Jersey Joe

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.

A 94-page manifesto written by U.S. Senate candidate Joseph Pennacchio in 1991 that calls for, among other things, the elimination of Medicare/Medicaid, cuts in defense spending, camps for the homeless, better methods of birth control, criminal I.D. bracelets, forced military service, and forcing Israel to pay reparations to Jordan and an assimilated Palestinian population, and the creation of a third party, is likely to be the topic of considerable discussion among Republicans and Democrats over the next few days.

State Sen. Joseph PennacchioIn 1991 Joseph Pennacchio sent then-Assembly Minority Leader Chuck Haytaian a 94-page manifesto containing what he thought were solutions to the nation's problems.

Pennacchio said in a cover letter that he had started "The Nationalist Party" to address the issues.

Now that Pennacchio wants to be the Republican candidate to take on Sen. Frank Lautenberg, the campaign of his GOP rival, Murray Sabrin, provided PolitickerNJ.com with a copy of the 1991 document.

GOP insiders say it appears unlikely that another candidate will emerge in the race for United States Senator in enough time to stop Joe Pennacchio’s enormous momentum, although some Republicans have spent the morning mulling other potential candidates.  Pennacchio has already won organization lines in Union and Hunterdon counties, and this morning the Burlington GOP County Chairman – a supporter of Anne Evans Estabrook – said he was now likely to back the Morris County State Senator.  Pennacchio also has endorsements from Republican County Chairmen in Morris and Warren counties.

Fourteen years after he mounted a self-financed primary challenge against Congressman Dean Gallo, who was dying of cancer, “Jersey Joe” Pennacchio will announce today that he is a candidate for the Republican nomination for United States Senator.  Since his ’94 race, which featured a harsh attack on Gallo – Pennacchio says he didn’t know the incumbent was sick – Pennacchio courted establishment Republicans in Morris County and became popular enough to win special election conventions for Freeholder and State Assembly with the support of some of Gallo’s closest friends.  When the State Senate seat in District 26 opened up, Pennacchio won the GOP nomination by acclamation.