Corruption Junction today

One day

Unless Gov. McGreevey leaves office by midnight tomorrow, Sept. 3, which under the state constitution would allow a special election to be held to fill the remaining year of his term, an unelected individual will dominate the government of New Jersey as both acting governor and Senate president until January 2006.

Or would he?

Last evening a friend was saying that McGreevey has no reason to leave, considering he’s not even signed a resignation letter. This friend said he’d not be surprised if McGreevey was “pressured to stay”. My friend might be right. Just look at this: The NJ Attorney General seeks to bar suit on special election.

Harvey said that because McGreevey hasn’t yet departed, there is no constitutional requirement for a special election.

“This is not a case where plaintiffs, nor any other qualified voter of New Jersey, are being denied the right to vote in a special election,” [Attorney General Peter] Harvey argued

(More on Harvey in a moment.)

We weren’t the only ones talking about the Misnovernator. Paul Mulshine today says New Jersey’s governor is the talk of New York, and has a similar response to last evening’s conversation

Many Republicans believe McGreevey is going to rescind his resignation now that he has 5,000 miles of salt water between himself and the man who accused him of sexual harassment. That’s just one of the conspiracy theories floating around.

But perhaps “conspiracy theory” is not the right term. “Game theory” is more appropriate. Politicians love to work out various scenarios in their heads. This is especially important if the politician in question is directly affected by the scenario in question, say because that politician wants to be the next governor of New Jersey

The Trenton Times asks Where has he been?M. The Governor’s Confidant Shares the Light and the NYTimes gives Lesniak yet another opportunity to play the world’s smallest violin, “freedom and liberation” included.

Away from NJ, people ask, New Jersey’s Jim McGreevey: America’s Most Corrupt Governor? New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey is the embodiment of a new reality, in which homosexuality is the last refuge of scoundrels The article lists a short list of McGreevey scandals, naming

• Charles Kushner, who “pleaded guilty [two weeks ago] to 18 federal crimes
  

• William Watley, who resigned “amid reports that he channeled state money to his own businesses and to family members.”
  

• David D’Amiano, who was indicted on [11] extortion charges
  

• The Attorney General’s Office
  

• AG Peter Harvey
  

  Harvey has also refused to investigate serious charges against other McGreevey appointees, is suspected of having sandbagged federal corruption investigations, has trampled on the state constitution, and though he has been surrounded by corruption, to my knowledge has never cracked a single corruption case.

• Joseph Santiago
  

• Golan Cipel
  

• Billboardgate
  

• Roger Chugh
  

• Choppers
  

• Money

The article finishes by saying

To give you a notion of the degree to which corruption is accepted and even celebrated in the Garden State, on August 27, when still-Gov. McGreevey came out of seclusion, he enjoyed the warm embrace of the Rev. Reginald Jackson, head of the Black Ministers Council of New Jersey, and his congregation at the St. Matthew AME (African Methodist Episcopalian) Church, in Orange. That day, Cong. Donald Payne (10th Dist.), a veteran Democrat hack, insisted to WCBS-TV News reporter Magee Hickey, “The citizens of New Jersey are very comfortable with Governor McGreevey remaining in office until November 15.”

and, as Roberto says, Generalisimo Jim McGreevey is Still Governor, Part 4. The Daily Journal pleads, Don’t let time run out for special election