having a friend who had a cousin who had a sister who knew someone who was a penpal of a soldier in Iraq who was opposed to the war. Thanks for the laugh loser. That bogus charge worked well for Fifis, what'sherface, and Bodine the last time around. Feel free to keep using it. It won't stick - sort of like the rug you wear on your head. Adler took dirty money from Rangel, praised Sharpe James and Wayne Bryant and now has been proven to be a liar and cheat. Four polls - four leads for Myers. Put your lipstick on Martian - but don't forget to make sure your shoes match your purse.

Bam!

That about says it OC!

3rd District

The 3rd District Congressional race will be decided in Ocean County.

http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1533001876

Idiot

Did you listen to Myers's first answer? What an idiot. He didn't say anything.

This guy doesn't know anything about the economy. He legitimately scares me. This guy does not deserve to serve in Congress.

Wow. What a joke.

The Burlco Bridge Commission is going to create a lot of problems for Myers. Paulsen's donations to Myers's campaign and the contracts that Paulsen's law firms received from Myers's administration are a serious issue. Wow. I'm stunned. What a hypocrite.

Myers also knows Kevin Bacon

Well, he never met Kevin Bacon but he went to college with a guy whose sister worked in a restaurant that Kevin Bacon went to once in 1998.

The mayor of a town located 20 miles from an obscure commission would have no knowledge or authority over their operations.

That is like Myers being blamed for Chris Brown's abuse of his own pay-to-play laws because it happened in a town in Burlington County.

The reality is that John Adler actively pursued funding for his wife's employer. He used a slush fund that even Jon Corzine deemed was created illegally.

Adler is losing - has been losing - and spending $$$$$ will not change him from a Liberal Lawyer from Cherry Hill/Trenton Politician.

Oh, and before you guys start yelling BARK PAULSEN AHHHHHH!!!!! Remember this - $2M spent last year screaming that same message did not work - and that did not include the staunch Republican voters in OC.

Ain't gonna happen.

Amen

Amen abetternjnow. I did not say it as well but it was close. Someone iamreallyaliberaldem oc thinks the bridge issue will be successful - I think he actually used "Wow!" to express his excitement or his fake surprise. You may know, but how did the issue work when Rick Perr spent millions trying to tie the Republicans on this issue on behalf of Fifis, Whatsherface, and Bodine? How are their Trenton careers going? And I love how iamreallyaliberaldem oc hates the thought of returning tax money back to the people so they can spend it. Typical Adler supporter. Down in four polls; criticizes Jim Saxton for getting an earmark for the largest private employer in the District (Lockheed); gleefully accepts the endorsement of a group which seeks to shut down Lockheed Martin; gleefully accepts tainted campaign cash from Charlie Rangel who has been criticized for not stepping down from his committee chairmanship and has had editorials written stating that the campaign cash should be returned; gleefully accepts the endorsement and tainted cash of the extremely important Regional..oops...Recreational Fishing Alliance which has been sexually harassing its employees; and now we find out that Adler is taking a page from iamreallyaliberaldem oc and Martian's playbook and lying when he stated that he knew nothing about the Bryant-Adler slush fund yet the facts show that he directed the towns to the slush fund. Great campaign work. www.firemarkwarren.com Time to get your money back from Mark Warren Johnny boy. He is the Mr. Magoo of NJ politics.

Great Campaign Work

Let's talk about great campaign work. Adler's campaign has raised more money than any non-incumbent in the country. Myers's campaign has raised so little money that it needed to bring in the most unpopular President in our history.

If Myers wins easily, he wouldn't be running around bragging about being in statistical dead heats with John Adler. He would just keep doing what he is doing and watch the voters come to him.

But he's running around bragging about being in statistical dead heats, trying to get some money and positive press.

John Adler, on the other hand, isn't running around saying he's in a statistical dead heat. He's sticking to his game plan and watching as the numbers turn from GOP - 60, Dems 40 to GOP 41, Dems 40.

Myers is the one that's lost 19 points, not Adler. I'd call that pretty good campaign work.

Give the ads a week, the numbers will turn even further. Chris Russell will be looking for a job pretty soon.

Great campaign work

He raised money to crap it down the toilet. Congrats. I would be very proud of wasting over a million dollars, firing one campaign manager, getting ready to fire another, and losing in four polls. Hell, they couldn't even prop up their own poll to show him leading. Lost 19 points? What the hell are you talking about? Adler has run in this district once before and can't even match what he got back then. Talk about a joke. The only bigger joke here is you trying to convince people that Alder is going to win this outright. People are tired of Trenton politicians stealing their money, lying about it and then when caught, trying to criticize a honest politician like Jim Saxton for helping the largest private employer in the district without the use of a Bryant-Adler slush fund. You would call a losing campaign "good campaign work." I am sure you would agree with Martian that Dennison ran the "best campaign in NJ". Delusional is too kind of a description for you.

