Steve Lonegan for Governor [NJ Conservatives Squabble]

Last week you received an email (see below) from Paul Weyrich supporting Bret Schundler's candidacy for New Jersey Governor. Unfortunately, since Paul, like most Schundler for Governor supporters, does not live in New Jersey, he may not be aware of why nearly every New Jersey conservative leader who backed Bret in 2001 is not supporting his candidacy in 2005 and why most are with Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan for Governor (www.loneganforgovernor.com).

As someone who helped Bret Schundler in both the 2001 primary and general election, I'm writing you to explain why I too am not supporting Schundler this year and why I am backing Mayor Lonegan instead.

Three years ago, Bret Schundler humiliated conservatives, not just in New Jersey but across the nation, by getting just 42 percent of the vote against Jim McGreevey, the worst defeat suffered by a statewide candidate since Jim Courter lost to Jim Florio all the way back in 1989. His defeat was caused by running away from the people and issues that propelled him to victory in the June 26th primary.

Despite a liberal past that included a losing State Senate race where Schundler was the pro-abortion challenger to a pro-Life Democrat and a less than conservative record as Jersey City Mayor, conservatives rallied behind Schundler in the 2001 primary as a way to topple the failed pro-Whitman liberal party leadership. Many of you were a part of that exciting campaign. When the votes were counted on primary night, Schundler won 57 percent of the vote, beating the party organization column and so-called "bosses" in nearly every county in the state.

Imagine then the shock when on primary night, the people on the stage with Schundler weren't the pro-Life, anti-tax and pro-Second Amendment rank and file, but the very same party hacks we had just defeated!

The next day, nothing had changed. The same people who had been running the Republican Party were still running the Republican Party. The same party chairs who had fought Schundler tooth and nail were still calling the shots. And conservatives were exactly where we were the day before the primary -- powerless in the party and ridiculed by the liberal media and the political establishment.

From that point on it was all downhill. I watched our nominee backtrack on the very conservative issues that gave him victory in the primary from guns to abortion to taxes and debt. The final straw was where Schundler said that his position on guns "was the same as Jim McGreevey's."

Everyone makes mistakes and most people learn from them. Not Bret Schundler. His reaction to his 2001 defeat was to move even farther away from conservatives.

* He refuses to say what he will do as Governor to defend marriage or the rights of gun owners or the unborn.

* He is promoting a complex income redistribution scheme (one almost no one understands) he claims will "cut" property taxes, but his "plan" would require a massive state tax hike that would fall on the so-called "rich" people who dominate Republican Primaries.

* Even after getting just 11 percent of the African-American vote, he continues to follow the foolish failed strategy of focusing his message on Democratic inner cities -- one that simply does not work. It should be noted that after serving as Jersey City Mayor for eight years, Schundler won just 32 percent of the vote there -- losing every single election district, including his own! What support Bret had in Jersey City is mostly gone. His candidate in last week's non-partisan municipal election won just 6% of the vote.

Schundler's bland campaign is generating no enthusiasm. His fundraising is at a level just 20 percent of his showing four years ago. His campaign is a shell of the 2001 effort.

* Paul correctly notes that Schundler "is ahead of his prospective primary challengers by better than 2-1" but doesn't say that the candidate who won 57 percent in the primary four years ago is at only 26 percent today --and that's in Schundler's own polls! The undecided vote is nearly 50 percent.

* Paul incorrectly describes the ultra-liberal Senate President who will be taking over from Jim McGreevey next Monday as "corrupt." Dick Codey is a far-left ideologue who has supported every single tax increase since the 1970s, he is a pro-abortion zealot and wants to ban all guns. He supports gay marriage and affirmative action quotas and still thinks state taxes are too low. Dick Codey is a lot of things, but corrupt is not one of them. The conservative movement is hurt when unsubstantiated charges are made with no evidence to back them up.

* The failure to address Dick Codey's liberalism is a sign that the Schundler campaign is more concerned about not offending people than energizing taxpayers to overthrow the Democrats. In fact, of Essex County politicians, the one who is in jail is former County Executive Jim Treffinger, a pro-abortion, pro-gun control candidate whom Schundler endorsed in the 2000 U.S. Senate Primary.

* Paul is correct when he says that "Bret has developed an innovative strategy to unite the state's fractious Republicans." Unfortunately for Schundler, everyone is united against him. Not one elected Republican official anywhere in New Jersey has endorsed Bret Schundler for Governor.

Steve has a number of advantages over Schundler and the other five candidates in the race.

