People and things that should disappear from NJ in 2010

I really want to thank the great folks at Blue Jersey for keeping me informed when it comes to state news. I was asked to write a piece for them to wrap up 2009 and make it exclusive there. It does not mean that I won't share it with my readers here, but I'm just sharing the link so you go over and visit Blue Jersey. Happy New Year everyone, and may 2010 be a great year for progressives in NJ and the rest of the country.

http://www.bluejersey.com/diary/14010/people-and-things-that-should-disappear-from-new-jersey-in-2010

10 people who should go away in 2010

This is part one of a series of year-end lists wrapping up what was 2009 in politics. More will be coming before the New Year as I want to wrap up 2009 in style.

1) Carrie “Miss Homophobe” Prejan—Carrie anyone who is doing any sort of performing or public appearances should know rule #1—know your audience. You’re a beauty queen, and a good part of the pageant audience includes gay men. Besides being the audience, chances are gay men were involved in designing your dress, and doing your hair and/or makeup. So to insult your audience by denying them a fundamental right is stupid on its own. But you used this moment to become a right-wing “celebrity” who is not worthy of a reality TV show. You complain about the media criticizing you and say they violated your freedom of speech. Carrie please study the Constitution and know that it applies to governmental agencies, not TV personalities. Unfortunately I don’t see her going away in 2010 as she probably has a job offer from Faux News.

2) Joe “You Lie” Wilson—Us liberals had to suffer through eight years of George W. Bush. Democrats in Congress sat through his speeches as he brought the country to war and ran up the deficit like a drunken sailor in a whorehouse. We were told to shut up and respect the office of the President of the United States. Not once did one of us use a nationally televised address to Congress to heckle the President like you did. We expect the same kind of respect. What’s good for the gander. Fortunately there’s a way to hand Joe Wilson an early retirement in 2010. His opponent, Rob Miller, has already raised over a million dollars because of the outburst. If you’d like to support Rob Miller, make a donation through ActBlue.

3) Mark “Hiking the Appalachian trail” Sanford--- So as Governor of South Carolina, before this summer he was best known for being a vocal opponent to President Obama’s stimulus package. Well all along when he was speaking out against the stimulus package, he was heading off to Argentina so his mistress could stimulate his package, all while telling his family and constituents that he was hiking the Appalachian trail. And you were a man who was one of the most vocal supporters of impeaching President Clinton because of his sex life. Your hypocrisy is showing there Mark, and it came at a great price for you--- it cost your wife, and almost your job. So much for that 2012 Presidential nomination. Stay classy Mark.

4) “Traitor” Joe Lieberman--- I can’t believe I voted for this man for VP back in 2000. Since 2006, when the Democrats in Connecticut voted him out in their primary, Traitor Joe shows his true loyalty—to himself, ran as an independent, and counted on Connecticut Republicans to keep his Senate seat. In 2008 he turned on his party even more by speaking at the RNC and campaigning for John McCain and Sarah Palin. He begged Harry Reid to let him keep his Homeland Security Committee chair, even though he turned on his party. We Democrats were told we could count on his vote for key domestic issues, such as health care reform. We’re suckers here. Joe Lieberman again flip-flops on his prior promises to reform the health care system. What the mainstream media (except for Rachel Maddow) failed to mention is his wife’s ties to the health care industry—Hadassah Lieberman’s an insurance/pharma lobbyist and her direct interests conflict with those of the American people (not the corporations she represents.) In any other occupation, this would be considered a conflict of interest, and it’s time to extend conflict of interest laws to elected officials.

5) Sarah “Quitter” Palin—Sarah Sarah Sarah where do I start. You start off the year quiet, which is the way a losing VP candidate should be. Then in May you make David Letterman your enemy because he made a joke about your daughter, who you forced into becoming an abstinence-only spokeswoman after she had a baby. A teen mom as an abstinence-only spokeswoman is like asking Mark Sanford to become a spokesman for how to stay faithful to his wife. Then in July she announces that she’s quitting her job as governor of Alaska after half a term to pursue other career opportunities--- like making up lies about President Obama’s health care plan, writing a book, and spending the day on Facebook. She decided to title her book “Going Rogue” which has other meanings (if she had only learned from the “teabagger” debacle and consulted Urban Dictionary first). Now I have not read her book (and I don’t plan on doing so), but apparently it’s spent trashing many staffers that worked with her so closely on the campaign trail with John McCain. Sarah, if you want to run in 2012, chances are a lot of the same staffers will also be working on the GOP campaign, so why trash them now? If you wanted to air dirty laundry--- why write a book when there’s already a venue for doing so that your followers could much more closely relate to. It’s called the Jerry Springer Show, and I bet your fans watch it a lot more than they read. Or you just a 7th grade mean girl who never grew up. Either way your credibility in 2012 will be slim, as nobody wants to elect a President who will only serve half a term.

6) Orly “Birth Certificate” Taitz —Orly you’ve gone off the deep end. President Obama released his birth certificate when he was a candidate, and the state of Hawaii confirms it’s real. I’ve seen President Obama’s birth certificate online, and you make up all this bullshit about the “long form.” Well I got news for your Orly—I was born 19 years after President Obama in a much more urban state (that by those standards should have more detailed birth certificates) and my New York birth certificate only has very few details--- just my date and place of birth, and the birth names of my parents. And when I moved here to New Jersey, the NJ Motor Vehicle Commission accepted it as full proof of my citizenship when I went to transfer my driver’s license. Now guess what Orly—I don’t have a “long form” birth certificate and could not produce one on demand, but I will give you the one issued by the hospital where I was born. I would expect you to treat President Obama the same way you would treat me.

7) Dick “Torture Defender” Cheney—Dick Dick Dick you were incredibly silent and under the radar as VP, yet now that you’re out of office you haven’t met a Faux News camera that you don’t like. You had one of the lowest approval ratings as Vice President ever. The public knew you were a war monger who saw oil dollar signs in your eyes at the thought of invading Iraq. Your and George Bush’s policies were unpopular, and in 2008 the American people spoke. Now that President Obama is trying to restore our image around the world that you destroyed, you’re bitching and moaning about it. Would you please go back into your bunker, and take your daughter with you.

8) Rush “Boss” Limbaugh—Not too many people will wish failure on a very popular elected official before he even takes office. I wish I could say that this was the worst of El Rushbo’s offenses, but it’s just the icing on the cake. Along with most of the other right-wing talkers on the radio and Faux News, Obama’s presidency exposed the real reason for Limbaugh’s hatred. It has nothing to do with President Obama’s politics, but instead his race. El Rushbo does not want someone who is not white anywhere near the White House. While 2009 was known as the year of the outrageous Limbaugh remark, when he mentioned that in “Obama’s America black kids beat up white kids on the school bus" and cited a single incident. Then he goes on about how we should go back to segregated buses. This rant (which was posted about early this year) sums up who Rush Limbaugh really is.

9) Glenn “Race Baiting” Beck -- Here’s another that I don’t know where to start for. Here is a man who in 2009 called for the assassination of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (previously his hit target was brilliant filmmaker Michael Moore), spread lies about President Obama (he’s a Marxist, Communist, Socialist, Fascist, etc), gave airtime to every radical conspiracy theory, organized the 9/12 teabag march on Washington, and had a famous “get off my phone” rant to a caller who dare disagreed with his radical theories. In the world according to Mr. Beck, President Obama has a deep seated hatred of white people (I guess Glen did not get the memo that the President’s mother and grandparents who raised him were white). The public was fed up with Glenn Beck’s antics and actually put their money where their mouths are, and his show lost over 80 advertisers. The American people do not want to turn on the TV or radio to see someone spreading lies, fear, and hate. However Faux did not get the memo.

10) Rahm “The Left Does Not Matter” Emanuel---President Obama’s chief of staff is the only official Democrat on my list. However in my opinion, Rahm is not a Democrat but a DINO. He represents the corporatist DLC wing of the Democratic Party, which the party’s base tries to distance themselves from. What Rahm fails to understand is recent election results when the Democratic party’s candidate did NOT play to their base. I’ve used this term ad nauseum on this blog, but you have to preach to the choir. President Obama’s approval numbers have been going down lately, and it’s not the center that he is losing. His caving in on healthcare reform is starting to cost him his base. Many of the people who spent countless (unpaid) hours knocking on doors, making phone calls, etc to make sure Obama is elected are the very people who he is starting to lose. And I blame Rahm Emanuel for this, as he’s famously said that the left does not matter (and had a public feud with Howard Dean in 2006). Personally I think the guy should be fired, and I will go into more detail about this in a future post. No president can afford to lose his base, and the chief of staff needs to understand that.

After writing this list, I realized that I want way more than ten people to go away in 2010. I do have a list of honorable mentions, but instead of mentioning them here, I am opening up the comments section for it. Who would YOU like to see go away in 2010? Please keep it politically related.

Frank Pallone on his Twitter Town Hall

My political wish list

Tis the season for making wish lists. I'm no longer a child who sits on Santa's lap with a list of toys that I want, but that does not mean I cannot make lists. As the year and decade comes to a close, this is what I would like to see in the next year and decade.

