Abate will enter race vs. Garrett

Scott don't let your guard down this is just a ploy a summer wind distraction.

That's a nice way of saying she's a liberal whacko.... Liberal nut. Can't win. Bring back the Rotarian....

Considering that the Republican mantra is to keep repeating over and over again that the universe cannot possibly be greater than 6000 years old, what more can we expect from Garrett? In fact, three of the ten Republican candidates for president do not "believe" in evolution at all (the fact that evolution has been proven time and time again by scientific testing notwithstanding--and before jumping all over me, it would behoove the naysayers to look up what the defintion of "evolution" actually is since it can be reverified in about 20 minutes' time if you choose your experimental system correctly). How utterly pathetic. I just reread Inherit the Wind and it is downright infuriating that things have not changed at all since 1925. Technology has advanced, but the mindset is basically the same. Can't explain how something happens, or don't understand the scientific explanation? Just say, "It's G-d's will." It works every time. After all, what can one say to that? The "It's G-d's will" argument is the biggest crutch ever, a way for the ignorant to defend their unwillingness to try to understand or to ask questions (kind of a combination of the Wicked Son and the Son Who Doesn't Know How to Ask of Four Questions fame). There is a difference between faith and stupidity, and Garrett and his ilk sadly fall clearly in the latter camp.

This aside, Garrett is truly a fossil of the Mussolini era. The man is a sniveling, craven reactionary lunatic who opposes any form of scientific, economic, or social progress. I love the way he purports to uphold principles of "small government," when in reality when the time comes to act he does anything but. I fail to understand how voting for FMA, actively denying access to birth control (H.R. 1298, H.R. 1950), prohibiting potentially life-saving ESC research, adamantly defending the Orwellian USA PATRIOT Act, implicitly promoting racism by shamelessly voting against renewing the Civil Rights Act (the only northeastern congresscritter to do so), and especially profligately shoveling money at the biggest foreign policy disaster and most egregious instance of governmental interventionism in modern history, the Iraq War, are in keeping with his professed philosophy of protecting individual rights for all Americans from governmental intrusion. Isn't it time that he practices what he preaches? As of now, it seems that the only people he feels to be "deserving" of their individual rights without governmental interference are straight, Christian, propertied white men. While Garrett pontificates from his sanctimonious pulpit, he is causing America to fall behind scientifically to NIEs in Asia. This will cost us not only economically and technologically, but will erode our prestige in the world even farther than it has already (if that is even possible anymore). He is truly a disgrace.

I'll save the conservatives the trouble...Garrett is not going anyhwere (not that I don't want him to cry all the way back to Wantage). But so long as Sussex and Warren counties are still a part of New Jersey and are not ceded to Mississippi where they belong, Garrett is, tragically, going to be around for a while.

I just love it!! The democrats are again wasting their money and effort in the 5th CD. Scott Garrett will once again win by huge margins.

The pinkos hate Garrett almost as much as they hate Lonegan.

Garrett is not getting beat in a general election.

Barring a scandal or Watergate-type year (and '06 obviously wasn't that), this district will not elect a Democrat to Congress. In its current form, the 5th District has voted for Bush twice, Forrester (!) twice, Schundler, Dole, et al. Get the picture???

Yes, the Bergen portion of the district is competitive and has trended Dem, BUT... Garrett still wins there. He would have to lose by at least six to 10 points before he has problems given the rock-solid conservative nature of the rest of the district.

The DCCC will not target this district. They will not waste their money. The next shot at Garrett will be after the 2010 Census and reapportionment, when New Jersey likely loses a House seat.

The platitudes about adding "thousands of new registered voters" are lovely but it doesn't address the facts on the ground.

The 5th District, drawn by Democrat and Republican power brokers, is designed to elect a Republican... and a conservative one at that. Scott Garrett ran twice before getting the nomination, almost defeating the former incumbent. He represents the policy perspectives of the majority of those who voted in the district. The problem you have is you don't like the results.

As for "statewide Democratic Unity," your party controls most of the state and is in effect the institutional majority party, mainly because the Republicans have ceded that status. Pay to play will never go away as long as Democrats (and to a lesser extent -- by virtue of their lack of power -- Republicans) benefit.

You are an idealist. In New Jersey politics, idealism is suffocated in the cradle.

The Republicans "ceded" that status by betraying the constituencies that elected them in the early 1990s.

To borrow a quote from John Fund of the Wall Street Journal, New Jersey Republicans used the "swamp" (state government) as a hot tub instead of draining it. Once they established themselves as the identical side of a rotten coin, they ceded their mandate.

I am represented by Chris Smith, and as much as I dislike his dogmatic "culture of life" hypocrisy he doesn't hold a candle to the odiousness of Scott Garrett. I will grudgingly admit that in many instances (e.g. most fiscal issues) Smith does a relatively decent job of representing our district--though his ultra-conservative social stances are another issue.

And Arnie, essentially we are in agreement: the Republicans are no longer in power because they are no longer capable of winning statewide elections; they have become so unelectable to the state's progressive population. Perhaps if they moved back toward the politics of, say, Christie Whitman or Millicent Fenwick they might be more dangerous. At this point, though, ostentatious battles royales over who is the "most" conservative is offputting to voters outside of the more sparsely populated Republican counties. Besides, our state is so solidly Democratic at the presidential level that it doesn't bode well for Republicans downticket. We are a blue state, and we are going to stay that way so long as there is no massive influx of immigrants from Alberta.

Don't underestimate the value of the Party line AND running next down the ballot just below Hillary and Richardson.

If we can just ashpett for a minute and realize that the terrorists also saw that program on 60 minutes with the beauty of living in The Kurdish paradise of Iraq. AND the next thing you know, 500 Kurds were killed by suicide bombers. Please see the relativity: We are dealing with intelligent, well financed and devoted criminals. AND they are also right next to you, pumping gas in any county. I think projecting the general election will cause one to accept that: The surge didn't work, The Iraqi leadership will have been totally  changed and the request EVEN then will be "for more time to let the Iraqis take control".....Helllooo??? I believe that the war will be the vital issue at that time and whoever is on Hillary's column will be voted in. I think the Republicans have pretty much used all the dirt that they can throw against her already and will  have to resort to Whitewater, Billly Jeff's infidelity - (but how does that play into Rudy's statement of "leave my family alone") and Hillary's cleaveage. That's all they have!  

Bottom line: It's gonna be Hillary, Richardson and Aronsohn. AND they are going to win!

Imagine:

Jerry Falwell types endorseing A Catholic hypocrite?? Twice divorced - 1 of which was incestual?? dressed in drag?? promoter of abortion, gay rights and gun control Italian American????

Me myself, I can't wait to see the Democratic versions of "The swift Boat" commercials with Rudy in drag, in bed with his cousin, meeting his "other woman" with ashes still on his forehead etc.

THIS IS THE DEMOCRATS" ELECTION TO LOSE!!!

<then again - maybe not>