On the short end of the stick

I ran in to Hunterdon County Republican Chairman Henry Kuhl the other day, and we started chatting, as we will from time to time, about the 7th Congressional District race. The Republican have not been short of candidates there---there are seven –count’em---seven, at this time. Senator Leonard Lance seems to lead the pack, if there can be a leader in a pack of seven.

However, the Republicans have had a tougher time getting candidates in the race for United States Senate. Folks have been coming and going so quickly in that race. And some, like Andy Unanue, was gone before he came.

So, former Congressman Dick Zimmer was recruited to get in to the race. Zimmer lives in Delaware Township in Hunterdon County.

The last time Zimmer ran, he lost in a squeaker to Rush Holt in 2000. Before that, he lost the Senate race to Robert Torricelli in 1996. So, the last time he won a race --any race—he ran for Congress for the 3rd time against an unknown Democratic candidate, Joe Youssouf whom he beat by more than two to one. That was in 1994.

So, one would think that Zimmer could easily get the all-important-party line in his home county. Not a chance. The Hunterdon Republicans already endorsed Joe Pennacchio, giving him the line. But Kuhl called a meeting and reposed the question.

Last week both Pennacchio and Zimmer went before a special meeting of the Hunterdon County Republican Committee, to re-give the line to Zimmer. Problem was, Zimmer lost 34-30. So, Pennacchio won the line twice.

Chairman Kuhl’s answer: “He did not get his people there.” Certainly one would think that Zimmer knows more people than Pennacchio in Hunterdon. But, apparently, they were all ‘busy’ that night.

Zimmer has a long way to go to November, if he cannot win in his own county. He still must beat Prof. Murray Sabin and Joe "Nationalist Agenda" Pennacchio.

Mensch of the Week and Putz of the Week

It has been a few weeks since I offered the Mensch of Week and Putz of the Week feature, and please forgive me its absence. And I thank Rick P. of Sayreville for writing and asking about it, as well as Janis L. of Staten Island [did not know I a fan base across the sea in New York], and Linda M. of Pittstown.

Putz of the Week

Andy Unanue is the new millionaire flavor of the month in the Republican Party to run for the Senate. The Repubs are not satisfied with the possibility of either Sen. Joe "Nationalist Party" Pennachio or Prof. Murray Sabrin as their standard bearer in this race against Senator Lautenberg. So, they have used their political magic wand to find someone who has no experience, but can self-fund. But his ability to self-fund does not come without some problems.

Apparently, Mr. Unanue may have committed voter fraud, by residing in New York City, but voting in New Jersey. Someone should have told him that was wrong.

From PolickerNJ:

Unanue does own a residence at 25 Central Park West in New York City.
Unanue's campaign said that, for all intents and purposes, Unanue lives with his parents.

A millionaire who lives with his parents in New Jersey, but maintains an apartment in New York City. And he "admitted he had come to work hung over and drank a lot at company parties. 'Work hard, play hard. That was my motto',".So, all this and more, Andy Unanue is the new Putz of the Week here at NJPoliticsUnusual.

Mensch of the Week

When I was in second grade waaaay back in 1962, in the aftermath of the Cuban missle crisis, we had to learn how to protect ourselves at school in the event of a nuclear attack by the Soviet Union. We were advised to 'duck and cover'----if you should see the flash of an atomic bomb in the distance while at school, we were told to immediately jump under the desk. I was very impressed that the wooden desks at P.S. 277 would be able to protect us from atomic radiation. "How cool is that?" I thought.

Today the issue is terrorism, and some folks in New Jersey have the same thought in mind. Teaching kinds what to do at schools in the event of a terrorist attack or a Columbine like attack.

Schools in New Jersey are drilling students for different types of emergencies. Bomb threats. Hazardous material spills. Armed, roaming sociopaths. Terrorist attacks. The State Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness is working on legislation to require such drills statewide as early as next fall.

Next month, the Middlesex County Freeholders will ask their Congressional delegation to "include schools among the critical infrastructures protected by the United States Department of Homeland Security, in hopes of getting money to pay for the drills."

For their commitment to the safety of students in New Jersey schools, the Middlesex County Freeholders are our Mensches of the Week.