1) For all Americans regardless of their political affiliation to realize that the right to vote should not be taken for granted. Our founding fathers would be rolling over in their graves if they realized how low voter turnout can be, especially in off-year elections. Many Americans voted for the first time in 2008 and were very excited about voting for President Obama. My wish is that they will continue to vote in every election and vote for the candidates down the ticket too.
2) That any two unrelated consenting adults who would like to get married be able to get married in the eyes of the state.
3) That Senator Frank Lautenberg stays healthy for the remainder of his term, or at least until Christie leaves office.
4)That Jon Corzine will use his deep pockets to really do some good for New Jersey. He has the power to become an Al Gore type figure who is more influential outside politics than within politics. New Jersey is full of lots of great progressive organizations that could really take off with financial backing.
5) The health care bill passed the Senate today. My wish is that the final version is more like the House bill, and that it will strengthen in time (including a public option which anyone could buy into).
6) That all our soldiers return home from Iraq and Afghanistan safely so that they can spend the holidays with their families, where they belong.
7) That every vote is counted fairly and accurately
8) That the Democrats in Washington and Trenton locate their spines and learn how to use it. Take a lesson from Alan Grayson.
9) That progressives finally get an equal voice in the media, and that progressive talk radio is available to all who would like to listen to it.
10) That Sarah Palin crawls back under the rock where she came from.
11) That we finally end the tax breaks for companies who outsource their jobs to China, India, and the rest of the world, and that any American who wants a job can have a good job at a wage that will be enough to live on.
12) That the word "liberal" is no longer a dirty word in American politics, and that more people would speak up and say that they're proud to be liberal.
13) That we as a nation start to focus on Main Street instead of Wall Street.
14) That we never fight another war for oil.
15) That we pass some strong laws that limit the influence of corporate lobbyists in Washington. We can't have laws written by lobbyists anymore.
16) That our food movement goes from industrial food back to locally produced food.
17) That President Obama fires his chief of staff Rahm Emanuel and replaces him with someone who will actually listen to progressives instead of just Republicans and corporations.
18) That legislators be subject to conflict of interest laws the same way several other occupations are.
19) That progressives in New Jersey are get organized and build a strong enough base to take back Trenton in 2013, and possibly knock a Republican from NJ out of Washington this fall.
20) That all the readers of my blog, and all my fellow progressives throughout the country have a very happy holidays, and safe and healthy 2010.

Conngressman Frank Pallone's Twitter Town Hall

This town hall was so much better than the town hell this summer in Red Bank. I had a few questions asked but am still not sold on the mandates. We'll see where reform leads us. Like I've said before, I have not been paying as close attention to national issues as I have to state issues over the last few months so I'm not as up to date on healthcare reform as I should be. For now I'm posting the transcript from Congressman Pallone's town hall. I've edited all the Twitter names except for his and mine to protect the privacy of the other users and instead they're referred to with initials so readers know which user the Congressman is responding to.

FrankPallone Welcome everyone to my first ever Twitter Town Hall on health care reform - I look forward to answering all of your questions. #ttpallone
JWMC @FrankPallone thank you for your tireless work for NJ and being the best person to intern for! Proud to call you my congressman #ttpallone
SH @frankpallone Congressman, thank you for doing this...do you remain committed to seeing a public option one day?#ttpallone
FrankPallone @SH - I intend to push for the public option and insist on the House version as we go to conference. #ttpallone
DMR Are you concerned about the big premium tax revenue loss for NJ if we have a public option plan #ttpallone
tabbycat331 @FrankPallone Question- Can u clarify about mandates? How can there be mandates w/o a public option to keep ins companies honest #ttpallone
FrankPallone @tabbycat331 -The exchange operated w/ private plans administered by fed gov't wld act like a lrge group plan & keep premiums low #ttpallone
FrankPallone @p1974 - By reforming health insurance we'll also improve access to health care & encourage prevention & wellness. #ttpallone (Original question was deleted from Twitter)
tabbycat331 @frankpallone what about the mandates? Are there penalties/fines like in the MA health plan that does not work #ttpallone
JL @frankpallone Do you know there are gays and lesbians who are uninsured because we can not get married? #ttpallone
RD How are the ins. companies going to be regulated so they're not raising rates unfairly?#ttpallone
FrankPallone @tabbycat331 - A penalty would be paid through your income tax if you don't have insurance. Mandating coverage lowers premiums. #ttpallone
LW What did you think of the idea of lowering Medicare to age 55 ?? #ttpallone
CM @FrankPallone what if people can't afford the mandated coverage but are still under the mandate rules? #ttpallone
FrankPallone @p1974 - Without SCHIP, kids will now be covered by Medicaid or the health exchange. #ttpallone (original question no longer available)
CM @FrankPallone also on mandates, even if premiums are lowered, would the quality of coverage be expanded or remain similar to now? #ttpallone
FrankPallone @RD - The health exchange will increase competition that didn't exist before and that will keep rates down. #ttpallone
FrankPallone @LW - Its a good idea, but the Senate has now dropped it so I don't see it happening as part of this reform package. #ttpallone
a23 @FrankPallone What is your view on low Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement in NJ & what's being done to ensure seniors are protected? #ttpallone
FrankPallone @CM - People should be able to afford coverage b/c of the expansion of Medicaid & the subsidies through the health exchange.#ttpallone
FrankPallone @a23 - In general the bill significantly improves reimbursement rates for both Medicare & Medicaid. #ttpallone
LW What happens 2 health bill after Senate votes on it? If it goes to conference committee could there be changes need to vote on #ttpallone
CM @FrankPallone would you vote for a final bill that contains much of the Senate provisions, Stupak amendment and no public option? #ttpallone
FrankPallone @JL - The House Bill changes the tax code and helps provide equal access to health care for civil union partners. #ttpallone
FrankPallone @JL - However, I support Marriage Equality. #ttpallone (personal note-- GREAT!! Now please fire up the Democrats in Trenton)
FrankPallone @CM -I am determined to fight for the House version in Congress & expect compromises to be made between the House & Senate. #ttpallone
a23 @FrankPallone Do you think premium tax fees incl. in Senate bill will ult. result in increase in cost of premiums for individuals #ttpallone
DG @FrankPallone Does the health bill cover outreach costs 2 uninsured Americans, who may not b following the news as closely as me? #ttpallone
FrankPallone @LW - The House & Senate will negotiate a conference report bill which both houses would vote on. #ttpallone
FrankPallone @a23 -I will work to strip the tax on insurance plans from the Sen bill during conference bc of these types of concerns. #ttpallone
a23 @FrankPallone Do you believe the final HC reform bill will do enough to address underlying causes of rise in healthcare costs? #ttpallone
FrankPallone The CLASS Act will help elderly & disabled get community based longterm care & support. An important part of the House & Sen bill #ttpallone
cm @FrankPallone Just wanted to thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. This was a great idea. #ttpallone
wtu I am swm 38, earn $30k in NYS. I have Health insurance, but I cannot afford treatment (due to co-pays). Any help in this bill? #ttpallone
FrankPallone @dg -Over 30 million now uninsured Americans will be covered under this bill; near universal coverage.. #ttpallone
FrankPallone Thanks to the folks at @BlueJersey for live blogging the town hall: http://tinyurl.com/ygmswa5 #ttpallone
jl @FrankPallone that was pretty cool! #ttpallone
FrankPallone Sorry for the delay - my lunch just came. @wtu is next to be answered. Thanks for all the questions. #ttpallone
wtu @FrankPallone I am 38/s, earn $30k.I have Health insurance, but I cannot afford treatment due to co-pay. Any help in this bill?#ttpallone
FrankPallone @wtu - The House & Senate bill caps out of pocket spending & makes health insurance more affordable. #ttpallone
wtu @FrankPallone what is the out of pocket spending cap in the bill? Affordable 4 single earning $30k? My co-pays will be less? #ttpallone
FrankPallone @wtu -The caps depend on income levels & the size of your family, if you need more info call my office, 732-571-1140 #ttpallone
SS @FrankPallone, are you going to be on the conference committee that smooths differences between the House and Senate versions? #ttpallone
FrankPallone @SS -Its not clear if there will be a formal conference committee. House & Senate may work out the differences informally. #ttpallone
la @FrankPallone How will the health care reform bill affect medicare? #ttpallone
LW what would you change in the Senate version if you could? #ttpallone
SS @FrankPallone, can you appoint House pages? If so, can I apply through your office because my Congresswoman cannot. #ttpallone
FrankPallone @LW -I would replace the tax on insurance plans w/ the House millionaire surcharge & I would add the public option. #ttpallone
LW where can we read the latest version of bill and Reid's manager version?
LW Thank you for doing this Twitter town hall & thank you for answering my questions =) #ttpallone#ttpallone
FrankPallone @wrb - Yes, I believe #HCR will cover the uninsured, lower costs, and eliminate discriminatory practices. #ttpallone
FrankPallone Please visit my website to learn more: http://pallonefornewjersey.com/healthcenter.php #ttpallone
FrankPallone I want to thank everyone for participating in my first Twitter Town Hall. Thanks and I'll be back again for another one. #ttpallone
FrankPallone If you have any more questions you can contact me here: http://tinyurl.com/ykx9ttq #ttpallone - Thanks again!

Chris Matthews on the Netroots

I must admit I haven't been paying as close attention to the latest developments in the healthcare bill as I should be. For one I have a life outside The Outspoken Liberal, and secondly I have been focusing more on state issues than national issues. I am very disappointed in some of the developments of the Senate bill (mainly bowing down to Traitor Joe Lieberman) but I don't know enough of the details to really comment everything. I plan on calling Menendez and Lautenberg's offices to see if their staffers will answer a few questions of mine tomorrow.