* Steve has won three times as a Republican in a Democratic town that voted 3-2 for John Kerry, Al Gore, Frank Lautenberg and Jim McGreevey. Bret Schundler has never won an election as a Republican, winning instead in non-partisan municipal elections with a council ticket made up of all Democrats. He barely won reelection in 1997 after being forced into a runoff and won less than a third of the Jersey City vote for Governor in 2001. Nearly every other candidate for the nomination comes from safe Republican parts of the state and have no experience battling Democrats. Only Lonegan combines a solid fiscal record, strong views on cultural issues, aggressive fundraising and a strong conservative message that appeals to otherwise Democratic voters.

* Lonegan's fiscal record is beyond reproach. His 2004 municipal budget is virtually the same as in 1995. Taxes have been kept far below inflation and debt has been reduced. By contrast, Schundler hiked spending by nearly 30 percent, boosted tax rates by 26 percent and increased Jersey City debt by over $100 Million. Homeowners were hit with a new MUA Sewerage Fee and Schundler even tried to institute a new City Income Tax. Lonegan's fiscal record will be a centerpiece of his campaign, whereas there is no mention of Schundler's record on his website (www.bret2005.com)

* Steve Lonegan is a strong conservative unafraid to take solid positions on "politically incorrect" issues such as pro-Life, affirmative action, the Second Amendment and opposing same-sex marriage. Lonegan opposes continued tax funding for state-sponsored embryonic stem cell research but Schundler is silent on this critical issue. Schundler supports gun control, racial quotas, no longer answers questions about abortion and makes vague statements on marriage like "every child deserves two parents" without saying whether he means "parents" of the opposite sex. His own website describes him as having a "strong commitment to social justice" which to me is a code phrase saying he isn't "one of us." Nothing on his website (www.bret2005.com) indicates where he stands on leading tax, spending or cultural issues.

* Lonegan brought the lawsuit challenging illegal debt sold by the state without public approval. He has led the fight against the $350 Million Newark Arena, holding a news conference to oppose it the very day Schundler endorsed it. And Steve Lonegan single-handedly stopped McGreevey's proposed 15 cent per gallon gasoline tax increase last year while Schundler waited until the idea was practically DOA to announce his opposition.

* Lonegan is willing to address the high causes of property taxes: state income tax redistribution schemes, mandates such as Project Labor Agreements and a rigged system of negotiating public employee contracts. Schundler's property tax "plan" does nothing to address costs and seeks to hold down property taxes only through new state aid programs that just shift the monies around. Schundler refuses to address the high state tax structure, Project Labor Agreements or one-sided union negotiation rules that cause high property taxes.

* Lonegan's appeal crosses party lines. Conservative Democrats in North Arlington brought Lonegan in as a special consultant to reduce spending. The result: municipal payroll cut 20 percent, a two million dollar deficit -- ten percent of the town budget -- wiped out, and borough finances wrecked by liberal so-called "Republicans" were put back in order. In just three months, Lonegan took a town facing double-digit tax hikes for years to come and put them back on the road to fiscal stability.

There's no doubt that Bret Schundler has done an excellent job hyping his so-called record with out-of-state conservatives and like the late John Lindsay, Bret becomes more popular the farther from home you go. But within New Jersey, we've come to see the former Mayor as a nuisance who, like his mentor Jack Kemp, should just fade into oblivion. The 2005 election is simply too important to lose and that is the main reason why Bret Schundler cannot be our candidate next year. He had his chance, and he failed. It's time for someone new.

Mayor Steve Lonegan on the other hand has developed a strong grass-roots following because he is bold, exciting and different. His recent Mayor's race is the subject of a new documentary (www.sirkproductions.com/index_anytown.htm) and his website (www.loneganforgovernor.com) shows he's not afraid to stand up for what he believes in.

Paul has invited you to a reception honoring Bret Schundler. Steve Lonegan will be in Tyson's Corner all weekend as well. You should take Paul up on his invitation to meet Bret Schundler and also use the weekend to talk with Mayor Lonegan as well. I think upon talking with both candidates about the issues, their campaigns and plans for victory, you will agree with me that Steve Lonegan, and not Bret Schundler, is New Jersey's best chance to get the conservative change our state so desperately needs.

Thanks for taking the time to read this note and to both you and Paul for your commitment and dedication to the conservative cause.

The above highlights many of the problems faced by NJ conservatives in the upcoming governor's race. Above all, if Sen. Corzine runs, especially without having to endue a primary fight, he wins.

On the right, Bret Schundler is trying again. The field is rather crowded with establishment types, so Bret has a fine chance in the primary if he can keep a stranglehold on his base.

Unfortunately, the obscure former mayor of Bogota (pop: around 8,000) Steve Lonegan is running to peel conservatives away from Bret. He once ran against Steve Rothman for a House seat and got his butt kicked. He's bashing Bret for not playing up red meat issues, while Bret is trying to angle for the general by emphasizing corruption and taxes (good move in NJ!).

