Why I Endorsed Tammy Murphy and Compare Her to Hillary Clinton and Eleanor Roosevelt
BY PEG SCHAFFER
As a woman engaged in politics over the past several decades, I have consistently encouraged women to get involved in elections and take leadership roles as elected officials. This includes electing Democratic women at the local, county, state, and federal level, including the majority of the Somerset County Board of Commissioners.
Over the past seven years one of my partners in this effort has been Tammy Murphy. She has served as an advisor to me and many candidates and elected officials, attended campaign rallies and small gatherings of local Democrats and encouraged young women – including pre-teens – to get involved and stay involved in Democratic politics.
As New Jersey’s First Lady Tammy has also been a tireless champion for reducing infant and maternal mortality, protecting the environment, and expanding women’s rights. She took no back seat to anyone, including the Governor. Instead, rose up to use not just the power of the First Lady but her own internal strength, intelligence, and compassion to make a real difference in the lives of Garden State residents.
This is why when I endorsed Tammy as the Democratic nominee for New Jersey Senator I compared her to two other First Ladies who rose well above that position to steer policy and improve the circumstances of Americans. Eleanor Roosevelt was a role model for me as I began work in politics, and I had the privilege of working with Hillary Clinton, including as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 2016. In Tammy I see the same passion Eleanor showed in fighting for political, racial and social justice and the same fire that Hillary showed in taking on health care and women’s rights.
Eleanor Roosevelt led the way for women getting involved in politics, and Hillary followed her lead to a seat in the United States Senate. I am proud to support Tammy Murphy to continue this tradition, and to become the first woman to represent the State of New Jersey in the United States Senate.
Any suggestion that Tammy is not her own woman, and not eminently qualified to serve in high office, is ludicrous and an odious devaluation of what these two great women were, and who Tammy Murphy is.
Peg Schaffer is the chair of the Somerset County Democratic Committee.
The big difference between Tammy Murphy and Hillary Clinton is that Hillary did not try to elbow out a three term, super qualified, beloved, minority sitting US Congressman to shove her way into that Senate seat. The Murphys have found a new way to get a third term. It’s a different kind of insurrection but the same reason – not to give up power.
Don’t forget Monica Lewinsky
A central tenant of American democracy is supposed to be a free and open exchange of ideas. Not in Jersey. Political bosses, like Ms Shaffer, anoint someone to be our representative. White smoke emerges from the bosses’ chapel and blows right up our your-know-whats to let us peons know that our next senator will be Tammy Murphy. Never mind the fact that Ms. Murphy’s hasn’t put out one position paper or engaged in any debates. Ms. Murphy claims she is running because democracy in this country is on the line. She’s right — here in NJ, machines and political bosses are destroying it.
A tireless champion for reducing infant and maternal mortality? How can that be, when she supports an extreme position on abortion which threatens innocent life!
That’s all well and good. If you and the Governor really believe she is the best candidate, then let her run on her merits and give up the county line and use a neutral ballot design. Stand up for democracy.
Why does every one who writes an endorsement for Tammy Murphy read like it was written by a consultant cutting and pasting talking points? And this one is laughable. We’re talking about a SITTING GOVERNOR in a state where we have ballot-rigging by party bosses. This is not about gender. This is about corruption. Andy Kim is the better candidate now because there is no taint of corruption. If Ms. Murphy truly believes she is the better candidate then she needs to make herself a legitimate one and denounce NJ’s unique process of ballot-rigging. Eleanor Roosevelt had integrity. Ms. Murphy seems to have none.
This is absolute garbage and you should be ashamed. Could you lick her boots any cleaner?
