MORRISTOWN – All seven Republican Morris County commissioners were seated side by side today for a pre-Memorial Day observance that featured the awarding of distinguished military service medals to 11 veterans.  Democratic House members representing the county, Mikie Sherrill and Tom Malinowski, were there too, as were state lawmakers Anthony M. Bucco, Aura Dunn and Christian Barranco and the sheriff, James Gannon.

Students from the Lakeview Elementary School in Denville sang both the National Anthem and God Bless America. “Amazing Grace” was played; Taps as well.

A genuine moving ceremony to be sure, but the kumbaya aspect of things goes only so far – at least for Morris Republicans.

A campaign piece targeting commission candidate Sarah Neibart on behalf of incumbent Tom Mastrangelo just hit the mails a few days ago. In short, it criticizes Neibart for attending a Gay Pride event that featured a drag queen last year in Mendham Township, where at the time she was mayor . The mailer says Neibart wants to implement a “woke” agenda and in an obvious try to rile up every conservative in the county, compares her favorably to Alexandria Ocasio Cortez.

It should be noted that Neibart once worked for former Rep. Scott Garrett, who in his day was probably the most right wing congressman from New Jersey. That would have been an odd job for someone who was to morph into an AOC acolyte.

Nuance. of course, often gets lost amid the “issue” of the moment. And for many conservative Republicans, the issue of the moment is the left’s alleged attempt to push a “woke” agenda, which includes gay and transgender rights, in public schools.

That explains the political calculus of Mastrangelo, a veteran commissioner trying to retain his seat.

Laura Ali, the county chair, swifty condemned Mastrangelo’s mailer as “reprehensible.”

Some Republicans said privately today that they fear the mailer may be effective, knowing that many primary voters skew to the far right.

A few others predicted that the “line will hold.”

That would be the Morris Republicans’ endorsement of Neibart, Doug Cabana and Christine Myers. As such, they have “the line,” or first column on the ballot.

Mastrangelo, who has fallen out of favor with many in the party hierarchy, was not endorsed for reelection, despite having the job for 12 years.

Whenever Republicans fight. someone is bound to bring up Ronald Reagan’s “11th Commandment” about Republicans not speaking ill of each other.

Along those lines, we heard the other day from two men who actually witnessed Reagan in action.

They are Dick Kamin and Harlan Schlicher, who were Reagan delegates from Morris County back in the day.

In a letter released on Tuesday, Kamin and Schlicher call the mailer a “totally salacious attack on an outstanding lady, who won the party’s endorsement for commissioner.”

The letter levels a number of criticisms at Mastrangelo, including a general observation that he mocks Republican principles at every turn.

In the midst of this, Ali, ever the optimist, has scheduled a post-primary Unity Celebration on June 21.