GOP’s Jeffrey Bell Discusses Politics with Public

COURT HOUSE – In November, New Jersey voters will go to the polls to elect a U.S. Senator. Cory Booker narrowly won a special election against Steve Lonegan to fill the unexpired term of Sen. Frank Lautenberg. The Republican nominee for the seat, Jeffrey Bell, made the three-hour trip from north Jersey June 25 to meet with the voters of Cape May County. Bell is an academic who taught at Rutgers and Harvard Universities. He is a protégé of the legendary Congressman and quarterback Jack Kemp. Bell served in both the Nixon and Reagan Administrations.
The night’s event was put together by community organizers Jan Lenox, Rob Riehl, Lynn Shirk, Debbie Yoa and Michele Malon and held at the Old Court House on Main Street. Approximately 40 people attended, including Middle Township Mayor Timothy Donohue. It was he who introduced Bell. He recalled his own local election and governing struggles. “I’ve spent the last two years battling an entrenched bureaucracy,” he stated. “We have to do that state wide.” Committee Member Daniel Lockwood and former Committee Candidate Melanie Collins were also present.
Former primary rival Richard J. Pezzullo accompanied Bell. When asked why he was such an enthusiastic supporter he said, “We need to elect someone who understands economics and who will obey the Constitution and fix the country.” Pezzullo believes that Bell is the guy. He also cited Booker’s standing in the most recent polls. For a state that leans heavily in the Democrats favor and noting that Booker is a sitting senator, Booker only holds a 13 percent lead over the little known Bell. “That’s not much of a lead given all of his advantages,” commented Pezzullo.
Bell began by declaring, “Cory Booker and Barrack Obama are attached at the hip.” He then went into some detail about his own vision for the country. “We need to have honest money,” he said. “The worst thing Nixon ever did was to take the United States off the gold standard. Gold holds its value and paper money does not.”
Bell also opposes Common Core and the Affordable Care Act. “The administration misrepresents what it is doing. There is nothing affordable about the ACA.” He also laments the fact that American children are not being taught history or are given a very skewed view of our founding. “George Washington gave up everything and risked everything including his family and his own life,” he said. “But what is the only thing these students learn – that he owned slaves. It is an unbalanced and unfair view.”
Bell would also restore the Federal Reserve to its original purpose which was to even out the money supply and be a lender of last resort during hard economic times. He would prohibit the Fed from continuing to print debt and hurt the economy. “Wall Street is co-dependent on the Fed and Cory Booker is a Wall Street guy,” said Bell. He would also audit the Fed something that has never been done in a hundred years. “The big banks are getting bigger and hurting the small and medium sized ones. Democrats are the party of big money – from Wall Street, Hollywood and Silicone Valley,” he told his listeners.
Attendees had questions for Bell about the Middle East; he called it a “needless disaster.”
He favors legal immigration stating, “More people lead to prosperity.” On NSA spying he said he is “very concerned with the misuse of date and the abuse of citizens by government agencies,” mentioning the IRS and VA scandals. Bell said it was a mistake to “hollow out the military.”
Bell favors protecting the Second Amendment, reminding the audience that it was not designed to protect hunting rights or even self-defense but it is “the final fall back of preserving the Republic.”
Governor Christie has not yet endorsed him but Bell said he looked forward to his endorsement. He also looks forward to a debate or two with Booker. Booker so far has refused to debate Bell. “Call his campaign and ask the senator to debate me,” he urged the audience.
To contact Helen McCaffrey, email hmccaffrey@cmcherald.com.