GOP Chairman calls on Giuliani to enter U.S. Senate race vs. Lautenberg

Isn't this the same stunt the party chairs pulled in 2001? I was there when Bob Franks held his last "big" campaign rally, in front of Burlington County GOP Headquarters, and maybe thirty people showed up - the day before the gubernatorial primary. Everybody knew his campaign was cobbled together at the last minute after Di Francesco dropped out. Now we are supposed to rally around some candidate who didn't want to be a Senator even yesterday?

 almost anyone would be better than Pennachio and Sabrin. Their ambitions won't get them elected.

Looks like we can add Puharic to the list of Republicans that need a replacement.

STOP EMPLOYING DEMOCRAT STRATEGY...

They are the first to say "You need to get behind the winner" if its their candidate, but when its not their candidate, then they pull this kind of crap.

This isn't leadership, this is a joke. And its reasons like this, that allows for the Democrats to whip our behinds time and again.

of strategy is needed. The county chairs would be direlict in their duty to win elections if they allowed Sabrin or Pennachio to be the nominee. They will both get slaughtered by the dems.

No, The dereliction of duty stems from County Chairs conspiring against two Republicans who are currently in the race. Their job is to get the vote out in their county. Not play shenanigans with games like "who is electable" or "who can beat the incumbent". ANYONE can beat the incumbent if the county chairs just went and did their jobs.

And Yes, Sabrin can win.

I promise you this though, if these county chairs pull this stunt, there will be a mass turnover in republican leadership in the coming years. Many people in the party are completely FED UP with the hanky panky that the select few try to force down the rest of our throats.

Remember, YOU GUYS ARE ELECTED to your positions. Your not a King over a small empire. You are to answer to the requests of your constituents. This isn't American Idol, where we try and throw out the most popular person currently in the party. That strategy has failed us for the past 7 years in New Jersey. 

1. Sabrin is basing his campaign off of the failed Ron Paul presidential candidacy.

2. Lautenberg beat Sabrin by 15% in the last Rasmussen poll.

3. Sabrin will receive NO SUPPORT from the GOP because Sabrin might as well run as a democrat with his views on the Iraq war.

Are you kidding? Lautenberg will not be easy to beat. He has name recognition and money. Which is why we can't field Sabrin and Pennachio.

The State and County Chairmen's jobs are to field candidates who can win general elections.  The right wing of the Party loves to spew RINO against republicans who aren't socially conservative on all issues.  Guess what?  Those candidates have ran and lost.

Rudy wanted to be Senator once before but was forced to step-down due to his battle with cancer. 

Also, most of the GOP chairs were supporting Rudy for President.  So, it's not that big of stretch for them to support a Senatorial candidacy.

Can we stop this nonsense? Estabrook pulled Romney the minute she saw that her money will take her nowhere. Giuliani for US Senate in NJ is the dumbest idea I have heard next to the other idea about Giuliani's Police Commissioner for US Senate a couple of years ago. We all know what happened next.

I thought we have a selection process that is working so far. Estabrook dropped out. Jersey Joe and Dr. Sabrin are in. Let's unite behind one feasable candidate and let's be honest about it. That includes Chairman Wilson support of rank-and-file candidate not establishment push-on-us choice, which basically means another failed campaign of Tom Kean Jr. and Forrester.

It's the economy stupid, and finances, stupid, this year. There is only one choice now. Dr. Sabrin is it. 

Fact is this.

 You have many republicans in New Jersey who are about to pack up and leave. This is their last stand in the state regarding real conservative change.

 You have all the major media outlets now discussing and analyzing the coming recession (oh, by the way, the same one that Ron Paul was talking about earlier in the year, but everyone laughed at him for it)

 You have Corzine hiking up tolls, State Senators offering themselves pay raises, a "supposed" 10 Million dollar dog park being built new New Brunswick somewhere (I haven't confirmed it, but thats what I have been hearing from people over that way) and we are making plans to support this new paid family leave crap, and "borrow" 25 million from the disability fund, all the while, More Businesses will be forced to flee the state.

 Real conservatives are on the ropes, and they are mad as hell that the Republican Leadership DOES NOTHING but spew forth more liberal crap. 

 The future of the party will be decided this year. The current leadership will either step up to the plate and do what is right, accept the fact that the direction of the party is changing back to its roots, and get behind a proven leader who has the skills to not only bring more of our tax dollars back home, but knows economics and finances very well, OR

 They can continue to try and mimic Democrats, and forever doom the future of the party for the next 10 years, as everyone packs their bags and seeks refuge elsewhere in the country, while New Jersey falls off into the economic abyss. (consider that lucky, it could be worse and fall into the ocean)

 One thing I have realized about many of my colleagues is that they will sell their beliefs in favor of fortune and fame, and that, my friends says alot about the character of many of these people.

Those aren't reasons why Sabrin will lose in November, those are reasons why he will run an unconventional campaign.

