Get out and vote

From the Star Ledger:

Next N.J. governor is in hands of voters

Now it’s voters’ turn: Polls will be open across the state from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. today for the General Election.

Three major candidates, Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine, Republican Chris Christie and independent Chris Daggett, along with seven others, are seeking to become the state’s next governor.

In addition to the governor’s race, all 80 seats of the General Assembly are open, and there is a special Senate race in the 23rd Legislative District to fill the two-year unexpired term of Rep. Leonard Lance (R-7th Dist.).

Voters also will be asked to decide whether the state should borrow $400 million to replenish the Garden State Preservation Trust. The bond issue would set aside $218 million for open-space purchases, $146 million for farmland preservation, $24 million for wetlands protection and $12 million to save historic sites.

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315 Responses to Get out and vote

  1. grim says:

    From Bloomberg:

    Locke Was ‘Imprecise’ in Comments on Second Stimulus

    Commerce Secretary Gary Locke was “imprecise” when he said President Barack Obama’s advisers are considering a second stimulus measure, his spokesman said today.

    Locke, in an interview with Bloomberg Television, said: “If there is to be another stimulus — and that’s being hotly discussed and very seriously considered within the administration as well as members of Congress — it needs to be very targeted, very specific and we need to be very mindful of the deficit as well.”

    Kevin Griffis, a Commerce Department spokesman, said in a telephone interview after Locke spoke that the secretary was referring to “all the different job-creating measures being considered” by lawmakers rather than a single stimulus measure.

    Obama signed into law a $787 billion economic stimulus package in February in response to the nation’s worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. The U.S. economy lost more than 7 million jobs since the recession began in December 2007 and the jobless rate rose to 9.8 percent in September.

  2. grim says:

    From Bloomberg:

    Stiglitz Says U.S. Is Paying for Failure to Nationalize Banks

    Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz said the world’s biggest economy is suffering because of the U.S. government’s failure to nationalize banks during the financial crisis.

    “If we had done the right thing, we would be able to have more influence over the banks,” Stiglitz told reporters at an economic conference in Shanghai Oct 31. “They would be lending and the economy would be stronger.”

    Stiglitz has stuck with his view even after the U.S. economy returned to growth in the third quarter and as banks’ share prices climbed this year.

    “We have this very strange situation today in America where we have given banks hundreds of billions of dollars and the president has to beg the banks to lend and they refuse,” Stiglitz said. “What we did was the wrong thing. It has weakened the economy and has increased our deficit, making it more difficult for the future.”

  3. grim says:

    From the NY Times Dealbook Blog:

    States Are Pondering Fraud Suits Against Banks

    Newly empowered by the Supreme Court, the attorneys general of several states hit hard by the housing collapse are exploring consumer fraud suits against major mortgage lenders.

    Frustrated by the banks’ inability or unwillingness to stop an avalanche of foreclosures, the states are considering lawsuits over the creation and marketing of millions of bad loans as well as the dismal pace of mortgage modifications, David Streitfeld and John Collins Rudolph write in The New York Times.

    Such cases would have been impossible until recently, because federal regulators had exclusive oversight of national banks. But a 5-to-4 Supreme Court decision in June allowed the states to exercise their own supervision, giving them significant leverage.

    “We tried to use the tool to be persuasive with the banks,” Arizona’s attorney general, Terry Goddard, said in an interview. “But their waterfall of excuses, the abysmal numbers of modifications, tells us persuasion is not working.”

    As a result, he said, “we’re moving much closer to litigation.”

  4. grim says:

    From HousingWire:

    Delinquent CMBS Balance Rises 583%

    The delinquent unpaid balance within commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) swelled to $31.7bn in September from $28.2bn a month earlier, according to credit-rating agency Realpoint.

    This total delinquent balance is up 583% from a year earlier. More than 3.9% of $805.3bn in unpaid balance on CMBS pools reviewed by Realpoint was delinquent in September.

    Despite a slight monthly decline in the real estate-owned (REO) bucket due to increased liquidations, the distressed 90 plus-day, foreclosure and REO categories grew in aggregate for the 22nd month in a row, rising $1.48bn over the previous month.

    Commercial loan delinquencies continued to climb in October, with the rate of loans 30 plus-days delinquent rising 44bps to 4.8%, according to CMBS and commercial mortgage information provider Trepp.

    Fitch Ratings indicated on Monday commercial real estate fundamentals will continue to deteriorate over the next 18 to 24 months, despite broader signs of economic recovery. Negative ratings actions may become necessary as operating cash flows continue to weaken.

  5. George Soros says:

    I really don’t know the details about these three guys. But I know one thing for sure that Corzine has done anything to stop property tax in NJ. So I know one thing for sure that I will not vote for him.

  6. Gator says:

    Shore Previous Thread 9 –

    Didn’t I say that no other conference hates like the SEC? Allowing UF to police themselves on this is a joke – Spikes is their best defensive player.

    Just a 1/2 suspension against Vandy? I mean come on..Florida could field a defense of folks who read this blog and still win.

    I guess St. Urban is a little bit more like Steve Spurrier than we all thought.

  7. yo'me says:

    While many complain about taxpayers’ burden in bailing out banks, investment legend Warren Buffett points out that so far, taxpayers haven’t paid a cent.

    “The taxpayer literally hasn’t bailed out anybody,” he told BBC. “We haven’t had a tax increase in the United States.”

    So who’s paying for the bailout if not taxpayers?

    “The lenders to the U.S. government have been bailing them out,” Buffett says. It’s really the Chinese, Japanese, and other foreigners buying Treasury bonds who have financed the bailout, he says.

    Buffett’s also not too worried about the moral hazard issue. Discussing Citigroup and AIG, he points out that the government may have bailed them out, but their stock prices fell 90 percent.

    http://moneynews.newsmax.com/streettalk/warren_buffett/2009/10/30/279371.html

  8. DL says:

    Quote of the day from previous thread: “Taxing ourselves out of existence.”

  9. Bob Boynton says:

    A second stimulus makes a lot of sense. We need to give Barry another go at bringing this economy back to life. We did give the bankers another chance with bailouts why not give the President another shot? Heck, we even gave Hirohito another chance at being emperor and he did quite well the second time around.

  10. Bob Boynton says:

    Gator, was that the guy that intentionally tried to gouge someone’s eyes out? Caught on camera, I wonder why this player is still walking the streets. Forget the league, I would think the state’s attorney general should be bringing this high profile case to the courts and put this athletic thug away. If they can imprison Buris for shooting himself, surely they can throw away the key for this gouger.

  11. james says:

    Legal Action threatened against anyone that signs the Copenhagen Treaty. Hopefully, we get to hang Al Gore.

    David Lee; Buess (Private Attorney General) (Beneficiary)
    2. 22014 Delaware Township Road 184
    3. Arlington, Ohio; [45814]
    4.
    5. Phone (419) 694 5796
    6.
    7. October 26, 2009

    8. United Nations General Assembly
    Documentation Programming and Monitoring Unit
    Mr. Xiong Lixian, Chief
    New York City, New York

    9. Dear Sir:

    (LAWFUL NOTICE OF TREASON)

    10. This is to advise that neither the Congress of these union States (50) nor the
    11. Ambassador to the United Nations have been given the authority by the People of
    12. these United States (50) to engage in a one world government/New World Order nor
    13. the destruction of Our Constitution by either legislative act or TREATY.

    14. This letter is to advise the United Nations General Assembly and all offices and
    15. Agencies to (Cease and Desist) any such activities relating to the UNITED STATES
    16. OF AMERICA: UNITED STATES dba Corporation: Et Al., as to these unlawful acts
    17. Against us the American Citizen and our union States (50) Constitution.

    18. All such actions violate both the Constitution of the union States (50) and the
    19. Constitution of the District of Columbia. You are hereby put on notice that any
    20. further actions by the United Nations in this regard will be considered an act of
    21. Home Grown Terrorism, Honest Service Fraud: Aiding and Abetting in Treasonous Acts
    22. Against the American Citizen: Our Constitution: and Law.

    23. This letter is to advise you that charges of TREASON have now been filed into the
    24. Superior Court of the District of Columbia Case No. 2009 CA 007868 B filed on
    25. October 22, 2009. Two witnesses having first hand knowledge of Treason have filed
    26. Into this court. The three branches of our Government(s) are all being charged under
    27. both color of law and Constitutional.

    28. There are 3 types of remedy suggested to the Court: A military take over to
    29. reestablish law and order is highly recommended by the plaintiff(s). This would
    30. Call for the arrests of all elected officials both federal and state for criminal acts
    31. By the Corporate fictions created by the Legislative, Executive and Judicial branches
    32. Of our Government. Our Employees are out of control.

    33. 16th American Jurisprudence, Section 177 states any law written in violation of this
    34. Constitution is as though it were never written. Thus any treaties: agreements: written
    35. Are null and void immediately. Congress is trying to join this new world order to
    36. avoid criminal charges against them.

    37. I, on behalf of all the American Citizens, et al, do herein demand the United Nations
    38. to (Cease and Desist) any and all activities involving this new world order and one
    39. World government that involves the union States (50): Federal Zone: immediately.

    40. Sincerely yours,

    41.

    41(a). David Lee; Buess (Private Attorney General)

    42. CC: Superior Court of the District of Columbia Case No. 2009 CA 007868 B
    43. Joint Chief’s of Staff
    44. Homeland Securtiy FAX 1 312 353 0143
    45. Congress of the United States:
    46. Senator Voinovich: 1 202 228 1382
    OHIO OFFICE 1 614 469 7733
    Senator Sherrod Brown: 1 202 228 6321
    Representative Jim Jordan Ohio Office 419 423 3233

  12. Schumpeter says:

    Choices for guvnor:

    1. Crash test dummy.

    2. Fat boy.

    3. Wacko DEP bureaucrat.

    Voting is consent with this madness. I’ll pass.

  13. james says:

    Everything that is going on today was told to us by Robert Welch in 1974.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vE7E5oFmH9c

  14. Choices for guvnor

    Is the pot guy running again this year? He’s at least honest about his intentions.

    … it appears Uncle Floyd is a write in candidate.

  15. NJGator says:

    Bob 15 – Yes and see my comment above. Spikes is the best player on the Florida D and there’s a National Championship at stake. Where are everyone’s priorities? Nothing is more important than college football in the SEC. I bet if the State’s Attorney went after him, Charlie ‘Closet Case’ Crist would pardon him. What better way to prove his m*nhood? And yes, Florida Politics are that ridiculous.

  16. NJGator says:

    And Crist is actually running for Senate. Saving Gator football would give him a great platform to run on!

  17. scribe says:

    Clot,

    I once voted for the guy who played grandpa on the Munsters. Green Party.

    Why not vote for one of the little guys?

    Is there a Libertarian candidate?

  18. NJGator says:

    Schumpeter for Gov!

  19. #22 – scribe – Is there a Libertarian candidate?

