National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare Endorses John Adler for Congress

For Immediate Release:
October 22, 2008

Contact:
Mark Warren, 856.222.9707

Mt. Laurel, NJ – The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM) has endorsed Democratic congressional candidate John Adler, praising his commitment to seniors and all Americans who seek a secure and productive retirement. The NCPSSM is a grassroots organization representing millions of members who support maintaining the integrity of the Social Security system, which has come under assault from President Bush and other Republicans who have urged that it be privatized – carelessly exposing Americans' retirement funds to the whims of the stock market.

Among those planning to gamble with our seniors' retirement funds is Chris Myers, a steadfast Bush disciple and Adler's Republican opponent in New Jersey's 3rd District U.S. House race. Adler, a strong and consistent advocate for seniors, said that preserving the integrity of the Social Security system will be one of his top priorities in Washington.

"John Adler understands the importance that Social Security benefits be guaranteed and not be subject to the ups and downs of Wall Street," said Scott L. Frey, the committee's senior advisor for policy and program coordination. "Privatization is a way to dismantle Social Security and its guaranteed benefits."

Adler said he was "extremely grateful" for the committee's endorsement and noted the sharp contrast between his and Myers' views on the nation's retirement fund. Adler said the issue represented one of the most fundamental differences between him and Myers and further underscored his opponent's insensitivity to the critical financial problems facing middle-class America.

"Unlike Mayor Myers, I have been outspoken in my opposition to the Bush plan to privatize Social Security and will fight to maintain its integrity, " Adler said. "The recent financial crisis has shown that we simply cannot risk gambling with Social Security funds in the stock market.  I will continue to work with groups like the NCPSSM and AARP to ban the raiding of the Social Security trust fund and ensure its availability for generations to come."

The National Committee to Protect Social Security and Medicare was formed in 1982 by former Congressman James Roosevelt, the son of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who created the original Social Security Program. The NCPSSM, a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)(4), represents the views of millions of members and supporters, including more than 10,000 people in the 3rd congressional District. Its mission is to protect, preserve, promote, and ensure the financial security, health, and well-being of current and future generations of maturing Americans.

RUNNING ON EMPTY, MYERS STOOPS TO SMEAR CAMPAIGN
Relies on Right-Wing Extremist Group of Bush Cronies for Attacks Against Adler
Adler Campaign Calls on Myers to Repudiate False, Inflammatory Claims

For Immediate Release:
October 20, 2008

Contact:
Mark Warren, 856.222.9707

Mt. Laurel, NJ – Dropping like a stone in the polls and almost out of money, Republican Chris Myers is relying on a right-wing extremist group led by Karl Rove and notorious for smearing Democratic candidates to launch unwarranted attacks against John Adler.  Today, the Adler campaign called on Mayor Myers to repudiate the false and inflammatory claims made by Freedom's Watch, an organization with close ties to George W. Bush.

"It's been evident for weeks now that Chris Myers has run out of ideas and has no plan to solve the very serious problems facing middle-class Americans, but stooping to these kinds of Karl Rove dirty tricks is an insult to the voters in Burlington, Ocean and Camden counties," said Mark Warren, Adler's campaign manager. "The accusations that Freedom’s Watch is making are false, inflammatory and a sad reflection on Chris Myers.  Myers should disavow Freedom’s Watch’s support and demand that they stay out of the third district race.  Not surprisingly, the fingerprints of George W. Bush are all over this sorry gambit as the president, Karl Rove and their deep-pocketed friends use this radical right-wing group to bail out Myers, Bush's handpicked candidate in the 3rd District.”

Warren elaborated, "If you have been watching this election and wondering what Bush's cronies are up to, I can tell you--they are here in the 3rd District, working through Freedom's Watch to get Chris Myers into Congress and continue the Bush administration's legacy of failed policies."

"Mayor Myers can hardly look the voters in the eye after insisting for months that the nation 's economy is 'basically strong ' and singing the praises of George Bush's disastrous economic policies, " Warren said. "Now Myers’ campaign is out of money and he is sinking in the polls -- so he is allowing the radical extremist group Freedom’s Watch to spread lies regarding John Adler's solid, responsible record on immigration through mail pieces and robo-calls. Chris Myers should do the right thing and repudiate these attacks now." 

"Instead of offering solutions to these problems - as John Adler is doing every day across this district - Chris Myers is hiding behind a right-wing attack group whose sole aim is to slander his opponent," said Warren.

"Freedom's Watch does its dirty work when candidates are desperate and clearly Chris Myers has reached the desperation stage in this election, " Warren said. "If Myers has any sense of political decency and respect for the voters, he will put an immediate end to these false and repugnant claims."

Warren noted that top lieutenants of President Bush's political operation, including former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, are among the group's officials and major funders.  Karl Rove recently received a six-figure contract to oversee the group's activities in the 2008 elections.

ADLER FIGHTS TO PROTECT RETIREES

Calls for Bi-Partisan Action to Provide Relief to Middle-Class Americans Punished by Bush-Myers Economic Policies

For Immediate Release:
October 14, 2008

Contact:
Mark Warren, 856.222.9707

Mt. Laurel, NJ – Democratic congressional candidate John Adler today called on the White House and Congress to take immediate steps to protect and replenish the vanishing nest eggs of millions of Americans. Adler's initiative would extend to 75 the age at which Americans are forced to withdraw and pay taxes on their 401-K plans - the money they count on to carry them through retirement but which is rapidly evaporating because of the failed Bush economy.

Adler, who is running against Republican Chris Myers - the Bush economic disciple who stubbornly insisted the economy was "basically strong," - called on the Republican president and Democratic House to reach across the aisle and "take whatever action is necessary to suspend all rules requiring Americans to begin withdrawing money from their retirement accounts at age 70 and a half."

