Blog the Fifth

AUFC Attacking Garrett from Afar

2008-07-08T17:32:00.004-04:00

As first reported by Herb Jackson over on his blog, Americans United for Change are coming to New Jersey with their Bush Legacy Tour bus tomorrow.

Their target is our very own Representative Scott Garrett, who has voted with President Bush 86% of the time. They are also going after Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen.

Their chosen location: Newark? At the Newark Bears Stadium? After Newark, they're taking the bus down to Trenton. Who gave them a map of New Jersey's Congressional Districts? This is the bus no one in the District will actually see.

I realize the idea is to get the bus into the papers, and get people like me to write about it, but that would happen regardless of where they chose to park it. Why not put it in Sparta or Bloomingdale, where Garrett and Frelinghuysen split the town? Or maybe in Paramus next to his office and a mall where people can park and look at the thing? Or any of the District's colleges, park and rides, train stations, etc.?

If their goal is to go into the towns and Districts of Bush's most ardent supporters, they really dropped the ball on this one. They have a button on their website for people to click if they want the bus in their town. They really need to add another one for the Congressional Districts they're supposedly targeting.

Vote Wright

2008-07-06T19:56:00.003-04:00

I don't know how he could have been left off the team, but vote David Wright onto the All-Star Squad.

Shulman's $215K 2nd Quarter

2008-07-06T18:19:00.003-04:00

While I haven't received any official numbers to date, it seems Rabbi Dennis Shulman had a rather impressive second quarter of fundraising. The Express-Times ran this in a story on Saturday:

Of the approximately $565,000 Democrat Dennis Shulman's campaign has raised to date, $119,000 came from online donations, campaign manager Jeff Hauser said. Shulman is challenging U.S. Rep. Scott Garrett, R-Warren.

If that total amount holds, with total donations of $349,969 listed on their last filing, that means Shulman may have raised roughly $215,000 last quarter.

For some perspective, Paul Aronsohn raised $74,421.65 over the same time period in 2006. It also would mean that by the end of July, Shulman's campaign is within roughly $12,000 of what Aronsohn raised throughout the last campaign.

Once I have official numbers I'll post them.

Happy Independence Day!

2008-07-04T00:01:00.001-04:00

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

Seeing Garrett on Independence Day

2008-07-03T13:30:00.003-04:00

This is Representative Scott Garrett's public schedule for Independence Day.

Go up and say hello.

FRIDAY, JULY 4, 2008

WHAT: Paramus Independence Day ParadeAppearance
WHERE: Paramus Parade Route goes from Fairview Avenue and CenturyRoad to Midland Avenue - ends at Memorial School
WHEN: 8:30am - 9am

WHAT: Ridgewood Independence Day Parade
WHERE: Ridgewood Parade Route goes from Monroe Street and GodwinAvenue, to East Ridgwood Avenue and ends at the Graydon parking lot.
WHEN: 10:00am-11:30

WHAT: River Edge Independence Day Activities Appearance
WHERE: River Edge - Veteran's Memorial Park
WHEN: 12:30pm - 1:30pm

Garrett's campaign website also lists the Warren County Chamber of Commerce's "Spirit of Americana" in Blairstown.

Congrats Sen. O'Toole

2008-07-03T11:33:00.002-04:00

PolitickerNJ reports that State Senator Kevin O'Toole has been tapped to lead the NJ Republican County Chairs. Maybe he'll be able to help out new BCRO Chair Bob Yudin finally break the lock of Joe Ferriero.

No one doubts it's an uphill battle. Ferriero used his pay-to-play mastery to raise over $300K to squash the challenge of the Real Bergen Democrats this spring.

To Get You In the Mood...

2008-07-02T21:47:00.004-04:00

Still my favorite version.

Video of Garrett on Fox

2008-07-02T00:55:00.002-04:00

This is exactly what I was talking about in this piece from yesterday discussing why I thought the DCCC ad missed the mark. I have to give credit to Representative Scott Garrett where credit is due. He may have an energy voting record that would infuriate his constituents, but his response to this ad was perfect.

Garrett has gotten better over the last two years at giving these matter of fact interviews; and now he gets to portray himself and those attacked as the victims of an unfair assault in the absence of results by Democrats. And you know what; people will eat that up.

As the "most trusted" news channel in America, it's probably too much to ask the Fox News anchor not to lead Garrett; or maybe she could have pointed out that 85% of our natural resources are not locked up.

While 85% of our coastline may be off-limits to drilling, according to the EIA, there is a little under 25% of our proven reserves that are non-producing in total (whether by corporate choice or regulation). Of that, 9.1% are in Federal waters off shore.