    That would be Ken Kaplan.
    http://kaplanforgovernor.com

  20. Schumpeter says:

    There is no anarchist candidate; ergo, you will not see Schumpeter at the polls.

    Libertarians are just to wussy to go anarchist.

  21. Painhrtz says:

    Picked one of the wackos to the right of the big 3 for guv, at least I can confim some of them may be nuts.

    Other than that aginst incumbents across the board. nothing wil change any way

    and one more thin sheila can scream all she wants nobody on the Big O’s team will listen.

    Bob another stimulus, are you mad what will that one bring, leprechauns and pink unicorns in everyones driveway. 60 trillion in debt counting all obligations and and you think adding to it is a good idea. jeez people never learn.

  22. Painhrtz says:

    God what was I drinking this morning, spelling is more atrocious than usual.

    clot and Ket had a dem polster come to my house in Garbagefield last night, poor girl barely in her twenties, I tried to enlighten her on libertarianism she didn’t seem too interested. She seemed surprised that everyone in that $hithole wasn’t a Democrat Ahh to be young and dumb again

  23. Stu says:

    My vote is up for sale at auction. Anyone have Corzine’s digits?

  24. db says:

    Newark is reporting that people in ACORN t-shirts were in the facility signing up and collecting absentee ballots. New Jersey law allows anyone to take up to 10 absentee ballots at a time. Individuals in the ACORN shirts entering the hospital with blank absentee ballots and leaving with completed ballots.

    There are reports out of Camden, New Jersey that voters are discovering that absentee ballots have already been submitted under their name. They did not authorize these ballots. Early reports suggested that the number of absentee ballots ‘requested’ in Camden city is higher than in any previous election. This will no doubt spark confusion on election day.
    http://www.inthelobby.net/

  25. RentinginNJ says:

    Why not vote for one of the little guys?

    I’ve voted for alternative candidates in the past, but I just feel this election is too close and too important to cast a “protest” vote.

    Christie is by no means a perfect candidate, but he is the only hope at getting some meaningful opposition to the heavily Dem assembly (1 party in complete control is never good, dem or repub.). He is also the only hope for having a governor who will actually represent the taxpayers when dealing with the unions.

  26. Schumpeter says:

    Screw the election. Here’s the good stuff: time to ride the short/put REIT train again. SRS, baby; SRS!!!!

    “The recent bear rally has driven most of the solvent, semi-solvent and absolutely insolvent CRE stocks up, quite a few approaching 100%, while their macro outlook has deteriorated significantly, along with their fundamentals. Quite a few have actually acted in cahoots with the banks that held their increasingly worthless debt, having issued secondary offerings basically converting the bank holdings of debt that didn’t have an icicles chance in the hottest portion of Hell of getting repaid, into worthless toilet paper, heretofore marketed as stock certificates. They have also begun offering this used toilet paper as dividends. That’s right, worthless stock issued in lieu of loans that couldn’t be paid back are also being issued as dividends to cash flow investors from companies that can’t afford cash dividends out of their cash flow. If this isn’t the sector screaming for me to come back and short it, I don’t know what is.

    2010 is the first of a series of heavy CRE debt rollover years, and the CMBS market is close to dead. The insurance companies and pension funds are having their own asset/liability mismatch problems (see “This supports both the HIG research and the recent reinsurer research”), and although they have benefited from the most recent market run, I believe it is just a bear market rally that has pretty much run its course. If I am right, they will be seeing devastation in their portfolios that will make March of this year look like a bull market. ”

    http://www.zerohedge.com/article/re-commerical-real-estate-and-reits-its-about-time-again

  27. Stu says:

    Plus if Christie is bad, we can slice him, cook him up and feed him to the homeless. That man could feed a lot of hungry people.

  28. Schumpeter says:

    pain (28)-

    Those twentysomething “pollsters” are the same zombies that will be coming to eat your brain in a few months.

    Next time, you’ll be drawing down on her if she approaches your door.

  29. Bob Boynton says:

    Whoever gets elected will have to deal with the fact that there is no more money. Hence, whoever gets elected will have to resign himself to doing nothing but watch everything fall apart, and that’s if he does a good job. The worse thing any of one could do would be to spend or ‘provide’ and that’s what the majority of voters would believe to be doing a good job.

  30. Schumpeter says:

    stu (34)-

    Bourgeois Putain Roti au Son Propre Gras.

  31. Raul V says:

    VOTE!!! VOTE!!! VOTE…out all the bums!! Vote against every single incumbent!! Let them know we ain’t happy!!

  32. Stu says:

    Schump:

    Comment servir l’homme

  33. willwork4beer says:

    19 tosh

    Alas, the NJWeedman (Edward Forchion) has sought “political asylum” in California.

    Like you said, at least you knew his intentions.

  34. Schumpeter says:

    More from Reggie @ #33:

    “In addition to a lack of available credit, credit terms are tightening. On top of tightening credit terms is the difficult to overcome issue of many investors that simply overpaid for properties over the last 5 years – producing LTVs in this higher cap rate environment that simply wouldn’t get refinanced even if we still had a credit bubble. You see, when you buy a property for $100 million using a loan of $75 million, it is hard to refinance that $75 million loan with collateral that is now worth $60 million. Many CRE investors simply have not wrapped their head around this valuation issue as of yet. I am confident the credit markets will wrap their head around it for them.

    If these problems don’t sink the ship, the dwindling cash from operations may, for many REITs are literally relying on lease cancellation penalties as recurring income. This is a bad omen. If they can replace the tenants that leave (and in this environment, that is a “if”), it will be at drastically reduced rents. This smashes head-on with the pie-in-the-sky business plans that were proffered to banks and investors in the CRE bubble that promised big rents now, to be rolled into bigger rents later, that will eventually bloom into the biggest rents of all time as the projections of cap rates that approached ZERO marched on.”

  35. grim says:

    Big layoffs coming to JnJ, 7% of the workforce.

    Can’t imagine that this wouldn’t impact NJ operations.

  36. Painhrtz says:

    Clot As long as I am not in a mall when it happens.

  37. Schumpeter says:

    stu (40)-

    Plat Premier: Cervelles, au Beurre Noir “Zombie”

    Plate Seconde: Ris D’Homme aux Crustaces, Sauce Homard

    Entree: Jambon D’Avocat, En Tranches

    Dessert: Sorbet d’Urine, Petits Fours Assortis

  38. Painhrtz says:

    Grim most of my wifes ex department at corporate J&J were let go last week. They have been reaching out to her for help. Since they all threw her under the bus when she was there I can’t say that she has been really trying.

  39. Stu says:

    Schumpeter (45):

    If you keep this up, Babble Fish is going to turn profitable.

  40. Schumpeter says:

    Music to my ears:

    “So, I had my team perform a fresh, new scan of RE investors with no limitations except minimal capitalization (some very weak companies are so thinly traded it is hard to get in and out of the positions), minimum share price and, of course, being a public traded company.

    We came up with a lost less candidates this time around than we did in 2007 and 2008. On balance, the opportunity is just about as good how as it was back then though, thanks to the Bernanke put option that caused the market to bounce nearly 100% on top of deteriorating fundamentals. The initial shortlist came down to 59 companies, out of which we handpicked 11, and reduced that group to two after studying the filings and footnotes. Both of these companies will run out of money in 2010 sans some miraculous financing event. Even if that miracle does occur (you do believe in miracles, don’t you), it would most likely occur via a significantly shareholder-destroying event. Dividends and capex will have to be cut, and/or properties will have to be sold on a distressed basis. Do you guys remember when I made the same claim about GGP and they attempted to attack me because of it? Well, GGP filed for bankruptcy after swearing in their press releases and conference calls that any mention of the words “bankruptcy”, distressed sales or “foreclosure” was heresy.”

  41. NJGator says:

    Schumpeter pour chef d’Etat!

  42. John says:

    Don’t worry as part of their Severance Woody Johnson will let them sit in the unsold PSL Seats at Jets games next year. That will give them at least ten days in 2010 they will have somewhere to go.

    Painhrtz says:
    November 3, 2009 at 9:08 am
    Grim most of my wifes ex department at corporate J&J were let go last week. They have been reaching out to her for help. Since they all threw her under the bus when she was there I can’t say that she has been really trying.

  43. Schumpeter says:

    stu (47)-

    Tais toi.

  44. Schumpeter says:

    John (50)-

    Most thinking people consider sitting at a Jets game to be punishment.

  45. Stu says:

    L’un d’entre eux les besoins d’être servi dans une réduction de merde avec la mousse de snot

  46. prtraders2000 says:

    Christie’s last ditch effort at the undecided middle.

    Slogan: “If you can vote for a black guy, you can vote for a fat guy.

  47. John says:

    ChiFi, I can’t believe you doubted me on CIT, yea I don’t win them all but to question my risk mget skills. BTW on one CIT bond I ended up 38.73 up in BK baby. Here is how my remaining CIT positions look this morning BK. As fresh as a babys behind. You rock Jeff Peek, common shareholders are just commoners anyhow.

    12557WMQ1 CIT GROUP INC INTERNOTES BOOK 6.000% 03/15/2016 CALL 03/15/2016 07/07/2009 @ $0.45 38.73% Short Term Gain

    125581BF4 CIT GROUP INC SR NT 5.80000% 07/28/2011 05/19/2009 @$0.67 0.63% Short Term Gain

  48. John says:

    In the coaches club section next year can dine in elegance in gold plated toliets with the trailor trash.

    Schumpeter says:
    November 3, 2009 at 9:15 am
    John (50)-

    Most thinking people consider sitting at a Jets game to be punishment.

  49. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    Tax News of the Day:

    This has been getting a lot of laughs in tax policy wonk circles. Apparently, someone thinks the US is a tax haven.

    “Tax Justice Network Places United States
    At Top of 2009 Financial Secrecy Index

    The Tax Justice Network Nov. 2 unveiled its 2009 financial secrecy index, placing the United States at the top of the list and highlighting the state of Delaware due to concerns about lack of corporate transparency.

    TJN founder Richard Murphy said Nov. 2 that the organization considered a range of national and state information when making its decisions, with Delaware a leading concern in the United States due to ease of incorporation there and the fact that it is “the state most commonly highlighted with regard to financial secrecy.”

    Luxembourg, Switzerland, the Cayman Islands, and the United Kingdom (City of London), in that order, were next on the group’s index. Filling out the top 10 on the list of 60 countries were Ireland, Bermuda, Singapore, Belgium, and Hong Kong.

    In a video posted on TJN’s blog, Murphy explained that the group looked at such data as total deposits in banks and overall banking secrecy at the national level, but it also looked at incorporation on a state level in the United States.

    “We had to use Delaware,” Murphy said, noting that his organization could have used other states such as Wyoming or Nevada, but chose Delaware “ because it is the most popular state for incorporation in the U.S.A.,” and frequently cited for secrecy issues.

    Delaware Corporate Register Seen ‘Utterly Useless.’

