http://www.democracyforamerica.com/campaigns/4610
Councilman Rice has campaigned and labored for many progressive candidates and policy positions throughout the nation, the state of New Jersey and locally. He was the first nationally endorsed DFA candidate from New Jersey in 2006. Ron is also proud to have been the first elected official in the state of New Jersey to officially endorse then Senator Barack Obama for President in late 2006 as a member of the Draft Obama movement. He also served as a lead organizer for the primary campaign and as the Essex County Coordinator for the Obama for America campaign in the general election of 2008...
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/05/nancy_pelosi_endorses_donald_p.html
Nancy Pelosi endorses Donald Payne Jr. to replace late father in N.J.'s 10th District
Published: Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 10:53 AM Updated: Wednesday, May 23, 2012, 8:43 AM
By David Giambusso/The Star-Ledger
NEWARK — House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi today endorsed Donald Payne Jr. in the heated race for the 10th Congressional District seat.
Pelosi, a friend and ally of the late U.S. Rep. Donald Payne Sr., said his son was best suited for to take over for his father who died in office in March.
"I support Donald Payne Jr. because he'll hit the ground running in Washington, bringing skills at creating jobs from his years as Newark's Council President. We need Donald Payne Jr. in Washington fighting for jobs and the middle class," Pelosi said.
"We can rely on him to fight the Tea Party and stand up for working families, seniors, and women's rights," she said.
But one Payne competitor was none too pleased with Pelosi taking sides in the primary.
Ron Rice's progressive credentials won him the support of Democracy For America, the grassroots liberal PAC founded by former presidential candidate Howard Dean, in the first national endorsement of the race for the June 5 primary.
Today, the Rice campaign cried foul over the Pelosi endorsement.
“We are disappointed to hear about Speaker Pelosi’s involvement in an open congressional primary – without giving all of the candidates their due – it’s un-democratic,” said Mike Makarski, a senior Rice Campaign advisor, in a statement, adding that Rice has distinguished himself in recent forums and out on the stump as a champion of liberal values. “It is no secret why (Rice) has been endorsed by the SEIU, CWA and the majority of his and Donald Payne's City Council colleagues. We would have expected better from national Democratic leadership.”
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http://www.ron-rice.com/
http://www.democracyforamerica.com/campaigns/4610
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/05/26/1094925/-NJ-10-Ron-Rice-for-Congress
http://blog.nj.com/njv_editorial_page//print.html
Ronald C. Rice the best pick for Donald Payne Sr.'s Congressional seat
Published: Sunday, May 27, 2012, 6:20 AM
By Star-Ledger Editorial Board
There hasn’t been a serious race for the 10th congressional district in decades. And now that we finally have one, the man who’s pegged as the front runner — well-intentioned as he may be — is woefully unprepared.
Donald Payne Jr. has the most money and the backing of the Democratic political machine. He aims to inherit this district, which straddles Essex, Hudson and Union counties, from his father, the late Donald Payne Sr., who had represented it since 1989.
But the dispiriting truth is that his claim to the seat is based entirely on his last name. Payne, who heads the Newark City Council and serves as a freeholder in Essex County, has only the vaguest grip on key federal issues. He is simply not ready for the job, and hasn’t done his homework. His two main challengers have each made a far better case for themselves.
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Then there’s Ronald C. Rice. He’s been a smart, energetic and effective councilman in Newark, known for working long hours and building bridges. The son of state Sen. Ronald L. Rice, he helped Mayor Cory Booker clean up the city’s troubled ethics and drive down the rate of violent crime.
And unlike the other two candidates, Rice has chosen a priority mission for his term in Washington: He wants to reshape the war against drugs, to stop the horribly damaging tactic of mass incarceration of nonviolent addicts, and to help the millions of them with criminal records find a way back into mainstream society. He would reform sentencing laws, provide treatment to addicts and remove the many unnecessary barriers that bar ex-cons from getting jobs.
Our choice is Rice. Like the other candidates, he is too orthodox a liberal and has no realistic plan to contain public costs on entitlement spending. But of the three, he has the sharpest take on federal policy. And he at least has some responsible suggestions on how to reduce the national debt — by letting all the Bush tax cuts expire and reverting to the rates in place during the Clinton years.
Congress isn’t a dynasty, and a legislative seat is about so much more than legacy. Don’t pick your candidate based on a name. Pick the best one based on merit: That’s Ron Rice Jr.
Not my district, so I don't know enough beyond the need to dig behind the headlines,
= new reply since forum marked as read
