Posted on 04/11/2008 4:05:24 PM PDT by Clintonfatigued
As former Congressman Dick Zimmer formally entered the Republican U.S. Senate race today, he essentially becomes the third candidate to fill a single candidacy.
First there was Anne Estabrook. Andy Unanue took her place after she suffered a minor stroke. Zimmer jumped in to the race after Unanues campaign disintegrated in less than three weeks.
Just as Unanue inherited most of the Estabrook campaign infrastructure who had been paid a severance that lasted until the June primary while they waited for a candidate to take her place Zimmer is poised to take over much of Unanues staff, including Campaign Manager Mark Duffy (though a few shake ups are expected).
But first, Zimmer will have to face a challenge from rival Republican candidate Joe Pennacchio in the primary.
Today, Zimmer issued a simple statement declaring his candidacy, to be followed by a formal campaign kickoff sometime later this month (which Unanue, who announced his candidacy while on vacation in Vail, Colo., never had).
"I am honored to have the opportunity to run for the United States Senate. I have lived in New Jersey all my life. I raised my family here, said Zimmer, a Washington lawyer/lobbyist who lives on a farm in Hunterdon County. This is a critical time for the people of my home state and for all Americans. We need to strengthen our economy, keep our families safe and meet our challenges around the world. I am running for the United States Senate to ensure that New Jersey's future is one of opportunity, affordability and hope."
(Excerpt) Read more at politickernj.com ...
Richard Zimmer is nothing great, but he’s far preferable to an undead Socialist.
Zimmer is an unexciting, but competent candidate, who hasn’t won an election in many years. His scenario to victory will be:
84 year old democrat Frank Lautenberg barely wins his primary against Andrews. In the general election, Zimmer highlights national security issues and Lautenberg’s votes against FISA and John Doe amendment. Then McCain wins in NJ over Obama and Zimmer squeeks thru. Can it happen?????
“Can it happen?????”
It could. The other Republicans running would be well-advised to step aside.
The state level RINO Zimmer of 1996 is a Federal level left of center Democrat in today’s terms.
Which is to say Zimmer might actually have a chance.
It’s mindboggling he isn’t jumping out of the gate for the primary, there is only 8 weeks until the primary, and more than 33% of NJ voters weren’t NJ voters the last time Zimmer held elective office or was a public figure.
In a word, Yes.
Re Lautenberg, it will be funny to see Andrews find an old video of Lautenberg intimating (or maybe even saying outright) that the 72 year old Millicent Fenwick was too old to be Senator.
Zimmer voted against the partial birth abortion ban. Do as your conscience dictates.
Pray for a nasty primary fight between the Laut and Andrews ala Billary and Obama.
What about Pennacchio? And why isn’t the fellow we were just talking about last week (forget his name) not even mentioned as a possible GOP candidate in the article?
That manifesto of Jersey Joe’s destroyed his viability. Of course it was written quite some time ago, but you know the drill with Republicans. We have to be purer than the Son of our Lord while little Satans are routinely elected by the rodents.
(hopefully he's not corrupt as the rest of the scum here)
Just doing a bit of background reading on this NJ Senate race, particularly about Pennacchio’s “manifesto” and Sabrin’s criticism of it. What was this “Nationalist” Party that Pennachio was writing about? Did they ever run a candidate for any major office? Seems that Sabrin has some valid criticism of it, although it was written back in ‘91 and Pennacchio says it doesn’t reflect his views now.
I don’t believe it was anything more than just some policy platform for himself at the time. To my knowledge, there was no such party that ever sprang forth. IIRC, Sabrin’s concern about it was that it had some vaguely Naziiesque overtones to it. Pennachio wasn’t some high school sophomore when he wrote it, and it was rather ill-advised to have penned it in the first place. As long as he isn’t championing some of the nuttier stuff now, I’d give him a pass (such as the call for his outright resignation from the legislature). There’s a lot worse folks than him that haven’t written policy papers that ought to be resigning from office in NJ, and that includes the Governor and both Senators for starters...
zimmer, the pro-abortion RINO ran for us senate once before and lost.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22dick+zimmer%22+%22abortion%22
My conscience would dictate to never be a one-issue voter.
Well said - to each his own.
Dick can forget ever getting the district back, as it was redrawn by our "nonpartisan" redistricting community to include all of the city of Trenton, and very little of Hunterdon County (which went to the seventh district, currently held by Frelinghuysen). Any district taking in north and central Mercer County (the eastern/SE portion of my county is in 4th, ie held by Christopher Smith), along with SW Middlesex will be difficult for ANY Republican to win.
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