    Murphy said that, while his group understands that corporations must register in Delaware, that register is “almost utterly useless” because “ you cannot be sure that the registered owner of the Delaware corporation is in fact the real owner of the Delaware corporation.”

    “We want to hold people to account for the corporations that they own and if that information is not on the register, we don’t think the register performs a useful function,” Murphy said.

    He acknowledged that TJN has been criticized for saying that there are no accounts for Delaware companies filed with the register, but he said this remains true unless the companies are publicly traded.

    “We don’t think that’s sufficient information,” Murphy said, stressing that limited liability companies should have stronger reporting requirements in the state.

    He said limited liability is a right granted by a state that essentially protects the owners of the company from their own actions. Those granted this “extraordinary right” have a duty to make their financial information available, Murphy said. . . .”

  50. confused in NJ says:

    Corzine is using Karzai’s playbook, so he should be an Acorn shoo in.

  51. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    RE: GTG

    12/4 is out (as is 12/3 to 12/8) unless someone wants to cover my childcare costs.

    Following Friday is still open, as are most saturdays (except first 2 in december). John, if we go with NY, are you in?

  52. safeashouses says:

    #59 nom,

    Can we have the GTG at a karaoke bar? I’ve been practicing a lot.

    http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/CNirp7FhTtg

  53. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [60] safe

    Not sure I will be drunk enough for that.

  54. lostinny says:

    60 Safe

    You owe me a new set of ears. And for my dog.

  55. safeashouses says:

    #63 lost

    You don’t like my high notes? You don’t want to know what I had to do to reach them.

  56. chicagofinance says:

    JJ: Howard Stern in the 1980’s always claimed that Bob Guccione had a solid gold toilet bowl.

    John says:
    November 3, 2009 at 9:29 am
    In the coaches club section next year can dine in elegance in gold plated toliets with the trailor trash.

  57. lostinny says:

    64 Safe
    The castrati would be proud. :)

  58. sas says:

    voted GOP’s Chris Christie.

    SAS

  59. SG says:

    Johnson & Johnson plans to cut management, simplify structure

    Well, with all mergers happening, and J&J cuts, you wonder what will sustain NJ economy.

  60. SG says:

    Are you making a Big move to a Totally different place?

    HGTV’s new series Uprooted is looking for high-energy people who are saying goodbye to their hometowns, totally picking-up, and moving to a new place where everything is different. Whether you are moving from the mountains to the ocean, a major city to the country, or making a move overseas, HGTV wants to hear your story.

    Candidates who are chosen for the show will receive compensation.

    If you are interested in participating in the show, send us an email atcasting@departure-films.com – Please include your name, phone number, story and any photos of you and your family.

  61. NJGator says:

    Who cares about the Governor’s race? Nothing is going to change no matter who wins. Stu’s line on the Montclair School Board ballot question is that keeping an Appointed Board will win by a 3-2 margin.

  62. Stu says:

    I’m voting for Christie who will probably suck just as much as Corzine did, but I just can’t affirm the bearded wonder’s performance over the past 4 years, regardless of Christie’s stand on social issues. A vote for the Dagster is really a vote for Corzine, so don’t let that rich, compulsive liar get reelected.

  63. lostinny says:

    I wish NYC had an independent candidate. Unfortunately, we have a choice of old bullsh!it or newer old bullsh!t.

  64. Fiddy Cents on the Dollar says:

    I think the vote is more about an early referendum on O’bama politics. Much earlier than the mid-terms next year.

    The way Barry was stumping for Corzine….he’s got a lot invested in this race. It’s time to send him a message.

    There was a heavy turnout at my polling place this morning. I asked the election aide at the sign-in desk, he said there were more voters than last year.

    I held my nose, and voted down the Republican line. My plan is to move out of NJ within the next 2-3 years, so I won’t be around for the carnage that’s sure to come.

  65. make money says:

    Meet the first “Carbon Billinaire” AL GORE.

  66. Schumpeter says:

    fiddy (73)-

    Doesn’t matter a bit. GWB/O…Fat Boy/Crash Test Dummy…all the fcuking same.

  67. Schumpeter says:

    Next door to my polling place @ 2 PM: Hillsborough vs N Hunterdon, state playoff game.

    Much more interesting.

  68. Schumpeter says:

    I can watch the N Hunterdon seniors before they move away from NJ forever.

  69. Stu says:

    I agree with Schump (as usual). It is all the same. Both teams promised different things, but when all is said and done, it’s the same old plan. The rich get richer and everyone else doesn’t really matter.

    We live in a corporatocracy. The two major parties exist to make sure you don’t notice it.

  70. jcer says:

    I’m voting for the fat guy. Corzine is so bad, I think I’d vote for Mussolini, Peron, Castro or Franco before I’d vote for him again. To quote Americas worst president “There’s an old saying in Tennessee I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee that says, fool me once, shame on shame on you. Fool me you can’t get fooled again.”, I’m not falling for Corzine’s bullsh*t again.

  71. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [62] sg

    Funny stuff, but some of that has been advocated on this board, e.g., learning a trade, getting on the dole, etc.

  72. jcer says:

    Stu, you’ve nailed it partisan politics is to distract the populace while corporations and the rich rob us blind. Bread and circuses. Welcome the fall of our empire.

  73. chicagofinance says:

    Schumpeter says:
    November 3, 2009 at 11:17 am
    I can watch the N Hunterdon seniors before they move away from NJ forever.

    They’ll be back. These kids have no stigma from returning home. When provided a choice: live at home and be a schmuck versus sacrifice and venture out; guess what wins?

  74. Stu says:

    “I can watch the N Hunterdon seniors before they move away from NJ forever.”

    This is one very disturbing statement.

    http://tinyurl.com/schumpeter

  75. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [79] stu

    Actually, the reason things won’t change is because they can’t change. Whoever takes over in Trenton literally has his hands tied.

    I can’t stand Corzine, but if Christie wins, he has to battle the state workers and the Assembly, both of which will be hostile. Expect virtually every initiative to be fought in the assembly and the courts, and, if those venues aren’t available, in strikes and demonstrations.

  76. Stu says:

    “Expect virtually every initiative to be fought in the assembly and the courts, and, if those venues aren’t available, in strikes and demonstrations.”

    Works for me.

  77. jcer says:

    I’m voting for fatso, so hopefully I can see some pinks slips in trenton and cuts to the ridiculous municipal aid given to places like Newark, etc. Maybe then the budget can right it’s self.

  78. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [59] redux

    I take it back about 12/4. GTG still possible, but it can’t be NYC. No way I can get in and out in time to avoid violating overtime rules for my caregiver. Bergen would be okay because that is the one Friday I can drive.

    Sorry John

  79. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [86] stu

    Works for you?

    What you are endorsing is government paralysis, and all the while, the spending spigot is wide open.

    Only a decisive Christie victory, a Daggett victory, or, paradoxically, a very narrow Corzine win (with considerable taint) will result in any reform possibilities.

    If Christie squeaks in, he has no political capital, and if Corzine landslides, dems will be emboldened to further his agenda.

  80. yo'me says:

    Doesn’t matter a bit. GWB/O…Fat Boy/Crash Test Dummy…all the fcuking same

    I Agree.It’s the Union and Gov’t workers and families running NJ’s future.They don’t care if the state is broke,they want what is due to them without regards to the Tax Payers.

  81. yo'me says:

    Meet the first “Carbon Billionaire” AL GORE

    Watch this law suit ASIA VS 8 Developed Countries

    http://videos.gmanews.tv/2008a/climatechange/climate%20change%20trial.swf

    The Copenhagen Treaty Effect

  82. NJsurf says:

    I will NOT be voting for someone, who is stupid enough to turn down stimulus money from the federal government. That is just ideological suicide. I think Christie is another George W. Bush. He makes decisions based on ideology rather than facts. That can lead to serious problems.

    Corzine is no dream Governor, but he is the first Governor in twenty years to reduce the size of government, Democrat or Republican. He also did shut down the government to teach the Legislature a lesson. He got rid of Christmas Tree items and dual office holding. When you think about it, he is more Republican than Whitman was.

    Anyway, that is my two cents. Reluctantly voting Corzine.

  83. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [93] NJsurf

    If you want Corzine, but want to send him a message, I respectfully suggest that a vote for Daggett is a better way to go about it.

    Daggett’s support saps Christie far more than Corzine. Most of those voters would go to Christie if Daggett were not in the race.

    Remember also that Daggett’s primary issue is property tax relief. A strong Daggett vote sends the property tax and NOBU messages to Trenton, while still denying Christie an office there.

    That is why I thought that a Corzine squeaker was a better prospect for reform. If he wins on a plurality because Daggett got north of 8%, he, and the Assembly, will take it for what it is: a referendum on his policies.

    If Christie squeaks in, he does so with no capital and a P.O.’ed state worker/welfare complex, ready to take him on. This will naturally attract the support of the dems, who will look to shore up that base. By contrast, a narrow Corzine “win” forces him to cannibalize the base.

    So every vote for Daggett is a vote for real change. Besides, Christie really is a decent guy, and needs to lose some weight and look out for his family. A Corzine win means he can take a high-paying job with a major law firm, rather than slog it out in Trenton. So let’s do Christie a favor and vote Daggett.

    My $0.02.

  84. Dissident HEHEHE says:

    voted for christie, he’s a clown but i live in hudson county, anything i can do to weaken the hudson county democriminals hold on power i will do

  85. Schumpeter says:

    Corzine is pretty good. For being a complete feeb.

  86. Stu says:

    Nom,

    Government paralysis is better than reform if the reform does nothing but waste more tax dollars and build bigger government.

    Case in point was the pointless and wasteful Cash for Clunkers program that most likely would not have happened had we had a logjam in the house and senate.

    No government reform will take place unless we change the way campaigns are financed. Until then, everything else is a smokescreen and the highest corporate contributor wins. You need to look no further than the referendum for bonding for the support of stem cell research facility staffing that Corzine served up shortly after being elected. The people of New Jersey shot it down so Corzine decided to bond to build the facilities even though he could not legally staff them. I really didn’t think Corzine would have been this bad. Then I realized that Forest Gump probably could have run Government Sachs successfully during Corzine’s tenure.

  87. Schumpeter says:

    plume (95)-

    IMO, nothing sends “messages” to anyone in Trenton. You either win the election- and continue in your previous thuggish, corrupt and bankrupt ways- or you lose, go home and start planning ways to smear the winner in 2-4 years and recapture the office.

    I reject any theory that holds a politician anywhere in the US feels any sense of responsibility toward the people who elected him. Narrow ideological constituencies and large donors come first.

  88. Stu says:

    “dual office holding” NJ Surf?

    Check again.

    Smaller government? Perhaps the complete dropoff in tax revenues for the first time since the Great Depression had something to do with it.

    Why don’t you mention the investment in Lehman Brothers that he supported less than a month before it collapsed. That investment was $1 short of the amount necessary for the investment to have been publicized.

