a Blueprint for the 21st Century

March 18, 2008 - 7:40am

Against Sabrin attack, Pennacchio defends his 1991 manifesto

By Max Pizarro, PolitickerNJ.com Reporter

A manifesto written by State Sen. Joe Pennacchio in 1991 has become an issue in his bid for a U.S. Senate seat
WOODBRIDGE - On the same day Murray Sabrin denounced as "fascist" a work written seventeen years ago by state Sen. Joseph Pennacchio (R-Morris), the two Republican candidates for U.S. Senate intensified their debate at a forum sponsored by the Woodbridge Township Republican Organization.

Sabrin, an economics and finance professor at Ramapo College, last night stood by his characterization of Pennacchio's self-published work, The Nationalist Agenda, a Blueprint for the 21st Century, as a "fascist manifesto" and reiterated his demand that Pennacchio drop out of the race.

"Calling for the government to put people in camps is un-American and nothing that Americans should be advocating," said Sabrin, referring to ideas in a chapter from Pennacchio's book titled "Solving the Homeless Problem." "To single out a group of people for being placed in a government military camp is unacceptable and repugnant policy."

Sabrin likened the idea to the U.S. government holding Japanese Americans in internment camps during WW II.

Firing back prior to the debate, Pennacchio labeled Sabrin's comments about his 94-page work as the desperate and hateful words of a fringe candidate.

There have been 16 comments posted in response to this story.

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