The ugly, violent end of the Trump era – Politico
In case you missed it, a rioting mob of President Trump’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol yesterday and, for the first time since the Civil War, disrupted the transfer of power because their favored candidate lost the election.
OK, I know you didn’t miss it. And I know you’ll never forget it.
This is, of course, a New Jersey politics newsletter. So I can’t help but note the bad timing for GOP gubernatorial candidate Doug Steinhardt, who, hours before the Trump-inspired insurrection, issued a new campaign ad slamming rival Jack Ciattarelli for, among other things, calling Trump “a charlatan and an embarrassment” four years ago. It’s part of Steinhardt’s strategy of tying himself as closely to the outgoing president as he can.
Until yesterday, I thought there was a better chance than not that the Trump presidency would play just a minor role in the gubernatorial election, fading from voters’ minds as New Jerseyans focused on state issues like taxes, the economy and a (hopefully) retrospective look at Gov. Murphy’s pandemic response. But this disgrace makes it a lot more likely that Trump will continue to burden the New Jersey GOP. And Ciattarelli isn’t off the hook either, having chosen to embrace Trump after criticizing him and more recently saying as little as possible about him. Then there’s the majority of Republicans who have stood by and said nothing about Trump’s rhetoric, from banning Muslims from entering the country to Charlottesville to pandemic denial to this, an attempted overthrow of democracy.
No written statements Wednesday condemning the mob’s violence made up for it. Those politicians may have avoided a primary opponent, but — forgive me for repeating myself — will it have been worth it when their kids or grandkids ask where they stood?
WHERE’S MURPHY? In Hamilton at 9:30 a.m. to sign the tax incentive bill. Then in cyberspace at 11:15 a.m. to sign the Dominick Marino PFRS Enhanced Benefits for Surviving Spouses Act.
CORONAVIRUS TRACKER: 5,028 newly-reported cases for a total of 504,647. 104 more deaths for a total of 17,464 (and 2,059 probable deaths). 3,744 hospitalized, 668 in intensive care. 137,829 vaccinations administered of 406,500 distributed, or 33.9 percent.
QUOTE OF THE DAY #1: “We brought this hell upon ourselves.” — Sen. Cory Booker
QUOTE OF THE DAY #2: “He has incited violence against the government of this United States and he needs to be removed.” — Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman
TWEETS OF THE DAY — @OliviaNuzzi: “Daryl Brooks, one of Rudy Giuliani’s witnesses at the Four Seasons Total Landscaping press conference, posted on Facebook claiming to be rioting inside of the Capitol building today. He then deleted it and claimed he’d been hacked … I am told that Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman’s office responded to Brooks’s post — which contained the threat that he was looking for her office — by calling the police.”
PATERSON SCHOOLS — “NJ has controlled Paterson’s schools for 30 years. Now, local control has returned,” by The Paterson Press’ Joe Melinconico: “Expressing regrets and apologies, the New Jersey Board of Education on Wednesday ended its 30-year control of Paterson schools, with several state officials saying the prolonged takeover had been a failure. ‘I hope … we never see a takeover of a school district again in the history of our state,’ said New Jersey board member Ronald Butcher. His colleague Andrew Mulvihill said the state could not make major improvement in the district’s academic performance, noting that just 29% of Paterson students are proficient in language arts and 17% in math. ‘We owe our dearest apology to the folks in Paterson for our failure to turn around the mess that we took over,’ Mulvihill said. ‘Clearly, we’ve proven in this particular case — and I’m not sure particularly why — that we were unable to turn the ship in Paterson on the issue of student achievement.” “We’re sorry. We have failed you,” he added.’”
VACCATING RESPONSIBILITY — Murphy blames underreporting for low vaccination numbers, by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman: New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said Wednesday that underreporting from vaccination sites are in part to blame for the state’s slow rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine. But, he said, New Jersey is not alone when it comes to underreporting. “There is a significant amount of underreporting. We’ll leave the entities’ names out,” Murphy said during his regular briefing in Trenton. “I think this is what every American state is going through, frankly. But there is no question that that number is under counting the amount of shots that have been actually delivered.”
WHY WON’T U-HAUL DO A STUDY? — “Here’s what (and who) outmigration reports miss about N.J.,” by ROI-NJ’s Tom Bergeron: “Moves involving United Van Lines more often than not are made by those who have a little more money. And, perhaps, a little less diversity. Simply put, immigrants entering the state don’t often use national moving companies. So says [Brandon] McKoy. ‘Traditionally, we have stemmed outmigration by enjoying and attracting a lot of international immigrants,”’he said. ‘That’s obviously taken a major hit under the (President Donald) Trump administration because of its immigration policies. Hopefully, under this new administration, we’ll get back to where we were.’ … They more than backfill any departures. And, here’s the thing, McKoy said, that’s always been the case. It’s just not a study that’s published annually. ‘You want to know, really, what the issue is: People in Jersey will talk about outmigration being an issue in New Jersey as though it’s something new — it’s not,’ he said. “We’ve been an outmigration state going back 50-plus years.”
