Michael Bloomberg Endorses Dennis Shulman (D-NJ)

On Sunday the NY Times endorsed Dennis Shulman in his feisty congressional race against New Jersey's ultra-corrupt ultra-extremist Scott Garrett, one Republican who has worked hand in glove with all the authors of the Wall Street meltdown and the mortgage crisis-- and profited handsomely. On a scale of odiousness, Michele Bachmann, Mean Jean Schmidt, Patrick McHenry, James Inhofe, Marilyn Musgrave and Steve King have nothing on Garrett. Even the campaign manager of right-wing fringe Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) insists that Garrett is "a nut."

In the Times' congressional endorsements they usually had something postive to say about their endorsee's opponent. In the NJ-07 race: "In the race for the open seat in this central state region, Republican Leonard Lance and Democrat Linda Stender are both excellent candidates." In CT-04 they called Jim Himes "an attractive candidate" while giving the nod to Chris Shays and in CT-05 they mentioned that David Cappiello has "a reputation for independence," while endorsing Chris Murphy for the seat. But in NJ-05 all they could say about Garrett, while urging Bergen County voters to dump him, is that he's "one of the most conservative members of Congress" who "supports constitutional amendments to ban abortion, even in cases of rape and incest" and that he "backs President Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthy and limited aid for the poor."

What they don't mention is how he has been running the single most disgusting campaign of anyone in Congress, using the hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes he's sucked up from Wall Street to run vicious TV spots trying to mislead voters into thinking Dennis, a blind rabbi, is an anti-Israel terrorist. Scott Garrett almost makes Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann seem moderate.

But this kind of filth and slander isn't something that slipped by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg unnoticed. Bloomberg, a Republican-turned-independent this morning will join New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine and New York Governor David Paterson in endorsing Dennis for the congressional seat.

Garrett's garbage advertising campaign has prompted some of Israel's strongest supporters in Congress-- Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Brian Baird (D-WA), Charlie Rangel (D-NY), Steve Israel (D-MY). James Langevin (D-RI), Ron Klein (D-FL) and Tim Bishop (D-NY) to join New Jersey's pro-Israel contingent, Rush Holt, Albio Sires, Steve Rothman, Rob Andrews, Donald Pryce, Bill Pascrell, Frank Pallone and Senators Bob Menendez and Frank Lautenberg in urging northern New Jersey voters to back Shulman over Garrett. It has also prompted Al Doblin editor of the biggest newspaper in the district to give Garrett a healthy dose of his own medicine:

"The Congressman does not hate poor people. But he cares for his ideology more." I wrote that about Rep. Scott Garrett, R-Wantage, in an Oct. 19, 2007, column. I was referring to a vote Garrett made to uphold President Bush's veto on the State Children's Health Insurance Program.

I had it wrong. Garrett cares more about being reelected than his ideology or poor people. In a nasty campaign season, Garrett hasn't just crossed a line; he climbed in a tank and rolled over most levels of decency.

Last week, Garrett mailed a campaign piece tying his Democratic challenger, Dennis Shulman, to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Shulman is a rabbi. To suggest that a rabbi is going to walk hand in hand with someone who would advocate for the destruction of Israel is shameless and despicable. It's also desperate.

...Sowing hatred has consequences. These are dangerous times. People are losing their homes, their jobs and their savings. This is exactly when desperate people look for an easy answer for their anguish, an easy target for their problems.

There are no easy answers. Voting "no" in Congress doesn't help people who are facing eviction. Garrett wants to stand on principle while many Americans are standing out in the cold. They need food, shelter and security. They do not require a plateful of hate.

The 5th District was drawn to elect a Republican. That may not change until the district is redrawn after the 2010 Census. Garrett is facing a serious challenger in 2008 because many voters want change. Even a safe Republican district is no longer safe.

In a Garrett commercial I watched on the Internet, the congressman claims Shulman is too extreme for New Jersey, showing images of Ahmadinejad and Shulman simultaneously. Garrett asks, "What do voters know about Dennis Shulman?"

Maybe not enough.

But based on this hate campaign, voters also should ask what they know about Scott Garrett.

Maybe too much.

Garrett has already spent well over a million dollars in his smear campaign and has another $400,000 to go. Dennis has $125,000 for the rest of the campaign-- in the country's most expensive media market. It isn't too late to give Dennis a hand, not because Michael Bloomberg is but because he'll bring real wisdom to the halls of Congress, something that has been much missed-- and something that has nothing whatsoever to do with a well-dressed thug and smooth criminal like Scott Garrett. Watch today's PBS feature on the race:




UPDATE

Mayor Bloomberg: "I'm endorsing Dennis Shulman because I'm impressed by his pragmatic, sensible approach to the tough issues, including how we strengthen the economy and how we keep illegal guns out of the hands of criminals," said Mayor Bloomberg. "We need more leaders in Congress willing to reach across the aisle and focus on problem solving, not ideology. He's been a strong voice for change at a time when we badly need it. He's not afraid of shaking up Washington, and I urge voters in his district to give him the chance to do exactly that by voting for him on Election Day.

"Dennis happens to live in New Jersey, but in our federal government every congressman gets the same vote.

"On too many things, ideology has gotten in the way. [Dennis Shulman is] somebody who understands that we have to do something about these issue, walk away from ideology and focus on results. The reason to vote for Shulman is that he's right on the issues.... I don't agree with him on everything but he has stood up, analyzed the issues, and said 'I'm not going to let partisan politics get in the way. I'm not going to let single-issue advocacy groups cow me and beat me down or bribe me. I'm going to go out and do what's right.'"