Hoboken's 411's ghost political writer and Auggie Torres are really out of the loop on this whole Democratic Committee thing. At this point it is almost laughable but they are still working their spin to somehow try to get Ines Garcia Keim on as chair. They both recently published a promo puffery piece for her. I get where Auggie Torres is coming from since he is an old dog that loves the machine but Hoboken 411 Perry Klaussen's editorial stance is a real hoot after all those Glen Beck videos.
Ines has also taken the initiative for her power play to get on as chair of the Democratic Committee, not vice chair but chair of the committee. Unless massive defections of the column B ticket happen which according to several reliable sources on the column B slate that I have will not, the numbers are simply not there. The count of solid column B on election day was 38 vs. 33 in column C. There are at least two more that were assumed to be in column C but I have it on a very close source that they are with Zimmer which would make the margin 40-31 or 32. As much as Mike Russo has tried to turn at least 3 committee members according to one source they are rock solid as of my last check-in yesterday. Heck if Ricky Mason isn't with the Russo's then the count would be 41-31, but I am pretty sure he is with them. With that margin no way Ines becomes chair. I am not sure she even wrote her letter.Below is Ines Garcia-Keim's letter to all Democratic Committee members. With all due respect to the MSV blog and Ines, isn't that kind of putting the cart before the horse. I really think this letter will backfire on Ines as there was some talk of her being nominated for vice chair but there were many on the column B platform that would find that unacceptable according to several sources of mine. Her campaign to be chair will probably kill any chance she had at that. Is it possible she is using the same bad political advisors as Beth Mason? This just reeks of bad political strategy. Note: this is not an attack piece on Ines just a post displaying transparency so my readers can understand what is going on this weekend as the vote nears.
Ines Garcia-Keim's letter to all Democratic Committee members.....
June 11,2010
Dear Fellow Democratic Committee person,
Congratulations on earning the trust of your neighbors being elected to represent your district in the Hoboken Democratic Committee. I am thrilled to have been elected in my district and I am looking forward to continue to serve Hoboken and the Democratic Party in this new role.
The Democratic Party has traditionally been a coalition of diverse people and interests. We have always been the "Big Tent" Party. In my view, this makes our party great; we have a set of core values that are spelled out in our party's platform, but no one is denied a meaningful role if they bring a can-do-spirit and a willingness to roll up their sleeves.
Contested primaries tend to be the rule rather than the exception. We are fortunate that there are many talented people in our party - we need to look no further than to the impressive group of candidates that ran for President just two years ago. After months of contested primaries, Democrats came out revitalized leading our country to the historic election of our President Barack Obama.
On Monday, we will gather to select our local committee's leadership from what appears to be a deeply divided group. I ask that you look at the outstanding group of people that emerged victorious to see our brothers and sisters willing to work together. We must unite by rejecting the culture of hate. Imagine a Hoboken where no one is vilifying fellow Democrats. Imagine a Hoboken where no one is using the old tactics of fear and hate. Imagine a Hoboken where a civil dialogue exists regardless of who each of us supported in a previous election. That is the Hoboken that we all must strive to achieve.
We indeed face great challenges ahead, and each challenge will be an opportunity for Hoboken Democrats to renew their commitment at a grassroots level.
I have had the pleasure of knowing most of you personally having worked with you in local politics, non-profit organizations, and advocacy groups in Hoboken. There have been disagreements between some of us but always with the understanding that our differences were a sign of our passionate love for our city and people. I only express disappointment in some of our leaders because I know Hoboken deserves the best from them, so I have worked in progressive initiatives to increase transparency and ethics in our government, to improve public education, and to preserve our quality of life.
This is the reason I am seeking the position of Chairperson of our Hoboken Democratic Party and would be honored to receive your vote. I do not hold another public position; as such, I will devote the time and effort needed to unite, grow, and strengthen our party in this challenging environment. I pledge to work with anyone and everyone that shares our vision for a vibrant, great city and country where there's room for everyone with hopes and dreams. These are our shared Democratic values and I hope you will join me in this mission to preserve and strengthen them.
Thank you for reading and I look forward to your support on Monday.
Sincerely,
Ines Garcia-Keim
Below is the copy of the letter as it appears with her signature. I was able to use OCR to extract the text above for you techies out there...