If we were to start producing a million barrels a day from the non-producing Federal area, it would last us five years and off-set imports by less than 10%. Oh, and it will take 8 to 10 years to get there.

However, this info which took about 15 minutes to find, likely won't ever make it in front of as many eyes as Garrett did playing the victim card over the last 48 hours. It's the sad reality of today's politics, and it's part of what needs to change. However, it's the game we play these days and Garrett has gotten very good at it.

Must See Film: Election Day

2008-07-01T23:32:00.004-04:00

PBS did the broadcast premier of Election Day, a documentary by Katy Chevigny. I originally saw the film as part of the Stranger Than Fiction series a while back, and it instantly became one of my favorite films of all time.

The film takes an amazing look at our electoral process by observing 11 different stories all shot on Election Day 2004. The good, the bad and the ugly are shown as they happen.

The film covers important aspects regarding registration, voting rights, and ballot verification. It also has very touching scenes, including those covering individuals voting for the first time.

PBS will be streaming the entire film on-line for the month of July, and I can't recommend it strongly enough. Anybody that wants to help organize a screening let me know.

DCCC Overplay

2008-07-01T17:26:00.008-04:00

As a rule of thumb, I pretty much hate cookie cutter political attack ads. Having listened to it, I can say such is the case with the DCCC's Big Oil attack against Representative Scott Garrett. Now I don't have access to the focus groups that said this ad was a good idea, but here's why I think it could backfire.

First, Garrett's become a media darling. He's getting to go on with Blitzer and Cavuto and who knows who else by the end of the week, and talk about how he's being attacked because the Democrats don't have a plan. Here's Garrett's usual comment about the Democrats and energy:

You may recall that when Democrats were campaigning for the 110th Congress, they said that they had a commonsense solution to lower the price of gasoline and energy for the American public. And we are now 18 months , I think, into the 110th Congress. And, well, there is absolutely nothing in the Democrat's plan.

He said that as part of an after hours speech at 9:15 PM on June 11. I don't even know if C-SPAN still covers floor speeches that are unrelated to legislative action, and I'm a political junkie to some degree. Would the average voter have heard it? Unlikely. Among other things Garrett was up against a great episode of Deal or No Deal. However now, Garrett gets to repeat his stance unchecked (because they've already attacked him) and have it rebroadcast to a substantially larger audience at all hours of the day.

Second, they bought ad time on WABC (as well as two stations in Sussex). I'm sure those listening to Limbaugh, Hannity, and Levin are the supply/demand disciples who already see Garrett as a hero and his fight to open drilling off the Jersey Shore as a noble cause. 1010 WINS or 880 WCBS could work, but WABC? I guess since Garrett's told his regular core donors he's worried about Dennis Shulman, the DCCC wanted to put those who might donate to Garrett on notice that he needs their cash.

Third, it reeks of the stereotypical political attack that the average voter doesn't want to see this Election cycle. In a year where change and a new kind of politics are in order, we're listening to an ad that simply offers a generalized attack. We're burned out from this junk. People want solutions.
There's more, but I have to head out. I've written a bunch of times (scroll down) about Garrett's poor stand on energy. However, instead of taking the time to really educate voters about Garrett's record the DCCC went the easy, boring, and unproductive politics as usual way.

Garrett's a Media Darling

2008-07-01T14:51:00.002-04:00

I'll have more on this thought later, but Representative Scott Garrett will be on Fox News Channel's Your World with Neil Cavuto at approximately 4:10 to discuss the DCCC Attack Ad. As always, if I find a video or transcript I'll post it.

Garrett on DCCC Attack Ad

2008-07-01T10:45:00.002-04:00

I couldn't find a video of The Situation Room, but did find a transcript.

The White House has no response. Republicans, including a New Jersey congressman who's among those targeted, have less of a problem with the impersonator and more with the Democrats who control Congress saying Republicans are at fault for failing to help American drivers.

REP. SCOTT GARRETT (R), NEW JERSEY: What do we get out of the Democrats. Well, we get Nancy Pelosi flying her private jumbo jet back to -- back to California, and putting Congress on recess with no resolution to the energy crisis. And now we get attack ads.

For the record, Garrett takes Amtrak back and forth to DC. Garrett takes the regular regional train, as opposed to Acela. I make the same choice when going back and forth to DC, largely because Acela's price vs. time saved isn't worth it.

Habeas Quote of the Day

2008-06-30T22:39:00.001-04:00

From the AP story detailing the first of what is to be many court rebukes of the logic for holding prisoners without charges at Guantanamo Bay:

"Lewis Carroll notwithstanding, the fact that the government has 'said it thrice' does not make an allegation true," the court wrote.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit also had this to say:

"The government insists that the statements made in the documents are reliable because the State and Defense Departments would not have put them in intelligence documents were that not the case," the court wrote. "This comes perilously close to suggesting that whatever the government says must be treated as true."

