Roughly 70 people filled the banquet room of Sal’s Cafe in Somers Point last Saturday morning. They paid to hear Congressman Jeff Van Drew and to give us most of the money we need to deliver our message until our Richard Somers event in September. They included State Senator Vince Polestina, Nick Poche, chief of staff for Assemblyman Claire Swift and Don Guardian, Somers Point Council President Janice Johnston, and local council members Dennis Haney of Brigantine, Jesse Kurtz of Atlantic City, and Bill Collins of Corbin City. We received two $1,000 checks as well as dozens of other smaller donations from those unable to attend. Dozens of others also paid their $30 dues for 2022.
We began as we do every Saturday by reciting what Abraham Lincoln called the “sentiments” of our Declaration of Independence as well as the Pledge of Allegiance.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident: We are all created equal. We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights. Among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. To secure these rights, governments are instituted among us, exercising their just powers from the consent of the governed”.
We also pointed out these symbols on the New Jersey flag that was designed the month after the Declaration of Independence: The goddesses of Liberty and Prosperity that stand together. Liberty holding a wooden pike, the weapon of the ordinary citizen in medieval Europe. The red liberty cap worn by Roman slaves who had gained freedom draped over the pike.
Congressman Van Drew then walked to the middle of the room and spoke to us without a microphone. He explained how he agreed that America is a great and exceptional country.
Van Drew spoke of how he was able to promote the values and ideas that made America great as a Democrat when he first ran for local Township Committee in Dennis, in Cape May County some thirty years ago. He also said that years later, he could still promote those values and ideas as a Democrat representing Cape May and parts of Atlantic and Cumberland Counties in the NJ State Senate and Assembly. Van Drew then described what happened after he was elected to Congress in 2018. (That November, Van Drew narrowly defeating me, who was then his Republican opponent.
Van Drew said Democrat leaders assured him that he could continue to vote his conscience and represent the conservative views of South Jersey voters. He said at first, Democratic leaders even laughed at the idea of impeaching President Trump.
However, Van Drew said that during his first year in Congress, he discovered that so many leading Democrats had such hatred for America and American values that a great President like John F. Kennedy would not be welcome in the Democratic Party today.
Van Drew then told of the events that caused him to change parties and become a Republican. He explained that when he first came to Washington, he met many other Democrats in Congress who claimed they were moderates. Van Drew described how they told him that they also opposed the radical left agenda of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and also agreed with him that there were no legal or constitutional grounds to impeach President Trump.
However, Van Drew said that as the impeachment vote approached, all of the other “moderate” Democrats fell in line with Speaker Pelosi, Van Drew told of how he was warned by one prominent Democratic leader to “obey”.
Van Drew said, “This was not me. I didn’t come to Congress to obey”. Van Drew then laughed and said, “If it came to that, I’d rather be here with you doing what Seth (Grossman) is doing!”
Van Drew then told of how in December of 2019, he explained these events in a TV interview on Fox News. He said, soon afterwards, he got a telephone call from President Trump who had been watching the program. The Congressman described how he was invited to the White House, and his long conversation with President Trump. At the end of that conversation, Trump suggested that Van Drew switch parties.
After speaking for a half hour, Van Drew responded to many questions and comments on a range of issues.
Congressman Van Drew acknowledged that some criticism of Republicans for not pushing back enough is justified. However, he also said that he and other Congress members, like Congressman Jim Jordan have done many things to push back that few people know about because they are not reported by the media.
Van Drew said he and other Republicans submitted bills making it harder to cheat in elections. One bill included a provision requiring funeral homes to notify election officials of every death.
Van Drew also told of how he co-sponsored legislation making it illegal for employers to fire or discipline employees for refusing coronavirus vaccines.
However, Van Drew said that Democrats refuse to allow these measures to even be discussed on the floor of Congress. He also said the media refuses to even mention them in their news coverage.
Van Drew also said it is very difficult to know what Democrats in Congress are doing until it is too late. Van Drew said he and other Republican members of Congress often don’t even see bills hundreds and even thousands of pages long until just minutes before they are voted on. He said federal officials and leaders in Congress also hide vital information, such as moving thousands of illegal aliens arrested at the Mexican border to cities throughout America on secret, midnight flights. He also said Democrat leaders often blatantly lie when directly asked questions about important issues.
Van Drew also said Democrats constantly act in bad faith to deliberately put unacceptable, radical left measures into almost every bill for essential spending.
“That means I and other Republicans are put in impossible situations for almost every vote. If we vote ‘yes’ for essential spending, we must also vote ‘yes’ for the most radical and dangerous agenda items of ‘woke’ leftists. But if we vote ‘no’, Democrats will run those dishonest TV spots falsely saying we voted against seniors, police or the military. We need you to help us get the truth out”.
Van Drew concluded by saying, “I hate to sound partisan, but there are no moderate Democrats in Congress today. Nothing will change until we get Republican majorities in Congress. Even then, not much will happen until we elect a Republican President.”
However, Congressman Van Drew said he was not discouraged. “I have great faith that people are starting to see what is going on. I have faith that they will not allow our country to be destroyed”.
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