Spadea defends Trenton Democrats' power play against GOP boss

By MATT FRIEDMAN

05/15/2023 07:42 AM EDT

Presented by AARP

Good Monday morning!

Murphy today formally picks a Supreme Court nominee and the Menendez investigation is expanding. More on that below. But something this weekend caught my eye: Far-right radio personality and potential 2025 candidate for governor Bill Spadea shilling for a Democratic bill that was written to target Monmouth County Republican Chair Shaun Golden.

Spadea went at potential 2025 Republican gubernatorial rival Jack Ciattarelli for criticizing the legislation, which would force Golden to either give up his job as GOP chair or sheriff. It's expected to get an Assembly committee hearing hearing this week.

"It's US versus THEM," tweeted Spadea, in typically caustic and divisive style, before writing without a hint of irony in the same tweet that it's time to "unite the party."

I’ve heard complaints about how Golden wields his influence, kicking sitting politicians like former Assemblymember Serena DiMaso off the "party line" without public justification. But it's strange to see one of New Jersey's loudest right-wing personalities — someone increasingly welcomed into the mainstream of New Jersey GOP politics despite his embrace of extremist positions and election and vaccine lies (Republican Sen. Holly Schepisi is listed as a speaker for a Spadea women's luncheon next month) — effectively backing a Democratic power play against a Republican leader.

To use a cliche, it's "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." Spadea and Ocean GOP Chair George Gilmore are allies. Gilmore is no fan of Golden, who's aligned with Ciattarelli. State Sen. Vin Gopal (D-Monmouth), also no fan of his county's GOP boss, is a top target of Republicans in this year's election. and is the Senate sponsor of the anti-Golden legislation. Gopal held a meet-and-greet with Spadea earlier this year, which came after Gilmore met at a diner with Gopal, Gov. Murphy and George Helmy.

In other words, Spadea, a potential Republican candidate for governor in 2025, is effectively taking the side of one of the Democrats . This brings up the question: Who exactly is Spadea's "us" and who is his "them"?

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