Former GOP gubernatorial candidate Steve Lonegan issued an op-ed blast to supporters this morning entitled "The Hollow Men," rebuking campaign operative allies of GOP gubernatorial nominee Chris Christie, State Party Chairman Jay Webber,pro-cap and trade Republican congressmen,and the state party in general for what Lonegan cites as an abandonment of conservative principles.
"Since the Primary Election, loyal Republicans have been baffled by the behavior of the GOP establishment in New Jersey," writes Lonegan in hismost pointed criticism of his party since losing the nomination to Christie on June 2nd. "First, operatives in the campaign of our nominee for Governor, Chris Christie, monkeyed around with the social issues page on his website, gaining the attention of the media before resolving what they caused.
"Then, at the meeting of the Republican State Committee – the men and women elected from each county to formulate and advance the party’s principles – the party leadership blocked a move to formally adopt the platform of the national Republican Party, as well as blocking a resolution condemning Governor Corzine’s tax hikes. At least one major newspaper, the Star-Ledger, linked the leadership’s refusal to adopt our Party’s platform to the fact it contains Pro-Life and Pro-Traditional Marriage planks."
Lonegan enclosed with his op-ed a letter written to Webber – and CC'd to Republican National Chairman Michael Steele (who's inSouth Jersey today) by party committee members Donna Ward and Rob Eichmann, who on JUne 17thunsuccessfully urged the state party chairman to accept motions from the floor to adopt the platform of the national GOP and condemn Gov. Jon Corzine's budget.
"We understand from individuals conversant with the ways of State Committee – including a former GOP State Chairman – that the legal counsel involved, a Mr. Mark Sheridan, is a kind of failsafe for the GOP establishment," write Eichmann and Ward."We understand why such a person would hold a position like that, but we don’t understand why that person – or the establishment he works for – would oppose a resolution embracing the platform of the national Republican Party.
"Failing to adopt this resolution is tantamount to saying that the New Jersey GOP really isn’t Republican at all. That it is just borrowing the name for convenience – while passively rejecting the values and policies of the Republican Party. If that is the case, maybe someone should just have the honesty to tell us so. If not, then the State Committee should waste no time in adopting this resolution."
Lonegan, who ran as the leader of New Jersey's conservative movement and lost to Christie by a 55% to 42% margin, in his own missive also excoriates state Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean (R-Westfield) for voting in favor of bonding $400 million for open space and for voting to renominate Justice Barry Albin to the State Supreme Court.
Referring to Kean as "Tom Keen, Jr." – a typo,insists Lonegan ally Rick Shaftan, and not intended as disrespect- "Albin has been the state’s most liberal activist judge, authoring the radical Lewis vs. Harris decision in support of civil unions—a decision that drastically alters the meaning of marriage and changes the course of our culture without voter input," Lonegan says."Albin is the architect of the left wing social engineering scheme known as COAH and the failed Abbott education funding mandates that have given New Jersey the highest property taxes in America. The action of these Republicans was a slap in the face to their own nominee for Governor, who has promised to appoint “conservative judges who will uphold the Constitution."
Not sparing the lower house, Lonegan slammed Assembly Minority Leader alex DeCroce (R-Parsippany-Troy Hills) for lobbying to pass a Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) bill.
He alsoupped the ante on his criticism of GOP congressmen supporting President Barack Obama's cap and trade agenda.
"Only ten days after the failure of the New Jersey Republican State Committee to adopt the platform of the Republican Party, this tragic bill passed the House of Representatives by a narrow 219 to 212, with eight Republicans joining 211 Democrats," Lonegan wites."Our state had the dubious distinction of seeing three of those prosperity destroying votes cast by New Jersey Republican Congressmen Leonard Lance, Frank LoBiondo, and Chris Smith.No other state in America saw so many Republicans vote with President Obama and the Democrats. In New Jersey, three of our five Republican congressmen did."
Wrapping it up, "…The question that haunts many of us is, 'Why?'" writes Lonegan."To understand how we got here, we need to look at who controls the levers of power within the GOP establishment in New Jersey. For the most part, it’s not the elected officials.In New Jersey, most elected officials are part-timers.You must look behind the Republican 'leader' – to the permanent bureaucracy who runs our legislative caucuses. The players in this bureaucracy slide through a revolving door that takes them from legislative staffer, to lobbyist, to holder of government contracts or appointments, and then back in time to secure a fat taxpayer-funded pension. These are the hollow men who are there when a freshmen legislator arrives in Trenton – and remain twenty years after he’s gone."
Shaftan said Lonegan's timing with the blast had nothing to do with the appearance in New Jersey today of Steele, who's scheduled to campaign with Christie in Gloucester County.
