The Top Five Stories of 2007

Republicans gained TWO seats in the Assembly. It would be a stretch not to count Fran Bodine's defeat, even though he flipped from Republican to Democrat. Face it ... the Democrats put a boat-load of money into that race because they thought it was winnable. The faucet dried up only when it became obvious to all that Bodine would lose. But that was after a ton of mail and television commercials.

Hey, Bob Stern (aka BoDoc), don’t forget the really big story of 2007…you and your running mate Gordon Johnson being shown for what you truly are: race baiters.  Trying to forget 2007’s LaRouchegate?…and now you’re making the Englewood Council playing politics with our Police Chief yet another “race” issue in your latest tome…when all decent people supporting the Chief only say is it is a fairness issue.  But of course you see everything as Black and White in order to further the ways in which you can exploit color, while posturing as a “progressive.”  Blaccch.  Check out Bob Stern’s self promotional tool and its racial ranting about our Chief at www.englewoodreport.com.  Here Stern decries race exploitation (when the real issue is our African American Chief of Police being pushed out for politics by Johnson and his majority on the Englewood Council).  This after Stern and Johnson consistently used race baiting in their campaigns for Englewood municipal office.  Is a rebellion brewing?  You bet there is, Bobby….against you and Gordon.  Stern and Johnson abusing race: My vote for Number One story!

Michael Wildes' campaign intimidated elderly African American voters, telling them if they didn't take their names off an opponent's petition, they would have to go to court or even jail. And sure enough, Wildes (aka Englewood Watchdog?) made sure these folks were taken to court to get their signatures removed from the petition. And guess what? Wildes lost his case. Yet, from this case emerged numerous signed affadavits and transcripts that show the disgusting tactics that Wildes will use to further his career, including voter intimidation.

Thanks to Gordon Johnson and Bob Stern for having the courage to fight this voter intimidation and shame on Michael Wildes (aka Englewood Watchdog?) for using race to divide Englewood. Of course, Mikey is clearly the race baiter, which is why he uses the Rovian tactic of accusing his opponents (including black legislator Gordon Johnson!) of exactly what he himself is guilty.

Michael Wildes may have bought the last election (far outspending his opponents to win what he describes as a "ceremonial" position), but he isn't going anywhere. He sold his soul to the pay-to-play machine and now the people of Englewood have to suffer.

Race baiters Bob Stern and Gordon Johnson made up that racial intimidation story in 2006, and continue to stir the race baiting argument today.  First, what both Stern and Johnson don’t tell you are that everyone (African Americans and not) approached by Wildes’ campaign were later subpoenaed to a hearing in June 2006 before a judge (simply to refute these charges by Johnson) and all but one said UNDER OATH that they were treated with respect and NOT threatened at all.  Second, the one person who did not say otherwise had refused to respond to the subpoena.  I think she was afraid to commit perjury. It became clear as to what was going on when that same woman (an African American clearly being used) was put on ice until a press conference some four and a half months later in late October 2006, with Gordon Johnson, propping up Bob Stern’s race baiting campaign for mayor THE NEXT WEEK in November.  There ONE PERSON (the one who skipped out on a legal proceeding in June) claimed racial intimidation by Wildes and his staff occurred some 5 months before.  Few in the press bought it.  Even the Record ignored it.  Third, after that press event a coalition of Rabbis and African American Reverends called Johnson’s behavior “incendiary” for its timing and for using race as a political tool just days before an election.  Now Stern and Johnson (who was later repudiated in 2007 for giving money to racist Lyndon LaRouche) are at it again, claiming Wildes actually “liked” LaRouche 2 years ago. Their evidence?  One of Johnson’s LaRoucheee friends said so on a wacky website in November of 2007, two years after the so called fact.  That same LaRoucheee says all this is happening to Johnson because he is Afro-American being “lynched”…odd, that is the same word Johnson and Stern threw around in their smear campaign against Wildes in 2006.  They claimed Wildes’ campaign was reminiscent of “lynching’ African Americans…making comparisons to the civil rights movement in the 60s.  In Englewood, we now know Johnson will use his race for anything, without shame.  This childish revisionist history by these pathetic excuses for liberals needs to come to an end.  I’m not Michael Wildes, but I would not want to be him either – having to deal with these people.  I, like the vast majorities of African Americans who voted for Michael Wildes over Bob Stern, are proud that Stern was crushed by two to one.  Englewood doesn’t like race baiters.  For that, I am proud. Again, check out www.englewoodreport.com where Stern’s latest race baiting story appears. The more people who read Bob Stern the better.  He’s so self-promoting and transparent.  Johnson is being lynched???? People throw that world around with no real comprehension of what that means.  Using it to defend Johnson against the indefensible. Disgusting.

Was one of the top five, along with the stem cell debacle, chris christie and his reform mantra, corzine's accident, corzine's toll plan (though its being executied now was really interested in 2007)  and if we can asterick and include one more the Don Imus mess at Rutgers, which was the gift that kept on giving.  And if I were Gordan Johnson I'd hire a pr agent.  He sure sounds like he needs one-or a bodyguard!