Today’s Corruption Junction round-up

14 days “New Jerseyans have 14 days to persuade Gov. James E. McGreevey to leave office and allow a special election to be held to fill the remaining year of his term. Unless that happens by Sept. 3, an unelected politician will serve both as acting governor and Senate president until January 2006”. In the same issue of the Trenton Times, A splendid example praises the State Investment Cuncil for adopting tough rules against the pay-to-play system of awarding public contracts, while saying

On the other hand, Gov. James E. McGreevey’s effort to claim a share of credit is pathetic. “We’re very pleased,” said the governor’s spokesman, “that we have been able to address [state employee unions’] concerns as far as keeping politics and campaign contributions out of the investment process.” That’s a hoot. Gov. McGreevey has been nothing but an impediment to effective campaign finance reform since he ran for office disguised as a reformer. In fact, the very rules the Investment Council adopted this week would have been adopted a month ago if the governor – who had a bit more political clout then than he has right now – hadn’t intervened to cancel the council’s scheduled meeting.

Last night Keith Oberman of MSNBC had Michael Musto of The Village Voice dishing out more dirt on the McGreevey red herring, so of course I had to look up Musto’s article, titled Alien vs. Predator: What the McGreevey mess means for closets, corruption, and casting couches

Either way, the upshot is that the carefully chosen words “I am a gay American” have been resonating beyond all the pulp-fiction details of the story. “A lot of people will find sympathy with that,” says Signorile. “People are beginning to distinguish between the fact that he’s gay and these other issues. In that sense, it’s a good thing.”

And you certainly have to find sympathy with the fact that, as of last Friday, channels were still showing the suddenly riotous commercial for New Jersey tourism that has McGreevey and his family cavorting on a beach (no, not in Fire Island) as the shark-mouthed gov urges, “Come out and see what’s new in Jersey.” Thanks, honey, but I came out and I’m staying right here.

I was watching Letterman the day McGreevey outed himself, and, right after Letterman made a McGreevey joke, the station played that ad — so I thought it was something the Letterman people had come up with. Silly me.

Jersey bloggers Buzz Machine and Barista are writing about the weird guy in yesterday’s Daily News who claims to have been Cipel’s lover. The dude, according to police, is deluded, which comes as no surprise. John Shabe found Golan’s Assistant Still On The Payroll, though. Suzette notices how pronunciation goes hand-in-hand with respect. No respect from the Post and its front page blaring “Secret Sex Tapes”.

Today’s must-read, however, is Jim’s The Jersey Political Swamp: How it works (go to his link), and Jim sees a silver lining,

Nevertheless, I would like to publicly thank Jim McGreevey, because, but for the latest disgraces, I would not have taken the time to see how truly rotten-to-the-core the political system in this state is. I have lived here all my life, and I am embarrassed to say that it was not until the last few days that I fully appreciated the extent to which we are being royally screwed by the unholy alliance that exists among our state legislature, the governor and a handful of well-moneyed political bosses

Jim has a point: This week’s article in The Econonmist McGreevey’s bombshells: Out of the closet, but still in office—just has nothing new to us, but another article points out “the most plausible explanation for the sudden burst of convictions is that, until recently, nobody really minded”. That article is dated May 8th, 2003.

While a cousin of McGreevey’s wife is running for Council in Elizabeth, McGreevey himself, according to the Star Ledger, “is now rushing to finish six to nine months of work in the next 88 days”, as Energized governor strives for big finish, since it’s “very liberating to not be beholden to the party bosses.”

Heh.

McGreevey claims efforts to oust him are “a witch hunt”, while at the same time “a McGreevey administration official was believed yesterday to have ratted out U.S. Rep. Bob Menendez, concerning a tryst the congressman allegedly had with a woman”, according to the Trentonian’s State Dems splintering over McG: There is an unholy, and totally uncivil, war being waged within the Democratic Party as factions spar over power and prestige, but the NY Times claims Effort to Push McGreevey Out Is Collapsing

Only 14 days left. Contact the politicians and insist that we are allowed to vote for a change:

New Jersey Democratic Party Contact page

Phone the Democratic Party: (609) 392-DEMS (3367)

Snail mail: McGreevey

The State House

P. O. Box 001

Trenton, NJ 08625

(609) 292-6000

email contact page