CANNABIS — “There aren’t many Black-owned cannabis businesses. These 3 entrepreneurs say that can change,” by NJ Advance Media’s Tennyson Donyéa and Dwayne Uzoar: “The November vote in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana in New Jersey was just what the owners of Roll Up Life, a CBD distribution company, say they have been waiting for. ‘A lot of people just don’t know where to start. A lot of people don’t know how to get in (to the marijuana industry),’ said Tiyahnn Bryant, an executive who runs the Wayne-based company along with his partners, Precious Osagie-Erese and Kevin Monangai … The trio, who started preparing for this four years ago and opened Roll Up Life this past November, is rare. They are among only a few Black owners of marijuana-based businesses in the state. Nationwide, only about 4% of cannabis business owners and founders are Black, according to a Marijuana Business Daily study. Even before New Jersey lawmakers passed their first set of recreational regulations late last year, marijuana advocates for social equity and Black entrepreneurs have been fighting to boost grassroots Black ownership in the Garden State’s recreational space. It’s one of the reasons the three started Roll Up Life in the first place, they say.”
0.93 MASTROS — “NJ Transit board approves contract for Academy replacement covering Middlesex bus routes,” by The Record’s Colleen Wilson: “The NJ Transit board unanimously passed a last-minute bus contract during a special meeting Monday night that will cover bus service in Middlesex County until October. The NJ Transit board, which does not typically have a January meeting, approved a nine-month, $8,377,857 contract with Community Transportation Inc. that will be in effect from Jan. 17 until Oct. 16. The Paramus-based company was not chosen through a competitive bid process, but rather as an extension of its existing contract with NJ Transit for other services it provides. The no-bid decision was made, according to President and CEO Kevin Corbett, because of the urgency to have the Middlesex routes serviced this month.”
GET WELL SOON: From state Sen. Kip Bateman’s (R-Somerset) Facebook page: “Just want to let you know that I underwent a procedure to address a heart issue. The procedure went better than expected and I am feeling great. I appreciate all of your thoughts and prayers but I ask that you refrain from calling me for a little while. You can contact me through messenger or if you need help you can call my office.”
— “Nursing homes across New Jersey await shipments of COVID-19 vaccines”
— “Ciattarelli raises enough to qualify for $1.8 million in matching funds”
ALWAYS A JERSEY ANGLE — The victory of Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff in Georgia on Wednesday means Democrats have an extremely narrow control of the Senate, which also means — barring unforeseen developments — that Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) is set to return as chair of the Foreign Relations Committee.
GEORGIA — “What the Democratic Georgia Senate runoff victories could mean for NJ residents,” by The Record’s Charles Stile: “Homeowners can now reasonably dream of a day when Trump-era limits on state and local tax exemptions disappear. That will end a nakedly partisan policy play that forced highly-taxed property owners in New Jersey to subsidize Trump-cheering states like Kentucky, home to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.”
— @GovMurphy: “At the request of DC officials, I am deploying the [New Jersey State Police] to the District of Columbia to facilitate the peaceful transition of power & protect our democracy. We are prepared to deploy the @NJNationalGuard upon request. May God Bless America and our brave men and women in uniform.”
CHARLES (NOT) IN CHARGE — “Charles Kushner tells friend that Trump’s behavior is ‘beyond our control,'” by The New York Times’ Annie Karni: “Bob Sommer, a longtime Kushner family friend who once represented the family real estate company, Kushner Companies, erupted in anger at Mr. Kushner, who last month received a presidential pardon from Mr. Trump. ‘I’ve texted jared as well,’ said Mr. Sommer, who served as president of the Observer, wrote. He urged his former client to please ‘get trump to be an American’ instead of an expletive. Mr. Kushner did not dispute his characterization of the president. ‘Got it and beyond our control,’ he replied, according to a copy of the email exchange obtained by The New York Times … Mr. Sommer also texted the president’s daughter and Jared Kushner’s wife, Ivanka Trump, after she referred to the protesters as ‘American patriots’ in a Twitter post Wednesday. Mr. Sommer wrote that he was ‘horrified I attended your wedding.’ She did not respond.”
ANYONE REMEMBER WHO THE FIRST GOP GOVERNOR TO ENDORSE TRUMP IN 2016 WAS? — “Christie says Trump must ‘tell his supporters to leave the Capitol grounds,’” by NJ Advance Media’s Matt Arco: “Former Gov. Chris Christie said Wednesday afternoon he’s been trying to reach President Donald Trump as a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol building and that the president should tell his supporters to disperse. ‘The president caused this protest to occur. He’s the only one who can make it stop,’ Christie said on ABC News. ‘The president has to come out and tell his supporters to leave the Capitol grounds and to allow the Congress to do their business peacefully,’ he said. ‘And anything short of that is an abrogation of his responsibility.’”