    Keep cheering for the a-hole. It simply makes you look stupid.

    I’m thinking about writing in Schumpeter.

  89. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [93] NJsurf

    One question: Did that stim $$ that Christie would have turned down come with no strings attached? (by strings, I mean an obligation to impose new taxes or regulations, and/or fund a new benefit that, allowing for present value factoring, would actually cost much more than the stim $$$ offset). I don’t know the details, but if you do, I am interested in knowing them.

    If it was no-strings, I agree that it would have been stupid. Why turn down a return on investment?

  90. Schumpeter says:

    stu (97)-

    Forrest Gump could’ve also pulled an end run on the internal power play that showed him the door.

    Corslime was a dolt before the car accident. Now, he’s essentially a functional retard.

  91. make money says:

    http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aa6oc6Wz9Ftg&pos=5

    Who cares about the election? East is the new WEST!!!

    got shiny?

  92. Schumpeter says:

    stu (99)-

    Anyone who votes for me gets free hookers and blow.

  93. syncmaster says:

    njsurf 93, ditto.

    Also voting Corzine.

  94. Stu says:

    Corzine was the opposite of FDR.

    He spoke loudly and carried a stick made of nerfy material.

  95. Schumpeter says:

    make (102)-

    Wait ’til the failure-to-deliver event that’s coming in December.

    Good times.

  96. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [87, 98] stu/schum

    Geez, you pissed on my parade there. I didn’t know I came across as such an unbridled optimist. That is gonna be news to some of the board libs.

  97. Schumpeter says:

    plume (107)-

    Hope is not a strategy.

    “Abandon hope, all ye who enter here.”

  98. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [108] pol clot

    Not suggesting I am a hopeium smoker, are you?

  99. HEHEHE says:

    “Why am I so negative about the good consumption numbers coming out of the US? Because the rise in personal consumption was accompanied by a 3.4% decline in household disposable income. If US household income declines, and this is likely to continue as unemployment rises even further, it is hard to imagine that US households are really going to splurge on new consumption. Consumption and household income must move in the same direction over any reasonable time period to be sustainable.”

    http://mpettis.com/2009/11/what-rebalancing-of-chinese-and-american-consumption/

  100. BC Bob says:

    Make [102],

    Yet, we were told, by many on this site, that the IMF impending sale would be bearish. Gotta luv that one.

  101. Stu says:

    Nom,

    Just surprised that you think any of these politicians actually care about us.

    It’s truly said that we as Americans feel more joy pulling the lever on a flush toilet than we do in the election booth.

  102. NJsurf says:

    Yes, like I said, a ban on dual office holding. True, Current members of the Legislature were grandfathered in. That and the elimination of Christmas Tree items is more than any Governor has been able to accomplish to change Trenton in my lifetime.

    With regard to stimulus, Christie first said he would turn down large sums of stimulus, then changed it to stimulus money with strings attached. This guy is too ideological. It is Bush-style thinking that scares me.

    Finally, on shrinking government Corzine has stuck to matching recurring spending with recurring revenues. He has had to clean up insance financial messes inherited from Whitman and McGreevey. The vitriol for Corzine is so strange because none of this was created by him.

    Christie has not mentioned how he plans on cutting taxes, maintaining services and running the State. This reminds me of Bush all over again. Too good to be true. You can’t cut taxes, without cutting spending.

  103. John says:

    Is Chris Christe and Rex Ryan the same person? I never see them together and interestingly enough they both have first and last names that begin with same letter

  104. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [112] stu

    Not that naive. But there is a symbiosis; if they neglect the popular will too much, they are history. That is why I think a near miss sends a message. It appeals to their notion of self preservation.

    On a different note, this statement from the Star Ledger got my attention:

    “While the crowd cheered for Corzine – and even more loudly for Newark Mayor Cory Booker – it was clear they were most enthused to see Obama.”

    Cheering loudest for Obama, well, I can see that. But when Booker got louder cheers than Corzine at this event, that tells you something about his level of support, even with the faithful.

  105. willwork4beer says:

    103 Schump

    That’s what I’ve been waiting for. Good old-fashioned NJ vote buying.

    You’ve got my vote.

    And if you decide to run for Genocidal Dictator as Pol Clot, my dead relatives will vote for you as well.

  106. Schumpeter says:

    If elected, I will round up and execute self-loathing liberals and religious zealot conservatives alike.

  107. Schumpeter says:

    I will also legalize drugs and pr0stitution and tax them heavily.

  108. #117 – I will round up and execute self-loathing liberals and religious zealot conservatives alike.

    What about us brain dead slobs?
    Will we be given cushy jobs?

    /monorail

  109. Stu says:

    and tax them heavily?

    You just lost my vote.

  110. I will also legalize… pr0stitution and tax them heavily.

    I was hoping for them to tax me, but whatevs.

  111. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [110] HEHEHE

    Interesting assertion. My take on consumption holding up at all is based on a prevalent belief that (1) there are deals to be had now because inventories are high, (2) our dollars will be worthless in the future, and (3) the combination of number (1) going away and number (2) occurring is spurring current demand.

    At least in the DePlume home, it is.

    Based on that theory, I expect consumption to take a hit once inventories are depleted and have to be restocked at higher prices. In the meantime, my savings rate is zero.

  112. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [117] schump.

    Why not just arm them and let them work it out for themselves?

  113. BeachBum says:

    More election day stuff:
    Today’s Election Day gratitude (heard on the radio) :  Today is the one year anniversary of not electing Sarah Palin. 

  114. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    When I was selling my place in Philly, one of the selling points I made sure to highlight was walking distance to downtown.

    This was why.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/04/us/04transit.html?_r=1&hp

  115. confused in NJ says:

    101.5 said they tracked some Daggett Commercials back to the Democratic Party. What else is new. Years ago in NY they said vote ABC (Anybody But Cuomo), now it’s NJ’s turn, ABC (Anybody But Corzine).

  116. Veto That says:

    i gave corslime my vote and held my nose. im hoping that he can do a better job of navigating the upcoming budget crisis than an attorney.
    also, i figure if he gets re-elected he might just make some deep cuts and tell the unions to fly a kite – in a nice way.
    Christie has promised and claimed very little. That tells me he would do very little. If i were running for gov in the middle of a property tax and budget crisis my campaign message would be much more ambitious.
    Anyway, I see little difference between all three of them. Its no wonder everyone is voting Dagget.

  117. scribe says:

    schump,

    what fail to deliver event in December?

    do you mean Treasuries?

    I’ve been out of the loop a bit. Actually working takes away from my meandering online and reading about the coming apocalypse.

    by the way, I’m in for a GTG – Bergen or NYC

    NYC, if John agrees to it …the extra special “this is John” GTG!

  118. make money says:

    NYC and a big time bond trader. I’m in too.

  119. lisoosh says:

    Voting Independent.

    The “A vote for Mr. Ind. is a vote for the big party guy you don’t like” schtik is EXACTLY why we have two corrupt, self entitled loser parties in power.

    Until both the Dems and Repubs feel real pain nothing will change.

  120. make money says:

    Schump(106),

    Why do you say December? It can’t be that close. My best case scenerio failure to deliver won’t happen until 2013.

    Disclaimer: I stand where I sit.

  121. lisoosh says:

    #126 -101.5 called Palin refreshing and down to earth.

    Nuf said.

  122. jcer says:

    NJ has serious issues, the problem with Corzine has been and continues to be his allegiance to the unions and his support of aid to the poor. Newark, Camden, etc need to be cut off, aid needs to be drastically reduced as they are sending good money after bad. Every dollar sent to hudson county or Newark, $0.80 winds up in some corrupt persons pocket. The only way to improve the situation is by cutting costs, I’m looking at municipal aid and the unions. After this business needs to be incentivized, NJ is being eaten for breakfast by other states we need to be competitive. 

  123. Qwerty says:

    http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local-beat/Swine-Flu-Fears-Lead-to-Girl-on-Girl-Brawl-on-NYC-Subway-68801572.html

    Swine Flu Fears Lead to Girl-on-Girl Brawl on D Train

    By BRIAN RIES

    Updated 10:41 AM EST, Tue, Nov 3, 2009

    After a rough spring that saw as many as 20 to 40 percent of New Yorkers exposed to H1N1, subway riders have resorted to defending themselves with their fists.

    Violence struck on a southbound D train Monday morning after two women got into an argument over one’s refusal to cover her mouth while coughing. It ended with her spitting on the other, a punch, and the second woman dragging the first to the floor of the car by her hair.

    Here’s the play-by-play account, as witnessed firsthand by The Business Insider’s Lawrence Delevingne:

    “No one got the conductor — it just seemed like a shouting match — but as the train pulled into 42nd Street, the coughing woman spit on the other, provoking what sounded like a punch from the reaction of the crowd (we didn’t directly see it). Then the cougher attempted to exit the train as the doors were open, but the second woman grabbed her by the back of the hair, violently yanking her down to the floor.”

  124. Stu says:

    John will never attend a GTG. Here is why…

    http://tinyurl.com/john-siting

  125. BC Bob says:

    Make [131],

    If you have sold forward 2,3, 10x’s your actual, you can always offset it by buying futures. The Dec expiration, end of Nov, will be unsettling for many.

  126. safeashouses says:

    I voted for Daggett.

  127. confused in NJ says:

    132.lisoosh says:
    November 3, 2009 at 1:35 pm
    #126 -101.5 called Palin refreshing and down to earth.

    Nuf said.

    Probably so, they also said Bill Clinton was not at fault, because Hillary didn’t like Cigars.

  128. Veto That says:

    “Until both the Dems and Repubs feel real pain nothing will change.”

    Lish, i would love to vote dagget. but even he was a dissapointment for me. His state tax system to fund schools is not novel – its been popular in some other states for over a decade now.
    His problem is the same as the other two guys: it increases taxes overall and doesnt address any of the runaway spending problems. So we get a wide variety of choice: three big spenders who are all controlled by the unions anyway. take your pick.

  129. NJGator says:

    Nom 125 – I remember the last NYC transit strike just a few years back. The kids that worked for me that lived in the outer boroughs showed great ingenuity to buddy up into carpools and get up at the crack of dawn so they could drive into work (city mandated I think at least 4 people in a car to cross the bridges and tunnels into Manhattan during the morning rush). Anyone who lived in NJ and LIRR cheerfully walked to the office (we were in midtown on the east side). But my primadonnas who lived in Manhattan in apartments paid for by mommy and daddy actually asked if they would get paid if they didn’t come in. One of them told me she was not hearty enough to walk from the East 70’s to 45th and Lex in the middle of December. I do have to say that she was a big Red Sox fan from Mass.

  130. safeashouses says:

    I also voted for preserving open land. I had this Monty Python scene running through my head when I did.

    “just one more wafer”

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlK62rjQWLk

  131. #140 – One of them told me she was not hearty enough to walk from the East 70’s to 45th and Lex in the middle of December

    That’s just sad. It wasn’t even that cold IIRC.

