Josh Gottheimer’s candidacy for Congress in New Jersey’s 5th District should be a front-page item here. Not only is he one of the most reliable progressives, even in a relatively progressive state, but if he wins, he will defeat one of the most odious primitive cretins in Congress.
Scott Garrett defined the Tea Party before it existed. He routinely votes against virtually any spending whatsoever, whether it be for veterans’ health, preschool education or really anything except for Welfare Handouts to Billionaires. That can be dismissed as an ordinary political difference. But Garrett got in Dutch with his fellow Republicans in 2015 by announcing that he would not contribute to any Republican organizations which sponsor gay candidates. Even the Republicans knew that was a non-starter and have been edging themselves away from Garrett and some have even endorsed Josh!
The district is an odd one. Formerly a solidly conservative chunk of Northwest NJ, it got rejiggered when NJ lost a district in the last census, and now includes progressive pockets of Passaic and Bergen counties. In fact, I find myself in Bill Pascrell’s district by a matter of a few hundred feet, down the middle of a road in the middle of town. Nonetheless, I have been contributing to Josh (Pascrell is pretty safe) and giving what support I can.
Please, if you care about a Democratic Congress (and if you don’t, what are you doing here?) contribute dropping a widow's mite into the can for Josh Gottheimer for Congress.