DSCC comes out swinging against Unanue
By Matt Friedman, PolitickerNJ.com ReporterThe Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) put out a press release today that was sharply critical of new Republican Senate candidate Andy Unanue, singling out his ownership of a New York City nightclub and a family/business dispute that cost him his job as Chief Operating Officer at Goya Foods.
“Running a nightclub in New York would seem like an odd qualification for a U.S. Senate candidate from New Jersey, but we know Republicans are desperate,” said DSCC spokesman Matthew Miller. “Andy Unanue is going to have to bring more than a checkbook and a history of failed business ventures to this race if he wants to convince New Jerseyans that he has any business serving as a United States Senator.”
In 2004, Unanue and his father, Joseph, were ousted from Goya Foods by their cousins Bob and Francisco, who cited “concerns about his professionalism” among other things. According to a USA Today article published today, the cousins say that the dispute has been settled and the family rift healed.
The DSCC release also noted that a New York Magazine review of Unanue’s establishment, AER Lounge, said that it was “complete with all the elitist trappings you'd expect from a meatpacking district club.”
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Syndicate
in other news, hell is freezing over today
we found something the DSCC and Murray Sabrin agree on.
good for DSCC
I love the aggressiveness of the DSCC and DCCC for N.J. races, whether it is this critique of Unanue, their radio ads in Ocean Co. calling out Saxton for voting against SCHIP, or their ads against LoBiondo. Having a local congressman like Van Hollen at the DCCC helm certainly seems to have brought DCCC attention to N.J., something which us Dem activists have been trying to cajole them to do for years. Of course, I'm of the mindset that Lautenberg is facing Pennacchio in November rather than Unanue, but any critique of the Republican candidates is welcome.
haha
Murray Sabrin and the DSCC = Perfect Together
Get out he checkbook
It looks like Senator Frank will have to start spending earlier and bigger than he planned. Today's shot across the bow is just the start.
Where they when Corzine was bounced from Goldman
What hypocrites! They were all for Corzine, whose partners tossed him out. Looks like someone at senatorial committee forgot to check the history books.
Matthew Miller
Matthew Miller talks pretty tough for somebody who just two short years ago, was the campaign spokesman for New Jersey's walking, talking ethics violation, Bob Menendez.
What were Menendez's qualifications to become a Senator other than receiving immunity from prosecution in order to rat out his mentor, Bill Musto, in order to take his place as Hudson County party boss and thirteen years as a congressman, consistently voting against every single tax cut and for every single tax increase (including raising taxes on Social Security) that ever came to his desk?
Matt, you really should've just kept your mouth shut and continued to blend in with the scenery.
"Liberals are people who will believe anything...twice."- William F. Buckley
Similarity
Both the DSCC and Sabrin launched immediate personal and salacious style attacks against the new candidate. I think the common denominator is that they are both scared.
The contrast of vigor and vitality alone makes him a threat to Lautenberg. Sabrin has no traction except amongst his merry men so the only thing he can do to advance himself is attack others.
You know Frank has a restaurant in NYC himself. How long til we hear stories of "Hef" Lautenberg bouncing around his joint in a sueded smoking jacket ....
Lautenberg
The irony is that Lautenberg used his opponent's advanced age to sqeak by a 52-48 victory back in 1982.
And what were Frank's qualifications to be Senator? He co-founded ADP and was its CEO.
How progressive of the Dems
So it's OK to run a failed jock like Heath Shuler for Congress, but not a nightclub owner? What disqualifies Unanue in the DSCC's myopic eyes? Are they so puritanical that they can't see fit to recognize a nightclub as a bona fide business enterprise? And how does the same party that keeps recycling the worst refuse of the Kennedy clan even begin to take poor Andy to task for leaving Goya due to a family business dispute?
As for Martin One, I'm truly disappointed in you. As a card carrying progressive, not to mention a live and let live heathen whose life is a testimony to living free from the shackles of Christian moralism, you should welcome a fellow hedonist as a candidate. Please don't tell me over Easter you converted to ... dare I say ... the fundamentalist side. You moralist, you!!! The night life in the meatpacking district is everything a moral free agent like you could ask for. You should view Unanue as a secualar missionary of sorts, allowing adults to live as they choose and do to each other whatever they wish to do. But no, you prefer the "aggressive" tactics of the DSCC to the call on your life to promote even the most extreme type of personal liberty. Maybe if Andy ran an abortion mill on 7th Avenue the DSCC wouldn't be so aggressive.
Reply to Martin the Deuce!
Wow! Excellent comeback, but then, it's like taking potshots at ducks in your swimming pool - too easy! LOL
I'm just hoping Unanue (I'd like to buy a vowel!) can speak for more than 10 seconds without having to read from his cue cards and hasn't donated to Democratic candidates like "Tax-and Stender" and John "I am a war hero, but I won't release my records" Kerry.
"A government big enough to give you everything you want is strong enough to take everything you have.” - Thomas Jefferson