Back to Chris Matthews-- I can see his point. If he reads over at Daily Kos and Democratic Underground, there ARE people who are threatening to stay home in 2010 if the bill is not up to their standards. I will give him that. However there are also many in the "netroots" including myself that see the political reality. We had many angry Democrats stay home in 2009 in New Jersey and it got us Governor-elect Christie--- a Karl Rove protege. I voted (and campaigned hard) for Corzine despite his flaws. There is a time and place to let your anger be known at the polls within your own party. That is called the primary. Unfortunately many states don't take advantage of it, and I'm fully convinced that if someone else were on the Democratic ticket for NJ governor, we would have held the seat. It's very rare to primary an incumbent, but I think it's a practice that needs to be expanded upon everywhere. Turnout in the primaries is even worse.

I'm the kind of person who loves to prove naysayers wrong. Chris Matthews said that as the netroots, we have no desire to work in public service or hold elected office. I know that is not true for myself (I'm at least 5 years away from running for office myself though-- I want to establish myself in NJ more first). Would I like to work in public office? Absolutely! The more I think about it the more it appeals to me (especially after spending time at the statehouse).

To all you netroots supporters who may be reading this blog. We have to listen to Chris Matthews (even if it is painful to you). We need to turn out in large numbers in 2010 as we did in 2008, and keep enthusiastically going to the polls, and volunteering on campaigns just as we did in 2008. Protesting at the ballot box is not the way to go. Instead get involved locally, just as I have. Take back your local Democratic party and push them to run progressive candidates at all levels, or even run for office yourselves. Remember our fighting words-- yes we can.

thoughts from Trenton

Even though the marriage equality bill in Trenton has been put on hold for the time being (tick tick tick, the clock's winding down otherwise we have to wait at least 4 years), I still spent the day yesterday in Trenton lobbying for marriage equality. It was a different experience than last week because I was healthy enough to make it through the day and realize the impact my visit to Trenton had.

Garden State Equality has been nothing short of amazing when it comes to organizing. Last week we filled every hearing room in the statehouse. They organized everyone by dressing them all in GSE t-shirts and buttons (more on that later). Their planning is nothing short of amazing, and I really admire their skills. We arrived in Trenton around 8:00 for a day filled with GSE events and to lobby our senators. We were given name tags with our name and city, as well as tags that just had the district on it. People could look at us and easily tell where we came to Trenton from. Because the vote was put on hold, our numbers were much smaller than they were in the past.

Yesterday the Senate caucuses had their party meetings. Since I live in a district represented by a Republican in Trenton, I was in the hallways at the Republican chamber of the statehouse. It's probably the only time I will ever be in any Republican chamber. Senator Bill Baroni was the lone Republican hero who voted for the bill in committee on Monday. He received a standing ovation when he walked out of the closed conference room, and it was his birthday, so he received warm birthday issues from GSE volunteers and staffers. He was very friendly and approachable, and listened to his heart and did the right thing, instead of looking at his party's platform.

I was able to tag along to another volunteer's conversation with my senator, Sean Kean. Senator Kean was a very nice and approachable guy, and is trying to keep an open mind about marriage equality, even though his religious beliefs are anti marriage equality. I was able to tell him that as a straight person (probably one of the only ones there) that it's important to me that everyone has the same right to marry that I do. Another promise that i wrote in a letter to Senator Kean (that I was not able to tell him in person) is that if he votes yes on this bill, I will not only vote Republican for the first time in my life, but also donate money to his campaign. For a lifelong Democrat, that is a huge promise.

My final reflection of the day came after all the lobbying was done, and I was enjoying pizza with a bunch of GSE supporters. I was probably the only straight in the room, and I did not mind it one bit. Everyone was super nice, and a real pleasure to be around. It dawned on me that their very livelihood is at stake, and could live or die depending on this bill. Would their relationships finally be seen as equal in the eyes of the state? They want nothing special, just the same treatment that I receive as a straight woman. And I want nothing more than for everyone to be able to get married.

Would I have organized these lobby days differently? In some ways absolutely. But overall I think that they've been effective if the senators are anything like I am. To be able to put a face to a unjust situation is often the most effective ways to change the world and achieve justice. I hope that over the last few weeks, our senators and assembly members in Trenton consider the hundreds of faces in the crowd, just like the group I had pizza with, when they are voting for marriage equality.

the frustrated progressive

Maybe this should be my blog's name now because that's about what sums up my feelings when it comes to politics. I first got involved in politics back in 2004 after seeing a movie-- Fahrenheit 9/11-- and it woke me up to realize what damage Republicans can and have done to this country. Unfortunately on a daily basis, I see that Republicans are not alone in doing damage to this country. I can name two instances currently going on, one happening in Washington, and the other in Trenton where I feel like I'm being abandoned by my own party. Both issues have been commented on ad nauseum in this blog (healthcare and marriage equality).

Yesterday in Trenton, two Democrats voted no on moving the marriage equality bill out of committee. And in my home state just last week 8 Democrats voted against marriage equality. I thought that the Democrats had a party platform of valuing all families and hence giving the LGBT community the basic civil right of marriage. And now in New Jersey, with the fight for marriage equality on life support, we have to court Republicans because we can't get the Democrats to vote as a party for marriage equality.

And I had health care polls and posts on this blog earlier, before I started focusing on more local battles for and in Trenton. Today the key for healthcare reform that would keep the bloodsucking insurance companies honest-- a government-run public option-- was killed in the Senate today. Instead Medicare will be opened up to those 55 and older not 65 and older. I know that I did propose opening Medicare up at 55 over the summer, but not at the expense of the younger generation who needs healthcare reform just as much as the 55-65 crowd does (I am nowhere near 55, and have been ill for the last week-- I would have seen a doctor but because I'm uninsured, that was not an option for me). The Democrats have catered to their most conservative members and the Republicans in order to get more votes and appear bipartisan.

But I have some news for my fellow Democrats. The Republican party has been like a schoolyard bully. They're constantly spreading rumors and making threats if the victims (Democrats) don't cave into their demands. Just as in the schoolyard, if a nasty rumor gets repeated often and loud enough, the other kids believe it. Can we say death panels? Socialized medicine? The government will come between patient and doctor (which no MAN wants but apparently it's okay if you're female and want reproductive healthcare)? And personal attack rumors that are reminiscent of a schoolyard bully's words? He's born in Kenya? He pals around with terrorists? He's a socialist communist fascist? He's a secret Muslim?

And here come the Democrats, the spineless wonders who cave into the bully Republicans. The public option was the best hope for healthcare reform short of single payer. Most Americans wanted the choice of private or public insurance (and voters on my health care poll overwhelmingly favored public insurance). It was watered down so much to please the Republicans that it was barely viable. Most of us who WANT to be on the public option would not be able to. In my eyes that's not a viable option. Must we as a party compromise on our integrity in order to please the other side? From 2001-2007 when the Republicans controlled all 3 branches of government, I did not see them doing this. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

a legal argument for marriage equality

In 2006, the New Jersey Supreme Court Case Lewis v. Harris brings up several key arguments about the institution of marriage and what role the government should play. The Plaintiffs in the case are seven same-sex couples in long-term relationships who seek the remedies of the right to marry and all the legal benefits that come with marriage. Ultimately the Court told the legislature that they had to pass same-sex marriage or an equivalent institution that would grant same-sex couples the same legal benefits that come with marriage. The “separate but equal” institution of a civil union is supposed to grant same-sex couples all the legal rights of marriage short of calling their union marriage. Vermont was the first state to pass a civil union law, followed by Connecticut, New Jersey, and New Hampshire. Some other states currently have domestic partnerships, but not civil unions. All civil union states except for New Jersey have since upgraded to full marriage equality for all couples regardless of their gender.

The intent behind civil unions is good—to provide same-sex couples with all the legal benefits of marriage without “damaging” the institution of marriage. It’s seen as a compromise that many voters can agree on. As Vermont, New Hampshire, and Connecticut have realized, they do not work. Many laws currently on the books that give married couples legal rights—such as the right to visit each other in the hospital, and to obtain health insurance through the spouse’s employer—are supposed to be extended to couples in civil unions, but are not. In New Jersey, many employers who offer health insurance benefits to a person’s spouse will not offer the same benefits to a person’s civil union partner. Hospitals often do not give medical information to a civil union partner the same way they would to a spouse. Also more same-sex couples are raising children together, and it is hard for a child to explain a civil union relationship.

Much of the opposition to marriage equality comes from a religious point of view. Many religious people see marriage as the exclusive union between one man and one woman as their religious text says. However the United States and New Jersey Constitutions have a provision for the separation of church and state. In my opinion any religion can deny a couple the right to get married for whatever reason, but a non-related pair of consenting adults should not be denied a civil marriage. Ultimately marriage is a civil institution. When a marriage ends in divorce, it is the state and not the church that will ultimately end the couple’s legal relationship. If the marriage equality bill passes the New Jersey Legislature, there is a provision that would not require churches to recognize or perform same-sex marriages.

There is already case law on the books that establishes marriage as a fundamental human right. In 1967, the United State Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia ruled that Virginia’s marriage laws violated the due process clause and the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Before her death in 2008, Mrs. Loving spoke on the issue of marriage equality and said that she believed that all couples should have the right to marry.

