John Kerry Campaigns with Murphy at Clifton VFW Hall
CLIFTON – Former Secretary of State – and Vietnam veteran – John Kerry this morning joined Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Murphy, Murphy’s running mate Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver (D-34), Democratic State Committee Chairman John Currie and others at the local VFW hall here to kick around veterans’ issues.
“I used to be able to get people out to events because they thought ‘Currie’ was ‘Kerry,'” the state party chairman told Kerry.
The crowd included Bergen County Democratic Committee Chairman Lou Stellato, Speaker Vincent Prieto (D-32), state Senator Jim Beach (D-6), Assemblyman Tom Giblin (D-34), Assemblyman Gary Schaer (D-36), Assemblywoman Marlene Caride (D-36), Assemblyman Benjie Wimberly (D-35), Passaic Freeholders Sandi Lazzara, Bruce James, Pat Lepore, T.J. Best and Assad Akhter, Woodland Park Mayor Keith Kazmark, and former Bergen County Sheriff Leo McGuire.
Marlboro Councilman Jeff Cantor, who runs veterans’ issues for the Murphy Campaign, introduced the former Secretary of State.
“It’s fantastic to be back here in the state of New Jersey – it’s even better to be with your next governor, Phil Murphy,” Kerry told the crowd of vets and politicians crunched into this wood paneled hall on the side of Valley Road.
The former secretary of state under President Barack Obama took a few minutes to pay tribute to the late U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ).
“He was really a terrific human being. He was greatest generation strong. He was a guy who didn’t talk about himself. He let the work talk for him. He was the last remaining WWII in the United States vet in the senate when I served there,” said Kerry. “He understood that patriotism is about what you do, not what you see in… a tweet.
“The world does not look up to us because we say we’re exceptional,” said the 2004 Democratic nominee for president. “It looks up to us because we do exceptional things.”
Then he talked up Murphy’s professional background.
“He’s a businessman,” he said of Murphy, who stood at the front of the room beside Oliver. “He understands metrics.”
The Democratic nominee for governor confessed that Kerry – who darted out of the hall without taking any questions – was a lifelong hero of his.
“Before he sneaks out, I just want to say how humbled I am,” Murphy said.
If Murphy has to bring in a loser like Kerry, he’s seeing his numbers slip. But this shows how progressive Murphy is. The next loser up is Algore. Doubling down on progressiveness, eh Phil?