Rush Holt

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-Hopewell Twp.)

PRINCETON - A week to the day after Congress passed a health care reform bill that she personally maneuvered through the lower house halls of power, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California on Saturday described the measure as a stimulus of economic and individual freedom.

"The public option creates dynamism in the economy," said Pelosi after touring the University Medical Center at Princeton with U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-Hopewell Twp.). "We want to encourage self-employment. We want people to take risks, and the biggest anvil around our entrepreneurial spirit is the cost of healthcare. This is a liberator for people.

"The premiums pay for the benefits," added the Democratic Party leader.

Pelosi was scheduled to attend a fundraiser on Holt's behalf after touring the hospital facility.

Although Holt regularly dispatches of his Republican challengers every two years by, on average, 30-point margins, he said he never underestimates his opponents in a Democratic district dominated by independent voters.

A week to the day after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a health care reform bill, Speaker Nancy Pelosi tomorrow afternoon will join U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-Hopewell Twp.) for a tour of the University Medical Center in Princeton.

OUT OF TOUCH HOLT CONTINUES TO DEFEND ACORNHalfacre:”172 Democratic Congressman voted for something that was unconstitutional??” 

Fair Haven Mayor Mike Halfacre today took Representative Rush Holt to task for his continued support of controversial community-action group ACORN, calling the Congressman’s comments at a townhall meeting in West Windsor Thursday night part of a continued pattern of siding with the extreme left wing of his party and against the wishes of his constituents.

WEST WINDSOR - At a town hall meeting tonight in front of a crowd of supporters, detractors and agitators, U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-Hopewell Twp.) defended his decision to vote in favor of healthcare reform legislation that Saturday passed in the House by a margin of 220-215. 

"The healthcare bill that passed requires standards of private employers, improves Medicare, and adds assistance healthcare coverage for almost all Americans," Holt, one of seven Democratic congressmen from New Jersey to vote in favor of the legislation, standing onstage in the Grover Middle School.

All five Republican congressmen from New Jersey voted against the bill, along with U.S. Rep. John Adler (D-Cherry Hill), the lone Democrat to cut from his party on the controversial bill.

"I'm very committed to a public option - a publicly administered government operated insurance policy - in addition to preserving an array of policies that currently exist," said Holt, who next year faces a challenge from GOP Fair Haven Mayor Mike Halfacre, who opposes a public option.

U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-Long Branch), center, in the crowd today with Assemblyman Joe Egan (D-New Brunswick), left, and Middlesex County Freeholder H. James Polos.

EDISON - Against a landscape of Middlesex County Democratic Party strife, Vice President Joe Biden this afternoon stumped for Gov. Jon Corzine, arguing the international context of the recession, which he said Republican candidate Chris Christie has tried to pin solely on Corzine.

"Jon has said he governed in tough times," said the vice president. "Let's give him the chance to govern in good times."

Deadlocked with Christie, according to most polls, Corzine's handlers want him to repeat a double-barrel message from here until Election Day two weeks from now: remind people that he acted early to blunt the impact of the recession, and that the pro-unon, pro-choice, anti-gun incumbent shares the values of most New Jersey voters. 

Biden was here to amplify that two-pronged argument.

"Isn't it great we have Barack Obama and Joe Biden in the White House?" Corzine asked the crowd. "Their values are our values, right?"

Fair Haven Mayor Michael Halfacre bashed U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-Hopewell) for being one of 75 Congressmen to continue support of federal funding for ACORN after staffers for the community organizing group were caught on camera coaching individuals posing as a prostitute and her pimp on how to evade taxes and hide cash.

Halfacre is seeking the Republican nomination to run against Holt next year.

"One again, Rush Holt has shown how out of touch he is with the people of the 12th Congressional District and that his attempts to portray himself as a moderate are just that- a portrayal", said Halfacre. "He was to the left of even his own party on cap and trade; he is to the left of his own party on healthcare reform and now, when 70% of his own party voted against giving any more funding to this controversial group, once again, Rush Holt stood with the far left of his party to continue funding them with taxpayer money. We seem to have a representative who thinks he represents San Francisco and not central New Jersey."

Holt was one of five New Jersey Democrats to vote against the resolution to withdraw federal funding to ACORN.  U.S. Reps. John Adler (D-Cherry Hill), Rob Andrews (D-Haddon Heights) and Steven Rothman (D-Fair Lawn) voted with the Republicans.

New Jersey's congressional delegation voted 8-5 along party lines in support of a House resolution voicing disapproval of U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), who shouted "You lie!" during President Barack Obama's address to a joint session of Congress last week.  Democrats John Adler, Rob Andrews, Rush Holt, Frank Pallone, Bill Pascrell, Donald Payne, Steven Rothman, and Albio Sires voted yes.  Republicans Rodney Frelinghuysen, Scott Garrett, Leonard Lance, Frank LoBiondo and Christopher Smith voted no.  The resolution passed 240-17.  Seven Republicans voted yes and twelve Democrats voted no.

A general election candidate in the 12th Congressional district last year, Alan Bateman, a former deputy mayor of Holmdel, notified voters this week that he intends to pursue a 4th Congressional District 2010 primary challenge of U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-Hamilton), whom Bateman believes has strayed from core GOP principles.

"I am running for U.S. Congress against current incumbent Chris Smith," writes Bateman in a request for financial support printed on "Bateman for Congress" letterhead.

"Chris Smith has been in Washington for 30 long years - that's right - 30 years! He is a Washington insider who is out of touch with the people," adds Bateman, a fierce ally of former gubernatorial candidate and movement conservative leader Steve Lonegan of Bogota. 

"...Chris Smith was one of eight Republicans who voted for cap and trade," says the self-described conservative. "His vote confirmed what most of us have known all along... Chris Smith is way too liberal for this district, drawn to be a safe Republican seat."

Alan Bateman

As part of the cap and trade vote fallout, last year's 12th Congressional District general election challenger could be next year's 4th District GOP primary challenger.

Holmdel businessman Alan Bateman is now mulling a 2010 run against veteran U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-Hamilton), he told PolitickerNJ.com.

"He's done great work on the pro-life issue, but being pro-life doesn't make you a conservative," said Bateman, an ally of movement conservative Steve Lonegan who in last year's general election lost by double digits to U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-Hopewell Twp.).

Bateman's biggest beef is cap and trade, which Smith supported with an "aye" vote earlier this summer.

"Let's let the free market do its job," said the prospective challenger, the former deputy mayor of Holmdel whose home has been on the market for six months, who says he wants to move into the 4th Congressional District.

Fair Haven Mayor Mike Halfacre

TRENTON - Fair Haven Mayor and private practice attorney Mike Halfacre figures he will probably need between $500,000 and $1 million to run an effective campaign against U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-Hopewell Twp.) in this major media market called the 12th Congressional District, and hhe sees postive signs early in his effort to muster support.

"As I stand here today I've raised $35,000," said Halfacre, 42, standing on the State House steps at the second of two press conferences he held today to formally launch his bid for U.S. Congress, where he savaged the sitting congressman.

In an unsuccessful 2008 bid against Holt, Halfacre's Republican predecessor, Alan Bateman, raised as much over the entire course of his campaign, which landed him an ovr 20% loss.

Bateman told PolitickerNJ.com yesterday that he intends to again seek the Republican nomination in the 12th District but as he nurses $6,000 in debt from last year, Halfacre and his allies say at a certain point the former deputy mayor of Holmdel "has to stop tilting at windmills."