Kathi Fiamingo

MINNEAPOLIS - Stunned by Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) headline-snatching announcement last Friday that he selected Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, N.J. Democrats this week re-set after taking a three-day hard look at Palin.

So far, they’re having a difficult time squaring an obscure Alaskan with New Jersey’s hard-edged, ethnically diverse environs, despite Republicans’ best efforts - in the words of State GOP Chairman Tom Wilson - to make a case for why "New Jersey will love Sarah Palin."

"They have Eskimos in Alaska," former Summit Councilwoman Kelly Hatfield said to the suggestion that Palin may not have experience relating to the kinds of ethnic groups whose myriad cultures saturate New Jersey.

As for the fact that Palin’s a woman - a younger, slimmer verison of Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) with an attitude to tempt backlash voters over to the GOP after Clinton’s primary loss - Democrats remain unimpressed.

Union County Republican Chairman Phil Morin said he takes no delight in the troubles of Democratic Assemblyman Neil Cohen, who’s under investigation for child pornography that was allegedly found on his legislative office computer.

But knowing  that a resignation from Cohen could come soon -- which would bring about a special election in the 20th Legislative District come November -- Morin does have a few potential Republican candidates in mind. 

KENILWORTH GOP CANDIDATES FIAMINGO AND PUGLIESE LAUNCH NEW WEBSITE

Kenilworth Republicans Pick Their Candidates

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Susan Jester
June 12, 2006 (201) 664-8887

(Kenilworth)- Republicans in Kenilworth have picked two candidates to represent their party in the 2006 general election.

Kathi Fiamingo and Fred Pugliese were selected by the write-in process, since there were no candidates filed by the municipal committee by the April deadline. Despite not being on the ballot, Fiamingo and Pugliese were able to garner 81% of the votes their Democrat counterparts received, and their names were on the ballot.

“I am grateful to the Republicans of Kenilworth for their support,� said Fiamingo. “Our names were not even on the ballot, and we still fared very well. This shows that the Republican Party in Kenilworth is alive and well and ready to take on the tax hiking, budget busting democrats in the fall.�

“The Democrats in this town have stood silent while their Governor, Jon Corzine, threatens to increase the sales tax, and flat fund our town and our schools, which means skyrocketing property taxes,� said ??. “Kenilworth voters will have real choice in November, and we will provide a stark contrast to our opponents, who want to tow the party line by continually reaching into the pockets of the taxpayers.�

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