Part of the reason Representative Scott Garrett and Senator Frank Lautenberg should have their commitment to the Constitution brought into question this Election were their votes to suspend Habeas Corpus via the Military Commissions Act of 2006(Garrett, Lautenberg).

It has been nearly two years since the MCA passed. Nearly two years that individuals who may have been falsely accused of terrorist ties have been locked up unjustly. These are years of life we cannot give back to the people we stole them from.

We're coming up on 232nd birthday of our Nation. When we declared our independence, we cast aside many things of British rule. However, one we kept was Habeas Corpus. As the light of the free world, it's been nearly two years since the world saw our own Congress take away one of the fundamental rights of free people everywhere.

As more and more of these wrongful detentions come to light, these votes will look worse and worse.

Garrett on Blitzer

2008-06-30T15:31:00.002-04:00

Representative Scott Garrett will be on with Wolf Blitzer at 4PM on CNN to discuss the DCCC Ad. If I can get a link, I'll post it here.

DCCC Attacking Garrett on Oil

2008-06-30T12:37:00.003-04:00

Update: You can listen to the ad here.

Seems when the DCCC decided to name Dennis Shulman as an emerging race, they meant top 13 in the nation. The DCCC is coming after Representative Scott Garrett in a new radio ad using a Bush Impersonator:

"Wanted to thank you for continuing to support the Big Oil Energy Agenda,” the impersonator says. “‘Preciate you voting to keep giving billions in tax breaks to the big oil companies. Sure, gasoline is over four bucks a gallon and the oil companies are making record profits, but what’s good for Big Oil is good for America, right? I guess that’s why they call us the Grand OIL Party. Heh, heh, heh.

The DCCC has also announced they will also be doing web videos and targeted e-mails in select Districts.

War With Iran?

2008-06-29T22:38:00.003-04:00

News outlets here in the US, as well as in the United Kingdom, Turkey, China, Qatar, Israel, and Iran are all running stories about a $400 million "covert" operation to destabilize the Iranian government.

The source is Seymour Hersh's "Preparing the Battlefield" from this week's New Yorker. Although this has been said before, part of the reason this particular story has gained such notice is because Hersh's previous work has included exposing the My Lai massacre in Vietnam and the abuses at Abu Ghraib.

I'll be curious to see what, if any response Representative Scott Garrett has to this report. If he releases a statement or is quoted anywhere, I'll re-post it here.

Garrett's New Press Secretary

2008-06-29T16:49:00.002-04:00

Herb Jackson has the story in his weekly column, but Representative Scott Garrett has a new press secretary. Erica Elliot has stepped up to the plate for Garrett. Here's her quote from Jackson's piece.

"I was amazed that just by answering the phones as an intern, I could actually make a real difference in people's lives.... That's when I realized that if I could get a job assisting public servants like Congressman Garrett, I would get to make a positive difference in the world," she said.

All the best to Erica in her new endeavor.

Garrett vs. Speculators

2008-06-27T13:29:00.003-04:00

A vote by Representative Scott Garrett that didn't get mentioned by anybody was his vote for the Energy Markets Emergency Act of 2008.

The bill empowers the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to go after those artificially inflating the cost of oil through speculation. I've been very critical of Congress for it's inaction dealing with speculation within the oil markets and the impact it's having on prices at the pump.

While this doesn't deal with the favorable taxation that have brought hedge funds and day traders into the oil markets; it is a very good first step in reversing the trend and I'm glad to see Garrett supported it.

2nd Veteran History Project Event

2008-06-27T13:00:00.002-04:00

The Garrett Gazette is back. As a reminder, Garrett included the following:

I recently hosted a kick-off event for my Veterans History Project. This exciting project, created in 2000 by Congress is aimed at collecting oral history interviews, memoirs, letters, diaries, photographs, andother original materials from veterans like you.

Our Second Veterans History Project Forum will be Tuesday, July 1st at 9am - 11 am at the Tice Senior and Community Center, 411 Chestnut RidgeRoad, Woodcliff Lake, NJ 07677.
If you have questions regarding this event or would like to sign up foran interview, please call my Newton office at 973.300.2000. Additional information can be found at http://www.loc.gov/vets/

I Want My Garrett Gazette!

2008-06-26T22:32:00.007-04:00

Yet another Press Secretary for Representative Scott Garrett has left (the third, I think, since I started blogging); and that means Chief of Staff Amy Smith is doing double duty. However, it should be noted we're missing our Garrett Gazette!

I know I may be a bit critical of the Gazette's content from time to time, but we as a District have had an award winning newsletter coming to us.