    Also, my company has offices in that building.

  132. Alfred E. Neuman says:

    130 lisoosh

    We need a real contender again, like this one.

    http://www.texasmonthly.com/issues/1992-06-01/cover.jpg

  133. frank says:

    I voted for Corzine, 4 times.

  134. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [140] gator

    An outlier.

  135. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [144] frank

    Only 4? Clearly you are not from Hudson County.

  136. RentinginNJ says:

    IMO, nothing sends “messages” to anyone in Trenton.

    I agree. In the last election, there were 2 big ballot questions; public funding of stem cell research and dedicating a portion of the sales tax to property tax relief. Both were expected to easily pass, yet both were defeated. This was a major defeat for Corzine and should have sent a strong message about spending, but he shrugged it off and nothing changed.

  137. james says:

    #80 “Im voting for the fat guy”

    LMAO

  138. NJGator says:

    Renting 147 – If I recall correctly, after the stem cell question was voted down, Corzine gave the go-ahead to build the facilities anyway even though we are not going to fund the research. That seems more like a giant F-U than a shrug off to me.

    Apologies if my facts are not correct. I blame Stu, as he b*tched about this for months.

  139. Danzud says:

    Schump/Pol Clot,

    Have you considered running on a platform of getting rid of new annoying names for kids like Graydon and Ellery?

  140. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [135] stu

    LMAO.

    Though why do I get the sense that it wasn’t unintentional?

  141. james says:

    Voted for the fat guy as well. Voting for Corzine in Ocean County is like buying a house without granite counter tops.

  142. lisoosh says:

    “IMO, nothing sends “messages” to anyone in Trenton.”

    Not being in Trenton is a pretty powerful message.

  143. Alfred E. Neuman says:

    Want to send a message to Trenton?
    Get them a subscription to my magazine!

  144. james says:

    Gorbachev calling for a new world order.

    Comparing Obama’s efforts with his own attempt to reform the Soviet Union in the 1980s — which was called “perestroika”, or “restructuring” — Gorbachev said that Obama faced the harder task.

    “I do not envy Obama, because I think changing and ‘restructuring’ America is not easier than changing the Soviet Union,” Gorbachev said.

    “I wish the Americans luck. I think the president’s steps need the support of the American people,” he added.

    Gorbachev, a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990, also said he approved of Obama’s unexpected Peace Prize victory last month, saying it could help push the United States towards greater multilateralism.

    Gorbachev criticised “dividing lines” that he said had reappeared in the world and called on the United States, Russia and Europe to cooperate in creating a “fairer” world order.

    http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gwWTO_BvBYEAKmMbwniNbCksuj5g

  145. RentinginNJ says:

    NJGator #149,

    I think you are correct. I’m not sure if he ever went through with it, but I know he was pretty defiant at the time. I think he implied that voters didn’t really understand what they were voting on.

  146. james says:

    WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 (UPI) — U.S. firearms owners have bought an estimated 12 billion rounds of ammunition during the past year, gun industry analysts said.

    The figure far outstrips the 7 billion to 10 billion rounds sold in a typical year, The Washington Post reported Monday. The spike in sales began when people started to take seriously warnings from the gun lobby that with Democrats controlling the White House and Congress there would be new restrictions on gun ownership, the newspaper said.

    As consumers stepped up purchases, supplies tightened, prices went up and a shortage developed. The shortage has begun to ebb and gun-control advocates are expressing concern about the record amount of stockpiled ammunition, the Post said.

  147. TheRock says:

    Whitney Houston has put the 5-acre Mendham estate where she married singer Bobby Brown on the market for $2.5 million, far less than its assessed value of $5.6 million. House was originally bought in 1987 for $2.7 million.

    http://www.nj.com/entertainment/celebrities/index.ssf/2009/11/whitney_houston_unloading_mend.html

  148. lisoosh says:

    Veto – I don’t think Daggett is the Second Coming either.

    However, a vote for Christie or Corzine is a vote for business as usual.

    At least if an Independent wins, even if a clone of the big party players, it lets the Parties know they aren’t invulnerable and lets Independents know they stand a shot – leading to better candidates next time.

    How on earth can you change a system without taking baby steps?

  149. lisoosh says:

    On a final note:

    Don’t buy the Republican spin that Daggett is siphoning off Christie votes.

    The guy is an environmentalist and is talking about redistributing taxes. Not exactly Republican material. No Tea Party participant is about to switch to him, or even a soft conservative.
    His potential voters are middle class, non-union Dems dissatisfied with Corzine.

  150. bergen guy says:

    will vote for Daggett

    sends a message to D and R, that they are not alone in this race. The I candidates will become stronger, if any big party offers reliable solutions with trusted candidates.

    Corzine and Christie, what is the difference? No real solutions, just status quo.

  151. Stu says:

    I wonder if Schumpeter will receive as many votes as Daggett?

  152. RemainCalmAllisWell says:
  153. John says:

    For all the fellows who predicted the death of Bank Sub bonds back in March. Actually CHIFI might be only one who will enjoy this article from MS/SB

    Senior/sub Differential: Going, going…
    Even if we can’t say yet that happy days are here again, at least we are getting
    back to 2006 as far as senior/subordinated differentials go. In those halcyon
    days, subprime lenders were still Masters of the Universe, banks’ biggest
    problem was deciding the size of their stock buybacks, and the senior/sub
    differential for a large bank like JPMorgan was 10-15 bp.
    Now, JPMorgan subordinated holding company bonds trade about 15 bp
    behind senior holding company bonds, compared to 25 bp in mid-September.
    (See Figure 4). Bank of America’s differential also narrowed about 10 bp in
    that time frame but is still about 35 bp. (We think that technical factors have
    played a role in limiting the compression). We still find value in the Bank of
    America differential, but we think that the JPMorgan senior/sub relationship
    has gotten pretty tight.
    For Wells Fargo, the nominal differential between the senior holding company
    2017 bonds and subordinated 2016 bonds issued by the holding company has
    dropped from 60 bp in mid-September to 15 bp currently. However, adjusting
    for the maturity difference, the differential is about 40 bp on a z-spread basis,
    which we still consider attractive.
    We continue to recommend JPMorgan’s TRUPs. We consider this bank the
    strongest in our coverage universe, and we are willing to go deeper in its
    capital structure if the incremental yield provides sufficient compensation. We
    previously recommended JPMorgan’s 6.8s of 2037 TRUPs and we are updating
    our recommendation to encompass the new JPMorgan 7s of 2039 (TRUPs),
    which trade 120 bp behind the company’s 6.4s of 2038 (senior holding
    company).

  154. jcer says:

    Gary Stein is awesome, I especially appreciate his view on Mexico and illegal immigration.

  155. db says:

    If Corzine wins ,I’m voting with my feet

  156. rebear says:

    161,
    That’s what i did.

  157. PGC says:

    Clot,

    Those Russians can drink. Will he load this on the Chelsea debt wagon?

    http://www.businessinsider.com/jay-zs-astronomical-hamptons-dinner-2009-11

  158. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [160] lisoosh

    “The guy is an environmentalist and is talking about redistributing taxes. Not exactly Republican material.”

    Beg to differ. Much republican support comes from folks who consider themselves pro-environment, particularly those in rural areas. They just aren’t as ardently anti-industry as left wing enviros. Also, depending on the tax redistribution, it would benefit a lot of republicans, if you subscribe to the notion that a sales tax is regressive (and part of the reason it is regressive is that it is avoidable, something that republicans are more apt to do).

  159. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [166] db

    already did. That is why I can’t vote.

  160. Stu says:

    I hopes those that voted with their feet had the decency to clean the levers when they were finished.

  161. Alap says:

    166 – all talk.

  162. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [171] stu

    Good one!

  163. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [157] james

    You forgot to include the bipartisan tax aspect (where conservatives are happy about record tax revenues):

    “U.S. taxes on guns and ammunition — which are used to fund wildlife conservation — increased after Bill Clinton was elected president in 1992 and after Democrats took control of Congress in 2006. At the current rate those tax receipts will set a record in 2009.”

    So there is something for the left to smile about in this development.

  164. Schumpeter says:

    jcer (133)-

    Haven’t you heard? The way to save NJ is to tax anyone who is not destitute into abject destitution.

    “The only way to improve the situation is by cutting costs, I’m looking at municipal aid and the unions. After this business needs to be incentivized, NJ is being eaten for breakfast by other states we need to be competitive.”

  165. Schumpeter says:

    danzud (150)-

    No, but I would run on a platform of getting rid of the actual kids. Maybe send ’em to SC or GA for some “reeducation”.

    “Have you considered running on a platform of getting rid of new annoying names for kids like Graydon and Ellery?”

  166. chicagofinance says:

    John says:
    November 3, 2009 at 3:23 pm
    For all the fellows who predicted the death of Bank Sub bonds back in March. Actually CHIFI might be only one who will enjoy this article from MS/SB
    Senior/sub Differential: Going, going…

    JJ: Interesting…although the pricing bond yields are so out of whack that it is almost irrelevant. I hate the idea that people are talking spreads. If they quoted nominal yields then it kind of creates a really “so what” kind of conclusion. Notice that they didn’t. It just means people are desperate….I wouldn’t fcuk with the paltry crap out there…..

  167. chicagofinance says:

    albani:

    WSJ
    COMMODITIES
    NOVEMBER 3, 2009, 3:05 P.M. ET
    Gold Jumps After India Purchases
    By CAROLYN CUI

    Gold surged to a new record high on Tuesday, fueled by the news that India’s central bank snapped up half of the bullion that the International Monetary Fund was planning to sell.

    While the sale was widely expected after the IMF approved in September to divest a total of 403 metric tons to official holders, the market saw a spark hidden in the details.

    Precious metals turned higher despite the stronger dollar.

    India bought 200 tons of gold at an average price of “just under” $1,045 per troy ounce, according to a senior IMF official. The transactions were concluded between Oct. 19 and Oct. 30, but the final settlement price would be determined based on today’s foreign exchange rates.

    That India, a fairly savvy purchaser of gold — and home to billions of gold wearers and jewelers — was willing to pay such a high price has been seen as a big sign that the nation has accepted that the recent surge in gold isn’t likely to abate any time soon. After gold pierced the $1,000 level, many investors started getting uneasy about the price, evidenced by the recently stabilized influx into gold exchange-traded funds.

    Gold closed at $1,084.9 per ounce on Tuesday, up 2.9%.

    “The fact that one large institutional investor is accepting the current gold prices is really supporting the market,” said Eugen Weinberg, an analyst with Commerzbank AG.

    India’s affirmation of current gold prices has the market expecting other buyers may emerge soon to take the remaining half of the IMF’s gold.

    “I wouldn’t be surprised to see China to be the other buyer,” Mr. Weinberg said. Central banks in emerging markets are diversifying their foreign reserves into hard assets, as the U.S. dollar continues to depreciate.

    “We can’t detail ahead of time what other countries are doing,” the IMF official said.

