Frank LoBiondo

ASSELTA CALLS ON FDA TO CERTIFY N.J. SPINACH AS SAFE
Unsanitary California Produce Imperils New Jersey Farmer’s Livelihoods

Senator Nicholas Asselta, (R-1) and Congressman Frank LoBiondo, (NJ-02) called today on Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D., acting commissioner of the United States Food and Drug Administration to review and certify New Jersey spinach as safe for human consumption. The FDA advisory against eating any raw spinach is in response to an outbreak of E. coli that has been traced to crops grown in California’s Salinas Valley, far from southern New Jersey’s fields.

Just two of New Jersey's twelve Congressmen have a 100% voting record, according to Congress.org: Michael Ferguson and Frank LoBiondo. Donald Payne has the worst record of making roll call votes of the New Jersey delegation.

Mike Ferguson: 100%
Frank LoBiondo: 100%
Rodney Frelinghuysen: 99.53%
Frank Pallone: 98.83%
Jim Saxton: 98.59%
Bill Pascrell: 98.12%
Scott Garrett: 97.42%
Rush Holt: 97.42%
Chris Smith: 96.8%
Steve Rothman: 94.84%
Rob Andrews: 94.12%
Donald Payne: 81.69%

Only nine Members of Congress have a worse record than Payne; those nine include candidates for higher office and members with health issues.

Paul Stuart Aronsohn would become the eighth Rotarian-American to represent New Jersey in the U.S. House of Representatives, if he wins his November race with GOP incumbent Scott Garrett. He would also become the third Rotarian-American in the thirteen member New Jersey delegation, joining Hugh James Saxton and Frank LoBiondo.

The first New Jersey Rotarian American to win a House seat was Charles Wolverton, a Republican from Camden County who served as Assembly Speaker (while Walter Edge was Governor) before winning election to Congress in 1926. He spent 32 years in the House before retiring in 1958; his open seat was won by Assemblyman William Cahill, who became Governor eleven years later. In that 1969 GOP gubernatorial primary, Cahill defeated another Rotarian-American, Charles Sandman, a former Senate President who won an adjacent South Jersey House seat in 1966. Four years later, Cahill lost his bid for a second term when Sandman defeated him in the Republican primary.

One could argue Saxton and LoBiondo hold the Rotarian-American seats. Saxton holds Wolverton's old seat, while LoBiondo has the seat once held by Sandman. One of Sandman's predecessors in the second district was Elmer Wene, a Rotarian-American chicken farmer from Cumberland County. Wene was elected to Congress in 1936, but lost the seat two years later. He was elected Cumberland County Freeholder in 1939 and regained his House seat in 1940. After four more years in Congress, Wene ran for an open U.S. Senate seat; he lost to Republican Alexander Smith by a narrow 40%-49% margin. He won a State Senate seat in 1946, and lost a bid for Governor in 1949 to Republican Alfred Driscoll by a 52%-47% margin. He lost a race for Congress in 1950 and was defeated in the 1953 Democratic primary for Governor by Robert Meyner.

Gordon Canfield, a Rotarian-American Republican from Passaic County, was elected to Congress in 1940 after spending eighteen years as Secretary to his predecessor, Congressman George Segar. Canfield spent twenty years in the seat now occupied by Bill Pascrell, Jr.

The seventh Rotarian-American Congressman was Hugh Addonizio, who was a 34-year-old World War II veteran when he defeated an three-term GOP Congressman Frank Sundstrom in 1948. Addonizio left Congress in 1962 to run for Mayor of Newark; he lost his bid for re-election in 1970 to Kenneth Gibson, prior to his conviction on federal corruption charges. The Rotarian-American spent five years in prison.

Other prominent Rotarian-Americans in New Jersey politics include: William Albright, a State Senator from Gloucester County in the 1930's; Clarence Case, a former State Senate President (he represented Somerset County from 1918 to 1929) and New Jersey Supreme Court Justice, and the uncle of U.S. Senator Clifford Case; Joseph Chinnici, a Cumberland County Republican who served in the Assembly from 1972 to 1988; Joshua Haines, a Republican State Senator from Camden County from 1918 to 1920; Republican Charles Loizeaux, a former Mayor of Plainfield who was a State Senator from Union County from 1933 to 1941; and Robert Weber, a Cumberland County Republican who served in the State Assmebly from 1958 to 1960 and in the Senate from 1960 to 1966.