In 1967, the Courts decided that couples should not be discriminated against on the basis of race (incidentally this year, a Louisiana Justice of the Peace refused marriage to an interracial couple). At the time, race was the important civil rights battle of the generation. Now another generation is here along with another civil rights battle. The civil rights battle of the early twenty-first century is to end discrimination based on sexual orientation. New Jersey is a leader in anti-discrimination laws against the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. In this day and age and with New Jersey’s anti-discrimination reputation on the line, it only makes sense to pass full marriage equality for all couples regardless of gender.

marriage equality clears 1st hurdle in NJ

Breaking news on the New Jersey marriage equality bill--- it made it out of the judiciary committee on a 7-6 vote. While I REALLY wanted to be in Trenton today to witness this firsthand, I am not in very good health right now, and it was better off that I did not get a large group of people sick. Maybe I will go Thursday when the bill will be voted on, but that depends on other things too.

To all who testified, thank you. If given the opportunity, I would have testified by reading the blog entry from about a month ago that was widely quoted. It's very hard to imagine how important the issue of marriage equality is when you are straight like me. To me this is about letting all my friends have the same right to get married as me-- at least in New Jersey. In my mind marriage is a civil right, and the United States Supreme Court agrees with me on this, or they did a generation ago.

Now for the heroes and goats of tonight's committee hearing on the marriage equality bill. I'll start with the goats.

Paul Sarlo (D)-- Senator, thank you for allowing the bill to be voted on out of committee, but please reconsider your position (relative to your party) when it comes to voting for all families. This is a direct quote from his website "TRENTON – Senator Paul A. Sarlo, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today posted S-1967, the Marriage Equality Act, on the Judiciary Committee’s December 7th agenda, keeping a pledge he made to supporters of the act, but reiterated that he does not support the legislation and will vote against it."
This vote may cost you your job, and if you vote no again I really hope that you face a strong primary challenger in your bid for re-election in 2011.

John Girgenti (D)-- Another Democrat who voted no on the bill. Again listen to his constituents and be prepared to face a primary challenger.

Jennifer Beck (R)-- I thought that you would be one of the few Republicans to come on board and support full civil rights for all couples wishing to get married. The 12th district has a lot of supporters of marriage equality, especially in municipalities like Red Bank. There may be a possibility that her vote could be flipped--- I urge everyone to call and email her right now 732-933-1591, SenBeck@njleg.org

Gerald Cardinale (R)-- probably the most vocal opponent of marriage equality in New Jersey. Reading some of the things he said, I might as well have been reading a fundamentalist Christian publication or Sarah Palin's book. Does he realize that New Jersey is not Oklahoma? I don't know anything about his district, but he's one senator I'd love to see defeated.

And now for the heroes of marriage equality-- part one.

Loretta Weinberg (D)-- She was Jon Corzine's running mate this November. And after seeing her in action tonight, I think that we could have pulled this election off if she were on the top of the ticket. Senator Weinberg-- even though I am not your constituent, I wish I was. Thank you from all of New Jersey, and keep up the good work.

Ray Lesniak (D)-- Another strong supporter of marriage equality, who also lead the battle to abolish the death penalty in New Jersey. Sees this as an important piece of civil rights legislation that will move New Jersey forward.

Bill Baroni (R)-- Thank you for going against your party's best interests and with yours and your consitutents interests. We need more Republicans like you. Thank you.

And to the other Democrats who voted yes today, thank you. Thank you for showing a spine and doing the right thing.

One last thanks goes out to the great folks at Blue Jersey, without you guys I would not have been following this debate the way I did. Thanks for providing me with a venue to see the debate unfold.

marriage equality again

This time I am not talking about New Jersey's marriage equality (which I plan on going to the state house tomorrow to lobby for). I'm talking about the vote in the state senate of my home state of New York. Today I was very disappointed in my home state of New York. They had an opportunity to make me proud, instead they let me down.

Even though I lived most of my life in NY, I was never very politically active there. I always voted when I was there, but I was not involved the way I am now. I never really paid attention to local, county, and state elections and simply voted straight (Democratic) ticket.

The following Democrats and all of the senate Republicans need to be ashamed of themselves. Joseph Addabbo, Darrel Aubertine, Ruben Diaz, Shirley Huntley, Carl Kruger, Hiram Monserrate, George Onorato, and William Stachowski are all deserting the Democratic party's platform of valuing all families. They all need to hear from their constituents (like filling their voicemails, inboxes, and flooding their snail mailboxes with hand-written letters). If that does not change their vote, they must be challenged by a real Democrat in the primary. They do not deserve to be re-elected.

One thing I do wonder is how organized New York is. When i lived there, I was not aware of any local grassroots political groups like the ones I am a part of now in New Jersey. Do they have a group like Garden State Equality that is on the ground getting supporters to call their legislators?

The one bright spot about New York is that they have a much longer window of opportunity than New Jersey does. Their unpopular incumbent governor David Paterson is in office for another year (he's not likely to be re-elected) like our governor said he would sign such a bill. The voters in NY cannot put the issue on the ballot like they did in California and Maine.

I write this as I'm heading to a marriage rally in Trenton tomorrow-- for once can both my home state and my adopted state make me proud?

these numbers have to change

I found this on Daily Kos today.



This has to change. Part of what made New Jersey and Virginia take a sharp right turn at the beginning of this month (it seems like forever ago, I know) was the lack of enthusiasm from the Democratic base (in VA's case a bad candidate, and in NJ's case an unpopular incumbent.) Neither candidate had the charisma of President Obama. I really can't speak for VA, but I can and will probably blog about in the future a laundry list of what the Democrats in New Jersey could have done to pull this thing off (we almost had it).

New Jersey's midterm elections next year will not be very exciting. Since our governor's races are in odd years, and we have no open positions for senators this year, the top of the ticket will be Congress. No state races, just maybe freeholder and local races depending on the county/municipality. Not very exciting considering in some states you have senators and governors up. It does not mean that the New Jersey Democrats can sit on their asses and watch TV o election day, it means we have to vote as if Obama is on the top of the ticket.

Part of the problem lies in the Democrats in Washington-- it's a little-known fact that President Obama did more in his first year than any president since FDR. However in general, nationwide the Democrats are not running with it. Of course there are always a few exceptions to the rule. We have less than a year until the elections, and 40% of Democrats need to be convinced to get their asses to the polls.

Here is what can be done at the national level by Democrats in Congress and President Obama (courtesy of Democratic Underground)
1) Repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell and the Defense of Marriage Act and actually do something for their constituents in the LGBT community.
2) Pass healthcare reform with a robust public option that will compete with private insurance. Let Americans CHOOSE whether they want public or private health insurance.
3) Pull out of Afghanistan. It's very clear that the American public is not in favor of this war that we've been in way too long. Get our troops home and stop spending our tax dollars there.
4) After healthcare reform is passed, make 2010 all about jobs. If people see that the Democrats are the party that put them back to work (in good-paying jobs, I'm not talking about Walmart or McDonald's here), then they will come to the polls with bells on. If people are back to work in good-paying jobs, then they will start paying taxes again, and tax revenues for all levels of government (federal, state, county, local) will be up. They'll be spending their $$$ again and sales tax revenues will be up.


And here is what can be done at the local and county level
1) Identify your base-- find out who they are and where they live. Open your campaign HQ in the towns with the highest concentration of registered Democrats.
2) Have fund raisers for all budgets. Have everything from a $10 ice cream social to a $5000 black tie dinner. Do not leave any dollar behind.
3) Reach out to the younger voters including the ones that are too young to vote in 2010. Even though they may not be 18, they still can canvass, phone bank, street canvass, and get their friends involved in the campaign.
4) Have several Q&A sessions with candidates so that anyone who wishes to can meet them and ask them a question (of course conduct these civilly so the teabaggers do not take over)
5) Have volunteers and staffers reach out to their peers first-- do you want to reach seniors? Have other seniors reach out to them. People respond more to their peers.
6) If there is a big name stumping for anyone-- advertise the event. If many people are expected, put strings on the tickets (for example a ticket in exchange for volunteering).
7) Last but not least preach to the damn choir first.

a day to be thankful

Today is a day that we as Americans reflect on our lies and give thanks to those who have given our lives meaning. I will not get into my personal life here as that is not the point of this blog. What I will be thankful for are the things that are important to me as a New Jersey Democrat.

