Tom Moran

The story of the day is Tom Moran's Star-Ledger column bashing Sandra Bolden Cunningham, who is called an "insult to voters" who felt "no pain as she banged a hammer on her head over and over" explaining questions over a convicted sex offender on her campaign staff, a mega block party funded by her charitable foundation, a drunk driving conviction, and for riding a train without a ticket.

This is the kind of story that could end a campaign in a competitive district, but as Moran says: "To find the worst that New Jersey politics has to offer, go to the regions where one party dominates. The machines there are so cocky about their winning streaks that they've lost all perspective."

Moran's column is a must-read, and many political insiders have and will. But what about the people who will actually vote in the 31st district State Senate primary next week? The Jersey Journal, the Star-Ledger affiliated newspaper that serves Hudson County, didn't run Moran's column today.

Elvis impersonator Michael Albanese told the Star-Ledger's Tom Moran last week that he has been offered a taxpayer-funded job in exchange for dropping a criminal complaint against Anthony Chiappone, the Hudson County Democratic Organization candidate for State Assembly in the 31st district.  Albanese worked for Chiappone when he served as an Assemblyman in 2004.

Jon Corzine is out of the hospital, engaged in a lengthy rehabilitation program, and planning to return to his duties as Governor of New Jersey. Whether Corzine returns sooner - in a few weeks - or later - in a few months -, Democrats in the State House will try to get through the budget season as smoothly as possible. With more direct property tax relief, state aid to schools and colleges, and no new taxes, the Governor's budget proposal is not the worst platform for Democratic legislators to run for reelection on this fall. And Corzine's recuperation can be used to explain why the Democratic-controlled state government has not done more to address New Jersey's many pressing problems.

The question that remains, however, is, will Corzine resume pursuing the reform agenda that he campaigned on and has made theme of his Administration when he returns to office? Before answering that question, it is necessary to examine what precisely Corzine's reform agenda is, how much progress has been made on that agenda, and what remains to be done.

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Assemblyman Gary Schaer says that comments made by Arab-American businessman Sami Merhi in a Star-Ledger column written by Tom Moran is "evidence that he is unfit to have the endorsement of the Passaic County Democratic Party." Moran wrote that Merhi "was hesitant to condemn Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the two groups responsible for most suicide bombings in Israel and the occupied territories, even though he was perfectly comfortable condemning al Qaeda."

Schaer, an Orthodox Jew from Passaic, says that he is open to supporting a candidate from the Arab-American community on the Democratic line, just not Merhi. "Hamas is an organization that since September 2000, is credited with over 500 terrorist attacks, killing 400 Israelis and wounding over 2,100. Among their more infamous attacks was the bombing of a hotel during a Passover Seder holiday celebration in March of 2002, killing 30 and wounding 140 mostly elderly participants." The freshman Assemblyman was among the key players in a move to reject Merhi as a candidate for Freeholder.

Congressman Bill Pascrell, who supported Merhi's Freeholder bid, issued a statement today saying: "I unequivocally condemn any organization that commits acts of terrorism, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Any person who thinks differently is flat out wrong."

CORZINE AD BACKUP

Title: Wonder
Type: :30 TV
Date launched: 10/19/05

AD SCRIPT BACKUP

ANNCR: Ever wonder where Doug Forrester gets his phony tax numbers to smear Jon Corzine? They were made up by extreme right-wing groups like the National Taxpayers Union...

To Back Ups Its Claim, Forrester's Latest Attack Ad Cites Right-Wing Groups, Including NTU. A Forrester TV ad called "Comfortable," which first aired on October 17, claims that Corzine’s record on taxes has "earned him failing grades from 'tax watchdog' groups." A visual in the ad sources the National Taxpayers Union in particular. Forrester had previously attacked Corzine by invoking Americans for Tax Reform, saying that apart from NTU, "another group identified him as an enemy of the taxpayer." [Forrester TV Ad, "Comfortable," Launched 10/17/05; 101.5 Debate, 10/11/05]

It might not be enough to cause him to lose, but Jon Corzine seems to have a very real problem among a constituency that largely supported his bid for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination: County Chairmen. Consider this e-mail to PoliticsNJ.com from one of the most powerful Democrats in New Jersey, who asked that his name be withheld: "Big problems out there. The chairs are not moving. The Ferriero thing has created the attitude that Corzine has no memory. It is not about forgiving him. The feeling is that whether he wins or not gives no benefit to the county leaders. Democrats are a party without a candidate. They are in a no win situation. Loretta [Weinberg] has become the poster child for Corzine' s absence of memory. Even when it started, most pols thought Corzine was doing it with a wink from [Joe] Ferriero. The court cases proved it wasn't true and now Ferriero is stuck with a state senator he didn't want, any chairman's nightmare! Even I was surprised that Tom Moran got [John] Currie and [Phil] Thigpen on the record in the Auditor."

CORZINE AD BACKUP

Title: "Seventy Times"
Type: :30 TV
Date launched: 10/7/05

ANNCR: The truth on taxes: Jon Corzine has voted to lower taxes 70 times.

As Senator, Corzine Has Voted 70 Times To Lower Taxes, Redistribute Proposed Tax Cuts More Toward The Middle Class, And Pass Substitute Tax Cut Packages. [Vote #76, 4/5/01; Vote #112, 5/17/01; Vote #114, 5/17/01; #116, 5/21/01; Vote #119, 6/17/01; #124, 5/21/01; Vote #125, 5/21/01; Vote #126, 5/21/01; Vote #129, 5/21/01; Vote #133, 5/22/01; Vote #135, 5/22/01; #138, 5/22/01; Vote #139, 5/22/01; Vote #140, 5/22/01; Vote #141, 5/22/01; Vote #142, 5/22/01; Vote #143, 5/22/01; Vote #144, 5/22/01; Vote #148, 5/22/01; Vote #149, 5/22/01; Vote #151, 5/22/01; Vote #152, 5/22/01; Vote #156, 5/22/01; Vote #157, 5/22/01; Vote #159, 5/23/01; Vote #163, 5/23/01; Vote #164, 5/23/01; Vote #337, 11/14/01; Vote #338, 3/8/02; Vote #3, 1/25/02; Vote #7, 1/29/02; Vote #9, 1/29/02; Vote #10, 1/29/02; Vote #13, 2/6/02; Vote #149, 6/12/02; Vote #150, 6/12/02; Vote #72, 3/21/03; Vote #83, 3/25/03; Vote #95, 3/25/03; Vote #100, 3/25/03; Vote #107, 3/26/03; Vote #147, 5/15/03; Vote #149, 5/15/03; Vote #151, 5/15/03; Vote #153, 5/15/03; Vote #153, 5/15/03; Vote #154, 5/15/03; Vote #155, 5/15/03; Vote #160, 5/15/03; Vote #162, 5/15/03; Vote #163, 5/15/03; Vote #164, 5/15/03; Vote #165, 5/15/03; Vote #166, 5/15/03; Vote #167, 5/15/03; Vote #168, 5/15/03; Vote #169, 5/15/03; Vote $172, 5/15/03; Vote #366, 7/9/03; Vote #31, 3/3/04; Vote #81, 5/5/04; Vote #82, 5/5/04; Vote #91, 5/11/04; Vote #49, 3/11/04; Vote #71, 4/26/04; Vote #75, 4/29/04; Vote #76, 4/29/94; Vote #77, 4/29/04; Vote #210, 6/5/03; Vote #188, 9/23/04; Vote #62, 3/17/05]