>I thought this was just too funny so I wanted to pass it on ,but I ask how can they “stay the coarse” when they have nothing left to lose?
State GOP to ‘stay the course’
By GREGORY J. VOLPE
Gannett State Bureau
TRENTON
Despite losing three straight statewide elections with campaigns based around attacking Democratic candidates’ ethics, New Jersey Republicans say they will “stay the course” with that campaign strategy.
State Sen. Thomas H. Kean Jr., R-Westfield, spent months labeling U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-Hoboken, a dirty politician, but with voters angered at President Bush and the war in Iraq, the Democrat won soundly.
In last year’s gubernatorial election, Doug Forrester failed to convince voters that Jon S. Corzine would be another corrupt Democrat. He used a similar message trying to oust U.S. Sen. Robert Torricelli in 2002, but the Democrat dropped out of the race amid an ethics scandal, replaced by former U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-Cliffside Park, who prevailed.
“You really wonder if the ethics issue is one that can carry the day in the absence of a strong connection to why you should vote for the other candidate,” said Rutgers University political scientist Ingrid Reed. “. . . Republicans in New Jersey will really have to think about what their best strategy is.”
Tom Wilson, chairman of the state Republican Party, said his party will keep the strategy “as long as they keep putting up ethically challenged candidates.”
Wilson said the strategy would have worked in the 2002 race if Torricelli remained on the ballot. Last year, he said voters believed Corzine’s wealth would insulate him from acting unethically. And Tuesday night was more about the war in Iraq.
“Bob Menendez didn’t win an election with people liking him or trusting him,” Wilson said. “He was an alternative that they preferred based on a message. . . . More people disliked him, distrusted him, than liked him.”
Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce said Republicans should “stay the course” on the ethics plank because it’s an important issue in New Jersey.
“I can’t believe the people elect people with clouds on their title, and yet they do here in the state of New Jersey,” said DeCroce, R-Parsippany-Troy Hills.
Assemblyman Joseph Cryan, D-Union, chairman of the state Democratic Party, said voters want a reason to vote for a candidate, not just a reason not to vote for an opponent.
“In Tom Kean’s case, that’s all he ran on,” Cryan said. “People knew Bob Menendez’s position on the war, they knew his stance on Social Security, they knew where he was on stem cell. They just didn’t know where Tom Kean was because, frankly, he was a one-trick pony.”
Reach Gregory J. Volpe at gvolpe@gannett.com
Published: November 09. 2006 3:10AM
>While walking down the street one day a US senator is tragically hit by a truck and dies. His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.
“Welcome to heaven,” says St. Peter. “Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we’re not sure what to do with you.”
“No problem, just let me in,” says the man.
“Well, I’d like to, but I have orders from higher up. What we’ll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity.”
“Really, I’ve made up my mind. I want to be in heaven,” says the senator.
“I’m sorry, but we have our rules.”
And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell. The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course. In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him.
Everyone is very happy and in evening dress. They run to greet him, shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people. They play a friendly game of golf and then
dine on lobster, caviar and champagne.
Also present is the devil, who really is a very friendly guy who has a good time dancing and telling jokes. They are having such a good time that before he realizes it, it is time to go. Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator rises…
The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens on heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him.
“Now it’s time to visit heaven.”
So, 24 hours pass with the senator joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing their harps and singing. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.
“Well, then, you’ve spent a day in hell and a day in heaven. Now you must choose your eternity.”
The senator reflects for a minute, then he answers: “Well, I would never have said it before, I mean heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better off in hell.”
So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell.
Now the doors of the elevator open and he’s in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage.
He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags as more trash falls from above. The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulder.
“I don’t understand,” stammers the senator. “Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now there’s just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable. What happened ?”
The devil looks at him, smiles and says, “Yesterday we were campaigning…… Today you voted “
>BULL .AND MORE BULL.