1) We have a President who is putting his efforts into solving the nation's problems instead of simply passing them off onto his successor. Say what you want to about Obama's healthcare plan-- many forget to realize that we've come farther with health care now than we have in over 40 years. We may not agree 100% with the way that he is solving all of the problems, but he is choosing to tackle them in his first term.
2) For the next 6 weeks, we have one of the most progressive governors that New Jersey has ever had. Again we may not all agree on the way he's trying to solve the state's problems, but unlike many of his predecessors (and most likely his successor), he's tackling the problems and trying to solve the state's financial troubles.
3) We still are a blue state despite our losses this month. New Jersey still sends a Democratic majority to Washington in Congress, we still have two Democratic senators, and we still have both the state assembly and state senate.
4) I am thankful to be represented in Washington by a Congressman (Frank Pallone) who shares my values and fights to do the right thing for New Jersey. I'm thankful for his strong positions on environmental issues and health care, and his role in drafting the health care legislation in the House.
5) Whether you are a Democrat, Republican, independent, or other party, we should all be thankful for our rights to free speech. Without that right that our founders fought for, I would be unable to publish this blog without fear.
6) Another right I am thankful for is my right to vote, and to become politically active. (I only wish that my fellow Democrats would exercise this right in every election but that's a post for another day.)
7) I am thankful that marriage equality has the chance of passing here in New Jersey within the next six weeks. I'm thankful that we have elected officials who want to extend the basic human right of marriage to the LGBT community here in New Jersey. As a straight woman, I believe that everyone should have the same rights that I (and so many of my straight friends) take for granted.
8) I am thankful for the many great people I have met while working on the various campaigns I've worked on in 2008 and 2009. I am thankful to call so many of you my friends. I am thankful for the strong presence of grassroots progressive political groups here in M county.
9) I am thankful for the experience I've gained while working on campaigns. Despite my blog's name, I am rather shy in real life. Street canvassing in urban areas was something that I would have never dreamed of doing just two short years ago. Now it's almost second nature to me and is something I enjoy very much. I can't wait to street canvass for Newark mayor Cory Booker's re-election in May.
10) I am thankful to all of the readers of this blog, my Twitter followers, and anyone who reads my posts on DU. Without you guys, I would have nobody to rant to and keep everything inside of me. As my presence grows, I want to extend a special thanks to Blue Jersey for featuring my post on marriage equality. Later that same post was quoted in two newspapers (Edge Boston and the Star Ledger) who's staff I also want to thank. This blog being quoted in the state's largest newspaper was beyond my wildest dreams just over a year ago when I started this blog, and now it's a reality.

I want to extend everyone who is reading this a happy Thanksgiving, and remind you guys that there is always something politically to be thankful for even after being creamed up and down the ticket. I know many people avoid politics on Thanksgiving (and rightfully so as it divides many families), but when you are giving thanks for the things in your personal life, consider giving thanks for the things in your political life as well. Happy Turkey Day :-)

Sarah you lost-- shut up and get over it

2008 was a very good year for Democrats politically. We gained huge majorities in the House and Senate, and recaputured the White House. Many blame two people on the Democrats' huge gains made in 2008--- George W. Bush and Sarah Palin. Politically Bush is at the end of his career-- he was term limited out of office and probably will not run for anything again (shoot me if he does). Sarah Palin is a different story. She's now seen as a rising star within the party, and definitely has 2012 on her mind.

But if you have vast political ambitions, shouldn't you serve out your term first? People want elected officials to be committed to the office in which they hold. Sarah Palin did not do that to the voters of Alaska, who elected her governor in 2006 (hey Mr. Christie-- do New Jersey a favor and take a page out of this playbook!) She quit her job to become a media whore and spend all day on Facebook. I guess it's not PC to try and run a state while posting on Facebook all day and she took the road that most teenagers would take.

Now in her post-political career, she has made enemies out of David Letterman (who she accused of being a child molestor) and Levi Johnston, her ex future son-in-law and father of her grandson. I'm still surprised she hasn't ordered a hit on Tina Fey (the best thing to come from Sarah Palin).

So now Sarah's come out with a book, Going Rogue (and the Nation will release Going Rouge on the same day-- I'd rather read the latter). It's already a best-seller because like all of the other right-wingers who write books, groups like Newsmax, the Heritage Foundation, etc will buy them in bulk and make them appear to be popular. I honestly don't know how anyone in their right mind can read a 400 page word salad written by Sarah Palin. I wouldn't even use the book to line my cat's litter box. And of course the book tour comes with the media attention that she just lives for. I won't be watching any of the interviews, but I will inevitably see clips from it on Keith, Rachel, etc. Now is the time for Tina Fey to bring her back.

Would people really vote for her again in 2012? That is a huge question. I've noticed that some of her most vocal supporters are stepping away from her becasue of her turn off the deep end. That and she did not show a commitment to doing her job. If God forbid she is elected President in 2012, would she serve out her full term?

Sarah, the American people spoke. The polls were close before John McCain put you on the ticket. Your insane antics cost him the presidency. And as a Democrat, I'd LOVE LOVE LOVE to see you run in 2012. Please Sarah run in 2012-- that would ensure a 2nd term for President Obama.

abortion and health care

As you may or may not know, the health care bill passed the house last Saturday late at night. I have mixed feelings about this bill. In my opinion, it does not go far enough, but it is a step in the right direction. This bill can always be tweaked later on. I'm much more worried about whether it passes the Senate. I'd be on the phone daily with my two Senators, but I know they're both in favor of the bill and would vote for it (I've gotten letters and emails about it).

The bill barely passed the House. 218 votes are needed to pass, and 219 Democrats voted for the bill (and a lone Republican). A few progressive Democrats voted against the bill because it was not progressive enough (Dennis Kucinich). But we passed the first hurdle when it comes to health care reform and that's a good thing.

However Congressman Bart Stupak (D-MI) inserted an amendment in the bill that would ban any insurance company (including the public option and private companies) on the newly created "exchange" to pay for any abortion related services. There is already existing law that bans federal funds from covering abortion-- the Hyde Amendment-- and that has worked since its interception in 1976. I think it's worked well and is a good compromise on the issue.

I will also admit that abortion is the one issue that I have become more conservative on as I've grown older. It's most likely that I am watching my own clock tick wondering if I will ever have a child of my own. I used to be 100% in the pro-choice camp, but now I consider myself a part of the "personally pro-life politically pro-choice" camp. I'm also very mixed on abortion as a political issue because I know several otherwise liberal people who vote for Republicans solely on the abortion issue. The Democratic party is a big tent (unlike the Republicans who are purging moderates), and they should be welcome in the party. On the other hand, the pro-choice crowd is a very vocal part of the Democratic base, and New Jersey learned a lesson last week on what happens when you do not first mobilize your base.

It is a very complex issue. If the Republicans actually did care about abortion, they would have done something about it when they had all 3 branches of government (2001-2006). However most of the time it's only an issue that is discussed around the time of elections to pander to the church crowds. I personally think the best thing that could be done about abortion is maintain the status quo (Hyde Amendment). This will be an interesting story to watch as health care reform gets through the Senate.

Some resignations

Since I'm flip-flopping between covering my take on state vs national issues, I'm flipping back to national issues for the time being. Two key figures resigned yesterday and they did not resign without my comments.

The first is CNN's Lou Dobbs. I must admit I don't watch CNN that much, I'm much more of an MSNBC girl. But I still see CNN as the middle of the road in cable news (to the left of Fox, to the right of MSNBC's primetime lineup). My main beef with CNN is that they launched the career of the uber right wing whackjob Glenn BecKKK. If they had been "liberal" as the right-wing claims, then Beck would not have been given any airtime by them.

Lou Dobbs did have some good ideas initially. His main good was that he's a crusader for the middle class, which has been decimated over my lifetime. We need more crusaders for the middle class on both sides of the aisle (the right-wing radio and TV hosts are filthy rich and look out only for themselves). Maybe another middle class crusader would convince people to stop voting against their own best interests. The downfall for Lou Dobbs is that he blames everything on illegal immigrants. In the months of the Obama administration, he's come across as downright racist. There's a lot of rumors that he'll be heading over to Faux. He'll fight right in, but the network will probably curb his fights for the middle class.

The other resignation I wanted to note was that of Focus on the Family founder James Dobson. Focus on the family is a group that I have absolutely nothing positive to say about. They're part of the Christian right wing of the Republican party that wants "big government" in your bedroom (yet out of the boardroom-- go figure!). They spend all their effort opposing gay marriage, abortion, and what not. Their idea of a "family" is one that would be found on the set of a 1950's sitcom-- Dad is the breadwinner, Mom is a housewife who is a doormat. Focus on the Family was one of the groups responsible for mixing religion and politics. IMO they're responsible for George Bush and his extremely conservative social policies.

To James Dobson, good riddance. I hope your organization folds too.

the case for working with Chris Christie

I will admit this... I'm more inclined as a Democrat to give Chris Christie a taste of his own medicine. Yet since the election from talking to friends and fellow Democrats, they're more inclined to work with the guy to try and move New Jersey forward. So far, you guys think that we should work with Chris Christie. I'm now arguing the opposite of what I argued yesterday, and I will admit that this post was much tougher for me to write than yesterday's. So far nobody's talked me down from fighting him though. To every Democrat I've talked to that wants to work with Christie, you're a stronger person than I am.

Chris Christie ultimately has the same goal as anyone who has ever run for office, worked on a campaign, or gotten involved in any politics in the first place. We all want to make (in this case) New Jersey a better place to live, work, and visit. You can be a Democrat, Republican, Independent, Libertarian, Socialist, Green, etc and want to achieve those very basic goals. The issues at place here are how to achieve them, and what the finished product ultimately looks like.

New Jersey is not a red state. In the past, Republicans that have won statewide have been moderates, although that hasn't happened (until recently) since the 1997 when I was a high school student living in New York. Ironically there must be something about the name Christie that makes New Jersey vote Republican because the last Republican who won statewide was Christie Whitman, who's mess we are still cleaning up.

Democrats and Chris Christie working together can be a good thing. Even though New Jersey is known for dirty politics, that's not a reputation that we necessarily have to keep. One thing I do admire about Christie is his toughness and willing to fight corruption, which is so rampant here in New Jersey that a book has been written about it ("The Soprano State"). Maybe he can be the governor that ends corruption in New Jersey. I say if he puts one corrupt establishment player in jail, he's made a huge stride forward.

