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

October 10th, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct 10, 2008
Contact: Jeff Hauser, 201-767-8162, jeff@shulmanforcongress.com

Questions That Deserve an Answer, Part 7: The Shulman Campaign will press Scott Garrett for an answer to a critical question each day between now and the election

Haworth, NJ - The Shulman for Congress campaign today called upon Scott Garrett to explain whether he still is among the nation’s most prominent advocates for deregulating the financial services industry.

“Scott Garrett is running in New Jersey as a pretend reformer even as he fights hard in DC on behalf of the special interests and the disproven ideology that unfettered free markets on Wall Street will trickle benefits down to Main Street,” said Dennis Shulman, the Democratic nominee in New Jersey’s Fifth Congressional District. “Garrett owes the public an explanation for why, in 2008, he is 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.”

To view the campaign’s latest 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

###
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

• Press Releases