N.J. Voters in a Pickle

New York Times ^ | 08/18/04 | New York Times

[conservative in nyc]

N.J. Voters in a Pickle

Published: August 18, 2004

ov. James McGreevey's exit strategy has put New Jersey voters, and democracy itself, in a terrible bind. Under the timetable announced last week during his bombshell news conference, Mr. McGreevey will resign his office on Nov. 15 and hand the reins of government to Richard Codey, the president of the State Senate. Executive power will thus reside for three months with a lame-duck governor crippled by scandal and then, for the next 14 months, with an interim governor who has no mandate from the voters.

The alternative is for the Republicans and the Democrats to get their acts together and organize a special election for this November so New Jersey voters will get a real choice and the winning candidate real legitimacy. To have a vote then, Mr. McGreevey will have to resign before Sept. 3.

There are drawbacks to a quickie election, not least of which is that it gives the parties little time in which to select plausible candidates. But it is preferable to Mr. McGreevey's plan, which denies New Jersey voters any say whatsoever in the matter.

Recent history indicates such a plan is the wrong way to go. Christie Whitman's decision to join the Bush administration in 2001 left the governor's office in the hands of the Senate president at that time, Donald DiFrancesco, whose tenure is generally regarded as a disaster. A Codey governorship would be complicated by the fact that he would be required under the State Constitution to remain as Senate president at the same time that he served as governor. So much for the separation of powers.

The Republicans seem momentarily divided on how to proceed or whom to run. Not so the state's Democratic bigwigs. The very people who helped install Mr. McGreevey in power are now salivating at the prospect of persuading Jon Corzine to abandon his Senate seat and run for governor. A Corzine candidacy would almost certainly keep the statehouse in Democratic hands. He spent about $65 million of his own money to win his Senate seat, and presumably has plenty left. But Senate Democrats are urging him to stay on as chairman of the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, where he is being counted on to raise money for his party's less affluent candidates this fall.

Our feeling is that Mr. Corzine should stay in the job that he was elected to fill for six years. Mr. McGreevey should step down, and the two parties should nominate people to run in a real election this November. New Jersey voters have already had more than their share of appointed interim officials.

[conservative in nyc]

If the Pravda of the DNC, the New York Times is calling for McGreevey to step down immediately, it's over. Expect his resignation shortly.

Sorry, CORRUPT American. Your time is up!

[cspackler]

Would be funnier as McGreevey on a pickle has voters in a pickle.

[spyone]

I wonder what Bruce Springsteen has to say about this?

[Lurking2Long]

Apparantly, McGreevy has a very fickle pickle.....!

[John Jorsett]

Since when did mere deadlines in the law present an obstacle to New Jersey? This is the state that replaced The Torch with The Lout at the last minute, and past the "deadline" for doing so. "Law" is an increasingly protean thing in New Jersey and the US in general.

[conservative in nyc]

Deadlines in the law matter in New Jersey when the people asking for relief are Republicans.

[skaterboy]

Poll out in Colorado from SUSA

Bush 47%
Kerry 47%

Coors is up one on Salazar

[Callahan]

The NYT must figure that Jersey is so trapped in the death clutch of the corrupt Democratic machine, they can win even if McFaaabulous bails. They would never risk losing power otherwise.

[.cnI redruM]

http://orsa.blogspot.com/2004/08/gays-should-despise-governor-mcgreevey.html

He's not gay. He's corrupt and likes screwing people.

[NYCVirago]

I figured the Times would call for McGreevey to resign once they realized his presence in office would hurt the RATS.