Dennis Shulman for U.S. Congress: Sensible Leadership for New Jersey’s 5th District

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct 6, 2008

Contact: Jeff Hauser, 201-767-8162, jeff@shulmanforcongress.com

TV ad makes clear that villainous predatory lender Countrywide Financial’s influence over Garrett is pernicious, and that voters should hold Garrett responsible for his record of supporting reckless deregulation

Haworth, NJ - The Shulman for Congress campaign today issued a hard-hitting ad attacking Scott Garrett for corruptly standing against the regulations that would have prevented the financial crisis.  The ad is running throughout the district, and the Shulman campaign will remain on television through Election Day.

“Scott Garrett has been one of Washington’s greatest advocates for deregulation while scooping up enormous amounts of campaign cash from predatory lenders seeking to avoid reasonable regulation,” said Dennis Shulman, the Democratic nominee in New Jersey’s Fifth Congressional District. “Scott Garrett has literally entrusted his taxpayer-funded office to a former lobbyist for one of his major donors, Countrywide Financial, while arguing that it is `disconcerting to see the end of deregulation.’  I believe it is disconcerting to see a member of Congress continue to embrace the agenda of the corrupt predatory lenders who created the financial crisis that has destabilized the entire economy.”

“Garrett consistently plays the corrupt Washington DC special interest game, building his campaign war chest by courting the special interests that he is supposed to be regulating.  I have made a solemn pledge to refuse campaign contributions from any corporation I would oversee in Congress.”

To view the ad, visit www.GarrettCausedTheCrash.com

KEY FACTS:

• Garrett sits on the House Financial Services Committee.
• The various industries that the Financial Services Committee is supposed to oversee have showered Garrett with more than three quarters of a million dollars. http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/industries.php?cycle=Career&cid=N00000743
• Garrett’s current, taxpayer-funded Chief of Staff formerly lobbied for Countrywide Financial and Washington Mutual. http://shulmanforcongress.com/2008/09/25/star-ledger-in-the-5th-hopefuls-arguing-on-crisis/
• Garrett has been a consistent leader against regulation [ e.g., http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0308/9289.html ], specifically opposing efforts to rein in predatory lenders like Countrywide Financial and Washington Mutual.  (e.g., House Vote 1118, HR 3915, 11/15/2007; Gannett News Service, 11/19/2007)

Shulman for Congress’ first advertisement can be found at www.GarrettShrubs.com

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Dennis Shulman was recently profiled by The New Yorker and Time as momentum for his campaign continues to grow, and recent polling in the district validates the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s decision to upgrade NJ-5 as an “Emerging Race” and to buy advertising time in the district.  Only 31% of likely voters in NJ-5 plan to re-elect Garrett and, by a 68-17% margin, the district seeks change from George Bush’s policies.

Dr. Dennis Shulman has gained international recognition for his 30 years of work as a psychologist, educator, and author.  An ordained rabbi for five years and blind since childhood, he has lived in New Jersey’s Fifth District for more than 25 years with his wife, Dr. Pamela Tropper, an obstetrician. They have two adult daughters.

Additional background on Dr. Dennis Shulman and his challenge to Scott Garrett:

• “Rabbi With the Compelling Back Story Is Not to Be Ruled Out,” Peter Applebome, The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/14/nyregion/14towns.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion&oref=slogin

• “A Rabbi in Congress?,” Adam Goodman, Time, http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1824434,00.html
• “On the Trail: First Timer,” Jeffrey Toobin, The New Yorker, http://www.newyorker.com/talk/2008/07/28/080728ta_talk_toobin