http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/…

Mr. Warner, 80, who hails from a Virginia farm, told a story about traveling to Bayonne, N.J., in 1945 to board a ship bound for Japan, only to be turned around when news came that the war ended. He spoke into a wall of more than 20 signs for Mr. Paul, held aloft by the Texas congressman’s dozens of vociferous supporters.

“New Jersey is the industrial heart of America, and you served us in that time of crisis like no other,” he said.

In a straw vote taken on two electronic voting machines after the forum Mr. Paul won handily, capturing 52 of 120 votes cast. Mr. McCain got 40 votes, Mitt Romney scored 27 and Mike Huckabee got a single vote, claimed by Wojciech Siemaszkiewicz, a librarian and Republican activist who gave a stump speech for Mr. Huckabee.

“I like Mike!” he bellowed when Mr. Huckabee’s single vote was announced.

The dress of the more than 150 people at the event ranged from a long-haired man in a tie-dye shirt and flip-flops wearing a Ron Paul sticker, to 10 men in suits and ties, five sporting McCain stickers and five sporting Romney stickers. An infant wore a bib that read, “Mac is Back!”

Many in attendance were impressed by Mr. Warner’s appearance. Gary Berner, 55, the municipal chair of Lyndhurst, said that the senator’s appearance “enlivened the party in the county.”

Mr. Berner, who supported Rudolph W. Giuliani until the former mayor dropped out of the race, said he was persuaded by Mr. Giuiliani’s endorsement of Mr. McCain.

Antonio Musumeci, 27, a Fort Lee resident with a Ron Paul sticker affixed to his black T-shirt with a yellow skull that read, “Don’t Tread On Me,” said that he believes the McCain campaign sent Mr. Warner to New Jersey because, “he was probably free and able to do it and they don’t have anyone in the area well known enough.”

It was still Mr. Paul and his supporters who some viewed as the biggest pariahs, despite Mr. Warner’s praise of everyone in the room who took part in the straw poll, which he called a “grassroots effort that lays the foundation block for America’s political system.”

Clara Nibot, 62, who supports Mr. Romney, said she felt Mr. Paul’s supporters poisoned that grass.

“This is a sabotage of the straw poll,” she huffed after the forum, “Because of Ron Paul’s organized, grassroots effort.”

I did effectively say that… but what else are you going to say when someone asks: “Why do you think the McCain camp sent up a southern Senator?” I mean really… plenty of NJ pols have endorsed McCain I’m sure so why Warner? I doubt the fact he was shipped out of Bayonne had anything to do with it… that’s fairly obscure.

That last quote is great though. As I said… many of the people there weren’t happy that we were so organized. Sure Paul won’t win NJ… I know that… but it’s good to get out there and show them we mean business and we won’t be going away quietly. We may be polling 4th of 4 at 5%-8% but that’s enough to get things done. Especially at the local level.

http://www.usadaily.com/…

At a Ron Paul rally in Ft. Lee today several dozen supporters braved the cold air and held campaign signs and American flags for motorists approaching the George Washington Bridge and traveling on Lemoine Avenue. (Ron Paul was not present at the rally).

After the rally, Ron Paul supporters headed to Monument Park on Palisade Avenue where in November 1776 General George Washington began his famous retreat which culminated on Christmas day crossing the Delaware River. Monument Park is the only park in the United States dedicated to the soldiers of the American Revolution.

Dr. Murray Sabrin emceed the Monument Park rally on this anniversary of the Bill of Rights (1791). New Jersey was the first state to ratify the Bill of Rights on November 20, 1789.

Assemblyman Mike Doherty who has endorsed Ron Paul for President and introduced him at the Philadelphia rally last month gave an impassioned talk about why Ron is the best candidate for president. Ron Paul, Doherty pointed out, will protect U.S. borders, abolish the income tax, cut unnecessary and unconstitutional spending, defend the U.S. dollar, and protect U.S. sovereignty.

High school student and LewRockwell.com blogger Max Raskin told the gathering why all young people should rally behind Ron Paul. “Its simple”, said Max, “The welfare-warfare state is unsustainable and his generation will have to pay an enormous amount of taxes to foot the bills.” Max urged everyone to help get Ron Paul’s message out to all young people in New Jersey so he can win the February 5th primary.

xyz and I were two of those several dozen. First I’d like to say it was damn cold yesterday. My tea turned to iced tea in less than 10 minutes and of course it had to be breezy and there was ice everywhere. But that didn’t stop the 40+ of us (as I counted while we rallied on the Route 95 overpass). We spent an hour waving signs and flags and xyz and I handed out copies of the Manhattan LP’s Serf City. The one thing not reported by USADaily was how Doherty also talked a good minute on how he doesn’t want a candidate who wears dresses and how Ron Paul would never wear a dress.

As for the NYC Ron Paul HQ party: It went well. Not as many people showed up as we expected but it was respectable. Given that it was below freezing and sleeting I’m a bit surprised we had the turnout we did. It was a special night though. We had a projector connected up and displaying RonPaul2008.com when it broke $12 million. The video below captured the excitement.

There were two camera crews there from the news media. One was NY1 and I was told the other was CNN. A quick search of NY1.com however doesn’t produce anything at the time of posting. xyz and I left at 2:30AM to catch the 2:50AM bus home. When I purchased a bus ticket for xyz with a $5 bill I received my change for the $3.40 ticket. Appropriately the one dollar coin it gave me was from the new president series, Thomas Jefferson.

UPDATE:

Here are some photos from the party… including xyz getting a backrub and another video.

http://ronpaul.meetup.com/…

LEMOINE AVENUE OVERPASS
GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE
FORT LEE, NEW JERSEY

New Jersey, New York and other state Meetup groups to hold a rally for Dr. Ron Paul on the Lemoine Avenue overpass.

Participants to meet at Fort Lee municipal lot two blocks southwest of the rally at 10:30am.

Speakers to include Assemblyman Mike Doherty and Murray Sabrin.

After the rally, we will meet at Ft. Lee Monument Park, where the Ft. Lee Museum is located, http://www.fortleenj.org.

The only reason I’m posting this is because I live in Fort Lee. This hasn’t really been advertized much so I don’t suspect a whole lot of people will be there but when it’s in your own town it’s hard not to go.

There are lots of things going on this weekend because of the Tea Party ‘07 moneybomb. Which BTW is upto 30,837 pledges as of 9:26 am EST 12/14/07. Including a big party at the NYC Ron Paul HQ Saturday night.