July 22, 2008 - 9:58am
McQueeny helped organize Lautenberg's Springsteen concert
By Wally Edge
Category: US SenateTags: U.S. Senate, Samantha Maltzman, Jim McQueeny, Frank Lautenberg, DAN KATZ, Bruce Springsteen
Jim McQueeny, a lobbyist who hosts News 12 New Jersey’s Power & Politics, was one of the organizers of U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg’s now controversial plan to buy 40 premium seats to a Bruce Springsteen concert for $108 and resell them to campaign contributors for $1,500. Lautenberg cancelled the fundraiser yesterday after The Record broke a story detailing the event, which involved a deal with the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, a state agency, to obtain concert tickets set aside for VIP’s and political insiders. McQueeny, who served on Lautenberg’s staff in the 1980’s, worked on the event with Dan Katz, the Senator’s Chief of Staff, and Samantha Maltzman, the campaign finance director.
Update: McQueeny denies that he's involved in Lautenberg's campaign.
McQueeny's weekly public affairs show regularly discusses political campaigns and he interviews candidates and strategists from both parties. In 2002, he took a leave of absence from his hosting duties to work on Lautenberg's five-week campaign for the Senate.
Asked in September 2007 what his role in the Lautenberg campaign will be, McQueeny wrote PolitickerNJ.com: "The answer is, and will always be: 'none.' Actually, I could further amplify that: 'none-whatsoever.'"
Contributors
Wally Edge
John Adler's campaign seems to be avoiding what appears to be a simple question: did the Democratic State Senator from Camden County ever ... >
Bob Torricelli
The financial debacle on Wall Street may change many things. Our international power, standard of living and individual security might all ... >
Michael Patrick Carroll
Joe Biden promises to impose Catholic dogma upon the country, and calls it "patriotic". >
Debbie Holtz
If you missed the first presidential debate you probably relied on the media to tell you who won.
BTW, you're not alone. TV audiences ... >
Steve Lonegan
The sub prime mortgage melt down and its ensuing financial “crisis” has tested the mettle of all of us who believe in and support the free ... >
Dr. Joseph Marbach
For the past few weeks, I've watched with fascination as politician after politician have appeared on a beach or a boardwalk and declared their ... >
Rob Tornoe
To view a larger version of this cartoon, click here. >
Michael P. Riccards
I enjoy watching Governor Sara Palin, either in person or being impersonated. She is delightfully ill-informed and marvelously programmed, sort of ... >
Joey Novick
"Union ratifies new contract with Star-Ledger."
AP Newswire
"New Jersey cannot lose its' only paper!", cry readers. ... >
Juan Melli
While New Jersey suffered from a crippling structural deficit, politicians created a slush fund to dole out tax dollars for their own personal gain.
... >
Hot Topics
| Politicker INTERACTIVE | |
 |
The Pindell Report Keep up with the races in your state |
 |
Lawmaker Profile Follow the funding of your representatives |
 |
270 to Win Predict the road to the White House |
Most Active Stories
- Merkt mulling bid for Governor
- Schaer will replace Cohen as key committee chairman
- Stay tuned: this one is definitely worth watching
- House members who voted against original bailout plan not yet won over
- Lautenberg's handlers doing the right thing
- Assembly Republicans tried unsuccessfully to find out about legislative slush fund
- Tom Kean probably would have won a third term in 1989, but would he have wanted it?
- Pillets not likely to be charged; state says reporter initially denied having DEP files
- Bryant trial witness: state legislature set aside $40 million for top legislators to spend on pet projects
- Assessing the media: Who won the first presidential debate?
- Dr. Bones goes to Washington
- PoliticsNJ.com Power List 2007
- DOHERTY: NEW SCIENTIFIC DATA JUSTIFIES REPEALING GLOBAL WARMING RESPONSE ACT
- Eleven arrested in bribery scandal
- Lyndhurst GOP, nearly all of them, switching parties
- Lobbyist arrested
- Governor Paralysis
- Who is the best State Party Chairman in New Jersey
- KYRILLOS, BECK, KEAN & HANDLIN VOW WORK TO KEEP SEASTREAK FERRY UP AND RUNNING
- Torricelli on COAH
Quote of the Day
October 6, 2008
"I am not supporting him, because he is not supporting the BCRO," Yudin said. "I simply said to him, and I stand by this, if elected officials feel they cannot support the BCRO, I cannot guarantee my support. He is a sitting assemblyman for 25 years, he has taken the position that he cannot give to the BCRO and I find that wrong, and I have warned him that is a position of mine."........
"You can't get blood from a stone,'' Rooney said, adding, "For him to make these threats is not the sign of a good leader."
-Charles Stile, on BCRO Chairman Bob Yudin's request that Assemblyman John Rooney give a significant part of his $16,000 campaign account to support county-wide candidates
Recent Press Releases
- Oct 6 2008
- Oct 6 2008
- Oct 6 2008
In the News
Read the expanded Wake Up Call, our summary of today’s news media coverage.
Today’s Must Reads:
The Drivers of the Star-Ledger Crisis― NEW YORK OBSERVER
Colts Neck couple to host president today― Juan and Marta Gutierrez
Public purchase benefited Democratic Party donors ― JOSEPH FERRIERO
PolitickerNJ.com Jobs
Syndicate
FIRE MC QUEENY NOW
Is`this not public TV, paid for with our Tax dollars.? If so this guy should be fired. We all know that the NJ upper crust are in the tank for Obama. But having to see our tax dollars supporting a Lautenberg hack is another story.