Under the current system,  federal law requires hard-working, responsible Americans who have been saving for their retirements in individual 401K plans are required to begin withdrawing those funds at age 70 ½.

The Adler initiative would delay the mandatory draw-down on 401k funds until age 75, giving middle-class families the opportunity to rebuild their nest eggs. Adler also wants the relief extended to cover current retirees between the ages of 70 to 75 who must return to work to rebuild their evaporated retirement funds.

"Because of the Bush economic meltdown, Americans have lost $2 trillion from their retirement accounts in the last 15 months – ravaging individual accounts by 20 to 50 percent and, in some cases, even more, " Adler said. "This is devastating to millions of hard-working, middle class taxpayers who will be forced to work longer and to many recent retirees who will be forced to return to work to rebuild their ravaged retirement savings."

"These folks aren't asking for bailout," Adler said. "They just need the opportunity to rebuild their savings without being penalized for their efforts - and my proposal is a simple, common-sense way to be sure that happens. If we can afford to bail out the Wall Street banking and insurance giants who helped create this economic fiasco, we surely can afford to provide relief to its victims."

Medford residents contribute over $32K to John Adler in a telling rebuke of tax and spend Mayor Chris Myers

For Immediate Release:
October 13, 2008

Mt. Laurel, NJ – In a further repudiation of their town's mayor, Chris Myers, Medford residents helped 3rd District Democratic congressional candidate John Adler boost his fundraising total during the campaign to nearly $2.5 million. Adler announced today that he had raised more than $550,000 in the third quarter alone.

Medford residents were particularly generous to the Adler campaign, contributing more than $9,000 in the month of September alone and more than $32,000 since Adler entered the race. That support amounts to a clear rejection of Myers, Adler's Republican opponent in the congressional contest. Adler reported that he still has more than $1.2 million cash on hand for the final four weeks of the campaign.

"I am extremely grateful to all of those who have contributed to my campaign for change in New Jersey," Adler said. "As I travel around the district, voters continue to tell me the same thing: our country needs to move in a new direction. We cannot afford four more years of the George Bush-Chris Myers economic policies that have seriously hurt middle-class taxpayers and put our pensions and retirement savings at grave risk."

Mark Warren, the campaign manager for Adler, said, "The people who know Chris Myers best, the residents of Medford, are clearly fed up with Mayor Myers' tax-and-spend policies and are showing their displeasure by contributing their hard-earned money to John Adler – over $9,000 from Medford residents in the month of September alone.   While Myers holds big-ticket, extravagant fundraising galas with George W. Bush and his lobbyist friends, the hard-working people of Medford are standing up for John Adler. John Adler's campaign has received almost 4,000 donations this cycle. Nearly three quarters of those come from New Jersey residents. Voters across New Jersey know that John Adler is committed to fighting the Bush/Myers economic policies that are doing so much damage to the middle class."

Adler To Myers: End Silence On Federal Corruption Probe Of Republican Burlco Officials;

Stop Protecting Your Political Cronies And Demand Return Of Stolen Taxpayer Money

For Immediate Release:

October 9, 2008

Contact:

Mark Warren, 856.222.9707

Mt. Laurel, NJ – Democratic congressional candidate John Adler challenged his Republican rival, Chris Myers, to end his yearlong silence on the federal corruption investigation into activities involving the Republican-run Burlington County  Bridge Commission. Adler said that Myers' attempt to sweep the widespread corruption in his own backyard under the rug showed an astonishing lack of commitment to clean government and ethics reforms. Myers is also helping keep $2.7 million of stolen money from being returned to the taxpayers by refusing to demand reimbursement by those involved in the scandal, Adler said.

"When it comes to rooting out corruption in Burlington County, Chris Myers is nowhere to be found," said Mark Warren, Adler's campaign manager. "His silence is deafening."

Myers has remained mute on the scandal despite the conviction of a lobbyist who was found guilty of conspiring to bilk the commission of $2.7 million of taxpayers money. The convicted lobbyist, Robert Stears, headed a Trenton lobbying firm in which Tom Wilson, a close political ally of Myers, was also a partner. In addition, Myers has accepted thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Burlington County GOP boss Glenn Paulsen and then-Bridge Commission chairman Garfield DeMarco, who looked the other way when the lobbying firm collected payments from the commission for work it didn't perform.

After pleading guilty to submitting bogus and inflated invoices for lobbying work, Stears said at his sentencing hearing that he was told to pay kickbacks to local Republicans. The U.S. Attorney's Office is still investigating the matter, but Myers has done nothing to stand up for the taxpayers and urge the prosecutors to get to the bottom of the scandal.

"Who is Mayor Myers trying to protect? " Warren said. "The roots of this rampant corruption run deep in his party, and his silence speaks volumes about whose side he's on -- and it's clearly not the taxpayers.

"Unlike Chris Myers, John Adler has a track record of taking on leaders of his own party to do what's right for taxpayers, " Warren said. "He led the fight to strip crooked politicians of their public pensions, and he fought to make sure that politicians convicted of public corruption would face mandatory criminal sentences. He also supports full reimbursement for any salary and benefits earned during the time of a corrupt official's years of service in question."

Warren said Myers owes the public answers to the following questions:

• Why has Mayor Myers been so silent during the countless scandals involving his political allies in Burlington County?
• What does he know?
• When did he know it?
• Has he remained silent because his campaign is being financed, in part, by key leaders with links to these scandals?
• Why hasn't he fought to recoup the millions of dollars stolen from taxpayers and tollpayers in this scandal?

"It's time for Mayor Myers to stand up to his political bosses and do the right thing," Warren said. "The ball is in his court."