STIMULUS — “Second stimulus check update: New payments could go to some families of undocumented residents,” by NJ Advance Media’s Sophie Nieto-Munoz: “Some of the 722,000 New Jersey residents left out of pandemic relief funds due to citizenship status could be eligible for the latest round of $600 stimulus checks under the new coronavirus relief package. Previously excluded from stimulus relief checks, U.S. citizens who filed taxes with their undocumented spouse will receive $600 per person with a Social Security number, including children with citizenship. Roughly 56,000 undocumented residents In New Jersey are married to a U.S. citizen, and another 27,000 are married to a legal permanent resident or green card holders, according to the Migration Policy Institute. It’s unknown how many mixed-status couples have children with citizenship.”
— “N.J. congressional delegation reacts as Trump supporters breach U.S. Capitol, forcing lockdown”
— “ICE Hunger Strikes Spread To Another New Jersey Jail”
USE OF FARCE — “N.J. school board member charged with DWI files excessive-force complaint against cops,” by NJ Advance Media’s Anthony G. Attrino: “A school board member in Essex County who was charged with driving while intoxicated near an elementary school has filed an excessive force complaint against the police officers who arrested her. Erika Jacho, 41, who serves on the Belleville Board of Education, made the complaint the day after her arrest on Oct. 21, according to township police Chief Mark Minichini. Investigators say Jacho has claimed that one or more of the officers used excessive force after they found her sleeping inside her car near a bar and public school on Joralemon Avenue … Following her arrest, Jacho refused a field sobriety test and was charged with DWI and DWI within 1,000 feet of a school, refusal to submit to a chemical test, failure to exhibit her driver’s license, reckless driving and parking within 10 feet of a fire hydrant … Police dashcam video of the arrest shows Jacho berating officers and repeatedly demanding that they get a Belleville town councilman on the phone.”
SPAMALOT — “Holmdel teachers vote ‘no-confidence’ in superintendent; what’s irking them?” by The Asbury Park Press’ Joe Strupp: “District teachers want interim Superintendent Leroy Seitz replaced quickly, issuing a vote of ‘no-confidence’ in the administrator and claiming he has not communicated policies and procedures properly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Holmdel Board of Education countered the demand with a strong letter that defends the interim schools chief and accuses the union of orchestrating ‘a spam assault’ of propaganda on the community because teachers oppose a recent decision to return students to in-class learning … Denise King, president of the 400-member Holmdel Teachers Education Association, said the union’s opposition to Seitz stems from his alleged poor communication efforts, as well as the belief that the district needs a permanent superintendent now.”
MCGETITWRONGAGAIN — “Taxpayers lose in District 3 special election, Levinson says,” by The Press of Atlantic City’s Michelle Brunetti Post: “Republican Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson said Wednesday the costs of a new election for District 3 county commissioner should not be borne by county taxpayers. On Monday, Superior Court Judge Joseph Marczyk said 328 voters in the district — which includes parts of Hamilton and Egg Harbor townships — were disenfranchised because county Clerk Ed McGettigan sent them incorrect ballots that did not include the District 3 race but should have. Since the margin of victory for Democrat Thelma Witherspoon, of Hamilton Township, over Republican Andrew Parker, of Egg Harbor Township, was 286 votes, Marczyk decertified her win and ruled a new election must be held.”
— “Contemplating mural, Camden neighborhood asks: Who are we?”
WHAT A DUMBASS — “F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote a (poorly spelled) letter to an NJ fan. Now it’s up for auction,” by The Record’s Jim Beckerman: “F. Scott Fitzgerald, the great American novelist … was a lousy speller. ‘I’ve answered your letter at length because I still get two or three a day from readers it’s very seldom that any one is more than a gushing panygyric (sp!)’ he wrote to a fan in Paterson in a 100-year-old letter now up for auction.’ An upcoming novel, he says, will paint the characters ‘in a rather lurid prospective.’ One character, based on a real person, is actually ‘about 12 years older than me (I?) in real life.’ That’s genius for you … It’s what Fitzgerald misspelled that makes him, 100 years later, a subject of abiding interest to book lovers, filmmakers, and collectors of memorabilia. That’s what makes this particular auction “lot” — no. 504 — such a hot property. It consists of a lengthy typewritten letter, from a ‘John J. Fitzgerald’ of Paterson N.J., dated Dec. 1, 1920, Fitzgerald’s scrawled — also lengthy — response (undated) and a signed photograph of the novelist’s new, glamorous wife, Zelda Sayre. Signed, not by her, but by him.”
SACK IT TO ME — “Hackensack reborn as the ‘The Sack’ to lure shoppers to Main Street,” by News 12’s Brian Donohue: Quote from woman interviewed: “Could this be equated with the bedroom? I mean… sex sells. What, do you have fun in The Sack? Want to get in The Sack with me? Want to — not get in the sack with me — want to go to The Sack with me? How could you word it so it clicks?” — A woman in Hackensack weighing in on the town’s new nickname.
— “American Dream developer Triple Five catches up on mortgage payments for Mall of America”
CORRECTION: Time for some typo problems in NJ Playbook. A Twitter user correctly pointed out on Wednesday that I left out the word “problems” in the famous Bridget Kelly email, “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee.” I regret the error but I believe SCOTUS won’t hold me accountable for it.
