Posted on 12/11/2004 10:57:06 AM PST by BroncosFan
The Insider's Edge
Threesomes
At this point four years ago, BRET SCHUNDLER was the Mayor of Jersey City running against the longtime Senate President who was about to become the Acting Governor. Establishment Republicans initially dismissed him as a real factor in the gubernatorial candidate selection process, allowing him to spend considerable time quietly working his party's conservative base. It wasn't until the ethical woes of DONALD DIFRANCESCO became front page news that Schundler began to be viewed as a serious contender. When DiFrancesco dropped out and was replaced by former Congressman ROBERT FRANKS, the so-called establishment figured they had Schundler beat. Two months later, Schundler won the primary with relative ease.
Schundler supporters admit their candidate is not having an easy time raising money (it helps to be the incumbent Mayor of the state's second largest city), and is having an even tougher time assembling a campaign team.
One of the principal architects of Schundler's victory four years ago was MATT LEONARDO, a New Jersey native who, along with KIM ALFANO, ran a Washington-based political consulting and media shop. Leonardo was a hands-on general consultant who developed much of the strategy and message.
But Leonardo declined a chance to work for Schundler again, leaving the front runner without the type of consulting team that guided him to victory four years ago. Leonardo turned Schundler down, sources say, because he felt the candidate was not prepared to avoid some of the mistakes he made in 2001. “During discussions it had become very clear to us that Bret was unwilling to accept certain fundraising and political realities that would make it impossible for him to win. It was a suicide mission that we chose not to be part of," Leonardo said in an e-mail to PoliticsNJ.com.
There are no plans for Schundler's 2001 staff, which remained largely intact for his primary and general election campaigns, to return. Campaign Manager BILL PASCOE now lives in Chicago, where he operates a public affairs consulting firm. BILL GUHL, the Press Secretary, is now the Assembly Republican Communications Director. EVAN KOZLOW, who was the campaign's Political Director in the primary before performing a similar role in the general as Executive Director of the Republican State Committee, is the Chief of Staff to Congressman SCOTT GARRETT. Kozlow, who married Schundler Finance Director JENNIFER HODGES in 2003, are expecting their first child in January. South Jersey Field Director BROCK MCCLEARY now works the firm ROBERT SCHROEDER has hired to run his campaign. Research Director CHRISTOPHER LYON works for the New York State Assembly, and Central Jersey Field Director REBEKAH YEAGER BEHRENS has traded her job as a professional operative for the post of full-time mother. KATHRYN ENGLISH, who was the North Jersey Field Director, now works for the Associated Builders and Contractors Association. JOSEPH FARREN, a top Schundler '01 advisor who had spent the last few years as the Senate Republican Communications Director, just started a new job with a public policy group in Washington.
LAWRENCE BATHGATE, the GOP fundraiser who served as Schundler's 2001 Finance Chairman, is not expected to play a role in the current campaign. Neither is former Republican State Chairman FRANK HOLMAN, a top Schundler '01 strategist. Another supporter of Schundler four years ago is now running against him: Bogota Mayor STEVEN LONEGAN. . . .
Ping.
There is only one Republican that has won as a conservative in a very Democrat district time and time again,and raised money as a conservative, he is stong on life and has an A+ from the NRA: Paul DiGaetano.
Paul is the man who gave New Jersey its protection against gay marriage. He has been doing while the others have been talking. One other point, Paul DiGaetano is the only Republican candidate to actaully have raised over a million dollars in a cycle! Not even Bret Schundler has done that.
If New Jersey is serious about changing its image as the most corrupt state in America, DiGaetano is the answer Paul Di Gaetano is the one conservative who can actually win!
I found that dopey crusade asinine too.
I hate Dan Rather as much as the next guy, but what the hell does his job have to do with NJ politics?
Dougie just wanted some TV time, and jumped on a gung-ho conservative crusade, like we'd all cheer him along, instead of thinking that he should have more important things to do. I hate being pandered to.
DiGaetano is a joke. A small timer. Zero name ID. Just another Trenton hack. Give me a break . . .
Keeping the public reminded of Rather's perfidy is pandering to you?????????????????????
With all the problems with politics in NJ, the best use he could find for his time, money and efforts is a crusade to get some dopey newsreader fired?!
Politicians don't decide who gets to work for private television networks.The market took care of Rather just fine.
So Rather isn't doing the news every night?
I'm reasonably conservative, but no Schundler fan.
1.Schundler was pushing for "charter schools" without disclosing his interest in one of the proposed "beneficiaries";
2.He was "pro-gun" until the actual campaigning began-at which time he backed off like a scared rabbit;
3. His "populist" proposal to turn the Garden State Parkway and NJ Turnpike into "free" state highways-(at monstrous expense to the taxpayers !)- was pandering at its worst.(Anyone who wants to compare a toll road with a "free" highway should try driving 195 to Atlantic City,
then drive the same route on the Turnpike-which runs parallel,about 500 yards away.Try it when there is serious traffic on the roadways !)
He's retiring in March. Maybe you can get Doug to haul him out of his seat sooner. It doesn't appear that Doug has anything more important than newsreaders to occupy his time.
Toll roads are a scam for politicians to suck up wealth. They're a drag on the economy (and polluting with all those cars waiting at toll booths). Schundler was right.
Allow me polite disagreement !
The toll roads were built along free-enterprise lines (actually a combination of taxpayer and private investment),and they return a hell of a lot of money: quite a bit of which is used to build,repair and maintain NJ's "toll free" roads.
Patronage ? Yup,but tell me there's no patronage involved in the NJ DOT !
How much do you figure your (already steep) gasoline taxes would have to be raised to pay off hundreds of millions of dollars in authority bonds ?
What do you think of John Murphy for Governor? I think he is a smart guy that can take on Corzine and is not a politico insider from Trenton.
He also has some shady dealings with his business...
Doug Forrester must go...
I agree. Schundler is also too conservative to the media eye. I am getting closer in supporting Murphy.
Not really. He has applied for matching funds (just like schundler). Murphy is now in a clear third and catching on to Forrester.
Its about time.. This race was going to be boring if Forrester won..
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