  168. Schumpeter says:

    PGC (168)-

    La Tache and Petrus…same dinner, in an Italian restaurant? What a redneck. He’d fit in great in some Alabama jerkwater. Probably put ice cubes in the Petrus or asked for club soda and made spritzers with it.

    EPL and FIFA have both told Abramovich he can’t lend Chelsea pile after pile of his money at 0% interest. I believe they also told him he can’t offload personal debts on them, either.

  169. Schumpeter says:

    chi (176)-

    Word is, Roubini only wants Mexican quants.

  170. lisoosh says:

    Nom – Beg to differ back.

    Wanting to preserve areas for hunting and snowmobiling does not make on an environmentalist. First find me a bunch of rural hunters worried about global warming. Find me a rural chicken or hog farmer really concerned about run-off. Find me the conservatives trying to get fertilizer use cut down (those three legged frogs didn’t get that way by themselves).

    I will though concede that the hunters and enviros frequently have more in common with each other than they realize.

  171. Sean says:

    re#179 – Chi – The bigger news of the day was Buffett and BNI. He just burned through a large portion or their cash holdings to overpay for BNI. Looks like an inflation hedge to me.

    As I have been saying Deflation my ass. Anyone remember this Buffettn diddy from last October?

    ttp://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/17/opinion/17buffett.html?_r=1

  172. HEHEHE says:

    Who is going to win Hoboken Mayor?

  173. HEHEHE says:

    Sean,

    We are still in deflation. I’ll let you know when it changes though.

  174. Painhrtz says:

    Personally just declare bankruptcy already, break the union contracts with everyone but the police because there will be anarchy and be done with it.

    this is my nuke option plan

    Tell NJEA pound pavement because after 6 months to a year of no eating in a bad economy the teachers who actually want and need to work will come back. Teachers salaries will increase by 25% across the board. Those under 45 get a 401K plan with dollar for dollar matching up to 5% and an end to their pension. teachers over 45-50 have their penison plan reduced to 50% of current obligations and 401K with matching to 9%. 50-60 75% of current pension 401K matching up to 10%. Over 60 retire. Adminstrators are offered 401K only no pension.

    Lottery proceeds directly to education for school supplies only to be equally distributed among each student. Not the teachers or administrators. If it works out to 250 bucks a student that is a laptop and supplies for each child.

    Negotiate contracts for supplies on par with what the staples and office max’s of the world pay to further reduce costs.

    Issue a NJ jersey pass with license plates and charge nj residents half the toll charge on the parkway and turnpike. Charge everyone else that uses our roads 1.5 times the current rate. Raise the gasoline tax 2 cents dedicated stricly to roads. Eliminate 50% of the toll collectors.

    Police and Fire salaries will be based on the average of cost of living and the salaries of other officers in similar priced states. Pensions will be eliminated for all officers under the age of forty replaced with 401K accounts with 5% matching.

    Cut off all funding to inner cities who fail an corruption litmus test. Each dollar must be accouonted for. Enact strict accounting oversight.

    Force consolidation of districts where they may maintain their name identity if they so wish, but will share services at all opportunities. The era of home rule must come to an end. Each new district may have a minimum of one seat on the new township councils, number of council seats to be established by population counts.

    Force local goverments to reduce property taxes by 30% by the end of my fourth term. Reductions should be on an 8% a year basis. They should also have someone from the town go to every homeowner and apologize for robbing them blind every year.

    Cut all non essential programs. Privatize when possible. Slash and burn as many departments as we can while keeping the state running. Try and reduce the government by 20% first year, 40% second and 60% final year of my term. No more dual serving positions with local and state government.

    I will not run for reelection. I will not accept a public pension. I will take the salary for four years of work. After that I plan to be sipping scotch and speaking on the lecture circuit.

  175. ruggles says:

    184 – Artie Lange

  176. Painhrtz says:

    grim in moderation I guess it was becasue I used the phrase n*ke option

  177. PGC says:

    Running arround most of the day listening to NPR. They had a lot of great analysis and debate. They even had a special segment on the Montclair School Board.

    They touched on one point that has been in my head for a few days. IF the NJ race is close (i.e < 3pts) the GOP will load the helicopters full of paper and start dumping filings on the courts. This could turn into another Minisota Senate, or even hanging chads in Florida. I know a few GOP attorneys that were on standby for McCain that were annoyed that they didn’t get the chance. If it goes the other way and is close for the GOP, Jon may start filing in the courts to stall the process and hold on that way. Unless you see either by 5pts, pull up a seat and watch the fun start as they fight to count (or not count) the absentees.

    Got to run

  178. Sean says:

    re#186 – HEHEHE

    I let you know where you are wrong. Let’s
    see last April is when CPI-U started turing up again.

    I have been saying this for a while Bernake is printing us out of deflation. There was no deflationary spiral, next stop on this crazy train is inflation.

  179. HEHEHE says:

    Sean,

    Too much debt still needs to be destroyed for there to be inflation. Also Crazy Ben is playing the same game as the rest of the world so to say that the US is somehow going to get some inflationary spiral while the rest of the world is engaging in the same conduct is ludicrous.

    Also I wouldn’t write too much into the Oracle’s mighty purchase. He’s the same clown who was heavily invested in Moody’s, AmEx, BAC etc when the sh*t hit the fan last year. Some f’n Oracle!

  180. Sean says:

    Corzine is pulling out all the stops, 25 million of his own cash, Acorn workers, Union workers etc, gonna try squeeze us for every tax dollar he can if he gets in to keep them all FAT AND happy.

    I was hanging in the West Village last week with some friends, I miss my old neighborhood, and rents have come down allot. I may move back if Bloomberg gets in again. When he took office at the end of 2001 the first thing he did in NYC was clean house to close a 3 billion dollar budget gap.

    I don’t see NJ doing so, and if I am going to have my pocket picked it might as well be in NYC were at least I can get a reach around for it.

  181. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [182] lisoosh,

    Way you say it sounds like anyone to the right of Christie likes breathing smog and drinking sewage. I have yet to find a conservative who endorses that.

    Though I do recall Art Buchwald saying he didn’t trust any air he couldn’t see.

    Anyway, I recall this from some time back, and I think this is the same ‘strange bedfellow’ situation I was thinking of.

    http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1525/is_4_86/ai_76285349/

  182. Sean says:

    re: #192 – HEHEHE – not so the debt won’t be destroyed, it’s buy and hold till the fat lady sings for the taxpayer and the Fed. Moral Hazard remember? The politicians won’t allow a deflationary spiral.

  183. morpheus says:

    well, being a life long member of the democratic party ( I do not forget where I came from), this will be the first year that I do not vote democratic ( I would have voted for Reagan. . . made a speech in school in the seventh grade for him as part of a class project). However, can’t vote for the “fat guy” as he has no clue.

    Seeing/hearing the sound truck for John Corzine in Passaic has made my choice clear… Daggett.

    God help this city when pension reform comes. I will be more scared of the cops than the criminals. The cops in this town have such a sense of entitlement and act like an occupying army. Can’t wait to see how they act when they will not get their pensions.

    anyway, got a headache. . . .probably not enough coffee.

  184. morpheus says:

    189:

    now I am votting for Daggett: just to watch the delicious chaos that ensues. Ah. . . happy, happy, joy, joy. Entertainment

  185. HEHEHE says:

    Sean,

    At this point a deflationary spiral can’t be avoided. Ask the Japanese. The Yen is hanging on by a thread and their economy is still in the tank and their stock market is still making new lows.

  186. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [198] morpheus

    Remember, chaos is good, especially for certain professions.

  187. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [196] morpheus

    “The cops in this town have such a sense of entitlement and act like an occupying army. Can’t wait to see how they act when they will not get their pensions.”

    Just be sure to have your FOP stickers prominently displayed.

  188. HEHEHE says:

    “Just be sure to have your FOP stickers prominently displayed.”

    I’ll go one more, shell out the big $ for the big @ss one you put on your front windshield. It’s a license to park anyplace you want in the state of NJ.

  189. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [202] HEHEHE

    Yeah, I see those in Brigadoon. Where do I get one of those???

    On the flip side, I collect foreign police patches. I have a small collection of domestic ones that I think I will turn into some kind of display for the rear window. Problem there is sunlight—they will fade in no time.
    Maybe a driving coat instead, covered with different police patches. Yeah, that’s (not) the ticket!!!

  190. HEHEHE says:

    I don’t know how you get one. I am talking the big mothers with the suction cups. All of the realtors and connected types have them in Hoboken.

  191. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [202] HEHEHE

    Wouldn’t ya know it?

    http://www.njspba.com/Documents/CarShieldLaw.pdf

  192. morpheus says:

    Yay Chaos.

    does this mean I am an agent of Chaos? I guess I can’t bag agent 99. ROWL ROWL

  193. Sean says:

    re#199 – HEHEHE – willing to wait a lifetime to find out? The Japanese bubble was over 20 years ago, and unlike the USA they are a Xenophobic island nation with a declining population of limited resources.

    Not the same tale here in the USA, we are more like Argentina.

  194. morpheus says:

    Damn it nom, stop talking about the law and get down in the gutter with the rest of us!

  195. otiswild says:

    Corzine = Goldman alumnus, therefore he should be duct-taped to a chair, his nutsack wired to a car battery, and left to cook.

  196. morpheus says:

    damn. . . there is still coffee left in the thermos. no wonder why I am so cranky.

  197. HEHEHE says:

    Nom,

    This f’g state never ceases to amaze! LOL

  198. theo says:

    Will this will be NJ soon?

    “How long can public pensions continue?”

    http://www.mercia.net/k

  199. JBJB says:

    I don’t have much faith that Christie will win, or if he somehow does, do much to change things. But boy did it feel good to vote against that scumbag Corzine.

  200. confused in NJ says:

    193. Sean I may move back if Bloomberg gets in again.

    TV 2 just said Bloomberg spent $110M versus $8M for Thompson, so should be a shoo in. Amazing though, Juliani couldn’t get an extension after 9/11, but Bloomy can buyout the peoples vote on term limits. Guess the courts are busy with more important stuff.

  201. confused in NJ says:

    213.JBJB says:
    November 3, 2009 at 5:45 pm
    I don’t have much faith that Christie will win, or if he somehow does, do much to change things. But boy did it feel good to vote against that scumbag Corzine

    I agree. No one can beat the Anti-Messiah or his Anti-Acolytes.

  202. chicagofinance says:

    I like this title….

    SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance (Hardcover)

  203. chicagofinance says:

    From Superfreakonomics: Where do you stand on the freak-o-meter?

