Overhaul Needed.
In a Star Ledger op-ed piece, Bob Braun urges that New Jersey’s form of government needs a major overhaul. The author claims that this can only be accomplished by convening a state constitutional convention to change the state constitution to provide for statewide elections for the positions of state controller (who could act as a “fiscal cop”) and lieutenant governor (who would be elected by the people, not by senators, to take over as governor in the event that the governor can no longer serve because of resignation or otherwise).

Braun opines that, most critical of all, is a change in the state’s constitution that would require the election of the state attorney general. Braun states:

Ponder this: We have a governor who quits because, he implies strongly, he faces blackmail from a former aide because he is gay. The FBI is on the case.

But, whoa! Doesn’t New Jersey have a criminal justice system? The same system that tried to intimidate [Robert] Martin? [a republican state senator who, according to Braun was paid “an early-morning visit by State Police detectives for voting against a governor’s choice for attorney general”] And isn’t extortion — blackmail — a state as well as federal crime?

So why haven’t we heard of a state investigation into the political self-destruction of Gov. James E. McGreevey? A call to Peter Harvey’s office elicited only that our attorney general is not investigating anything about our governor.

What a shock!

Braun’s position with regard to the need for a state attorney general who is not beholden to the governor for his job is bolstered by a demonstrated lack of anything resembling vigorous law enforcement efforts against corrupt state-government officials.

Rather than immediately jumping on the bandwagon for a constitutional convention, I have to give Braun’s proposals a bit more thought. However, I have to say that it seems obvious to me that the current political system is broken.

It’s Their Business.
I was disappointed upon seeing the headline on today’s Star Ledger, which screamed, “The Day McGreevey Shocked his Wife.” The article details an interview with a friend of Mr. and Mrs. McGreevey, who states with apparent certainty, that it was not until a few days before the governor’s resignation announcement that Mrs. McGreevey learned of her husband’s sexual orientation.

While I find it a bit difficult to believe that Mrs. McGreevey knew nothing of the governor’s sexual preference until a few days ago, I do not believe that the story was at all newsworthy, much less deserving of the headline. Indeed, in my view, the interactions between Mr. and Mrs. McGreevey concerning this matter are no one’s business but theirs.

Rogue’s Gallery.
Here is an excellent rundown of some of the more notable convicted, indicted (or under investigation), and ethically challenged New Jersey political “success stories”.

And finally…
For complete roundup of today’s developments in the Jersey Swamp, check out The Bad Hair Blog and DynamoBuzz.

Rrrrrrrrrrrrring………

John O’Neill: “Hello.”

John Kerry: “May I please speak with John O’Neill?”

John O’Neill: “Speaking.”

John Kerry: “Hi, John. This is John Kerry.”

John O’Neill: “I recognized your voice.”

John Kerry: “John. I have to tell you that you and those Swift Boat guys are really giving me a hard time, and I was wondering whether you might be interested in establishing some kind of truce.”

John O’Neill:

John Kerry: “Let me be frank, John. You know — sailor to sailor.”

John O’Neill:

John Kerry: “OK, well, I’m putting together a list of people I would like to have serve in my administration, if I win this thing in November. Seeing as how you are a former Navy officer and a Vietnam Vet, I was wondering whether you might be interested in serving as my Secretary of the Navy.”

John O’Neill: “‘Sailor to sailor’ did you say?”

John Kerry: “Absolutely.”

John O’Neill: “Shove off, asshole.”

Click

I sat down to chronicle the litany of horribles that is today’s political news in New Jersey. However, it turns out that there is no point in my doing so, because, again, The Bad Hair Blog and DynamoBuzz (see also here) have done a first rate job of bringing it all together.

A special congratulations to Fausta of The Bad Hair Blog for participating in a demonstration outside of Drumthwacket, the Governor’s mansion in New Jersey.

Not having to compose a roundup has provided me with the time to do something I have been meaning to do for quite some time, and that is to add The Bad Hair Blog to Mr. Blogroll.