If the Assembly and state Senate Democrats and Christie successfully work together, we could also be a model for bipartisanship everywhere, after the pathetic attempts of bipartisanship in Washington so far in the Obama administration (which consist of the Democrats watering down the legislation to suit Republicans who block it anyways).

Ever since I can remember, we've been a partisan society. And frankly as partisan as I am, I'm sick of the bickering and would love more civility in politics. I came of voting age while the Republicans in Washington were trying to impeach a president because of his sex life. More than a decade later, the Republicans are still making the same pathetic attacks on a Democratic president. This time they're listening to the Glenn Beckkks of the world and comparing him to everyone from Hitler to the Joker-- yes the Batman villain.

Across the country statehouses need to show the pundits and politicians in Washington how the two parties CAN work together. New Jersey has the golden opportunity to become a leader to show the country and 49 other states how it can be done. I'd love to see this happen and our reputation change.

I really should not be judging Christie yet as he has yet to take office. Maybe what Trenton needs is a change in administration. As you can tell from the language of this post and the last, I am still not sold on everything. Someone please try and sell Chris Christie to me.

the case for fighting Chris Christie

Before I start, again I must mention other matters. However this one is a positive note. My previous post on marriage equality was featured on Blue Jersey's "quick hits" list yesterday (and it's still up there today), and I wanted to thank "Hopeful" on Blue Jersey for sharing my blog. It means a lot to me to see this little blog start to gain some traction. I'm still debating on whether or not to focus more on national issues, as I did before, or state and local issues, which ultimately matter more to me (and anyone) than national ones. I'll probably keep it a mix. If you have a preference one way or another, let me know in the comments.

The subject of my latest poll is one that I've been thinking about a lot lately. I still have very mixed emotions on how we as a party should handle Chris Christie. There are two strategies that the Democrats can take-- we can either work with him or fight him. I'm going to argue for fighting him today-- maybe for working with him in a subsequent post. If you disagree on this, as Rachel Maddow would say-- talk me down (in the comments).

The case for fighting him is rather simple and the Democrats already has a blueprint to work from. Even though in Washington, the Republicans have minorities in both the House and Senate. President Obama chose to emphasize bipartisanship after a very nasty campaign in which the opposition went as far as calling him a terrorist (and to this day continue to use such divisive tactics which endanger his safety). In the year since he's been elected and the 10 months since he's taken office, the Republicans have had a say in the legislation that's come to his desk. In the stimulus bill, there was a good chunk of tax cuts (a Republican idea) in the bill. Yet how many Republicans voted for the bill? None in the house, and three in the senate (one of who has since became a Democrat). The health care legislation in Congress (that passed the House Saturday night-- I am sure there will be more on that coming) is loaded with compromises. Hell the public option *IS* a compromise on the original progressive idea of single payer. And that's being watered down.

Of course fighting Chris Christie does have some drawbacks. The issue is CAN we Democrats as a party fight him? First of all in order to engage in a political fight, one must have a spine. With the exception of guys like Alan Grayson (D-FL), the Democrats in Washington do not show any guts. This has been a problem since they regained Congress in 2006. It's now so bad that when a Democrat does "grow a pair" it makes the news. Until recently, I have not paid much attention to the Democrats in Trenton. Locally we have no Democratic representation in Trenton. However the Assembly Democrats recently started to use Facebook and Twitter, so I'll be able to keep an eye on them that way. If we have a party of Alan Graysons in Trenton, we can fight Christie. If we have a part of Harry Reids, we can't.

Chris Christie is not exactly coming to Trenton with a clean slate. As a Bush US Attorney who kept his job, he took orders from Karl Rove to prosecute Democrats for political reasons. I was not living in NJ at the time, but when Senator Robert Menendez was up for re-election in 2006, Christie brought corruption charges against him that were mysteriously dropped after the election. Christie has already gone on record saying he would love to replace Senator Menendez (who is not up for re-election until 2012). I just hope that the Democrats in Trenton give Christie a taste of his own medicine.

If the Democrats win this fight, we have a victory-- a one-term governor. Christie knows that the great Newark mayor Cory Booker is waiting in the wings, and could energize the Democratic base to get to the polls the same way that President Obama did.

why marriage equality matters in new jersey

All year, there has been rumors that New Jersey could be the next state to pass marriage equality. Governor Corzine already said that he'd sign a bill in favor of marriage equality. Now the clock is ticking and we need to get this done fast because Chris Christie opposes marriage equality just like his party's platform.

People often wonder why I am fighting for marriage equality. As a straight woman, I have no dog in this fight, and many would sit back as a spectator. Many don't even care until legislation affects them personally. This does not affect me personally. Sure I'd like to get married someday (not sure if that will happen though-- I'm not exactly getting any younger), but no matter where I go, it will be legal for me to get married. That's not the same for my gay friends or family members, and I'm ashamed of it. Why should I enjoy rights that others can't? There's something fundamentally wrong with it.

People argue that marriage equality is wrong because it redefines the "traditional marriage" of one man and one woman. Yes those marriages have been around for centuries, even millenia. However in the past (and present), teenage girls are forced to marry men more than twice their age, polygamy is still practiced (even right here in the United States). And many churches have been the most vocal opponents of marriage equality, and often fund the campaigns against it. Funny how the Mormon church opposes marriage equality, yet it's fundamentalist sect practices polygamy. All the time, churches will deny a couple the right to get married, and IMO that's perfectly fine. City Hall should not have the right to deny two consenting adults the right to get married.

Maine also let me down last Tuesday by voting down marriage equality. The bright spot is that younger voters (under 35) tend to overwhelmingly support marriage equality, and over time the older voters (who oppose it) will die off. The problem is that the younger voters don't often get to the polls. I really don't want marriage equality on the ballot in New Jersey-- this is why we must pass it before Corzine leaves office.

If you're willing to join me in this fight, it needs to be done like yesterday. There are three major things that you can do to help. Unfortunately some only apply to New Jersey residents.
1) Send a handwritten letter to your two assembly members and one (state) senator telling him/her why you support marriage equality.
2) Call your assembly members and state senator on a daily basis urging him/her to vote for marriage equality.
3) Tell your friends and family in New Jersey to call and/or write their legislators about marriage equality.
4) Volunteer-- Garden State Equality needs your help with phone banks, office work, and postcarding to make marriage equality a relaity in New Jersey. If you're in my area, the office is located in Asbury Park, and could really use your help.
5) If you're on Facebook, become a fan of Garden State Equality (no matter where you live) and if you're on Twitter, follow Garden State Equality @GSEquality
6) Put your money where your mouth is. Garden State Equality's trying to put ads on TV and the radio, and currently can't put that many on due to funding. They need your help. Donate online at www.gardenstateequality.org

How to move New Jersey forward from here

As you probably already know, this week has been tough for Democrats in New Jersey, especially in M county. Just when I thought that this week could get any worse, I wake up to some horrible news. I learned that a dear forum friend of mine passed away. This is uncharacteristic of me, but I want to dedicate this post to Shelly, a fellow progressive who was often the lone vocal liberal on a predominately conservative forum, and was not afraid to speak her mind. My thoughts are with your family and all who love you. I know that I will really miss you Shelly.

Unfortunately on Tuesday, New Jersey, and particularly M county took a giant step backwards. However with every loss comes an eventual greater gain. I'm trying to accept the fact, but I am still in the grieving process. We will come back stronger, I already know that in my heart. And I will do all I can to make us come back stronger.

Governor Corzine's a good guy. And now that he's not going to be our governor much longer (sob), he needs to start focusing on his post-political career. I really really hope that he does not go back into banking. Michael Moore called Corzine's defeat a message to the banking industry and was happy he was defeated. I usually love Michael Moore, but this is probably the first time I will disagree with him. Michael Moore will not have to live under Chris Christie for the next 4 years. I'm not giving up on New Jersey or M county because of this election, and I hope nobody else does too.

Because of his former career in banking, Governor Corzine has deep pockets. There are several progressive organizations throughout the state (many of which I am personally involved in) that could really use some financial help to make progress in New Jersey a reality. Several retired politicians use their money to advance their policies and pet causes, most notably Al Gore with climate change. Corzine could be a very strong backer of progress in New Jersey and use his fortune to fight for causes he holds dear to his heart, such as preschool. I really hope that he does.

Since I don't think that the powers that be read this blog (would be nice if they did but fat chance), I will be writing a letter to his office before he leaves Trenton outlining what I hope he would do to advance progress in New Jersey. I have not yet started to draft the letter, so if anyone has any ideas they would like me to add (or for a letter of your own), please utilize the comment section. I'm hoping that he gets a series of letters and will work with the grassroots groups to fight Christie's regressive policies.

Some of my friends think that Christie will not be that bad and to give him a chance. I'm still mixed on that idea, and that I am sure will be a series of new posts in the future.

preaching to the choir

Most people say that they hate to preach to the choir. However most of the time they're wrong. When the choir is preached to effectively, they will sing to the congregation and beyond.

This is what the Democratic Party of New Jersey failed to do for the Corzine campaign. Whenever you run a campaign, you have to energize the party base first before you look towards the center. This is true for both the left and right. Last year, John McCain did not preach to the choir until he brought Sarah Palin on board. That was too late. However in the short time she had, she did effectively preach to the choir. She did not go for the centrists at all. However in her case, the choir liked her message but the congregation did not.