Tammy Murphy has no qualifications. When Frank Lautenberg ran and was elected a US senator, he very quickly became frustrated with the process of the Senate after running a large company and seeing meaningful results quickly- she is no Frank Lautenberg and I doubt she would lose interest quickly, where Lautenberg toughed it out and became fairly effective. As far as her work with infant and maternal mortality I have yet to hear of promoting motherhood when the mother to be has a stable career, a partner and the ability to provide for the new family in this endeavor. If you are dependent on the state for all of your needs you have no business having kids. I get a kick out of someone that lives in Rumson, pays $87,000 a year in property taxes and speaks of “systemic racism”. Every position point taken by Larry Hamm speaks to the issues facing all residents of NJ and the US. Last I saw he is a black guy that has worked for the regular NJ citizen, he is a much better choice and would keep some of the other qualified candidates, Sherrill, Kim, in place working for NJ.
Do you see the comments here? We Democratic activists resent being big footed by the Party Bosses. To compare her to Hillary or Eleanor is a disgraceful.
I think it is laughably tone deaf to compare a candidate that you are supporting to Hillary Clinton. Literally nobody likes her. She lost to DONALD TRUMP. Come on. She was the single most unlikable democratic nominee since the dixiecrat era and she is morally bankrupt at that. It’s an insult to Ms. Murphy and frankly will likely make readers more likely to support Andy Kim. I am undecided on this race, but I know that if I were a Somerset Dem (which I am not), I would be ashamed that my local organization chose Ms. Schaffer to make decisions on my behalf. Not only is she obviously blind to public opinion outside of the democratic in crowd but she is on the verge of being as morally bankrupt as Hillary Clinton for jumping on the Tammy Train so quickly without giving the county committee a say.
Tammy Murphy did NOT support Hillary Clinton for NY Senate or US President . Hillary wrote actual policy while a successful lawyer and the wife of the Governor Bill Clinton. While belittled and scoffed at, Secretary of State Clinton served the US honorably and as a diligent work horse.
Here are just a few facts about where Tammy Murohy’s money has gone in elections
Rick Lazio (R) for US Senate
The vast majority of Tammy Murphy’s political campaign contribution largesse occurred in 2016 and 20017, the years her husband ramped up and ran for NJ Governor.
But back on 7-28-2000, Mrs. Murphy contributed $1000 to rightwing Congressman Rick Lazio for his 2000 US Senate race against Hillary Rodham Clinton. Mrs. Murphy gave another $1000 to the GOP committee supporting Lazio.
That’s right, Tammy Murphy supported Mr. Lazio, the same sexist cad who “made himself look like a lunatic” invading Mrs. Clinton’s personal space on the debate stage in 2000.
Lazio fancied himself “pro-choice” but according to National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL), “in eight years in Congress, Lazio has voted on abortion and reproductive rights issues 94 times. Some 43 were anti-choice votes.”
Mrs. Clinton won that race, vanquishing Mr. Lazio to the private sector where he made millions as a lobbyist for JP Morgan.
President George W Bush (R)
Between 1999- 2003, Tammy Murphy contributed $3000 to George W. Bush, the man who nominated anti-abortion justices John Roberts and Sam Alito to the US Supreme Court. Mr. Alito is perhaps the most virulently anti-abortion Supreme Court judge in American history.
And don’t even get me started on Alito’s views on LGBT rights.
Mrs. Murphy, who brings up abortion a lot, never mentions the indirect role she played overturning Roe v Wade by supporting Bush.
Remember that the next time Tammy Murphy says something like this out on the campaign trail:
“I don’t think a man is going to put a priority on abortion and codifying that at the federal level,” Mrs. Murphy recently said, without a hint of irony.”That’s going to take a female who is worried about the next shoe dropping and that’s me.”
Based on her campaign contributions, we can reasonably assume that Mrs. Murphy voted for George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004.
“I have given more money to Democrats than I ever have to Republicans,” Mrs Murphy said, “and I have not voted for a Republican in a general election in two decades.”
I spent years fighting and organizing around Bush’s madness: the Iraq War (see pic), raids of Social Security, and especially his US Supreme Court nominations. The notion that Tammy Murphy financially supported and voted once (and probably twice) for the man who gave us Sam Alito is why I will never vote for Tammy Murphy for anything. Ever.
Republican National Committee
Tammy Murphy gave the RNC $15,000
This article is 100% accurate because the Roosevelts and Clintons were DEFINITELY corrupt as well.