Elements within the GOP conspire for Democrat Perez

New York City lawyer Dan Perez was introduced into Sussex County politics through the mess that is Vernon Township governance.  Perez was brought in by fellow lawyer Kevin Kelly, to overturn the Republican establishment in Vernon, then led by allies of former Freeholder Glenn Vetrano. 

The means of that overthrow was classic Bill Kunstler.  Yes, Marxist lawyer William Kunstler.  Perez trained under Kunstler, an avowed Marxist, and was an associate in his law firm.  After Kunstler's death, Perez managed the firm in partnership with Kunstler's law partner, Ron Kuby.

The Kunstler law firm defended members of the Catonsville Nine, Black Panther Party, Weather Underground Organization, the Attica Prison rioters, and the American Indian Movement.  But  Kunstler refused to defend groups like the Tea Party, on the grounds that: "I only defend those whose goals I share. I'm not a lawyer for hire. I only defend those I love."

Kunstler defended Joanne Chesimard (AKA Assata Shakur) who was convicted of murdering a New Jersey State Trooper and who escaped from prison with the help of fellow terrorists.  She is now on the FBI's MOST WANTED list. 

In collaboration with Dan Perez' law partner Ron Kuby, Kunstler defended Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, head of the terrorist group Gama'a al-Islamiyah, responsible for the 1993 World Trade Center bombing; Colin Ferguson, the man responsible for the 1993 Long Island Rail Road shooting; Glenn Harris, a New York City public school teacher who absconded with a fifteen-year-old girl; Nico Minardos, indicted by Rudy Giuliani for conspiracy to ship arms to Iran; and associates of the Gambino organized crime family.

Kunstler trained Perez in hysteria-driven, media-centered political lawyering and Perez learned well.  First, Perez teamed up with Kevin Kelly -- the lawyer for the New Jersey Herald -- to make sure the media coverage lurched his way.  Then, he threw a legal hail-Mary and filed a RICO suit against the GOP leaders in Vernon.  It got plenty of press, made for salacious reading, but was -- so far as the law is concerned -- ridiculous.  But with the right media coverage, it successfully smeared the Vernon GOP and set the stage for a change of government.

Behind it all was a very special interest -- big money, deep pockets -- in the form of the late, great Mr. Mulvihill.  He underwrote the campaign to change the form of government and, through the Herald's Kevin Kelly, hired some of the county's best political consultants to do polling and strategy.  Mulvihill got behind a new team called "Vernon First" which included a gentleman by the name of Joe Tadrick, who ran for Vernon council as a member of that team.  Most of the team got elected too -- but it didn't turn out quite as planned because the new Mayor had a streak of independence that could not be broken.  Bully for him!

Dan Perez went on to represent Republican Kelly and his Democrat colleague in their lawsuit against the Sparta Police Department.  Kelly went on to do pro bono work for a local veterans group active in Vernon.  Favors were given and favors expected. 

Perez conducted a personal jihad against former Freeholder Vetrano -- and used his allies on the all-Republican Freeholder Board to land him a coveted position on the Sussex County Community College board.  Perez held that post long enough to gain a bit more publicity (courtesy of the ever-willing Herald) and to ruin the careers (or, at least, attempt to) of a few more Republicans.

Perez became involved in the 2015 Republican primary as the lawyer and political advisor to Assembly candidate Gail Phoebus and to what became known as the "George Graham ticket" of Freeholder candidates Carl Lazzaro and Jonathan Rose.  All were successful, and one of the first acts of the new majority on the Freeholder Board was to appoint Dan Perez to yet another coveted political patronage position -- Commissioner of the SCMUA Board. 

In just a few years, New York City lawyer Dan Perez has risen through the ranks of Sussex County Republicans without the need to be a Republican.  His career has been sustained and promoted by Republicans -- with a huge assist from the New Jersey Herald.  This is remarkable, given his associations with a Marxist like Bill Kunstler.  But this is, after all, Sussex County -- where being a "goodfella" is what matters most.

This will be a very interesting election, so stay tuned...

Steve Lonegan schools the tea party

Was it just last month that Democrat congressman Josh Gottheimer, a political ally of Democrat candidate Dan Perez, called Steve Lonegan a "Tea Party Republican?"  Yes, Gottheimer issued that jibe in an August 24th email blast.  It was just about the worst thing the Democrat could think of saying about the Republican.