WONDERFUL

Ok, I feel sorry for Indie OC because he/she refuses to look at common sense, but common sense will hit him/her bam when Myers wins.

The fact that Johnny Jump to it, has spent all this money on ads, etc cannot jump ahead of Myers shows he is in danger.

Myers has nothing to do with the Bridge Commission but apparently, Johnnys wife, Shelly, is very comfortable on concil in CH or Haddon Heights, one of the two.

So Johnny and his wife are both enjoying being in positins of power.

Scary

Myers wins

Ads

I think he probably did spend a lot of money on ads.

Which is fortunate because they just hit tv this week. Which means that the poll numbers are all pre-advertisement.

Hmm. Adler wins.

Right

Your logic again is flawed. do you know how many people turn off the tv when these negative ads come on?

Ask your friend Martin how much was spent last year in the 8th disrict from Camden county Dems to run ad after ad after ad bashing the GOP? Well, the GOP still won big.

Adler is a lame, lying, typical trenton pol who is in deep with Camden County and Burlco aint having it.

Oh, its over in Ocean County, Myers is up in Ocean and growing. Burlco is on its way.

Desperation and stupidity loses - Myers wins

Huh?

Numbers don't lie. Myers has lost what was a 19 point GOP lead 2 years ago. Burlco is Adler's and Ocean will be a lot closer than expected.

To follow convention here - Adler wins. Call him whatever names you want, but he's in position to win this thing.

Wait, Adler wins!

Moron

Why has Adler "lost" 8 points since his last congressional run? Your question is a lame attempt to show Johnny Bye Bye is holding his own. Yet he spend $1 million against a guy with $155k at the last reporting date and he is STILL losing. Adler wins? Are you Marijuana Man? Because you need to stop smoking weed.

Ha

You should conjugate your verbs correctly.

Anyway, it's all in place for Adler to win. Chris "Look, look I'm up by one point in a historically Republican district!!" Myers is in terrible shape.

Adler's strong positioning

Independent OC: You're absolutely right that all is in place for an Adler victory. I hope to meet you while volunteering for Adler. I think that many of President Obama's initiatives will be roundly supported by Adler in Congress, and this will be a good thing for health care reform, the Iraq War redeployment, and a host of other issues.

And, just so you know, the person pseudonymousely called "the oc" is not one open to reasonable, thoughtful discourse, though I admire your attempts to do so. In the past, this thoughtless thug/troll has done the following: made lewd comments about Nancy Pelosi's breasts, made comments about his anus in relation to homosexuality, and stated that former Senator Max Cleland was probably "showing off" when he got his limbs blown off in Vietnam. Classy, I tell you.

Huh??

Martin when did anyone say anything about Pelousi's breasts??!?!?! Sorry I do not recall reading that.

However, how many races have you predicted that have won?

Case closed.

Oh Indie oc, four polls were taken this week in parts of the 3rd in Burlco, Myers was up in all except one tie.

Keep dreaming and oh yes, Myers wins

Haha

the oc, what a waste of a person. S/he said Max Cleland was "showing off" when he lost his limbs? Wow. the oc is the kind of blind party loyalist that destroys cooperative, bipartisan discourse in this country.

pablos, you seem to be a bit more reasonable than the oc. Unfortunately your candidate has run a weak campaign in a historically Republican district and is poised to lose to a "liberal, Cherry Hill lawyer."

This is a terrible year to field a weak candidate. The NRCC knows this, almost every local organization, including the VFW, knows this, and the voters know this.

Burlco isn't going to go red out of blind party loyalty. The suggestion that it will, especially this year, is insulting to the intelligence of its residents.

Voters

of burlco vote the person. Over and Over an Adler comes into play and is beaten. GOP strongholds in Burlco are Medford, Mt Laurel, Moorestown, Marlton, Pemberton, Shamong, Tabernacle and Southampton to name a few. Go to the County Clerk site of Burlco and you will see how the voting goes.

It is a matter of watching the towns and watching the voting for years. Now, I will say this; if Adler was not a Camden County pol, he may have had a better chance but Burlo rejects Camden over and over. The only Camden Pol to hold any seat in Burlco is Rob Andrews but only because out of the three towns he reps in Burlco two go dem all the time Maple Shade and Palmyra. Riverton goes Red.

Burlco will take one of their own.