    Four years ago, you were cool. You read Freakonomics when it first came out. You impressed family and friends and dazzled dates with the insights you gleaned. Now Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner return with Superfreakonomics, a freakquel even bolder, funnier, and more surprising than the first.
    Have you been keeping up? Can you call yourself a SuperFreak? Test your Superfreakonomics know-how now:

    Question 1: 5 points
    According to Superfreakonomics, what has been most helpful in improving the lives of women in rural India?
    A. The government ban on dowries and sex-selective abortions
    B. The spread of cable and satellite television
    C. Projects that pay women to not abort female babies
    D. Condoms made specially for the Indian market

    Question 2: 3 points
    Among Chicago street prostitutes, which night of the week is the most profitable?
    A. Saturday
    B. Monday
    C. Wednesday
    D. Friday

    Question 3: 5 points
    You land in an emergency room with a serious condition and your fate lies in the hands of the doctor you draw. Which characteristic doesn’t seem to matter in terms of doctor skill?
    A. Attended a top-ranked medical school and served a residency at a prestigious hospital
    B. Is female
    C. Gets high ratings from peers
    D. Spends more money on treatment

    Question 4: 3 points
    Which cancer is chemotherapy more likely to be effective for?
    A. Lung cancer
    B. Melanoma
    C. Leukemia
    D. Pancreatic cancer

    Question 5: 5 points
    Half of the decline in deaths from heart disease is mainly attributable to:
    A. Inexpensive drugs
    B. Angioplasty
    C. Grafts
    D. Stents

    Question 6: 3 points
    True or False: Child car seats do a better job of protecting children over the age of 2 from auto fatalities than regular seat belts.

    Question 7: 5 points
    What’s the best thing a person can do personally to cut greenhouse gas emissions?
    A. Drive a hybrid car
    B. Eat one less hamburger a week
    C. Buy all your food from local sources

    Question 8: 3 points
    Which is most effective at stopping the greenhouse effect?
    A. Public-awareness campaigns to discourage consumption
    B. Cap-and-trade agreements on carbon emissions
    C. Volcanic explosions
    D. Planting lots of trees

    Question 9: 5 points
    In the 19th century, one of the gravest threats of childbearing was puerperal fever, which was often fatal to mother and child. Its cause was finally determined to be:
    A. Tight bindings of petticoats early in the pregnancy
    B. Foul air in the delivery wards
    C. Doctors not taking sanitary precautions
    D. The mother rising too soon in the delivery room

    Question 10: 3 points
    Which of the following were not aftereffects of the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks on September 11, 2001:
    A. The decrease in airline traffic slowed the spread of influenza.
    B. Thanks to extra police in Washington, D.C., crime fell in that city.
    C. The psychological effects of the attacks caused people to cut back on their consumption of alcohol, which led to a decrease in traffic accidents.
    D. The increase in border security was a boon to some California farmers, who, as Mexican and Canadian imports declined, sold so much marijuana that it became one of the states most valuable crops.

    Answers and Scoring
    Question 1
    B, Cable and satellite TV. Women with television were less willing to tolerate wife beating, less likely to admit to having a “son preference,” and more likely to exercise personal autonomy. Plus, the men were perhaps too busy watching cricket.

    Question 2
    A, Saturday nights are the most profitable. While Friday nights are the busiest, the single greatest determinant of a prostitute’s price is the specific trick she is hired to perform. And for whatever reason, Saturday customers purchase more expensive services.

    Question 3
    C, One factor that doesn’t seem to matter is whether a doctor is highly rated by his or her colleagues. Those named as best by their colleagues turned out to be no better than average at lowering death rates–although they did spend less money on treatments.

    Question 4
    C, Leukemia. Chemotherapy has proven effective on some cancers, including leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, and testicular cancer, especially if these cancers are detected early. But in most cases, chemotherapy is remarkably ineffective, often showing zero discernible effect. That said, cancer drugs make up the second-largest category of pharmaceutical sales, with chemotherapy comprising the bulk.

    Question 5
    A, Inexpensive drugs. Expensive medical procedures, while technologically dazzling, are responsible for a remarkably small share of the improvement in heart disease. Roughly half of the decline has come from reductions in risk factors like high cholesterol and high blood pressure, both of which are treated with relatively inexpensive drugs. And much of the remaining decline is thanks to ridiculously inexpensive treatments like aspirin, heparin, ACE inhibitors, and beta-blockers.

    Question 6
    False. Based on extensive data analysis as well as crash tests paid for by the authors, old-fashioned seat belts do just as well as car seats.

    Question 7
    B, Shifting less than one day per week’s worth of calories from red meat and dairy products to chicken, fish, eggs, or a vegetable-based diet achieves more greenhouse-gas reduction than buying all locally sourced food, according to a recent study by Christopher Weber and H. Scott Matthews, two Carnegie Mellon researchers. Every time a Prius or other hybrid owner drives to the grocery store, she may be cancelling out its emissions-reducing benefit, at least if she shops in the meat section. Emission from cows, as well as sheep and other ruminants, are 25 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than the carbon dioxide released by cars and humans.

    Question 8
    C, the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines discharged more than 20 million tons of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, which acted like a layer of sunscreen, reducing the amount of solar radiation and cooling off the earth by an average of one degree F.

    Question 9
    C, doctors not taking sanitary precautions. This was the dawning age of the autopsy, and doctors did not yet know the importance of washing their hands after leaving the autopsy room and entering the delivery room.

    Question 10
    C, the psychological effect of the attacks caused people to increase their alcohol consumption, and traffic accidents increased as a result.

    Scoring
    32-40: Certified SuperFreak
    25-31: Freak–surprises lay in wait for you
    16-24: Wannabe freak–you’ve got some reading to do
    1-15: Conventional wisdomer–you’re still thinking in old ways

  204. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    I like this quote . . .

    “Experience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the government’s purposes are beneficent. Men born to freedom are naturally alert to repel invasion of their liberty by evil-minded rulers. The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding.”
    – Louis D. Brandeis (1856-1941), U.S. Supreme Court Justice Dissenting, Olmstead v. U.S., 277 US, 438 (1928).

  205. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    and this quote, which I expect to use soon. . . .

    “The modern definition of ‘racist’ is someone who is winning an argument with a liberal.”
    – Peter Brimelow

  206. ruggles says:

    Just got back. Voted for the eye candy.

  207. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [220] ruggles

    eye candy???

    Which race were you voting in?

  208. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [206] morpheus

    This is for you. The Lawyer’s Prayer. I had to google it because I forgot how it went:

    “”Stir up great strife amongst Thy people, Lord, lest Thy servant perish.”

  209. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [217] chifi

    I did not read either book. I only scored in the wannabe freak range.

    Damn question on hookers threw me. Guess I don’t get out enough.

  210. yikes says:

    is the radical right nervous about tonight?

  211. lostinny says:

    215 Confused

    I agree. No one can beat the Anti-Messiah or his Anti-Acolytes.

    I feel the same way about Bloomberg.

  212. cobbler says:

    Eyewitness report from Geneva: elections are to be held about 3 weeks from now. With zero knowledge of French, it looks like the main battle is between those that oppose constructions of the minarets in the city and those that tell there are other problems in the city life, as well. Tons of unbelievably ugly old h00kers on a quarter mile walk between the place of business and my fancy hotel; I think they may be one problem. Obviously, RE (should be affected by the minarets, don’t know which way – if the buyers are from the Middle East, then positively) is the other.

    Voted for Daggett by mail, last week.

  213. yikes says:

    kettle1 says:
    November 1, 2009 at 9:09 am

    had a hilarious chat with a cop the other day. Happened into a random chat with a cop and happen to ask him what caliber he carried. He preceded to say he carried a smith&wesson .40. But that he had been told it wasnt a very good gun. I asked why he thought that. he responded that he didnt know if it was any good some guy at the barracks who was a “gun nut” told him that and that he really didnt know much about them.

    Ket, when i bought my sig sauer, the cop was practically drooling. he said, ‘what’d you get’ and i told him and he seemed blown away because it’s better than what he carries.

    still haven’t settled on a shotgun yet, though. what shotguns are police-issued?

  214. NJGator says:

    Just got back from casting my protest vote for Gov and my Yes vote for an elected school board. As I am pretty sure the booths here in Montclair sound some sort of silent alarm any non Corzine/No vote, I expect the vans to be arriving shortly to deport us. It was nice knowing y’all.

  215. Stu says:

    Gator and I just pre-qualified for a mortgage on our next home. The loan peddler said our credit report was hang-on-the-refrigerator worthy. Yeah!

  216. Stu says:

    Now time to lowball!

  217. Sean says:

    corzine is going down

  218. Dissident HEHEHE says:

    Good luck Stu and Gator.

  219. Essex says:

    Looks like the big guy has some punch.

  220. Stu says:

    Corzine sinking…Nice!

    See? He really was THAT bad.

  221. grim says:

    NY Times:

    37% reporting

    http://elections.nytimes.com/2009/results/new-jersey.html

    Candidate Party Votes Pct.
    Christopher J. Christie Rep. 468,654 52.4%
    Jon S. Corzine Dem. 367,819 41.1 Incumbent
    Christopher J. Daggett Ind. 50,010 5.6

  222. safeashouses says:

    This is why we have so many immigrants in NJ. The corruption and nepotism we offer makes people from all over the world feel right at home.

    http://www.smh.com.au/world/gang-godmother-who-kept-16-lovers-jailed-for-18-years-20091104-hvlb.html

  223. morpheus says:

    222:

    A beautiful prayer, indeed.

  224. stan says:

    He- zimmer wins.

    No poopie party for Raia.

  225. grim says:

    44% reporting Governor
    Governor Candidate Party Votes Pct.
    Christopher J. Christie Rep. 514,692 49.3%
    Jon S. Corzine Dem. 460,120 44.1 Incumbent
    Christopher J. Daggett Ind. 58,825 5.6

  226. Dissident HEHEHE says:

    Stan,

    Good to hear. Glad Mason lost too. More because of some of the a-holes associated with her campaign than anything she did.

  227. safeashouses says:

    If the precincts controlled by the Democratic machine haven’t reported yet, Corzine’s going to win.

  228. Dissident HEHEHE says:

    Will Carla K be on the stage with Jonny C when he concedes?

  229. NJGator says:

    Safe – The cities almost always report last. The big question is if Corzine can rack up the margins he needs to there. That’s a big IF.

    It’s not over until the fat man sings.

  230. Jill says:

    I am looking forward to reading all of you who are so enamored of Chris Christie bashing him when he does as good a job at borrowing-and-tax-cutting our way into bankruptcy over the next four years.

  231. safeashouses says:

    # Gator,

    Christie’s lead is now down to 4%. Looks like 4 more years of Corzine.

  232. NJGator says:

    At 9:14 pm, with all polling places counted, the referendum on the elected school board in Montclair has failed. 42.34% voted Yes, 57.66% voted No.

  233. Essex says:

    “…Can’t buy me love….”

  234. lostinny says:

    How is it that an entire state can get votes counted more quickly then one city?

  235. jamil says:

    PGC: “IF the NJ race is close (i.e < 3pts) the GOP will load the helicopters full of paper and”

    I love your and NPR’s propaganda. ACORN has been stealing election for years and it has been Dems who are always taking it to courts and “finding” the necessary votes.

