Trying to spin in our defense
By GoroOfLoanFor those who mock the great State of New Jersey, poking fun of the so-called "Culture of Corruption," consider this spin:
* A Governor of New Jersey has never been convicted of a crime, although Harold Hoffman, a Republican who served from 1935 to 1938, made a posthumous admission that he systematically stole tax dollars for years.
* It's been 25 years since a New Jersey Congressman was indicted. Frank Thompson, Jr., a 13-term Democrat from Trenton, was convicted in the Abscam scandal. Democrat Henry Helstoski was acquitted on his 1975 corruption charge and later went on to serve as the Superintendent of Schools in North Bergen.
* Only two United States Senators from New Jersey have actually served prison time: Harrison Williams, a four-term Democrat who was convicted in Abscam and resigned in 1981; and Jonathan Dayton, a Senator from 1799 to 1805, who was accused of conspiring with Aaron Burr to commit treason in 1807. Dayton, a former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, was released and never brought to trial, and seven years later made a political comeback when he won a State Assembly seat.
Contributors
Wally Edge
Reports that Lisa Jackson could be headed to Washington as Barack Obama's Environmental Protection Agenecy director means that Gov. Jon ... >
Bob Torricelli
There's nothing more difficult to see than the history before your eyes. It sometimes takes generations to understand the significance of ... >
Michael Patrick Carroll
OK, he didn't say precisely that, but when the Chairman of the Budget Committee informs us that governmental spending is the key to prosperity, ... >
Debbie Holtz
Score one for the Governor’s public relations team. For the last few weeks, they have been working overtime to fuel speculation Corzine was being ... >
Dr. Joseph Marbach
I am pleased to report the results from the first national poll conducted by Environmental Studies Program in the College of Arts and Sciences at ... >
Rob Tornoe
To view a larger version of this cartoon, click here. >
Michael P. Riccards
The media, which loves headlines and knows little history, is trying to sell President Elect Obama as another Franklin Delano Roosevelt. But that ... >
Joey Novick
When I was eleven, way back in 1965, my family was invited for Thanksgiving to my cousins’ cousins, a Jewish-Italian family who lived in the ... >
Juan Melli
After the entire Star-Ledger editorial board opted to accept the paper's buyout offer, John Farmer, a 26-year veteran of the paper, was tasked ... >
Carla Katz
A couple of weeks ago, my mother, Angelina Katz, did her second debate on behalf of Barack Obama. A debate? My mother? If you knew her, you’d be ... >
Patricia Quattrocchi
A rained out MusicFest this past September has provided Union County with $275,000 in insurance monies. The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders ... >
Murray Sabrin
Like a horde of addicts looking for their next fix, 49 of the nation’s governors or governors-elect descended on the City of Brotherly Love last ... >
Poll
PolitickerNJ Partners
Hot Topics
| Politicker INTERACTIVE | |
 |
Lawmaker Profile Follow the funding of your representatives |
 |
270 to Win See how Obama got to the magic number |
Most Active Stories
- Christie says give him four to six weeks
- Lonegan enters race for Republican gubernatorial nomination
- David Crabiel, longtime Middlesex Freeholder, dead at 78
- Lonegan to kick off his second gubernatorial campaign today
- Amid economic downturn, mayoral backlash, Lesniak anticipates COAH finetuning
- Team Lonegan
- Ariyan mum on BCDO chairmanship prospects
- Some county chairs keep their gubernatorial options open -- for now
- Marra will be Acting U.S. Attorney
- Breaking a glass ceiling: will New Jersey get a Latino Secretary of Agriculture?
- Correction: Weiner departure was not his own idea
- Torricelli on COAH
- Two N.J. super delegates go to Obama; Norcross backs Obama; key Clinton supporters endorse Obama
- At energy policy meeting, Rose fights with cabinet and walks away
- Sixteen Democrats are on Norcross' short list for Andrews House seat
- Roughneen in court today on signature challenge
- Jackson will be Corzine's new Chief of Staff
- Obama bundler says he lost $25 billion of N.J. pension funds
- New Jersey's Most Powerful Law Firms
- Amid economic downturn, mayoral backlash, Lesniak anticipates COAH finetuning
Recent Posts From Inside Edge
Quote of the Day
"Even in an era when public officials are being called with increasing frequency to answer criminal charges of corruption in office, their legal defense costs could hardly be described as an 'ordinary' expense of office-holding," the three-judge panel wrote." -- A three-Judge panel, ruling that convicted former State Sen. Wayne Bryant can't use leftover campaign funds to pay his legal fees.
Recent Press Releases
In the News
Read the expanded Wake Up Call, our summary of today’s news media coverage.
Today’s Must Reads:
James R. Lambert: Convicted Felon, Head of Authority― ONLY IN NEW JERSEY...AND PENNSYLVANIA
Why can't we find a role for Christie in Washington? ― MIKE KELLY
Christie Gives Notice, and G.O.P. Gains Hope ― DAVID KOCIENIEWSKI
Christie's legcy― THE BERGEN RECORD
Corzine for Treasury? Don't Bet on It.― WASHINGTON POST
Immigrants still in New Jersey― THE BERGEN RECORD
Syndicate
Comments