Posted on 08/16/2004 5:58:04 AM PDT by OESY
TRENTON, Gov. James E. McGreevey is scheduled to return to the State House on Monday, intending to carry out his duties until his announced resignation date of Nov. 15. But many of his fellow Democrats spent the weekend trying to devise a way to ease him out of office this month and draft Senator Jon S. Corzine to run in a special election in November, party officials said.
Mr. McGreevey, who announced his resignation on Thursday as he publicly acknowledged that he had had a sexual relationship with a man, has said that he wants to leave time for an orderly transition. His spokesman said on Sunday that the governor had already laid out an agenda for the next 90 days. If Mr. McGreevey follows through on that plan, Senate President Richard J. Codey, a Democrat, will serve out the governor's term, which ends in January 2006.
So far, Republicans have been the most vocal in their call for Mr. McGreevey to leave immediately. But barring a public uprising, they have little ability to force the issue.
It is Mr. McGreevey's own party that can make the most trouble for him in the coming days.
Worried that the taint of the scandal, which comes after a succession of ethical questions surrounding the administration and the governor's fund-raisers, may damage the entire party, some senior Democratic leaders spent the weekend searching for ways to ease Mr. McGreevey off the stage and persuade Mr. Corzine, the state's most popular elected official, to step in.
Under New Jersey law, if Mr. McGreevey were to leave office by Sept. 3, more than 60 days before this year's general election on Nov. 2, the state would hold a special election to decide who would serve the final year of his term.
That leaves 18 days for party leaders to persuade Mr. McGreevey to step down quickly, and persuade Mr. Corzine to abandon his role as the chairman of the Democratic Party's national effort to regain the Senate. That time frame had some of the state's most powerful Democratic officials engaged in a flurry of meetings and conference calls this weekend to come up with a plan for a hasty exit strategy for the governor.
According to Democratic officials, among those who have been trying to rally the party behind a Corzine candidacy this November are the Middlesex County Democratic leader, John Lynch; the Camden County power broker George E. Norcross III; and United States Representative Robert E. Menendez. None of them would speak about the matter publicly, but political analysts say the daily drumbeat of critical newspaper editorials, the howling of Republicans who say the Democrats are depriving voters of the right to choose their leader, and the threat of additional salacious revelations, could create a public outcry for Mr. McGreevey to leave quickly.
"In political terms here, New Jersey must move on," said David Rebovich, a political science professor at Rider University. "By staying until Nov. 15th, McGreevey perpetuates this sordid story."
But it is ultimately Mr. McGreevey's decision, and the governor still has the support of powerful Democrats like Mr. Codey and State Senator Raymond J. Lesniak of Union County.
Mr. Lesniak, who was one of the few party officials involved in Mr. McGreevey's decision to admit his relationship with the man to whom he gave a $110,000 state job, publicly declare himself "a gay American," and announce his resignation, said it was "disgusting" that fellow Democrats were turning on the governor during a moment of weakness.
"They're like vultures flying over Jim McGreevey's political carcass," Mr. Lesniak said.
For all the back-room maneuvering and arm-twisting, however, there are serious obstacles facing those who would speed up Mr. McGreevey's departure. For one thing, he is not ready to go.
Mr. McGreevey spent the weekend at an undisclosed getaway with his wife, Dina, where the couple were "still working on the issues they have to work on," said Micah Rasmussen, his spokesman.
Mr. Rasmussen said that the governor was in "incredibly good spirits" and was determined to stay until Nov. 15. He believes, Mr. Rasmussen said, that it would be irresponsible to hand off the complex machinery of his office without giving his successor adequate time to prepare.
"It's completely unrealistic to expect that the keys to the office can just be turned over one morning," Mr. Rasmussen said.
One Democratic strategist said it could be put to Mr. McGreevey this way: You are leaving, you have no job to move on to, you help us now and we will help you later.
Even if Mr. McGreevey could be persuaded to depart earlier than planned, however, it is unclear whether Mr. Corzine is interested in running for governor - at least this year.
Mr. Corzine, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, has been directing the party's surprisingly competitive bid to recapture control of the Senate this fall, and would no doubt anger national leaders if he were to abandon that effort for a race of his own. He has also told advisers that if John Kerry is elected president he will be interested in serving in a post that would make use of his background as former co-chairman of Goldman Sachs.
Mr. Corzine has indicated an interest in running next year for governor, which New Jersey's unique laws make one of the most powerful state positions in the nation. Because New Jersey law allows only two consecutive terms, that would allow him the possibility of serving eight years rather than the five he would serve if he were elected this November.
David Wald, Mr. Corzine's spokesman, said that the senator was not involved in the discussion to persuade Mr. McGreevey to leave office earlier than he had planned.
"Jon Corzine is not pushing for a special election this November," Mr. Wald said.
If Mr. Corzine declined to run, that would leave Democratic officials with no clear consensus candidate. While some leaders have mentioned a host of possible contenders including State Senator John Adler, United States Representatives Frank Pallone Jr. and Robert E. Andrews, and George Zoffinger, president of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, the infighting over whom to support would most likely be vicious.
