Bergen County Clerk Kathleen Donovan is sounding a lot like a candidate for county executive.
The five-term Republican sent a letter yesterday to members of her party that strongly signals she intends to run for the Republican nomination for the county's top post, though she says that she will not make a final decision until early January.
"I believe as you do that we need to put forth the strongest possible Republican candidate who can win back the County's top post in November, to help restore accountability and a fiscally responsible county government to taxpayers," wrote Donovan. "My record of running and winning six county-wide races, and earning more votes than any other candidate of either party on the county level in 2008, while President Obama won by nearly 40,000 votes - shows that I can win-over independent and Democrat cross-over voters crucial to a Republican county-wide victory. This is particularly important given our Party's significant registration deficit."
The current county executive is two-term Democrat Dennis C. McNerney, who plans to seek re-election.
The letter's disclaimer says it was paid for by Friends of Kathe Donovan for County Executive, which does not yet appear in electronic filings with the Election Law Enforcement Commission.
Donovan said she's received a warm response from the letter's recipients.
"The people who have had it and with whom I've had conversations have been unbelievably supportive. Absolutely very supportive," said Donovan.
Another month under President Obama, another 11,000 jobs lost, pushing the total Obama jobs deficit to 7.6 million. One day after the White House jobs summit admitted that the President’s policies — including the massive $787 billion stimulus enacted last spring — are not working to create jobs, the Department of Labor’s monthly jobs report added the exclamation point.
Barack Obama promised that if elected he would create 3.5 million jobs by the end of 2010 through new economic policies, beginning with the enactment of a massive economic stimulus package. So far in his term in office, employment has dropped by about 3.3 million jobs, while the unemployment rate remains at 10 percent. Accompanying his jobs promise, the President also emphasized accountability and measuring his presidency by results. The President’s jobs promise means total employment should be at least 138.6 million by 2010.
Fortunately, the economy’s natural recuperative powers, spurred by powerful, effective intervention from the Federal Reserve, mean that the recession may be ending in the sense that overall output and incomes are stabilizing and sustained growth may resume. Even so, job losses are likely to continue for months, and a very high unemployment rate could persist for years. By his own standard, the Obama jobs deficit attests that his policies have so far failed and show no sign of succeeding. A fundamental course correction is required.
Read J.D.’s full WebMemo, here.