Sacrificial lambs.
Jim McQueeny, Dan Katz, Samantha Maltzman must go in order to save Frank's sinking campaign!
Wrong.
News 12 is not public TV.
And that loud thud you just heard was the senator and his people throwing McQ under the bus.
The buck (and the bus) stops somewhere.
Move on
I dont know what the vendetta is here for McQueeny but it's time to move along and find a real issue.
Incest works in N.J.
Don't expect to see the Republicans go after McQueeny for working on Lautenberg's campaign while he's hosting a TV politics show. His lobbying firm has a partnership with Princeton Public Affairs, where Dale Florio the Somerset Republican County Chair is a partner, and former Republican U.S. Rep. Bob Franks works at his Washington office. In N.J., conflicts like this are ordinary and acceptable.
http://www.wswdc.com/partners.cfm
Our New Jersey Cozen
Senator Lautenberg would do better to highlight his contributions to the best interests of New Jersey over his tenure rather than align himself with the vastly overrated "Boss". This latter guy is a mere dilettante in politics, akin to Hollywood parlor liberals who became vogue back in the 1960's
McQueeny should take another leave, then come back
Nothing against McQueeney personally, but he should avoid the appearance of a conflict by taking another leave of absence from the show until after the November election.
be careful frank
this is exactly the kind of stupid process issue that could cause Lautenberg to lose. this is what we worry about, that Lautenberg can say or do something stupid and put this seat in jeopardy. why would these people take such a stupid risk to raise 60 grand?
Reality check
The only place this story has legs is right here in this forum. Everyone gets to vent, complain and talk about their wisdom Quite honestly if anyone here had anything worthwhile to say they would be getting quoted in the Ledger, Asbury Park Press, or Record rather than leaving anonymous postings.
Do you really believe that this topic is anything more than a 12 hour story (it used to be 24 hours but this is the Internet now).
Sure Lautenberg's response of asking for an investigation is lame to say the least but please dont for a second think that this is going to amount to anything significant in the campaign. Frank Lautenberg could die tomorrow and will still make easy work of Dick Zimmer. This is nothing.
And if you disagree then I suggest that you channel your efforts into something other than posting here anonymously because blogs may be the future but right now the only people that really read this are insiders who ironically most likely like McQueeny and find all of this amusing.
Fuzzy Math
Maybe he can say he doesn't remember any of it or dosed off when they were discussing it. Come on Frank you claim you have done so much run on your record. NJ sends $1 to washington and we get $.61 cents back - Frank sends in $108 and gets back $1500 - help the residents out Frank
Governor, Senator should get a dog
It's funny that Corzine and Lautenberg each have Katz problems
Anonymous Jack
I can respect Jack Donaghy's diatribe, but also note the irony. He's complaining about anonymous posts while using a psuedonym, unless he's Jack Baldwin from 30Rock! So Jack, if you want to bitch about anonymous comments, then use your own name, like I do.
Anonymous Jack
I can respect Jack Donaghy's diatribe, but also note the irony. He's complaining about anonymous posts while using a psuedonym, unless he's Baldwin from 30Rock! So Jack, if you want to bitch about anonymous comments, then use your own name, like I do.
Anonymous Jack
I can respect Jack Donaghy's diatribe, but also note the irony. He's complaining about anonymous posts while using a psuedonym, unless he's Baldwin from 30Rock! So Jack, if you want to bitch about anonymous comments, then use your own name, like I do.
McQueeny: lobbyist, liar & lunatic
Jim McQueeny, a lobbyist who hosts News 12 New Jersey’s Power & Politics and organized U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg’s plan to buy scalp tickets to a Bruce Springsteen concert, made lots of money off of EnCap.
McQueeny is a good guy
And the issue here is what????
Irony
Frank, that clearly wasnt directed at you.
And I'm glad that someone else watches that show too. Dont you thing that the ratings deserve to be better?
Frank is ... going down!
On the contrary to Jack Donaghy's statement, this story has legs, and probably more than two in that. The Record ran a front page story today, and I have to admit that its columnist Stile hit a jackpot here. Heads will roll, however, it will not be enough. The simple reason is that NJ politicians' arrogance has hit its apogeum here. It is a sad story that the US Senator would be involved here. We already had one sitting US Senator that disgraced NJ. I think that the Torch should light up Frank's sinking campaign boat and bury him at the bottom of the New Jersey Shore.
Swap
Maybe when Franks numbers get so bad and the deadline has passed they can swap Codey or Torch for Frankie Boy.
the issue is
another pointy headed elitist pumpus jerk from NJ pretending to wear a Refs uniform while moderating a politicial dicussion show.
why can't McQueeny do both?
I don't think he's ever held himself out to be an independent journalist.
He's a commentator, not a reporter. Big difference.
Appalled!
I'm absolutely appalled that News12 does not apply the same standards in the selection of hosts for its political discussion shows as the legitimate national outlets such as FoxNews and MSNBC.
D'oh!
In other words...
The audience for these shows knows the deal. Get over it.
I have never watched News 12
it seemed sorta like watching a show put together by a college cable station. Kinda amateurish. If this is the sort of guy Lautenberg has running something, well, maybe he should rethink that. I still say Lautenberg by 10 points. Obama has a 14 point lead, we will still have uncertainty in the economy and people will want Dems in there to fix that and Iraq. I don''t think this issue will matter one iota in November.
Talk about overrated...
Outside of Roginsky, McQueeny is one of the most overrated hacks in Trenton, Newark or Washington.
Vote Column - All the way!