    I’m pretty sure Corzine takes this. GOP needs to win by double-digits (real votes) in order to overcome ACORN fix. Looks like in Virginia even ACORN gave up.

    Anyway, enjoy your taxes in NJ, suckers. Union leeches deserve their pay rises and pensions!

  236. grim says:

    Candidate Party Votes Pct.
    Christopher J. Christie Rep. 822,518 49.9%
    Jon S. Corzine Dem. 722,070 43.8 Incumbent

    67% reporting

  237. Essex says:

    250. Jamil if the big guy wins will you lighten up a bit?

  238. grim says:

    Candidate Party Votes Pct.
    Christopher J. Christie Rep. 877,888 49.8%
    Jon S. Corzine Dem. 774,167 43.9 Incumbent

    71% reporting

  239. NJGator says:

    NJN just said that AP is calling it for Christie.

  240. Qwerty says:

    Have to love the drones in Essex county….

    http://www.essexclerk.com/election/Election%20Result_dtl.htm

    CORZINE 108,484 66.43%
    CHRISTIE 46,230 28.31%

  241. Shore Guy says:

    The problem for Christie is that the efficient Republican districts report quickly and the bastions of corruption tend to report more slowly. A cynic would say that is so the ones who are inclined to manufacture results out of whole cloth know what number to report. But that is just the cynics.

  242. pricesstillskyhighA says:

    According to News 12 NJ, AP has called it for Christie

  243. grim says:

    AP announcing Christie wins

  244. Shore Guy says:

    Christie more than made up the Essex County gap in Ocean. I heard he was up by 75,000 votes there.

  245. jamil says:

    Looks like the difference in real votes is too big for ACORN and Hudson county?

    Man, somebody at ACORN is going to get fired.

  246. All Hype says:

    Next time the Acorn people should hit the morgues for votes.

  247. Shore Guy says:

    “Corzine sinking…Nice”

    Even better is that by throwing his weight behind the Democratic candidates in NJ and VA, and both of them appearing to have lost, it further tarnishes B.O.’s image as someone to be feared. At this point, he is going to look even more like a spent force and his legislative priorities will be less important to congress than their own as he starts looking like someone who will be on the spearers’ circut two elections from now and not in the WH. One can hope, anyway.

  248. Shore Guy says:

    Out of little ACORNs corrupt politicians spring.

  249. Outofstater says:

    Fox just called it for Christie

  250. bergen guy says:

    wow

    the big fat gov is finally a reality.

    Now what these whiners are gonna say if he doesn’t deliver.

  251. grim says:

    Candidate Party Votes Pct.
    Christopher J. Christie Rep. 942,073 49.4%
    Jon S. Corzine Dem. 843,047 44.2 Incumbent

    80% reporting

  252. Outofstater says:

    CNN calls it for Christie

  253. grim says:

    Now what these whiners are gonna say if he doesn’t deliver.

    Kick him to the curb and give the new candidate a chance at change.

  254. yikes says:

    a few outlets are reporting Christie has won!

    a stunning upset!

  255. grim says:

    Green Acres funding looks like a lock too..

    We just borrowed $400 million? What recession.

  256. Shore Guy says:

    “a few outlets are reporting Christie has won”

    President Gore says we should wait a little longer to see.

  257. Schumpeter says:

    sx (252)-

    Fat chance. Jamil is both tedious and myopic.

    He is a perpetual, self-contained machine that cranks out straw man after straw man.

  258. grim says:

    Candidate Party Votes Pct.
    Christopher J. Christie Rep. 986,937 49.2%
    Jon S. Corzine Dem. 894,376 44.6 Incumbent

    87% reporting

  259. Schumpeter says:

    How bad is Corslime, that he’s one of the richest guys in the US, an incumbent and can’t buy an election in one of the most rigged up states in the country against possibly the worst candidate for high office in history.

    Amateur night is about to start for real now.

  260. Shore Guy says:

    Nom,

    This is one of the best statements in the Olmstead dissent:

    “Discovery and invention have made it possible for the government, by means far more effective than stretching upon the rack, to obtain disclosure in court of what is whispered in the closet.”

  261. Schumpeter says:

    Repugs doing fairly well tonight- along with TPTB calling in their markers- should deep six healthcare…probably for good.

    I’d really like to see an honest shot taken at creating a national healthcare system (yes, even the anarchist Clotpoll believes universal healthcare is a right, not a fungible commodity); however, that honest shot can’t be taken by a Congress and executive so badly tainted by the influence of narrow interests and mega-money.

    You don’t give the Porsche keys to a 16 y/o. And, you just can’t let the current crop of dopes in DC legislate on anything of real substance.

    Perhaps Congress can do better sticking to issues like head injuries in the NFL.

  262. Shore Guy says:

    Christie is no great shakes and it remains to be seen if he has the b@lls to throw himself into the task of REALLY addressing the root causes of the problems plaguing NJ state government. If he does not take drastic action in the first 30 days, he will turn out to be just another failed NJ governor, of no long-term consequence.

    Even if that comes tp pass, he may have helped blunt the Obama legislative push. B.O. used every tpol he had to try and save King Jon and failed. He failed in VA too. Has anyone heard about that special election in northern NY, where B.O. prevailed in last year’s election and the GOP fired their candidate and endorsed the Conservative candidate and then the fired candidate endorsed the Democrat?

  263. Schumpeter says:

    Heard Harry Reid is backing off healthcare getting done before the end of ’09.

    Is this true?

  264. Shore Guy says:

    “yes, even the anarchist Clotpoll believes universal healthcare is a right, not a fungible commodity”

    Wow! I am to the right of you on an issue.

  265. Dissident HEHEHE says:

    Tubby is a political lightweight no doubt. He’ll get in there and start handing out favors like the rest of the douchebags in Trenton, but at least King Jon’s loss a stab at the heart of the Hudson County Democriminals.

  266. chicagofinance says:

    bergs: Christie didn’t promise anything, so there is nothing to fail. He ran a non-campaign.

    265.bergen guy says:
    November 3, 2009 at 10:22 pm
    wow

    the big fat gov is finally a reality.

    Now what these whiners are gonna say if he doesn’t deliver.

  267. danzud says:

    DING DONG!!! THE BEARD IS DEAD!!!! THE WICKED WICKED BEARD IS DEAD!!!!!

  268. jamil says:

    “Corzine/Obama” loses.

    Meanwhile, Harry Reid says that results mean that health care industry must be nationalized asap.

  269. chicagofinance says:

    shore: Wait, did you ask his definition of universal healthcare? I think part of it may include Youth In Asia.

    279.Shore Guy says:
    November 3, 2009 at 10:48 pm
    “yes, even the anarchist Clotpoll believes universal healthcare is a right, not a fungible commodity”

    Wow! I am to the right of you on an issue.

  270. jamil says:

    btw, what should ACORN do with 100,000 Corzine ballots?

    Sell them in eBay or re-use them in 2016?

  271. bergen guy says:

    sure thing, he didn’t promise anything except.

    – no more taxes
    – no more deficits
    – no more unemployment in the state.

    expectation need not be explicit in these type of election, but he will be very lucky if economy picks up in 3-4 years. He may well be credited with the potential recovery if we see any.

    Good luck Christie, good luck NJ. We got the biggest governor in the nation.

  272. safeashouses says:

    great. 1 more thing the nation can laugh at NJ for. corruption, pollution, and now the lardest gov in the US.

  273. skep-tic says:

    I have to admit, I had zero confidence that NJ citizens would actually toss anyone backed by the unions. As someone here said, you start out with a major deficit whenever you run in opposition to them. People in NJ must be really sick of the status quo based on this result.

  274. safeashouses says:

    Any chance the we stop having sales tax on junk food with the big man in office?

  275. skep-tic says:

    Big Poppa

  276. Qwerty says:

    CNN main page showing Christie exiting what looks like a diner, and the headline “A big night for the GOP.”

    Bias? Fat jokes? Coincidence?

  277. Qwerty says:

    More on the “big” theme, from the Associated Press….

    GOP sweep: Big governor victories in Virginia, NJ

    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_election_rdp

  278. Qwerty says:

    His lips are moving…..

    http://www.politico.com/politico44/perm/1109/tuned_out_c3071f29-4d59-43b7-bd9d-60b15b03a038.html

    Hours after urging reporters not to draw sweeping conclusions from Tuesday’s gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told POLITICO President Barack Obama wasn’t even keeping an eye on the results.

    “He’s not watching returns,” Gibbs said.

  279. Outofstater says:

    #277 Agreed. I was happy for about two seconds til I realized what a difficult job he’s really facing. What IS the solution?? Consolidate the school systems, eliminate huge numbers of government workers and tell them sorry, the state can’t pay for your pension after all? Does any of that have any chance of happening? And if Christie fails, will his failure be used by the Dems in the midterm elections?

  280. lisoosh says:

    safe -I’ll want in on the Christie death pool. Unless he drops a few pounds he’ll be lucky to finish out his first term.

  281. james says:

    Ocean County Represent!

    Ocean 384/384
    53,628 Communist 28%
    123,882 Freedom 66%

    Dont mess with the Garrison!

    From my Cold Dead Hands!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-61a8hKcUCc

  282. Pat says:

    Fat is the new black.

  283. d2b says:

    Ironic that Corzine could have spent $1 and been re-elected if he stood up for the taxpayers from day one. People really liked him.

  284. safeashouses says:

    #298 d2b

    Then they got to know him.

  285. james says:

    Regarding Healthcare being a right.

    Watch me on TV on Thurs Nov 5th at noon in DC. Im hunting Rat Face Pelosi.

  286. safeashouses says:

    300!

  287. EWellie says:

    #294

    What do you mean “if” Christie fails? There’s really no hope here–except for the Dem running for governor in 2013.

  288. yo'me says:

    A new international climate change treaty is very unlikely to be signed at the Copenhagen talks next month, Ban Ki-moon, UN secretary-general, signalled on Tuesday, saying people had to be “realistic” about what could be achieved.

    He said he hoped for a “very strong binding political commitment” that could be turned into a treaty in the first half of next year.

    Mr Ban warned however that although there had been “significant” progress, there were still very important issues to be resolved. For example, the European Union’s proposal for developed countries to pay poor countries €100bn ($146bn, £90bn) a year to fight climate change, and other similar ideas, were a “good start” but not enough.

    http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/cecd1256-c8a2-11de-8f9d-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rss&nclick_check=1

  289. JBJB says:

    Monmouth Co goes 66:29 for Christie. Thank you neighbors!

  290. sastry says:

    Congrats, Shore. Now, we just wait and see. The math with deficit and “reduction” in taxes doesn’t add up yet.

    I’ll throw in some bitter bitching… If someone in NJ now criticizes the governor, will it be back to “love it or leave it, you anti-americans [anti-NJ’ers]”?

    S

  291. Jill says:

    James #300: You DO realize that violent threats against a public official are a federal offense, don’t you?

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