Governor Corzine could have preached to the choir more. I knew going into this election that I would vote for him, unless he had a primary challenger (who would have had my vote in the primaries as I was realistically looking at the chances there). Throughout the summer, he did not have the Democratic base on board even after President Obama's initial visit.

As a result, a lot of the Democrats stayed home. This IMO cost him the election. I hope that the Governor uses his fortune for good progressive causes after he leaves office. He could really make a difference and back some good groups in New Jersey (Bus for Change anyone?)

Democrats all over the United States, here's a lesson for you. Throw your base a bone, and they will come. Preach to the choir first and they will sing. And to the DGA, look at the approval ratings of all of the governors up for re-election and primary anyone below 50%. In this political climate of "throw em out" then the primary is the best way to hold the seat. My home state of New York comes to mind the most.

What we need to do from here

Unfortunately electing Chris Christie as governor was a a short sighted move in the hands of New Jersey. The voter turnout was low as expected, but even more devastating for people like me who worked very hard to get people out to vote. I care about New Jersey way too much to see us get into the wrong hands.

The battle is not over yet though. In fact it's just begun. In defeat, we can accomplish a lot. First of all Chris Christie is not a clean candidate and he never was. He made his career out of airing the dirty laundry of Democratic politicians (like Senator Menendez) for political reasons. I hate playing dirty, but two can play at this game. Democrats must immediately start filing FOIA requests on Christie.

The Democrats must do the following in the lame duck session of the Legislature before Governor Corzine's term is up:
1) Pass marriage equality. Not only will it make the state a leader in progress, but it will also bring much needed revenue to the state. It will also turn Christie's attention to social issues which New Jersey does not agree with him on.
2) Change the rules on how US Senate vacancies are filled. Two major changes need to be made. The first is that a Democrat must be replaced with a Democrat (as well as a Republican with a Republican-- what's good for the goose is good for the gander here). The senate appointment must promise not to run in the special election to ultimately fill the senate seat for the rest of the term. In the mean time, we must all pray for Senator Lautenberg's health so he can serve out his term.

And finally my party needs to start growing a spine at all levels. Let the Senators and great Democratic Congressmen in Washington fight with Christie on state issues. Congressman Pallone, who I have the utmost respect for, needs to act like he did during his rally speech on Sunday and not like he did in the Red Bank town hell, err I mean hall, this summer. Our Democrats in the Assembly and State Senate need to start growing a spine and acting the same way to Christie as the Republicans in Washington are acting towards Obama.

We can bring Chris Christie down. Sure it will take a fight, but I'm up for it. I'm not sure about any of my readers (whoever they may be), but we need to fight. New Jersey has a history of governors who do not serve out their term. If we fight this, Chris Christie can join the list. We must write and call our Democratic legislators in Trenton (I would but they're all Republicans). We must be active in groups like Democracy for America. We must be active in our local Democratic parties. We can do this, but it takes a fight with an army. Right now, we need to build up our army.

What the hell happened?

so New Jersey's no longer a solid blue state as it should be. We will soon have a Karl Rove protege as governor. Our great county is now in control of the Republicans. Here's what I posted on my Facebook page about this whole election:

What the fuck New Jersey? I thought you were better than this! WTF Asbury? WTF Long Branch--- I spend the last four days walking the streets and you can't even get out and vote? Hello!? Look where it got us--- we lost Trenton and we lost Monmouth County! What the hell do I have to do to get my fellow Democrats out to vote? People died for this right, and you just take it for granted. WTF?

That about sums up how I feel right now. And it surprised quite a few of my friends about this as I'm normally this calm nice girl. Not tonight. I see flashbacks to the 2004 election where the Democrats worked hard but ultimately did not show up. The same thing happened in New Jersey tonight. However the loss hits me so much harder tonight than it did in 2004. The great radio host Thom Hartmann always says to "get out there and get active and that Democracy begins with you." In 2004 I sat there. Yes I gave $20 to John Kerry's campaign. But other than that, I sat on my butt and didn't do anything to get him elected. I didn't knock on any doors, I did not make any phone calls, I did not street canvass, I did not ride on the Bus for Change and get people fired up. I watched the debates and results from home instead of with a group of fired up supporters. I did not bother in any of the local elections.

This time was different. I worked even harder on Corzine's campaign than I did on Obama's campaign. I paid attention to every race on the ticket instead of just the top. I even voted early. We got creamed in the county. Such great candidates, but ultimately all the campaigns could have been managed better. It came down to voter turnout. And ultimately the people that we needed to go get out and vote simply did not. The Democratic base lies largely in minorities and younger voters, who historically do not vote. I'm not sure what else can get them to learn the importance of voting in every election.

It all comes down to you

The race for New Jersey governor has become ugly. Anyone living in NJ (or in the NYC and Philly media markets) have seen the ugly attack ads on both sides.

It's an off-year election, which really does not exist in New Jersey. However a good chunk of the electorate only cares in national elections and think that their representatives in Washington can change their districts. That they can, but Trenton has much more influence than Washington does. Trenton's up for grabs today. We Democrats need to prove the naysayers wrong and tell them that we do care about what goes on in Trenton. AP, LB, Newark, Camden, Paterson, etc all of you guys need to get out and vote. I'd love to see last year's turnout! We need to keep New Jersey blue.

I'll be working on a massive GOTV effort all day, and this will be my last post before the results come in.

rally with President Obama and Governor Corzine

So after the Corzine campaign messed up royally in July by not moving the rally with President Obama to a larger venue, I was finally able to see the President stump for the Governor. We went up to Newark in the new Prudential Center (very nice venue, it was my first time there). I was hoping that Newark's awesome mayor Cory Booker (who will most likely run for Governor in 2013 and then IMO use Trenton to leapfrog to the White House), and I was right.

Before any politician took the stage, we were entertained. One thing that I like about living in NJ is its multiculturalism. Groups representing various cultures in NJ performed acts representing their culture, and I thought that was great. I think that people need to be aware of other cultures. It promotes diversity and increases tolerance.

Four New Jersey Congressmen took the stage. Keep in mind Newark's north Jersey and I'm in central Jersey, so I don't pay as much attention to their politicians. My own Congressman, Frank Pallone took the stage there too, even though M county is not that popular up in Newark (I guess they pay attention to the GOP strongholds in the rural and wealthy parts of the county). If he was as firm with his message as he was yesterday at the town hell, err I mean hall meeting in August, it would have been a completely different experience. I'm still confident that he's fighting for people like me.

Then came the great mayor of Newark, Cory Booker, who I had the pleasure of meeting last week in AP. If anyone can fire up a crowd, he can. Loretta Weinberg, who is Corzine's running mate also took the stage. She's just a ball of fire, and an inspiration to women everywhere. She'll be a great Lt. Governor.

Corzine took the stage and talked about how he is fighting for everyone in the room. People may be skeptical of him because he's an incumbent, but he's sincere in his beliefs and he really has been fighting for working people, education, jobs, and health care. And all this from a guy who works for $1 a year.

Then came the President. He mentioned how he's being told how to clean up the mess he inherited. He mentioned his naysayers that claim the mop he's using to clean up is a socialsit mop. Then he mentioned the importance of voting. Voting is what this election will come down to. If the Democratic base votes, then we win. If they don't then we get 4 years of a Bushie ruling the state. It's up to you New Jersey, I already voted, and I hope everyone else does.

comments on the NJ governor's race

So I haven't been blogging much lately, but again real life got in my way :-) That and the fact that we in New Jersey don't have off year elections. We're in a very ugly race for governor, and Jon Corzine needs all hands on deck to get him re-elected because God knows what the batshit crazy Karl Rove protege Chris Christie would do to this state. We also have all of the state assembly up, and one freeholder in this county up. I'll be relieved when it's all over on Tuesday, but I'll be even happier if we can get at least one (of the 6 in the county) Assembly seat, freeholder, and governor.

I just wonder if that the campaigns have done all they could. I have a few major gripes with the Corzine campaign, as well as the assembly in my district. First I'll gripe on the Corzine campaign.
Corzine brought President Obama here to NJ to campaign for him in July, last week, and again tomorrow (yay I am going!). Now President Obama had some brilliant campaign strategies that should have been also used for Corzine. First of all if you're bringing the president into town, you are going to get a high turnout. The venue for President Obama's initial visit was changed, and ultimately was moved to one that held about 17K. The campaign should know that he could pack the house for a larger crowd. A better venue would have been Rutgers football stadium which holds at least three times that amount.

I also would have put strings on the tickets for the Obama (and VP Biden and President Clinton) events. Last year President Obama brilliantly gave away tickets for his DNC speech in Denver (video's here if you would like to watch) to people who were willing to volunteer for his campaign. Governor Corzine's campaign could have easily done the same thing, and would have had teams of canvassers, phone bankers, etc.

I also have issues with the way he handled my county. It's one of the larger counties in the state, and has a very diverse population-- demographically, economically, and politically. Naturally the wealthier areas lean Republican and the working class areas and inner cities lean Democratic. Corzine's done events in areas where you could count the number of registered Democrats on one hand, yet has largely ignored places like AP and LB, that has a high ethnic population who voted in large numbers for President Obama last year. It almost makes me sad that the campaign wrote off M county because even though we probably won't win (it's a very purple county that Obama lost by 3 points last year). But unlike a presidential election where states have a winner take all electoral vote policy, that does not work in statewide elections with the various counties. So even if you can't carry the county, look at the cities and municipalities within the county and see what you can realistically carry, and maybe stage a rally in one of those towns.

