the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Elizabeth NJ, As a handful of craigslist hired or craigslist inspired people stood outside a PSE&G office Thursday, holding signs saying “Don’t donate to hate” and “Stop funding bigots,” company representatives watched from only a few feet away.
The faux protest of under 10 people of coarse grabbed the attention of New Jersey Media who answered the call for the photo op in what has become a well coordinated attack on Congressmen Scott Garrett .
The faux protest outside the PSE&G’s Elizabeth office was over PSE&G’s financial support of U.S. Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ 5th District), who last year allegedly said he had refused to pay dues to the House Republicans’ fundraising arm because it had supported gay candidates for office. While no video or sound recordings or even a transcript have been produced as they say never let the facts get in the way of a good story.
Assemblyman Tim Eustace (D-Bergen, Passaic), has been on the band wagon since the beginning while Garrett’s alleged comments seem to bother Eustace far more the Democrat candidate Josh Gottheimer excepting money from disgraced former congressmen Bob Torcelli or Saudi Businessman known for beating his wives. After all un like New Jersey women are property in Saudi Arabia so it cant really be a big deal.
Eustace and a about a dozen other people have made it their mission to visit every New Jersey company that financially supports Garrett and convince them to withdraw their funding. And of coarse they ccan always count on their friends in the New Jersey media to cover their one sided ambitions.
While they have had some success ,some businesses, including First Energy, which owns Jersey Central Power and Light, have pledged to halt their donations.
Eustace was joined by Rahway city councilman Bob Bresenhan, Jr., one of the photo ops organizers, acknowledged that PSE&G advocates for its LGBT employees, but said it undercuts those efforts by supporting Garrett.
A spokesman for PSE&G said the company’s federal political action committee (PAC) donates to candidates both Democrats and Republicans — who support PSE&G’s business interests.
In March, Garrett told The Record political opponents had distorted his stance on gay congressional candidates. He said it is “everyone’s right” to run for office, but he would only back people who oppose same-sex marriage.
His reelection campaign manager, Sarah Neibart, on Thursday said the protesters were “political opportunists” seeking only to raise their own profiles.
“As Congressman Scott Garrett has stated many times, he believes in the right of all Americans to run for public office,” Neibart said. “This has been published on the record repeatedly, and yet apparently, that’s not good enough.”
Bresenhan said Garrett’s stance on gay candidates was only part of his problem with the congressman. He also takes issue with Garrett’s opposition to same-sex marriage and his sponsorship of legislation that would allow businesses to deny service to gay couples because of religious beliefs.
Perhaps Bresenhan’s time would be better spent at Muslim bakeries asking them to create gay wedding cakes? Or limiting campaign contributions from countries that murder gays , still support slavery or treat women as property ? We can bet more than 10 people would show up for those protests whether you paid them or not.
