The Bayonne City Council meeting on Sept. 24 proved a bit of a letdown to many political observers who expected another Shootout at the OK Coral.
Richard Barba was listed second on the agenda to speak. His speech at the council meeting earlier in September had become something of a local Youtube.com video hit as Barba lambasted Police Director (and mayoral candidate) Mark Smith’s credentials as a hero cop.
Smith, who is running in the special election Nov. 4, has touted his status as one of – if not the – most decorated police officers in Bayonne’s history.
While Smith has more than 40 commendations, a handout flyer issued by the Smith campaign gave the details of one particular incident from 1991 and used Barba’s name, since Barbra was the alleged perpetrator of the incident.
Barba struck back at the early September meeting to dispute the facts of the case, and a video of his comments was soon posted on the internet.
The Smith campaign staff said the Barba statement was orchestrated by Patrick Conaghan, who is one of the four candidates running against Smith for mayor. Conaghan denies having any part in the Barba speech.
At the Sept. 24 meeting, Barba refuted claims that his statements were connected to Conaghan, and said he simply objected to the fact that he was being dragged into the Smith campaign for events that occurred 17 years ago.
While Barba’s version may be tainted by the fact that he was the one charged with the alleged activities, he made some valid points. Why was his name bandied about so liberally in campaign literature?
The Smith people claim that broadcasting the first Barba speech on Youtube proves the connection to Conaghan, but Congahan said Smith supporters have put up misleading Youtube videos, going as far as to dub his voice to say things he never said.
Smith meanwhile got a boost when he was selected for the first position on the ballot.
But if a Conaghan poll has any validity, Smith will need all the help he can get.
Done by a prominent and respected firm from Georgia, the poll showed Smith and Conaghan in a virtual dead heat after Smith’s polls several months ago showed Smith way ahead.
The poll asked which candidate was perceived as the best to solve the city’s problems without outside interference.
It showed Conaghan actually ahead with 38 percent, followed by Smith at 29 percent, Raymond Rokicki at 12 percent, Robert Sloan with 12 percent, and former Bayonne Mayor Richard Rutkowski with 9 percent.
The poll also showed another significant trend by asking what kind of job former Mayor Joseph Doria had done. Three percent said excellent, four percent said good, 41 percent said fair, and 42 percent said poor. This is the reason the Conaghan campaign needs to connect Smith to Doria.
Roberts is not out of it yet
So if Michael Bloomberg wants to run for another term as Mayor of New York City, there is still hope for Hoboken Mayor David Roberts to run in his city.
Roberts does have an impressive record of accomplishments despite all of the political bickering and the recent take over of the municipal government’s finances by the state of New Jersey.
Roberts compared the takeover to the current political posturing over the bail out for Wall Street, saying that members of the Hoboken City Council, like some members of the House of Representatives, worked against the best interest of the city by refusing to pass the budget.
One political observer noted that when groups in a community are very close on most issues, then tend to magnify their differences for political gain. In other words, opponents of Roberts may be making mountains out of molehills.
Palin poses a problem for Democrats
Hoboken Democrats were scheduled to gather at Willie McBride’s on Oct. 2 to watch the debate between the vice presidential contenders, Democrat Joe Biden and Republican Sarah Palin, while The Hoboken Republicans planned to hold their watch party at O’Neal’s.
The vice presidential debate poses a serious problem for Democrats, because Democrats attacked Palin so badly she can’t help but look good in her campaign. No matter how terrible Palin is in reality, she can’t possibly look as bad as the Democrats make her seem. This has left some local Democrats wondering where Hillary Clinton is when you need her, since she is the most logical person to take on Palin without making Palin look like a victim.
Craig Guy fills Janiszewski’s big political shoes
The presidential race has some people pining for the political leadership of former County Executive Robert Janiszewski, who in the past played a vital role in rallying Democrats.
However, Freeholder Maurice Fitzgibbons said county Democrats do have a political captain in Craig Guy, the deputy chief of staff to the county executive.
“He is a man who pays attention,” Fitzgibbons said.
Earlier this year, Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise said Guy was one of two key people in his administration.
“Greg Guy is my political man,” he said.
The other key man for making county government work is Harold Demellier, DeGise said.
Pizza and Sinatra at Leo’s?
U. S. Sen. Robert Menendez will cut the ribbon on the Hoboken Democratic headquarters at 12 Hudson St. on Oct. 6 at 6 p.m.
During the Hoboken Arts and Music Festival, Menendez and fellow U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg were seen having lunch together at Leo’s Restaurant in Hoboken.