Cousin Jack, about whom I have written often in this space, has returned from his blogbreak. I found it interesting that when Jack, who has lived on the West Coast for decades, needed to recharge his batteries, he returned to the Jersey Shore.

I hope he found time for a sausage and pepper sandwich on the boardwalk and Taylor Ham and eggs for breakfast.

Ya can take the boy out of Jersey….

Every day brings a new surprise in the Garden State. Now, it seems that the Democrat Power Brokers in Jersey want McGreevey to step down within the next three weeks rather than waiting for November 15th, as he had stated in is resignation-but-I’m-hanging-around speech.

Make no mistake about it; this move was not made out of a concern for the democratic process in New Jersey. Rather, the party big shots want McGreevey out now, because they don’t much care for Richard Codey, who will ascend to the governorship if McGreevey waits until November 15th, as promised, and then he would be able to run as incumbent next year.

The Democrat plan apparently ripened over the weekend when U.S. Senator Jon Corzine indicated that he would be willing to run for the governor’s office in November. Jon Corzine, you may remember, is the former Goldman, Sachs & Co. CEO who used $63 million of his own money to get elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000.

Getting Corzine elected is only part of the plan. The political two-cushion shot involves Congressman Robert Menendez getting Corzine’s Senate seat.

As much as I want McGreevey to step down so that there can be a special election in November for the governor’s office, realistically, I think that the prospect of any republican beating Jon Corzine and the well-oiled Democrat machine in New Jersey is, at best a long shot.

But one can always hope.

Update: Fausta at the Bad Hair Blog has an excellent summary of the latest developments in the McGreevey Mess. So does Roberto at DynamoBuzz.

Golan Cipel, Governor McGreevey’s alleged lover and former holder of high-paying state jobs for which he was entirely unqualified, is quoted by an Israeli newspaper as stating that he is not gay.

“It doesn’t bother me that it is said I am gay, but I really am not. I’m straight. On the other hand, to accuse me of being an extortionist? Someone here has lost his mind.”

Question: Can this possibly get any messier?

Answer: Abso-farookin’-lutely. This is New Jersey.

WHEREAS, in a comment to the previous post, Craig observed that he would have added as additional “Cool Thing” the ovation given to the teams from Afghanistan and Iraq; and

WHEREAS, in the same comment, Craig opined that he would have added Bob Costas as an additional “Dumb Thing.; and

WHEREAS, Jay Solo, at Accidental Verbosity, had the same view about Costas and reminded me of a couple things Mr. Costas said that I failed to pay enough attention to; and.

WHEREAS, during a telephone conversation with TJ, who is watching the HD feed of the ceremonies with son-in-law, she observed that she and son-in-law thought that the “Olympic Caldron” looked more like a giant “doobie” than a giant cigarette lighter; and

WHEREAS, I agree with all of the above.

NOW, THEREFORE, the previous Post is hereby amended to include the foregoing as additional observations.

Olympic team with the best looking women: Italy

Cool thing: The people who were made up to look like marble statues.

Weird thing: The emergence from an artificial lake of a five-story sculpture that resembled female genitalia.

Dumb thing: Katie Couric

The Olympic Caldron: It looks more like a giant cigarette lighter.

Participating countries I never heard of: A shitload.

Best Commercial: Budweiser Clydesdales (One of the team pulling the Budweiser wagon winks at a Clydesdale foal as it watches the team pass by the pasture).

Shitty Beer: Budweiser.

First Political Jackass Move: The Iranian wrestler who may withdraw from the games because his first draw was an Israeli, who, like his nation, does not exist according to Iran.

Around these parts, the McGreevey Mess has momentarily diverted our attention from Kerry’s Kontinuing Kambodian Konfusion. It’s getting to be downright comical.

Via Beyond the Black Hole

In a comment to yesterday’s post, Fausta of The Bad Hair Blog said:

“McGreevey’s speech positions him perfectly for a comeback. Just wait & see.”

When I first read the comment, I wondered how she could have come to such a conclusion. However, after reading her post discussing the point, I think she may be right.

I hope we’re both wrong.