>Rep. Frank On GOP: ‘Because Somebody Hurt Their Feelings, They Decide To Punish The Country’

>As soon as the bailout proposal failed in the House, Republican lawmakers began blaming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) for its defeat. In a press conference, the GOP leadership faulted Pelosi for giving a “partisan” speech prior to the vote. In the subsequent Democratic press conference, Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) responded to their absurd charge:

“Here’s the story. There’s a terrible crisis affecting the American economy. We have come together on a bill to alleviate the crisis. And because somebody hurt their feelings, they decide to punish the country. I mean, I would not have imputed that degree of pettiness and hypersensitivity.

We also have — as the leader will tell you, who’s been working with them — don’t believe they had the votes, and I believe they’re covering up the embarrassment of not having the votes. But think about this. Somebody hurt my feelings, so I will punish the country. That’s hardly plausible. And there are 12 Republican members who were ready to stand up for the economic interest of America, but not if anybody insulted them.

I’ll make an offer. Give me those 12 people’s names and I will go talk uncharacteristically nicely to them and tell them what wonderful people they are and maybe they’ll now think about the country.”

Rep. Frank On GOP: ‘Because Somebody Hurt Their Feelings, They Decide To Punish The Country’

As soon as the bailout proposal failed in the House, Republican lawmakers began blaming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) for its defeat. In a press conference, the GOP leadership faulted Pelosi for giving a “partisan” speech prior to the vote. In the subsequent Democratic press conference, Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) responded to their absurd charge:

“Here’s the story. There’s a terrible crisis affecting the American economy. We have come together on a bill to alleviate the crisis. And because somebody hurt their feelings, they decide to punish the country. I mean, I would not have imputed that degree of pettiness and hypersensitivity.

We also have — as the leader will tell you, who’s been working with them — don’t believe they had the votes, and I believe they’re covering up the embarrassment of not having the votes. But think about this. Somebody hurt my feelings, so I will punish the country. That’s hardly plausible. And there are 12 Republican members who were ready to stand up for the economic interest of America, but not if anybody insulted them.

I’ll make an offer. Give me those 12 people’s names and I will go talk uncharacteristically nicely to them and tell them what wonderful people they are and maybe they’ll now think about the country.”

>WALSH, GRENAFEGE CALL FOR TOWNSHIP BUDGETS CUTS

>According to Middletown Democrat for Township Committee Jim Grenafege, “My running mate and I called for budget reductions before the spending plan was passed. We are calling for them now and should not be ignored this
time.”

“I believe it is incumbent upon elected officials to respond to the current economic crisis. Indeed, this crisis is impacting the residents of Middletown. In every household in our community, people are facing foreclosures and jobs have been lost,” Walsh said.

Grenafege is a retired human resources executive and holds a Master’s Degree in counseling from Montclair State University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences from Johns Hopkins University. After 26 years as a corporate manager, Grenafege said his business experience has taught him that it is time to cut spending in Middletown Township. “It is absolutely time to do that right now,” he said.

“The township needs to do this right the first time out. The situation is dire and it is clearly time to address this before Middletown has to be bailed out by the state,” Grenafege said.

“Our residents are scared. Even as my running mate and I are walking the township, we found seven homes foreclosed on one street alone,” Walsh said. “Make no mistake about it, Middletown cannot continue to do business the way it has been done.”

Walsh said the community demands that the tax burden be lessened from them right now. “Ten to 15 percent reductions are an absolute necessity if we are to help our residents,” Walsh said.

“If the re-evaluation had gone through appropriately then the wealthier segment of the township would be bearing more of the burden,” Grenafege said. “As it is, Middletown is in dire straights and has to be fixed before there is more bleeding here. The township can be saved, and Pat Walsh, Patrick Short, Sean Byrnes and myself can do it.”

WALSH, GRENAFEGE CALL FOR TOWNSHIP BUDGETS CUTS

According to Middletown Democrat for Township Committee Jim Grenafege, “My running mate and I called for budget reductions before the spending plan was passed. We are calling for them now and should not be ignored this
time.”

“I believe it is incumbent upon elected officials to respond to the current economic crisis. Indeed, this crisis is impacting the residents of Middletown. In every household in our community, people are facing foreclosures and jobs have been lost,” Walsh said.

Grenafege is a retired human resources executive and holds a Master’s Degree in counseling from Montclair State University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences from Johns Hopkins University. After 26 years as a corporate manager, Grenafege said his business experience has taught him that it is time to cut spending in Middletown Township. “It is absolutely time to do that right now,” he said.