With all of the big votes this week, it would have been good to know Garrett's thoughts. The Gazette also usually provides information that's actually useful for constituents, such as Mobile Constituent Service Hours.

I realize it's just one week, but in a year where Republicans are saying they need to frame their races locally, Garrett losing the one thing he does well is something he really can't afford.

Garrett's Full of Sham

2008-06-26T12:52:00.000-04:00

Here's something to think about - Representative Scott Garrett said the following regarding the deficit neutral patch of the AMT:

The bill was "really a sham by the Democrats. They know there is no chance of this becoming law," said Rep. Scott Garrett, R-Wantage, a member of the House
Financial Services and Budget committees.

So, in Garrett's eyes a bill with no chance of becoming law is a sham. Fair enough.

Just so everyone is clear, Garrett has introduced 64 bills in his career. Of that, 57 have not made it out of committee (no chance of becoming law). Of the seven that made it out, 2 became law.

I've been saying for the better part of two years when Garrett is talking about his school bill, highway bill, energy bill or basically anything that he touts as his "solution" to a problem that it has no way of getting made into law.

I suppose I should thank him for giving such a concise word to describe his time as our Representative: Sham.

Will the Borrowers Win Again?

2008-06-25T17:59:00.001-04:00

Back in December, I wrote about how Representative Scott Garrett had joined the tax cut and borrowers in voting against meaningful AMT reform. Well, today he did it again.

Once again, the $61.5 billion in projected borrowing to provide relief to 20 million families is being off-set by targeted tax increases directed at 5,000 or so hedge fund managers. Here's how the AP explains it:

The offsets in the package before the House Wednesday include a measure that would raise $31 billion over 10 years by increasing the tax rate on the share of investment profits received by private equity and hedge fund managers, also known as carried interest. Managers of private equity and hedge funds are now generally taxed at the 15 percent capital gains rates on the profits they share instead of the 35 percent individual income tax rate that would normally apply to high-income individuals. The bill would tax most of their profit-sharing income at the higher 35 percent rate.

That's right, there are roughly 5,000 people paying an average of $620,000 less in taxes than they would be if they were taxed like normal people. Many Americans won't make that much money over 20 years of work, let alone skip the taxes annually.

As a deficit hawk, it's extremely frustrating to watch this debate every year. The dream used to be getting the Democrats around to supporting balancing the budget. Then, almost as soon as it happened, the Republicans became the deficit spending lovers. What gives?

While I haven't seen a comment from Garrett this time around, Representative Jim McCrery provides a decent soundbite as to the Republican logic:

Republicans believe that Congress should not raise taxes on one group of
taxpayers in order to prevent an increase on another set of taxpayers.

So instead, Republicans want to raise the taxes on entire future generations payable to the Chinese?

Taxes today are about 25% higher than they need to be because of interest due on previous deficit spending. How high are we going to go if these special interest driven partisan games continue?

Garrett Against Medicare Reform

2008-06-24T16:09:00.001-04:00

I won't have time to do a full analysis of this bill today, but Representative Scott Garrett joined 14.3% of the House in voting against HR 6331: Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act.

Among other things, the bill expands access in rural areas such as Sussex and Warren Counties, increases the focus on preventative care (which costs less in the long term), ensures service providers are paid promptly, and fixes some of the problems with Medicare Part D.

Considering Garrett represents a District with 13.4% of the population over 65, which is a higher percentage than the nation as a whole, one really does have to wonder what Garrett is thinking. If Garrett took to the floor to explain his vote I'll post it here.

Fanning running in the Fifth

2008-06-22T12:35:00.004-04:00

Ed Fanning of Dumont will be joining Representative Scott Garrett and Dennis Shulman on the ballot in November. Fanning will be running as a member of the Green Party. So far, he's had 88 people visit his website.

Garrett & Countrywide

2008-06-19T23:19:00.004-04:00

Well, with the news breaking about the VIP program at Countrywide, I decided to check out if our Representative Scott Garrett was part of the brewing scandal.

Happily, I can report he is not. He has a small loan from a local bank, and that's it.

Unfortunately, as noted by the Center for Responsive Politics, he has received $5,000 from Countrywide's PAC.

Countrywide's largest competitors in the home loans category are no doubt Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, two of Garrett's regular targets in his quest to eliminate the government.

It should be interesting to see if the Shulman campaign decides to make an issue of Garrett's opposition to the existence of the two, as well as voting against other housing programs that would benefit our District; while taking contributions from the one company who benefits most from his stances.

This is part of the reason I think public financing is so important. I have little doubt that Garrett really does want to eliminate the government, as he says often. However, due to political contributions it's easy for people to question whether it's motivated by his own beliefs or his campaign coffers.