More than six months after he formed an exploratory committee to pursue a bid for Congress, Democrat Robin Benjamin Weinstein has decided against challenging Frank LoBiondo in the second district. Weinstein, 25, says he will instead run for the Woodstown Borough Council. LoBiondo won a 65%-33% victory over Brigantine Democratic Municipal Chairman Timothy Robb in 2004. Neither party believes LoBiondo, a six-term Congressman, is truly vulnerable, although some Democrats believe Assemblyman Jefferson Van Drew could someday emerge as a strong challenger.

MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES NEED PROTECTION FROM AMT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 17, 2006
CONTACT: Robin B. Weinstein (609) 504-4275

MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES NEED PROTECTION FROM AMT
The Senate appointed conferees for a tax bill that seeks to lower the rate for the capital gains and dividends taxes, but refuses to extend relief to the millions of middle-class families unjustly being affected by the Alternative Minimum Tax.

(WOODSTOWN, NJ)�Robin Weinstein today issued the following statement:

“On Tuesday, the Senate appointed conferees for HR 4297, the Tax Relief Act, which will lower the rate for the capital gains and dividends taxes, but refuse to extend relief to the millions of middle-class families unjustly being affected by the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). The AMT was originally passed in 1969 in an attempt to stop the wealthy from taking advantage of loopholes in the tax code, but as middle-class incomes are rising, the AMT is beginning to affect the average worker. Under the House Republican plan, nearly one-third of families (about 17 million households) earning between $75,000 to $100,000 will be subject to the AMT this year, burdening them with a tax increase as high as $3,640. Democrats offered a genuine reform of the AMT, which would exempt every family making less than $200,000 a year, but this amendment was rejected by Frank LoBiondo and the Republican majority.�

MR. WEINSTEIN GOES TO WASHINGTON

(WOODSTOWN, NJ)�Robin Weinstein completed his three day trip to Washington, D.C. this Saturday, where he met with Democratic members of New Jersey’s Congressional delegation to discuss his candidacy for U.S. Congress against Frank LoBiondo. Robin also met with state and local leaders during the NJ Chamber of Commerce events on Friday night.

LOBIONDO VOTE IS "IRRESPONSIBLE AND IMMORAL"
LoBiondo casts deciding vote to cripple aid for working families and seniors

Two years ago there was considerable speculation that Republican State Senator-elect Nicholas Asselta would switch parties. Asselta strongly denied reports that he had discussed a party switch with Democratic leaders, although PoliticsNJ.com continues to stand behind our report that he did. Again there is talk of an Asselta party switch, although two sources say the more likely scenario would be for Asselta to be offered a post in the Corzine administration. With Congressman Frank LoBiondo reversing his term limits pledge, and Senate Republicans in the minority, there may not be many opportunites for Asselta to move up. Should Asselta leave the Senate, Republicans (even if Asselta were to switch before his resignation, the law gives the seat to the party that won it in the last election) would hold a Special Election Convention to replace him -- look for Cape May County Freeholder Leonard Desiderio to be the front runner for that seat -- setting up a November 2006 Special Election against Democratic Assemblyman Jefferson Van Drew, who won re-election last week by in a massive landslide. If the rumors are wrong, you have to wonder how long it will take for Asselta and Van Drew to cease their peaceful coexistance: at some point Van Drew will want to be a Senator, and he almost surely shares Asselta's goal of someday replacing the 59-year-old LoBiondo in Congress.

Forrester, Congressman LoBiondo and Cape May County Leaders Pledge to Fight for 30 Percent Property Tax Relief

'Only Doug's 30%-in-3 plan provides the property tax relief New Jerseyans need'

Gubernatorial nominee Doug Forrester and Congressman Frank LoBiondo stood in Ocean City today with Cape May County leaders as part of Forrester's Take Back New Jersey Tour. Local officials and candidates endorsed Forrester and pledged to fight for his 30%-in-3 Guaranteed plan for property tax reform. From Labor Day to Election Day, Forrester is taking his message of real property tax relief to all 21 counties across the state.