Joe Cryan

Assemblyman and Democratic State Chairman Joe Cryan (D-Union) gave his two cents on the Republican debate between Chris Christie and Steve Lonegan tonight, linking both to former President George W. Bush.  

Below is his statement. 

Democratic Chairman Calls on Christie to Return Pay-to-Play Money

“It's time for Christie to do as he says”

TRENTON – Following a Wednesday Newark Star-Ledger editorial that asked for Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie to explain a variety of no-bid contracts he handed out to associates while United States Attorney, New Jersey State Democratic Chairman and Assemblyman Joseph Cryan today called on Christie to return contributions from, and solicited by, recipients of these no-bid contracts.  The Star-Ledger editorial follows previous editorials in the Asbury Park Press and Philadelphia Inquirer questioning the candidate's judgment in handing out no-bid contracts to people he had previous relationships with.

State Democratic Chairman Joe Cryan

Apparently not content to sit in the stands and let Chris Christie and Steve Lonegan duke it out on their own as the Christie campaign today unleashed a Republican Primary attack ad, State Democratic Chairman Joseph Cryan called on the front-running Christie to return campaign contributions given and solicited by recipients of no-bid contracts Christie awarded while serving as U.S. Attorney.

“It has been well-established by news reports, editorial pages and Chris himself that he used remarkably bad judgment in handing out multi-million dollar no-bid monitoring contracts to a variety of people he had previous dealings with,” said Cryan, specifically citing a Thursday Star-Ledger editorial that upbraided Christie for failing to fully explain his role in awarding no bid federal monitoring contracts.  

PASSAIC – A show of force rally Monday on the steps of City Hall featuring U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-Hoboken) raising the arm of Mayor Alex Blanco didn’t intimidate city supervisor Vincent Capuana, who’s challenging Blanco in the May 12th election.

“You don’t think Menendez was there to protect that big (legal) contract of his friend, Donald Scarinci?” queried Capuana, a longtime School Board member who lost to Blanco by 200 votes in last year’s special election for mayor.

Scarinci’s firm gets $350,000 annually for the legal work it performs in Passaic. He has had the contract since 1992 and in that time has served the administrations of four mayors. 

“I have not been involved in the campaign or contributed to any candidate,” longtime Menendez backer Scarinci told PolitickerNJ.com. 

Former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan on the Statehouse steps.

TRENTON – Pat Benatar’s “Hit me with your Best Shot” blared out of speakers then died – but only defiantly - as a 101.5 radio personality built up Steve Lonegan, a long coat-clad GOP gubernatorial candidate and the state’s movement conservative in chief, who came out of the rain to stand under the pillars.

Lonegan stepped up to the mike at the podium on the front steps of the State Capitol with the crowd stretching across West State Street.

“You heard them talk about ‘Yes, we can’ last year and what that turned out to mean was apologizing to Europe for the greatness of America, it meant “Yes, we can” create more government,” yelled Lonegan, who faced a rain-spattered 300 here on a 101.5 SOS to protest high taxes, even as the Senate Budget Committee crouched inside and considered Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine’s proposed $29.8 billion budget.

American flags waved.

Up the block in front of the Annex and nursing their own anti-Corzine issues, leaders of CWA Local 1033 huddled in their van behind closed doors, apparently recognizing that for the moment it would be futile to try to compete with the self-styled Tom Paines and Patrick Henrys who dominated in blue jeans, parkas and baseball caps.  

U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-Hoboken), right, endorses Passaic Mayor Alex Blanco

PASSAIC – The city stood at City Hall, or so it seemed, as a large crowd gathered to give its blessing to Mayor Alex Blanco, who tonight announced his intentions to run for mayor again, with the backing of U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-Hoboken), State Democratic Party Chairman Joe Cryan and Passaic County Democratic Chairman John Currie all present to augment the voices of the people.

Trumpeted as a long time coming crumbling of wink and nod politics in Passaic, the mayor’s “Honesty in Action” campaign kick-off flew in the face of a ragtag assortment of Vincent Capuana allies, who heckled the speakers from their campaign HQ on the other side of Passaic Avenue, but were mostly drowned out by the merengue-salsa-soul rhythm spectacle of Blanco and his base.  

“Let no one, not even an opponent we defeated in November, stop our forward progress,” cried Blanco. “When people ask you, ‘Why are you so confident you can make change?’ You tell them, ‘The doctor is in!’”

Running on the heels of a mayor indicted - and later jailed - on corruption charges by then-U.S. Attorney Chris Christie, podiatrist Blanco defeated city super/School Board President Capuana last year, 3,859 to 3,656, after he secured the powerful 3rd Ward backing of Assemblyman/Council President Gary Schaer (D-Passaic).

The Governor in Essex on Wednesday evening.

WEST ORANGE – The Governor of New Jersey usually doesn’t wait long to address a collective of his own party, but this being Essex in a gubernatorial election year, the governor stayed on ice during a drum roll ceremony that was as much a buildup of Essex as it was a buildup to Gov. Jon Corzine.

Corzine didn’t appear to mind – and with reason.

“Barack Obama won nearly 250,000 votes in Essex last year,” the governor roared when he finally took the microphone. “If you give me 250,000 votes, this election’s signed, sealed and delivered” – a reference to the Stevie Wonder anthem a deejay played to introduce Corzine, subliminally strengthening the governor’s linkage to Obama, who  favored the song last year on the campaign trail.

The all-day buzz was that this Essex County Democratic Convention would present the unmistakable photo op of former Gov./Senate President Richard Codey (D-West Orange) and Corzine onstage together, arms raised in a ceremonial show of solidarity as the blockbuster credits rolled. 

Democratic Chair and Assemblyman Cryan statement on the passing of Assemblyman Munoz, M.D.

TRENTON – Democratic Chair and Assemblyman Joe Cryan this evening issued this statement on the passing of Assemblyman Eric Munoz, M.D. (R-Summit):

Councilman Marty Small, left, with Damon Tyner

Atlantic City Democratic Committee Chairman Robert McDevitt wrote a letter today to Democratic State Chairman Joe Cryan declaring 2nd Ward Councilman Marty Small the local organization’s choice for mayor over incumbent Lorenzo Langford.

Cryan in response said he intends to stay out of the matter at this point and on advice from counsel believes McDevitt has the right to make the endorsement without the state party's imprimatur. 

“That decision is a clear validation of my campaign to bring big change to Atlantic City,” Small told PolitickerNJ.com.  

The local chairman’s decision comes following a deadlocked outcome at the committee’s mayor’s candidate forum on March 16 and subsequent communications with the state party committee.  

MCDO Chairman Joe Spicuzzo

In his first conversation with embattled Assemblyman Joe Vas (D-Perth Amboy) since Vas absorbed corruption charges from the state Attorney General’s office nearly two weeks ago, Middlesex County Democratic Organization Chairman Joe Spicuzzo urged the former Perth Amboy mayor to resign his seat as chair of the local Democratic organization.

“I told him it would be better for all concerned if he did resign,” said Spicuzzo, who spoke with Vas this morning. “He told me he’s done nothing wrong and does not intend to give up his chairmanship. So we’ll let the process play out. His term is up in early June. 

“He also defended the party over there in Perth Amboy and challenged recent quotes in the paper that his organization is floundering,” Spicuzzo added.