1) Sabrin has been distancing himself from Ron Paul and likes to focus more on the issues that conservatives can get behind (anti-tax, fiscal restraint, boarders, abortion, etc etc). Furthermore, we find that candidates like Ron Paul, Dennis Kucinich, and other mavericks find it much easier to win in State and district elections. Sabrin isn't running for president, he is running for Senator...this allows him to stand more firm on principle. Whatever the rank-and-file may say about Sabrin, few deny that he is the most principled, erudite man running.

2) Polls mean little when name recognition is so slow. Once Sabrin, who is a phenomenal debater, is allowed to debate Lautenberg, people will gravitate toward him. He is not only articulate, but outflanks Lautenberg on the Left on many issues. Why is this not a bad thing? Because he speaks in terms of the Constitution--a document that resonates with the GOP.

3) Sabrin WILL get the support because if it comes down to a pro-life, pro-2nd Amendment, anti-tax, limited government conservative and Frank Lautenberg, few will not vote for Murray simply because he wants to talk about bringing some troops home. 

He already has ties to NJ..Best friend to our former Morris County Freeholder and Bush Pioneer...none other than: "tadah", CC. Ashcroft will bring waterboarding to the Jersey shore, He's also wealthy...$52 million contract as a monitor. He'll pay his taxes.

PC517 and I agree its time to get down to the nitty gritty. We just don't agree on who the better candidate is.

The petition filing deadline isn't until April 7th (I'm pretty sure on that) so anyone can jump in and easily get the required signatures to be on the ballot. So the fact that some Chairs and others are open to anyone else entering the race is fine, because it would be legally fine and it is democratic since we aren't pulling a Torricelli-Lautenberg switch here.

The counties where Pennacchio already is on the line should remain, the counties where Estabrook was on the line are free to do whatever they want, and the one's coming up can do so as well.

This isn't anything against the current candidates, it's how I believe this race should go from here. If someone should enter now that's their choice and if they start winning lines and conventions that's fair, as long as Pennacchio gets to keep those he already won which is just Union and Hunterdon I believe.

New Jersey election law requires candidates to be residents at least 1 year prior to election day. Perhaps people should consider the law before they call for someone to be a candidate, otherwise they could look foolish.

If this is doable, I say absolutely!! Who cares if Rudy isn't from New Jersey? Neither is Senator Prune Juice. For all we know, they may very well be next door neighbors!

Murray Sabrin has turned me off completely with his saber rattling and "Jersey Joe" Pennacchio is a hack who cares about nothing but his own personal ambitions which he made clear when he shamelessly atttacked Tom Kean Jr. in '06 in a shallow attempt to grab a piece of the spotlight for himself. Who cares if we got stuck with Bob Menendez, just  as long as "Jersey Joe" sees fit to make a statement for '08?

If the rules have to be bent, that's fine with me. If the rules can be bent in favor of Senator Prune Juice, they can also be bent against him as well.

"Liberals are people who will believe anything...twice."- William F. Buckley

I was aware that Pennacchio was thinking about challenging Kean Jr., but how exactly did he attack him? I don't remember reading anything about that then.

Oh and to the last commenter, both of those are state issues, not federal.

I was aware that Pennacchio was thinking about challenging Kean Jr., but how exactly did he attack him?

Pennacchio criticized him for the "Soprano" style ad that ran against Bob Menendez insinuating that Sen. Kean insulted Italian Americans which was absolutely not true.

Sen. Kean did not have anything to do with the running of that ad and had absolutely no control over the group that ran it. That didn't matter to Pennacchio though who knew the truth but didn't care. He allowed himself to be a tool for Menendez and followed his lead in order to pander for votes for two years down the road.

I kept silent on my opinion of Pennacchio for a while but I simply can't anymore. While I would vote for him against Senator Prune Juice, I really don't care for him at all.

Tom Kean Jr. was our best chance at winning a seante seat in years and while Kean shoulders a lot of blame himself for his failing campaign, "friends" like Pennacchio, who have a zero chance, didn't help matters much.

"Liberals are people who will believe anything...twice."- William F. Buckley

Yeah, do that. And make sure you alienate the %85 of Republicans for yet another year as the "liberal establishment" of Ego-maniacal personas continue to make themselves feel important.

 I applaud Sabrin for having enough balls to go straight to the root of the problem itself, which is a failed leadership in the party on multiple levels.

 As for you "Rudy" lovers, amazing how everyone was upset when Hillary Clinton went Carpet Bagging to New York to be their Senator. Now, apparently its ok because its another pro-war, anti-civil rights establishment Republican?

 Yeah, The party is definitely very ill and dying a slow death. Amazing how the "liberal establishment" is running scared, sending their thought police all over the internet and the press now, trying to minimalize Sabrin's presence.

 Someone quick, buy a graveplot, because if Sabrin doesn't succeed, there will have to be a mass burial of conservative ideals, all the while those who are left standing, will start fleeing the state on the coat tails of industry, which as I understand, are already making the same plans.

 Then the rest of you can enjoy your Welfare State Paradise.

''No matter what the Supreme Court does -- and I have great respect for the Supreme Court, and this ends it as a matter of law -- they're still not going to convince me that my grandfather, when he was sitting in Italy, thinking of coming to the United States, and on the shores getting ready to get on that ship in Genoa, was saying to himself, 'I'm coming to New Jersey,' ''