Ultimately I like Corzine. He's a very liberal guy, and I don't understand why everyone hates him. Unlike his predecessors, he did not push problems under the rug, and actually dealt with them. Some of the solution to these problems included finding ways to pay for them (such as raising taxes) but he's working on a long-term solution to the problems instead of a quick fix. Do I think that the Democrats would have had a better chance if Corzine had been primaried? Yes. But am I going to not vote just because the candidate at the top of the ticket is unpopular? HELL NO!! The stakes in this election are too high. A win for Chris Christie (R) would mean that NJ will probably not have the public option for healthcare, our schools privatized, our treasury (whatever's left) raided to give out tax cuts to the rich and corporate handouts. Besides the GOP is becoming such a marginal party now (and I am loving every minute of it), and I really don't want them to use this race as momentum for 2010 and 2012.

Get out and vote everyone.

Is the GOP becoming a reigional party?

This chart (courtesy of Mother Jones) shows the regional favorings of the GOP. Notice the difference between the South and the rest of the country. I often wonder about their future. Are they going to become regional, or is a new conservative party going to form? This is what happens when you kick moderates out of your party.

I can't speak for the demographics of the South as I have never (nor do I intend to) live there.

I'd like to see the same survey regional surveying the favorability of the Democratic party. I wonder if it would be the same. Their stronghold is the northeast and the west coast.

Where the hell are the Democrats? Why are they not trying to cash in big time on this? I swear I need to take back my own party.

Limbaugh wants segregated buses

http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/09/17/limbaugh-we-need-segregated-buses/

Excuse my language but WHAT THE FUCK??? Is Rush back on the OxyCotin? Cause I can't think of any other excuse why a rational person would actually say something like that on the public airwaves. But he's Rush Limbaugh that mentioned this, and he is NOT a rational person.

I knew that a good portion (but not all) of the opposition to President Obama is racist. We can see that in some of these signs. And unfortunately Rush, Hannity, Glenn BecKKK, and the slew of others are simply adding fuel to the fire.

It almost seems as they're calling for the worst to happen to President Obama due to his race. I sincerely hope it's not true, but when their followers do things like bring firearms to presidential events, I worry about the President's safety.

a village cannot reorganize village life to suit the village idiot

Yes New Jersey is a blue state, but we have our fair share of crazy CONservatives here. Rachel Maddow just reported that 61% of McCain voters here think that Obama is the antichrist. Seriously?

Video and the awesome quote above here.

Ten lessons for teabaggers

thanks to the great folks at DU and Crooks and Liars. This was pure brilliance and I had to cross post it

Here, then, are 10 Lessons for Tea Baggers:

1. President Obama Cut Your Taxes
2. The Stimulus is Working
3. First Ronald Reagan Tripled the National Debt...
4. ...Then George W. Bush Doubled It Again
5. Republican States Have the Worst Health Care
6. Medicare is a Government Program
7. Barack Obama is Not a Muslim
8. Barack Obama was Born in the United States
9. 70,000 Does Not Equal 2,000,000
10. The Economy Almost Always Does Better Under Democrats

The details can be found here
http://crooksandliars.com/node/31244

Letter from my Congressman

Glad to hear that people are still fighting for healthcare reform.

Dear Caroline,

Enough talk. It's time for action.

President Obama’s speech to a joint session of Congress helped focus the public’s attention on the urgent need for health insurance reform and the benefits of the reform plan in the House of Representatives, that I have spent more than a year working on. We have made a lot of progress. The plan has been approved by three committees and has generated a lot of support. That is more progress than any reform plan has ever achieved.
I've always believed health care is a fundamental right and not a privilege. I promise to work day-and-night to make sure we pass meaningful legislation that makes a real difference. This past summer, as I do every Congressional recess, I hosted town hall meetings in my district. This year, there were more attendees than ever before. As we've seen all across the country, the health care debate can at times be contentious, but that does not mean we should let our work be derailed.

I've continuously maintained that the public option is the best way to lower costs, increase marketplace competition and ensure that every American has affordable coverage. It is important, I believe, that everyone has choices, the ability to choose their doctors and the ability to choose their insurance plan. It is also important that insurance companies have competition. They should compete for our business, not tell us what they’ll cover and how they’ll do it.

Now is truly the season for action. We're so close to real health care reform. As President Obama said, this will issue will define America's moral character. We need your help, your voice and your passion to get this crucial legislation passed, once and for all.

Sincerely,

Frank Pallone, Jr.

P.S. As always, to stay up-to-date on the ongoing health care debate as it unfolds from Capitol Hill, or any other relevant issues from my office, please follow me on Twitter, connect with me on Facebook, or visit my website.

Billionaires for Wealthcare-- they did it again

with pure brilliance. Here's their response to DC teabaggers on Saturday.

GREAT article on the state of the GOP today

BACK IN 1970 when Richard Nixon nominated a little-known district court judge named Harold Carswell for the Supreme Court and Carswell’s opponents branded him “mediocre,’’ Republican Senator Roman Hruska of Nebraska famously rose to Carswell’s defense. Even if he were mediocre, Hruska said, “mediocre people are entitled to a little representation, aren’t they?’’ With that ringing endorsement, Carswell’s appointment was soundly defeated by the Senate, but not even Hruska could have foreseen how his prescription would be adopted by our political system.

Continued here

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2009/09/12/the_extreme_republican_party/?page=full

where were you?

It's now been 8 years since the 9/11 attacks. If you're anything like me, you still know exactly where you were when you found out, like it was yesterday.

I was asleep when it happened. My dad called me at 8:30 or so and all he told me was "turn on the TV" and did not state a reason. Since that is so unlike him, I listened. Living in metro NY then, the network stations were out (broadcast from the top of the WTC) so I put on CNN and was in disbelief the whole day.

The night before, I went to a Yankees/Red Sox game that was never played due to rain. The following day all I could think about was "what if they attacked Yankee Stadium when over 50K people were there."

I had a co-worker who lost his brother, sister, and sister-in-law in the attacks. One of my classmates at the time worked in the WTC and called in sick that day. Who knew that missing work would save his life (nobody from his company survived). I'm reminded of them every day when I walk around town, as there are 4 benches right next to each other in memory of first responders who died in the attacks.

President Obama's address to Congress

Last night, President Obama gave a kick-ass speech to Congress on health care. He debunked many of the right-wing lies that have been spread about health care (mandatory funding for abortions, they're going to euthanize Grandma, death panels, government takeover of healthcare, etc). However watching the behavior of the Republicans in Congress, I was absolutely appalled. Eric Cantor was on his Blackberry the whole time. But representative Joe Wilson (R-SC) was the most appalling. He had the nerve to yell out and call the President a liar.

If you are as appalled at Wilson's remark as I am, the old saying goes put your money where your mouth is. His opponent in 2010, Rob Miller is cashing in. http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/19079

Here's the address to Congress (I can't find video I can embed on here yet. I will edit when I can find a complete version of the speech.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQhmRhqQsAE

President Obama's adress to students

And this is the "controversial" speech that the right was up in arms about. What is so controversial about staying in school, working hard, and applying yourself?

Response to David Horowitz

Dear Mr. Horowitz--

I agree with you that we are facing a budget emergency, and we have been since 1/20/01. Were you this vocal when opposing your boy George W. Bush when he redistributed massive amounts of wealth to the people who needed it the least in the form of tax cuts, most of which benefited the top 1% of income earners? Were you this vocal in your opposition when Bush also started a war under false pretenses and put it on the United States Visa card? We lost 8 billion dollars in cold hard cash in Iraq? Were you concerned with the deficit then?

I was just a baby when Carter left office. Sure he made some mistakes, but in hindsight he was absolutely right. I could just imagine the path this country would be on had Reagan never been elected. For one thing, we wouldn't have been at war for oil because Carter actually believed in alternative energy.

You seriously think that President Obama is a radical leftist? I would definitely disagree with you. Last year during the election cycle he was frequently called the "most liberal" Senator. I think Senator Bernie Sanders would disagree with you. Senator Sanders actually DOES call himself a Socialist and is not afraid to admit it. Compared to Senator Sanders, the people you mentioned in your letter look as far right as Reagan. And Rahm Emanuel is far from a leftist. In fact most on the left do not like the man, as he's a corporatist at heart with a brother in the health industry.

You seriously think college students are the next great hope for conservatism? Let's take a look at what a generation who does not remember Reagan got from 29 years of conservative rule. Many will graduate with massive student loan debt thanks to federal funding cuts for their education. And because of the bankruptcy laws that Republicans push with their "personal responsibility" talking points, should the worst happen, the debt cannot be discharged in bankruptcy. And that magical high-paying job that is sold to college students has now been outsourced to India thanks to conservative economic policies. If the Obama administration does not fix health care, many college will be uninsured the day they graduate thanks to the current system when they are no longer covered by their parents' plan.

You brag about doing a media tour and tout Glenn Beck. And you want to target young people by going on Fox news? Have you taken a look at the demographics of who watches Fox? It is most likely the grandparents of the college students you would like to target. And Glen BecKKK should just admit who he really is and appear on his show wearing a white hood and burning a cross.

You will not get one dime of my money. Never will so you might as well just kiss me goodbye right now. And don't let the door hit you on the way out. President Obama has promoted bipartisanship and reaching across the aisle, but I often wonder why he still does when all you guys do is spread lies like this piece of trash around.

Sincerely

Caroline