Further, as this hit piece correctly points out, Team Schundler is off to a less than rousing start and a lot of Schundler supporters last time around are intrigued by Doug Forrester (who has money to burn and ran a good Senate race) and the ultimate wild card, US Attorney Chris Christie. Whether Christie stands on many issues, however, is unknown. In sum, NJ conservatives' disunity might cost them the nomination and a shot, albeit an outside one, at the statehouse.

Interesting. I think we'll be ok. With the national victories, with the tighter than expected presidential race (I believe the first debate killed any chance we had), I think we NJ GOP primary voters can agree on a horse when the time comes. I liked Schundler. But the buzz is all about Forrester. I sorta wanted Schundler to give it another go, and have Forrester try again for the Senate, but maybe Forrester can win the Governor's race. His msg of ethical, respectable government continues to be validated by the misbehavior of the democrats. And oh by the way, who is this guy? He looks to be the third best of three. Is there any reason to think anyone will listen to this guy? Can he match Forrester's money?

It certainly is misleading to suggest that the people sitting out for Schundler are doing so because they were displeased with him, when most of the same people supported Doug Forrester, who is also running this time and the election is a year off.

This Steve Lonegan comes across as a nasty, deceiful, grubbing little twit. I hope his kids date Democrats.

Screw all of these candidates.

New Jersey, as the laughingstock of the nation, is now in a great position for a successful run by what I call a "clown candidate." This is the kind of wealthy candidate with a non-political background, preferably one involving a ludicrous entertainment field that nobody takes seriously (e.g. Jesse Ventura, Arnold Schwarzeneggar, etc.).

The whole point of having this kind of candidate is that they are usually the only ones who can successfully distance themselves from the political establishment that has become such a problem over the years. And they offer a perfect illustration of just how inept and incompetent most professional politicians are.

Bret's problem isn't that he is (or is not) a moderate, it's that he has a tin ear. School choice, for example, has got to be the worst issue imaginable for a Republican in New Jersey. The inner city can't pull the "R" lever no matter what, and suburbanites see school choice as a threat to their property values.

He's a 5% kind of candidate. But in a primary, that could make the difference. Personally, I suspect he might be financed by anti-Bret forces (yes, a conspiracy . . . but this IS NJ!). Now it seems like Diane Allen and Tom Kean, Jr. are both sitting it out. Many other "B Listers" are in: Schroeder, DiGaetano, et al.

I'm starting to get the feeling that Forrester might emerge as the establishment choice by default, 'cause they ALL loathe Bret Schundler. I respect Forrester, but he's a bit of an empty vessel that people could pour their hopes into . . "He's not Torricelli." "He's not Dandy Jim McGreevey." Doug has never had to really define himself on a lot of issues. He's center-right -- better than Whitman, Jim Courter, or Dick Zimmer -- but he's more about money than ideas.

Schundler and Forrester aren't comrades. They are just do-nothing cults of personality who've lost and want another try. We've had one of their types here running for congress in my district, now racking up a record of three straight losses.

Time to move on.

He's bashing Bret for not playing up red meat issues, while Bret is trying to angle for the general by emphasizing corruption and taxes (good move in NJ!).

Candidates who work with Rick Shaftan in NJ and listen to his advice win. He has an excellent record, but is anathema to the Country Club/Abortion crowd around Whitless, Kean, Forrester, etc.

Lonegan has a real plan to deal with the big problems NJ has - not complex income redistribution schemes and nonsense like school choice, but ending the Mt. Laurel decision and similar anti-suburban mandates that are driving people out of state through high property taxes.

The last Republicans to win convincingly in NJ (Bush I in 1988, Whitless in her first campaign in 1993, and the State House Republican Caucus in 1991) did not run away from the red meat issues. They used them to turn out the base and win.

The issues next year will be corruption and tax reform. Voting for a no hoper like Lonegan -- who barely pulled 40% against Rothman, has zero statewide name ID, and the charisma of potted plant -- will just help nominate a moderate establishment candidate. And if Lonegan were ever to get the GOP nod, he'd make Schundler's '01 totals look good. He's a spoiler, and a small time one at that.

That said, Bret suffers from Kemp-itis, emphasizing issues that deluded GOP'ers think will somehow win them votes in urban areas. Couple that with the awful campaign he ran in the general election, poor fundraising, and a tendancy to run away from conservative positions if they get the slightest bad press and, well, you can see why a lot of us are keeping our checkbooks dry until Christie defines his intentions and positions.

Perhaps if the right-most candidate were someone else. But the messenger is flawed and there are more viable options who are conservative enough.

Any thoughts on the even more obscure candidates sniffing around the race: Murphy, DeGaetano, Schroeder, et al.?

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