BurlCo

I'm afraid that it isn't a question of whether Adler wins Burlington County: It is a question of how much he wins BurlCo by and whether it is enough, along with a massive Cherry Hill victory, to offset any losses in OceanCo. Burlington, Mt. Laurel, Evesham, Edgewater Park, Pemberton, Willingboro, Delran, Marlton (off the top of my head) will all go Democratic. When local organizations like the Teamsters, Outdoor Alliance, Fraternal Order of Police, Professional Firefighters Assocation, Sierra Club of N.J., get involved and support Adler over Myers, then local support for Adler grows even further. Keep in mind that, district-wide, Obama is leading McCain 46-43%, and I don't see many Obama supporters voting for the pro-war Chris Myers.

Adler commercials are on the air and will continue to run, while Myers has none. Newspaper endorsements will surely favor Adler over Myers, just as organizations such as those above do, thus ensuring his victory in November.

Oh Martin

When will you ever stop believeing your own garbage? One could easily repost all of the same things you have said the past two years and it is nothing more than repeat.

Kerry bested Bush in NJ and led in Burlco all the way, but the local seats in Burlco REMAINED GOP. In 2006 with the Dem take over, guess what??? GOP retained their seats again.

All your talk about non-important to most issues ie Sierra Club, Gay Rights, etc do not resonante on the average taxpayer and voter. Now, I have gay family members whom I support and love and I DO support all amendments supporting same sex unions etc. However, to me and many others, that is not as important today as paying taxes, healthcare, etc.,

Adler is still not known in Burlco and if you go door to door randomly as we have the past several weekends helping to stump for Myers, people do not know Adler but that of a Camden County pol.

Remember Martin and I will try to help you remember, Burlco is solid when it comes to their voters. You said the same things about Dennison last year and Diane Allen bested him by over 6,000 votes in a low turnout election.

Translation: Burlco votes for the person and NOT party which was evidenced by Diane Allen.

Also, do you honeslty think the continual negative TV ads are going to help Adler? Many people in Mt Laurel where we were there last weekend told us they hate any negative ads and after the first 5 times on TV, they turn the channel.

Are you going to the October 19th debate in Cherry Hill Sunday????? I would like to meet you.

BurlCo continued

Pablo3: Using your own criteria (BurlCo votes differently for local vs. national/state elections), Adler wins Burlington County, just as Menendez, Gore, Kerry, and Corzine did, while the local elections tends to favor Republicans. I actually look at this election as having the possiblity to transform BurlCo, with the possible election of Democratic freeholder(s) there and/or possibly in OceanCo. After all, McCain, now down 15% in the state, isn't competing here, Obama is gaining, not losing, strength in N.J., and the top-of-the-ticket strength bodes better for Obama-Lautenberg than McCain-Zimmer. I would also remind you that Democrats have been winning locally in BurlCo, from the Moorestown mayoral race to the Delran municipal elections to the Evesham mayoral race. Kotch's victory as county Surrogate is nothing to dismiss, either. And the reason, frankly, that Republicans have done well in county elections is because of the corrupt BurlCo machine and the Paulsen 20 who bankroll Republican candidates in exchange for government contracts -- not good for the taxpayer. Adler was already winning in BurlCo and Cherry Hill, per the Courier Post, and that was pre massive t.v. ad buy. Having five times more money to spend helps, doesn't it?

And, yes, I'll absolutely be at the Cherry Hill debate and would be pleased to meet you, too. Be sure to introduce yourself.

Alice cries yet again

boooooooooooooooooo hoooooooooooooooooooo!!! Dorothy you are the biggest crybaby on this board. Go suck your thumb, crawl in the corner, and hold on tight to your purse. You call me a thug? You limp wristed hypocrite. You told me that my family member who dies in Iraq - died for nothing and I should not inject personal experiences into a debate. You called me a balding, fat, and unemployed. I guess you were looking in the mirror when making that reference. So please forgive me - or not I don't care - for your whining a crying like a 4 year old little girl falling upon deaf ears. I heard this tired act of you being the victim too many times to count.

And darn, iamreallyaliberaldem oc doesn't like me. Crap - what will I do? The comment I made about Max Cleland was taken from quote made by a fellow Vietnam veteran in Cleland's platoon who claimed he (Max) was playing with a grenade when it when off. You have a problem with that, go talk to the guy who was there. Otherwise I could care less what you think about the matter.

No TV ads? Another lie. Ads are running calling into question Adler's illegal slush fund. Also, it is telling that you forgot to mention the "all important and respected" Regional...oops...Recreational Fishing Alliance endorsement. Or the Council for a Livable World. Why did you forget those? Maybe because one comes with the baggage (no not hand baggage you dolt) of having to answer why the RFA sexually harasses its employees? Or why the other one has called for losing thousands of jobs from the largest private employer in the district? We all know Adler hates Lockheed especially when his campaign manager criticizes Jim Saxton for getting a cleared, transparent earmark for the company. But Adler is so anti-defense he gleefully accepts their endorsement.

