The Charging Rhino endorsements...
U.S. Senate for New Jersey; Tom Kean, Jr.(R)
U.S. Fourth District for New Jersey; Carol Gay (D)
Frankly both are anti-incumbent votes rather than stirring-support for the challengers. Sen. Menendez (d) appears to be yet-another ethically-challenged figure in the fine-tradition of NJ elected-officials, and is a mainstream liberal democrat. Kean will safely represent NJ's interests and follow the lead of the Republican leadership.
My pick for Congress is much more of a challenge. Rep. Chris Smith (R) has been the incumbent for over 23-years and it's time for a change. He traditionally has only one position, anti-abortion, and is quite flexible on all-others even to the detriment of the District; he's never worked in the private-sector; and I'm tried of looking at him. He just hasn't EARNED my vote. Carol Gay on the other hand, has all the requisite Bolshie credentials of a real-loser; unionist organizer of public workers, NARAL, the Unions and every anti-Iraq war group. I'm sure she'll get along fine with Madame Pelosi and the gentlewomen Representative of the People's Republic of Berkeley. We can also easily get rid of her in two years, and get a sensible Republican candidate to represent the 4th-District of whom we can respect.
If you can'st vote for 'em, vote aginst 'em.
The local County wide races I support the Republicans for the open County Commissioner and County Surrogate positions.
For the local ballot questions;
1. I see little point to redirect gas-tax monies to "mass-transit" when we don't have any effective mass-transit here in the county other than the Riverline Light-rail which is a separate agency. Running buses through an expanding suburban-zone that lacks a local hub is pointless and expensive based on passenger-mile-ridership analysis; it's the road maintenance and new town-center by-passes that are needed.
2. I support the expansion of the Green-acres and Farmland Preservation programs at their current funding-levels for another 5 years.
3. I reject attempts to plaster-over budget shortfalls by "dedicated tax" redirection in-general.
UPDATE: Charging Rhino supports and thanks Mike Fitzpatrick, PA-10th, (R).
I was going to mention this after the election, but on-reflection I thought it might be more meaningfully today....
Last night I attended a LCR gathering for Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick, PA 10th (R) in New Hope PA. For those who don't know the East Coast, New Hope is an artists' colony and gay-watering hole in Bucks County on the Delaware River, that's been around as long as Provincetown located between NYC and Philly. The attendees where a mixed group of LCR locals from Bucks, and LCR members and friends from NYC, New Jersey and Philly....probably 50-60 over-all.
Several things were striking to myself who's somewhat of an outsider to PA politics being as I'm from NJ. (Although New Hope is home of my "local" gay bar.) One was the politics-as-usual attendance of the event by not only the local incumbent Republican Congressman, but also the Republicans candidates for State Assembly and the State Senate, along with the Mayor of New Hope. The Congressman was there about 45-mins, and the two State candidates were in-attendance for over an hour-and -a half.
...On the last Sunday night before the election all three made the time to attend a "gay" political gathering...and the discussions and speeches were on "Republican" themes of governance and responsibility...not "gay" issues. The sheer ordinariness of the entire event was heartwarming...it was "politics", not pandering. About how principled bi-partisan action works, and governance-issues.
Also in attendance were Patrick Sammon, LCR's new Exec. Vice President who I was very impressed-by; Jeff Cook, LCR's former Field Director who unsuccessfully challenged in the Primaries for a Congressional-seat in Upstate New York; and several of the officers from both the NYC and Philly LCR-chapters.
