Security at the recent fundraising event for Hillary Clinton in Jersey City seemed more preoccupied with banning reporters from picture-taking than in promoting the fact that she is the leading Democratic candidate to become president of the United States.
One reporter was stripped of his camera and his notepad while trying to cover what officials said was “a private event.” Another reporter was told to put his camera in the trunk of his car. A third photographer who actually had been hired by one of the participants, was restricted as to whom he could include in the photographs.
What a way to run a campaign!
Perhaps Hillary’s campaign staff is – like many Democrats – taking the Democratic vote in Hudson County for granted, coming here only to pick the pockets of the wealthy elite. She is said to have received $150,000 in donations at the private Jersey City event.
What gives?
We get a high-profile candidate in our midst and the public gets robbed of an opportunity to see her in action.
Don’t only blame Hillary.
The lack of a public rally is being blamed on local Democrats, who are still fuming over the recent bitter state legislative primaries and several upcoming elections.
There actually was supposed to be a public rally on Monday in addition to the private one, but it was canceled three days before the event.
People in the know said that Secret Service was concerned about adequate police protection for an outdoor rally.
Some see the hidden hand of Jersey City Mayor Jeramiah Healy behind the scenes working to cancel the rally by not providing Hillary with enough police. Healy, of course, backs Barack Obama for president, not Hillary. But more importantly, Healy may be fearful of Jersey City Councilman Steve Fulop, who orchestrated the fundraiser and who would get the full benefit of publicity from a public rally.
Fulop is apparently hungry to unseat Healy in the 2009 mayoral election. Others in North Hudson give Rep. Albio Sires part of the blame, claiming Sires pointed out the fact that Hillary’s visit is being used to promote one faction in the continuing Democratic civil war in Hudson County. By this, of course, they mean that Fulop has been named as a possible candidate to try and unseat Sires in the 2008 Democratic primary for the U.S. House of Representatives.
This is a repeat of what happened with “To The Struggle Against World Terrorism,” the 9/11 monument by Russian artist Zurab Tsereteli, which was eventually relocated from Jersey City to Bayonne. Because rival candidates to then-Mayor Glenn Cunningham didn’t want him to get credit for the international honor, Jersey City wound up bickering while the monument moved on.
Former Pres. Bill Clinton was supposed to write letters to the newspapers in support of the effort, but was discouraged from doing it because it had become a local political feud.
Of course, the reason presidential candidates hold public rallies is so that the wheelers and dealers, seeking to get in good graces with candidates, don’t have to suffer seeing their photos in newspapers.
One observer pointed out that most of those who attended the Hillary fundraiser saw this as “a business event,” and didn’t want to risk having their conservations overheard or misinterpreted.
Perhaps the public is better served without the rally, since we now get to see how political parties really operate. Instead of putting on a show to distract the press, we get to see how political decision-making really operates behind the scenes – even within the so-called liberal circles. In the end, it is a group of wealthy donors meeting in “a private event” determining the future of the country, while outside, while outside the humbled masses gravel for a bone.
This, of course, leaves some to question whom to vote for if the local pols representing the Obama and Clinton campaigns have such disrespect for the public. Since this event took place within sight of the former Twin Towers, perhaps Hudson County voters might take comfort in another candidate for president, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani?
As for Sires and Healy, perhaps the worst blow came during a brief moment during the private event when after Fulop spoke, Hillary was the first on her feet to lead the applause.
The Clinton campaign also lost a golden opportunity to spread the word about her campaign.
Healy blew a golden opportunity in several other ways.
While 500 to 600 people did show up outside anyway, a public rally might have drawn as many as 3,000 to 4,000. Local merchants would have benefited, and legitimate access to the press would have also highlighted Jersey City on the national and international stage.
To be fair to Fulop’s staff, they fought to keep the press in the event.
And to be fair to the Secret Service, without adequate police presence, it is more difficult to protect Hillary, who is a senator.
The Secret Service didn’t only concern themselves with the press. They stopped people from using cell phones when she left, saying they had to guard against possible “spotters” alerting someone outside as to her comings and goings.
A new Stack ticket?
The next big war in Hudson County will be over the County Board of Freeholders, who make policy for the county.
Reports suggest that Union City Mayor Brian Stack intends to lead another countywide ticket in order to wrest control of the freeholder board out of the hands of the Hudson County Democratic Organization (HCDO).
One of the key strategies for the Stack campaign may lie in developing a strong top of the ticket, which in 2008 will mean strong House of Representative candidates. The Stack campaign is apparently seeking to lure Rep. Steve Rothman onto the Stack slate in the 9th District that includes Secaucus, North Bergen, and part of Jersey City, as well as Rep. Donald Payne in the 10th District that includes a portion of Bayonne and southwestern Hudson County.
If he succeeds, then with Sires running in the 13th District, the Stack ticket would have all three House of Representative candidates heading the ballot for its candidates.
It is possible that Payne will make the move, since Newark Mayor Cory Booker has reportedly tapped Elnardo Webster III, a key player in Booker’s campaign for mayor last year, to challenge Payne.
Desmond still employed by the county
One small correction needs to be made from last week’s column, which said that Mary Jane Desmond lost her job as deputy county clerk. Although she joked about needing to look for a new job after her failed attempt to get the Democratic bid for County Clerk, she apparently is still gainfully employed as deputy. But she apparently is still considering running for public office in the near future.