In a radio interview tonight, gubernatorial candidate Steve Lonegan called a Fairleigh Dickinson Poll that showed him trailing rival Chris Christie by 24 points in the Republican primary "retarded."
The poll was brought up by NJ 101.5 "Jersey Guys" host Casey Bartholomew, who used it to argue his point that Lonegan was unelectable. When he heard Lonegan use the term "retarded", he checked to make sure he heard correctly.
"I said just that: retarded Fairleigh Dickinson poll," said Lonegan.
Fairleigh Dickinson pollster Peter Woolley, for his part, did not take offense at the comments.
"I have a great deal of respect for Mayor Lonegan, and not least of all because he is an alumnus of Fairleigh Dickinson University," he said. "I wish him the best of fortune."
But on March 31, one of Lonegan's core supporters, conservative activist and blogger Michael Illions, posted a quick note on Conservatives with Attitude asking readers to be aware of the harm that can come from the derogatory use of the word "retard."
"Most people don't think of this word as hate speech, but that's exactly what it feels like to millions of people with intellectual disabilities, their families and friends," wrote Illions, who became an advocate for the disabled after his own son was diagnosed with hydrocephalus. "Using ‘retard' as a term of derision is just as cruel and offensive as any other slur."
Today, Illions said "I havent heard the direct quote, but I would certainly would haverecommended that another word was used to describe the results of the poll."
Lonegan's appearance on the show tonight was notable in light of Friday's tense exchange between Bartholomew and Christie. Bartholomew told Christie that he could not trust him because he would not remove his friend and advisor, John Inglesino, from the campaign over his $3,000 a year job with state Sen. Joe Pennacchio (R-Montville), which kept Inglesino in the pension system after he lost reelection as a Morris County freeholder.
The exchange between Lonegan and Bartholomew went no better, however. It was combative from the start, although the other "Jersey Guy," Ray Rossi, remained mostly silent. Immediately before taking Lonegan's call, Bartholomew noted that he would not vote for him because he was "unelectable." Lonegan then offered to hang up.
What followed was about ten minutes of raised-voice arguing over whether Lonegan could win and the political feasibility of his flat tax proposal, with Bartholomew and Lonegan frequently talking overone another.
Bartholomew said that Lonegan would never get his proposals through the Democratic-controlled legislature, to which Lonegan responded that the state senate did not have the votes to override his veto. He also said that Lonegan's flat tax plan would raise taxes on poor people.
"That's the defeatist attitude of the Republican Party bosses who don't even know they can win the Assembly this year," Lonegan replied, adding that Bartholomew doubted that his effort to defeat the 2007 stem cell ballot initiative would succeed.
Bartholomew later accused Lonegan of taking credit for the downfall of Gov. Jon Corzine's asset monetization plan, which he said belonged to 101.5 because of the State House rally it held last year.
"You did a great job latching your star to our wagon…" said Bartholomew. "But you weren't responsible for it. It was 2,000 people we brought down to Trenton that one day."
At the end of the show, Bartholomew that he had given up on Christie and could not vote for Lonegan.
"I'm voting for (Richard) Merkt now, because Christie can't be trusted and Lonegan just speaks in platitudes," he said.