Republicans, meanwhile, have been working on several fronts to devise a contingency plan to deal with Mr. McGreevey's imminent departure. While some party officials have considered a court challenge to force a special election this fall, legal experts say they have little chance of succeeding. Instead, Republicans have sought to create public pressure for Mr. McGreevey's immediate departure, accusing him of trying to pull an end run on voters by ensuring that Democrats retain control of the State House for more than a year.
If a special election is held this year, Republican Party leaders will be allowed to choose their candidate, sparing themselves both the turmoil of a primary and the possibility that Bret D. Schundler, who won the nomination in 2001 only to be trounced by Mr. McGreevey, might again be its standard-bearer.
A long list of Republican officials are thought to have interest in a possible governor's race next year, including Senate Minority Leader Leonard Lance, Senator Joseph M. Kyrillos Jr., State Senator Diane Allen of Burlington County, Senator Tom Kean Jr. of Morris County, the businessman Douglas Forrester and United States Attorney Christopher J. Christie.
But some party leaders hope to lure one of the party's elders, former Gov. Thomas H. Kean, to run for a one-year term, hoping that his name recognition and widely lauded work as chairman of the 9/11 Commission might allow the party to recapture the governor's office.
Mr. Kean has not commented on any possible candidacy and could not be reached for comment on Sunday.
Mr. Kyrillos, state Republican chairman, said that given the criticism of Mr. McGreevey in the past four days, he believed New Jersey would not stand for Mr. McGreevey's plan to remain in office until mid-November.
"We're beginning to hear, and I feel it as I move around and talk about it, a genuine public outcry," Senator Kyrillos said. "It will not be a happy time for the people of New Jersey."
Companion Piece: Ex-Aide Tells Israeli Paper of a Relentless McGreevey
By PATRICK HEALY, August 16, 2004
Golan Cipel, the political appointee said to have had an affair with Gov. James E. McGreevey of New Jersey, was quoted in an Israeli newspaper as saying that he is heterosexual. He portrayed himself as a victim of unwanted advances by the governor.
"He hit on me over and over," Mr. Cipel is quoted in an interview published in the newspaper, Yediot Ahronot. "I got to a point where I was afraid to stay with him alone."
Mr. Cipel said that at first he was unaware that the governor was gay. He dismissed as insane allegations that he had tried to blackmail Mr. McGreevey.
Neither Mr. Cipel nor his lawyer Allen M. Lowy could be reached yesterday to verify the remarks, which are believed to be Mr. Cipel's first public statements about his relationship with Mr. McGreevey.
Micah Rasmussen, a spokesman for the governor, said last night that Mr. Cipel's interview contradicted other statements from his lawyers.
Mr. Rasmussen also said there was no truth to the harassment claims.
Mr. McGreevey resigned on Thursday after announcing he had had an affair with a man aides have identified as Mr. Cipel. Mr. McGreevey met Mr. Cipel during a trip to Israel in 2000 and later hired him as New Jersey's homeland security adviser.
Mr. Lowy has disputed the governor's statements that he and Mr. Cipel had had a consensual affair.
In an interview on Saturday night, Mr. Lowy said Mr. McGreevey had made more than a dozen sexual advances toward Mr. Cipel since November 2001.
In the newspaper interview, Mr. Cipel said Mr. McGreevey "chose to admit that he is gay rather than deal with the accusations of the sexual harassment of a subordinate.''
"If you ask me,'' he said, "McGreevey resigned because he knew that the facts surrounding the harassment against me would come to light, and he knew I could prove them."
Mr. Cipel said his family had asked him to return to Israel, where he was born, but he said he would remain in the United States "until justice is done."
They want him Out. It's the gay thing to do.
Just on local NJ talk radio:
Corizin's office just announced that if there is a special election he will not run for the office of governor.
A question to ask is what did other dems know about this, adn when?
"They want Senator Jon S. Corzine to run in a special election in November, party officials said, so that once elected Governor he can appoint himself to fill his former Senate seat, effective one his term as Governor ceases."
All that really matters to me is that this is yet another black eye for the Democrats. Republicans just look better and better...but then, you knew that.
"the howling of Republicans who say the Democrats are depriving voters of the right to choose their leader,"
Howling?
Well, at least the Slimes is consistent in their hatred for morality and Democracy.
You can always count on the Slimes to spin their headlines and subsequent content. They are a sorry voice crying in the Kerry wildnerness...and only their liberal comrades will heed their call.
I can see it now: a special election with Jon Corzine in this corner and Brett Schunlder in the other.
The winner? Corzine, of course!
The people of New Jersey never learn.
I know we have some fine Freepers and Republicans who can think for themselves who live in that fair state but damn, folks, the general electorate there must be composed of bozos and nothing but bozos.
There is a bit of a logical inconsistency in my last post. I should have written that the general electorate is composed LARGELY of bozos.
"He (McGreevey) believes, Mr. Rasmussen said, that it would be irresponsible to hand off the complex machinery of his office without giving his successor adequate time to prepare."
This is the most incredible statement in all this disgusting sordid mess.
What kind of office is he running? A Soviet politburo?
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