"Tea Party Republican."

Less than a month later, and now Democrat Dan Perez wants you to believe he's a "Tea Party Democrat."  What does that even mean?

Perez made his post-Labor Day opening pitch to the Skylands Tea Party group last evening with the words, "I think if you were to put aside the lawyer thing and the ‘D' (Democrat) after my name and get to know me, you'd find that we really have a whole lot in common."

In common?  Like who Perez chose to train under to learn his skills as an attorney:  Marxist William Kunstler.  Yes, Perez trained under Kunstler, an avowed Marxist, and Perez later managed Kunstler's old firm in partnership with Kunstler's old law partner, Ron Kuby. 

Pay attention to the Ken Burns documentary on Vietnam airing on PBS later this month and you will see William Kunstler in action, defending terrorists, communist agitators, American flag-burners, and the supporters of a North Vietnamese victory over the armed forces of the United States of America.  Sure, that's as "tea party" as hell!

The Kunstler law firm defended members of the Catonsville Nine, Black Panther Party, Weather Underground Organization, the Attica Prison rioters, and the American Indian Movement.  But  Kunstler refused to defend groups like the Tea Party, on the grounds that: "I only defend those whose goals I share. I'm not a lawyer for hire. I only defend those I love."

Kunstler defended Joanne Chesimard (AKA Assata Shakur) who was convicted of murdering a New Jersey State Trooper and who escaped from prison with the help of fellow terrorists.  She is now on the FBI's MOST WANTED list. 

In collaboration with Dan Perez' law partner Ron Kuby, Kunstler defended Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, head of the terrorist group Gama'a al-Islamiyah, responsible for the 1993 World Trade Center bombing; Colin Ferguson, the man responsible for the 1993 Long Island Rail Road shooting; Glenn Harris, a New York City public school teacher who absconded with a fifteen-year-old girl; Nico Minardos, indicted by Rudy Giuliani for conspiracy to ship arms to Iran; and associates of the Gambino organized crime family.

That's quite a line-up of scumbags.

At yesterday's meeting, candidate Perez claimed that he wanted to "lower taxes by opposing wasteful spending" but the record shows this to be little more than election year b.s.  It was Perez who pushed Freeholder boss Graham to spend $500,000 to hire a New York City lawyer to tell the county what went wrong on its solar project.  Unfortunately for county taxpayers, the guy Perez pushed (and Graham hired) was the same guy whose office had given the project the okay back in 2011.  So taxpayers paid $500,000 for a cover-up.

And it was Dan Perez who made his first proposal as a candidate a spending proposal -- to spend another $100,000 plus benefits on a patronage job because it "sounded like it might work."   Blindly throwing money at problems isn't conservative, Dan.

Reporting on the Skylands Tea Party meeting, the New Jersey Herald quoted the group's president -- fellow New York City lawyer Doug Amedeo -- who is quoted saying that "he wasn't aware of 'Conservative, Liberal' issues at the county level."  Wow!  We guess he never heard of Planned Parenthood and a little controversy called "abortion funding."

Democrat Dan Perez strongly supports funding Planned Parenthood and personally reprimanded Assemblywoman Gail Phoebus for voting against it.  As a Freeholder, you can bet that Dan Perez would spend our tax money on Planned Parenthood.  That's just for starters.

As that well-regarded local conservative, Mayor Steve Lonegan, explained in a book he wrote on the subject, conservatives believe in pulling power away from centralized governments at the state and federal levels and turning over more control to municipal and county governments.  Who runs local government is important because they set the agenda.  Liberals will fix their eyes firmly on the state and on Washington  for money and direction.  Conservatives will seek to break those bonds, while making sure to protect and defend traditional values at the local level through actions and the good use of the bully pulpit. 

Dan Perez is a died-in-the-wool leftist.  He tries to paint himself as an "efficient" leftist.  That is very different from being a conservative.

The Skylands Tea Party, its leaders, and members should avoid looking like fools in front of every other conservative activist in New Jersey and nationwide.  Dan Perez is not a conservative.  The word is out.  Steve Lonegan is on the case.