Schundler is NOT Taking a Back Seat

The Record of Hackensack ^ | 3.18.02 | Herb Jackson

[Coleus]

Schundler not taking a back seat

HERB JACKSON

He's ba-ack.

Well-rested after a long vacation to put that Nov. 6 unpleasantness behind him, Republican Bret Schundler is popping up at political events again, claiming to be the state GOP's "titular head" because of his primary victory last June and making no secret of his expectation to win the 2005 gubernatorial nomination as well.

But does the GOP still want Schundler? History suggests that candidates who lost as badly as he did - Governor McGreevey garnered 56 percent to Schundler's 42 percent - usually slink off the political stage into oblivion.

Schundler, however, has been thumbing history in the nose since he became the Republican mayor of Democrat-dominated Jersey City. And he has a conservative base around the country to draw from that will be a source of strength in any battles down the road.

"We're beginning to pull the organization back together," Schundler said at a recent GOP event in Westwood.

While staying out of the nasty primary fights for U.S. Senate and the 5th House District seat, Schundler is converting the tax status of his "issues-oriented" Empower the People committee so it can run political ads and help candidates this fall. Schundler also plans to create a think tank to set up a Web site to keep in touch with conservatives.

"It would explain what is good about the policies Republicans are offering and what's not good about the policies Jim McGreevey is offering," Schundler said. One feature would be a "misery index," based on auto insurance and property tax rates.

"That should be the standard by which we measure Jim McGreevey's performance, because that's the standard he said we were supposed to measure Christie Whitman's performance by," Schundler said. "Of course, now he's running away from that position."

Schundler is keeping his credentials current with the national conservative community by serving as 2002 chairman of the Republican Majority Issues Committee, a soft-money fund allied with House Majority Whip Tom DeLay, R-Texas.

In a Feb. 7 fund-raising letter that pushed just about every conservative hot-button imaginable, Schundler explained that he was eager to become chairman after learning of the committee's initiative to create a task force to battle the teachers union.

The letter describes the National Education Association as the "left-wing pillar of the Democrat Party" whose "leftist bosses" promote an educational system that is "brainwashing our children" into believing: "American businesses pollute the planet and exploit workers"; "tax cuts only help 'the rich'Ÿ"; "homosexuality is just another lifestyle decision"; "honest gun ownership leads to murder and crime"; "the death penalty is evil and unlimited abortion on demand is a 'right'Ÿ"; and "our Judeo-Christian values are inferior."

This is all done, by the way, without the knowledge of most teachers in the union. Pretty sneaky.

The goals of the task force, Schundler's letter says, include educating the public to the "anti-family, anti-defense, pro-tax, pro-big government agenda of the NEA" and organizing rank-and-file teachers who oppose their union's radical agenda.

But there's a side benefit, as well: The Republican contributors who dislike the NEA are receiving an education about Bret Schundler, too.

Trenton Bureau Correspondent Herb Jackson's e-mail address is jackson@northjersey.com

[Coleus]

Bret let down the grass roots people who helped him in the campaign. We were left out of the entire process from the primary in the end of June to the end of August.

Sure, he was here and there, and yes, I saw him too, but he wasn't really campaigning hard or using his base to his full advantage. Ask others who worked during the primary to see about what I am talking.

[Coleus]

Ping

[Cyber Liberty]

A page right out of Jeb's playbook: Shadow Governor.

[tbg681]

Schundler, being the ONLY conservative here in the Peoples Republic of NJ, can do us a big favor be keeping the socialist McFlorio's feet to the fire on taxes.

McFlorio is sitting up there in that Trenton hellhole just PINING to raise taxes. During the campaign, Bret baited McFlorio into taking a no-new tax pledge. We'll see.

[Coleus]

Time will tell.

[Coleus]

Yes, I agree, the RINO's HATED him with a passion, believe me, not too many incumbent assemblymen and senators really backed him. All they were worried about was their OWN election and the local, i.e. county freeholder seats.

One Senator actually sent out a mailer telling his district not to vote for McGreevey (Democrat) or Schuldler, just his Bergen County line, Senator Kosko, I am glad he lost.

[Coleus]

Looks like it's going to be a close one, I hope Booker wins.