Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Joe Cryan: Doing The Right Things


“A Republican could not have said it any better. This week, Joseph Cryan, the Democratic Party chairman in New Jersey, gave the state’s political establishment a bit of a start when he said on a television program that two state senators under indictment on corruption charges — Sharpe James, Newark’s former mayor, and Wayne R. Bryant of Camden — should resign immediately……………This is not the way these things ordinarily play out, especially when the cases have not yet gone to court. As Jennifer Duffy, a political analyst with The Cook Political Report, put it, “It’s pretty unusual for the party chairman to say, ‘Time to go.’” (Chen, New York Times)

It has been said that “Leadership is the courage to say what is on everyone else’s mind, whether it’s profane or profound.” And State Democratic Chairman Joe Cryan is doing the courageous ----and right ---thing by calling for Senators Wayne Bryant and Sharpe James to step down. It is tough for an elected official to focus his/her attention on representing their constituents while under indictment for corruption charges. And, yes, as ordinary citizens they are innocent until proven guilty. But they are not ordinary citizens. To give their districts the benefit of the best representation possible, their districts deserve representatives who can give full time attention. Cryan does the right thing by asking his own party members to step down.

Assemblyman Joe Cryan is also a good leader in the state legislature, and a strong supporter of a progressive agenda for working families and labor. He serves as the Deputy Majority Leader, Human Services Chair and the Appropriations Vice Chair.

He is a strong supporter of greater access to open government [A2004 -Decreases certain public document copy fees to up to $0.10 or less per letter size page and up to $0.15 or less per legal size page.]; a supporter of a more equitable way to elect the president [A4225 - Enacts the "Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote”] ; and a strong supporter of a healthy environment in the workplace [A2067 - Eliminates smoking ban exemption for casinos and simulcasting facilities.]

New Jersey has a good legislator ---and good leader --- in Joe Cryan.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Joe Cryan calling for the immediate resignation of James and Bryant should be the bare minimum of what we expect from an elected official and party leader. How low are you going to lower your expectations? Jeez, this guy called on two of the most egregious crooks of our time to step down -- yeah and? Way to expect the bare minimum in courage, self thought and public integrity. You disgust me.

Anonymous said...

Hey, glad to have you on board. Show me one case ----just one where a Republica County, State, Municipal Chair----called for the immediate resignation, impeachment, censure, of this president or vice-president for their illegal wire-tapping, lying about the war, cover-up in the Scooter Libby affair. Just one.

Granted, the standards should be higher. However, Joe Cryan is still diamonds and pearls above any Republican in my book.

Anonymous said...

Hey, glad to have you on board. Show me one case ----just one where a Republican County, State, Municipal Chair----called for the immediate resignation, impeachment, censure, of this president or vice-president for their illegal wire-tapping, lying about the war, cover-up in the Scooter Libby affair. Just one.

Granted, the standards should be higher. However, Joe Cryan is still diamonds and pearls above any Republican in my book.

Anonymous said...

The only diamonds and pearls Cryan has are the ones he stole from the taxpayers.