And there is no possibility of the Dems winning freeholder races in Ocean. You clearly are delusional. Time to pad the walls in mommy's basement.

Muttering

Ha, so were you muttering "the liberals are out to get me?" over and over while you wrote that rant.

NJ-3's still slipping away.

Finally

Finally you realize the 3rd is slipping out of Adler's grasp. Glad you see the light. $1.2 million spent and all he can muster is 8 points less than he lost by in 1990. Four losing polls+one fired campaign manager=troubled times in Cherry Hill.

Winning Poll!

'Nough said.

selective amnesia, right-wing style

If it isn't enough that a poster in question ("theoc") believes that McCain is competing in N.J., said person also sees Myers, with a 5-1 deficit in available funds, repeated ignoring from the NRCC, no substantial ad buys, and facing an Obama tsunami at the top of the ticket, as having the upper hand with three weeks left in the campaign. To use theoc's lame formula: Myers being behind in latest poll + no Myers volunteers + Adler's massive fundraising advantage + Adler's massive organizational and endorsement advantage = Myers campaign in deep, deep trouble. Another useful formual: Theoc = lame comebacks and selective amnesia.

Tell the truth Alice

Did you get evicted from Wonderland Alice? Need a new pair of pumps? First, I never said McCain was "competing" in NJ - in response to a lie you spewed I stated that his campaign had not abandoned NJ. Evidence the next day showed you were wrong. And you have the balls - ah no you don't - anyway, you have the audacity to criticize others for saying something (which I did not) which never happended or was outrageous? Dennison ran the nest campaign in NJ I believe I remember you saying? Still believe that? What a load of crap you are. The NRCC is not "ignoring" Myers - but I keep forgetting you are an insider. Your entire post is full of one lie after another that it would take me two pages to refute. Lame comebacks? There are plenty of people on here who get a kick out of me kicking your butt around like the limp wrister you are. You whine and cry like a little school girl. It is almost unfair.

As for iamreallyaliberaldem oc - the poll is bogus. Where did they sample? The won't release the numbers and called it "limited". What the hell does that mean? I just sampled 400 people and 95% said you are an idiot - but you lost - Alice got 100%.

Typical

Typical no comment from the socialist wing of the Democrat party on Adler's endorsement by the RFA and Council for a Livable World. Wasn't it a month ago that Tinker Bell claimed the RFA endorsement was a major one? Do you think a group that sexual harasses employees is something you should cheer about? Or does working for them sound exciting? Also both of you nuts have failed to mention that the CWA and NJEA have refused to endorse Adler. Alice the Educator must be throwing another tantrum over that one. Are you going pout all of the way to mommy's basement?

claim v. fact

Claim: The NRCC isn't "ignoring" Myers.
Fact: No ad buys from the NRCC. All they did was some polling for themselves to see if they could invest in the race, then they pulled out.

Claim: McCain has full scale operations in N.J. and hasn't conceded the state.
Fact: McCain nor Obama competed in N.J. because N.J. isn't competitive and is instead strongly Democratic.

You see, the oc, the difference between us is that I could care less about you, a pathetic, cowardly miser who hides behind a pseudonym but is too afraid to meet for public debate. You're so pathetic that you attack organizations such as CLW and RFA rather than admit their endorsement of Adler helps, not hurts him. It is the issues that matter to me and the victory of Menendez, Obama, Adler, et al. You're going to be out of a job come November 5, by the way.

Again

Truth vs fiction - Alice's dad should have pulled out. But the NRCC has not. They just spent money a week ago in the District. Good Lord you are a terrible liar. McCain does have a full scale operation in NJ - have you been to their office? When will you stop lying?

oooh Alice - you hurt me soooo much. Crying to your mommy again? Did you finally find the nads Toto snatched from you? You are totally clueless. Please remember for the millionth time - you refused to meet me you limp wristed pansy. Where you at a handbag sale or did you have extra points to use at DSW to get those pretty pink pumps? Maybe the crate load of Propecia came to your basement dwelling and you couldn't help yourself? Now I know the reason for the hairy palms - certainly could not be any other reason. But you can care less about me? Then why do you constantly complain and whine like the squealing balding pig you are? What a joke you are. And you think the CLW and RFA are helping? You are the idiot I thought you were. The CLW wants to cut our defense and kill jobs at Lockheed Martin. That is good for the District? RFA sexually harasses employees. That is good for the District. Thanks for confirming Adler has a bunch of morons volunteering for him. And it matters to you? Why? You don't even live in the District. PS I won't be out of a job November 5th. I have a real job unlike you - the non stop student "educator" who can't get the balls to live in the real world. Now I know why you want socialists in charge - because you want to continue to suck off the teat of the American taxpayer. It is the only "job" you know.

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