“The township needs to do this right the first time out. The situation is dire and it is clearly time to address this before Middletown has to be bailed out by the state,” Grenafege said.

“Our residents are scared. Even as my running mate and I are walking the township, we found seven homes foreclosed on one street alone,” Walsh said. “Make no mistake about it, Middletown cannot continue to do business the way it has been done.”

Walsh said the community demands that the tax burden be lessened from them right now. “Ten to 15 percent reductions are an absolute necessity if we are to help our residents,” Walsh said.

“If the re-evaluation had gone through appropriately then the wealthier segment of the township would be bearing more of the burden,” Grenafege said. “As it is, Middletown is in dire straights and has to be fixed before there is more bleeding here. The township can be saved, and Pat Walsh, Patrick Short, Sean Byrnes and myself can do it.”

>Special Meeting of the Middletown Township Committee 9/30/2008

>

A special meeting of the Middletown Township Committee is being called for Tuesday night 9/30/08 to discuss possible action to be taken against  Mountain Hill, LLC.

Mountian Hill, LLC is the developer of the proposed “Town Center” project, which won it’s  court appeal against the township earlier this month. 

The Township Committee will vote to ratify a resolution of petition to the NJ State Supreme Court. The petition will ask the court to overturn the lower courts decision against the Township in the matter of Mountain Hill, LLC v. Middletown Matters.

If anyone wishes to voice their opinion in this matter the  open public portion of this special meeting starts at 8:30 pm at  Town Hall.

Special Meeting of the Middletown Township Committee 9/30/2008

A special meeting of the Middletown Township Committee is being called for Tuesday night 9/30/08 to discuss possible action to be taken against  Mountain Hill, LLC.

Mountian Hill, LLC is the developer of the proposed “Town Center” project, which won it’s  court appeal against the township earlier this month. 

The Township Committee will vote to ratify a resolution of petition to the NJ State Supreme Court. The petition will ask the court to overturn the lower courts decision against the Township in the matter of Mountain Hill, LLC v. Middletown Matters.

If anyone wishes to voice their opinion in this matter the  open public portion of this special meeting starts at 8:30 pm at  Town Hall.

>Obama Has Put Virginia, North Carolina and Indiana in Play

>The Democrats lost each of the past two presidential elections to Republican George W. Bush by the difference of the electoral votes of one big state. This prompted the campaign team for Democratic nominee Barack Obama to build a game plan that would put into play more states that typically vote Republican. Though the “bounce” in polls enjoyed by Republican candidate John McCain following his nominating convention early this month briefly called this strategy into doubt, Obama’s recent resurgence to a lead in most national polls — and gains in many state polls — has revived his party’s hopes of winning in states lost by Al Gore in 2000 and John Kerry in 2004.

CQ Politics, in fact, has changed its electoral vote ratings for three states — all longstanding Republican presidential strongholds — where Obama appears increasingly competitive. Virginia, which has 13 electoral votes, has been reclassified as No Clear Favorite, CQ Politics’ category for the most competitive races, after previously being rated Leans Republican. CQ Politics also changed the ratings of both Indiana, with 11 electoral votes, and North Carolina, with 15 electoral votes, to Leans Republican, a category for highly competitive races that sweeps in states where McCain has a slight edge, from the less competitive Republican Favored category….

Obama Has Put Virginia, North Carolina and Indiana in Play

The Democrats lost each of the past two presidential elections to Republican George W. Bush by the difference of the electoral votes of one big state. This prompted the campaign team for Democratic nominee Barack Obama to build a game plan that would put into play more states that typically vote Republican. Though the “bounce” in polls enjoyed by Republican candidate John McCain following his nominating convention early this month briefly called this strategy into doubt, Obama’s recent resurgence to a lead in most national polls — and gains in many state polls — has revived his party’s hopes of winning in states lost by Al Gore in 2000 and John Kerry in 2004.

CQ Politics, in fact, has changed its electoral vote ratings for three states — all longstanding Republican presidential strongholds — where Obama appears increasingly competitive. Virginia, which has 13 electoral votes, has been reclassified as No Clear Favorite, CQ Politics’ category for the most competitive races, after previously being rated Leans Republican. CQ Politics also changed the ratings of both Indiana, with 11 electoral votes, and North Carolina, with 15 electoral votes, to Leans Republican, a category for highly competitive races that sweeps in states where McCain has a slight edge, from the less competitive Republican Favored category….