Elections

Garrett, Gussen Debate in Mahwah [POLL]

Republican centers attacks on President Obama.

By Noah Cohen
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October 8, 2012

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Republican 5th District Rep. Scott Garrett largely ignored Democratic challenger Adam Gussen at a debate Sunday in Mahwah, instead focusing his attacks on President Barack Obama, northjersey.com reported.

“I’m not President Obama, and there’s no empty chair for Clint Eastwood to talk to either,” Gussen said, according to the report.

Gussen, Teaneck’s deputy mayor, accused of Garrett of backing “big business and special interests” over area families, according to a Jewish Standard report. He pointed to his experience on the Teaneck council and his work in business development with small to mid-sized businesses.

On foreign policy, Garrett said Obama was “treating our friends as enemies” and pointed to recent violent in the region, the report said. Gussen said Israel was safer under the president because of funding for Israeli defense systems.

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Jim Dunleavy

12:48 pm on Monday, October 8, 2012

I beleive Mr. Romney said that corporations are people too, as did the supreme court with its ruling allowing all this money coming into elections. Its too bad that the people who actually vote have to have all this information filtered through the haze of all this money. Mr. Garrett clearly showed his lack of class and lack of respect for the people who vote him into office by ignoring his challenger, perhaps he was under orders from those who think for him. Sad commentary on the electorate if they buy all this and vote him back to congress!

buffymcbuffy

11:45 am on Wednesday, November 7, 2012

So, I ask you, if companies aren't people, please tell me how work gets done at these companies? How do these companies make profits if people aren't working there? I guess you'd also say that UNIONS aren't people either right?

Jersey grandma

12:58 pm on Monday, October 8, 2012

Anyone who actually reads his voting record will not vote for Garrett! He should not be reelected for pledging his vote to Norquist by signing the "no tax" pledge, abrogating his responsibility to represent us and judge each bill by its merits.

Bike Nut

10:41 am on Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Which votes of his do you oppose? I read his voting record, and think he's one of the few in congress who actually read the Constitution.

buffymcbuffy

11:50 am on Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Why don't YOU pay higher taxes? My family pays some of the highest taxes in the nation and we don't even make $180,000.00 a year. How much is enough for you, 50% of everyone's salaries. When and where does it stop? You must not have children or grandchildren to make such a irresponsible comment. Why should my children have to pay for YOU when you should be responsible for yourself.

Pauline

2:50 pm on Monday, October 8, 2012

Rep. Garrett visits his district often to hear first hand from his constituents. Also IMO he has an excellent voting record. He'll get my vote in Nov.

nancy f

12:33 pm on Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Rep. Garrett has not had a live town hall meeting in years. He conducts them by conference call only. I called his office to inquire when he would hold a live meet and greet/town hall with constituents and they offered none. He is afraid to face the voters.

Art Vatsky

4:54 pm on Monday, October 8, 2012

I am going to go with Gussen because he is a formidable debater, a bright guy and he does his homework. I know his young family and I think he will be more responsible about making decisions for the future.

delgado

8:21 pm on Monday, October 8, 2012

Garret has serious issues with all of the donations he got from Wall Street, the voters in the fifth want an independent voice, not one beholden to big Wall Street money

Keith Jensen

7:54 am on Tuesday, October 9, 2012

H.R. 1424 "The Wall Street Bailout"
If Congressman Garrett is beholden to big business, why did he vote NO on the bailout plan?
Even more interesting are the comments he made and what has transpired since that vote 4 years ago:
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/tony-rhodin/index.ssf/2008/10/i_missed_out_on_the.html

The other local incumbent, Congressman Bill Pascrell switched his vote according to this NY Times map and voted YES.
http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2008/10/04/business/04bailout.graf01.ready.html

Incidentally, in the other big campaign, Senator Menendez voted YES to give Wall Street $700 Billion dollars, yet neither of these two YES voters are publicly talking about the repercussions of their votes.

However, as we all know trying to get a loan from these banks who received the gift from Pascrell, Menendez and I'll throw in Lautenberg too is quite difficult to say the least for the majority of people on Main Street.

Jim Dunleavy

10:01 am on Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Garrett's no vote on the bailout is a reflection of him not being his own man. Oh btw close to 70% of that money has been paid back with interest and resulted in saving millions of jobs. Perhaps he should spend some time explaining his vote to those on the unemployment line

Gary Rabinowitz

10:23 am on Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Gussen is a disgrace. That a man as loathsome as he (or, worse, Boteach) can run as a Republican tells me all I need to know about the state of the GOP.

>@ Jim Dunleavy: "close to 70% of that money has been paid back with interest"...oh, really? It's debatable if that money has indeed been "paid back." Banking regulators have provided additional trillions in low interest loans, payouts on credit default swaps and other complicated collateral support of bank assets, which remains UNPAID, which enabled the common & preferred stock to be "repaid." You are naive to accept at face value this soundbite crafted by the PR hacks of Fed, Treasury, Obama Admin and wall st. Read up, Jim Dunleavy, rather than regurgitate party talking points.

As for "saving millions of jobs," what is the cost per job? The Obama Admin's generous loan guarantees and subsidies of clean tech companies (Solyndra, Beacon, etc) have come at a cost north of $2 million per job. Of course the Bush Admin (with a big bipartisan assist from Barney Frank & the Democrats) helped "create" millions of housing/real estate/finance jobs, for a very brief time (no longer than 4 years), at the piddling cost of a few trillion in additional gov't debt and the near collapse of the financial system. I guess that was a great policy, eh?

All things considered, Garrett is the less bad choice in this race. -GXR

Orthowatch

8:24 am on Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Gary Rabinowitz:
"Gussen is a disgrace. That a man as loathsome as he (or, worse, Boteach) can run as a Republican tells me all I need to know about the state of the GOP."

You are aware that Gussen is running as a Democrat, right?

paul smith

8:48 pm on Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Bottom line is what a CRAPPY CHOICE. The dems couldn't do any better?? Garrett has done NOTHING for his consituents while signing his butt buddy Norquist's no tax hike pledge while Iowa feasts like a bunch of pigs on the federal trough, courtesy of states like NJ, NY etc. NJ is last or next to last in the country in terms what what we get back for every buck sent to DC (like 61 cents for every buck to DC). It isnt a dem or republican issue, it's an incumbent issue. All of the DC reps from this state do nothing for their consituents. While Gussen is no bargain, Garrett has done nothing for us and the future prospects are the same. And I'm tired of subsidizing his "tree farm".

B@B

7:23 am on Wednesday, October 10, 2012

The state and local Democratic party apparatchiks have long refused to put any funding or effort into the 5th district, and so we have had a parade of worse, worser, and worsest candidates going back to Republican switcher Anne Sumers back in 2002. We should be outraged at this ceding of an entire Congressional district to one person to be Congressman-for-life. We expect this from the Republicans, but when the Dems similarly refuse to offer us a real choice, they are complicit in the lack of democracy in NJ-5.

Bizzy Bee

11:52 pm on Tuesday, October 9, 2012

why would i vote for a far-right tea party favorite like Garrett? he disgusts me. i'll vote for just about anyone opposing him - and gussen is a great guy with much more integrity.

Bike Nut

10:00 am on Wednesday, October 10, 2012

He's a tea party favorite, because he works hard to cut government spending. If I were to categorize him, I'd say he is more aligned with libertarians than with conservatives. He actually read and understands the Constitution, and the role of government.