What Their Side Says----

Now you may have thought that the only people from Their Side who say wacky things are Michael Patrick Carroll, Steve Lonegan and Michael Doherty, but nooooo. Here are others---What Their Side Says...

A congressional candidate in Alabama, Rick Barber, a self-described tea party adherent, claims in a new advertisement that the health law amounts to "slavery," reports, in a separate story. "In his latest ad, the tea party candidate is speaking with a revived Abraham Lincoln.

'Hey Abe,' Barber says, 'if someone is forced to work for months to pay taxes so that a total stranger can get a free meal, a medical procedure or a bailout, what's that called?' Before Lincoln answers, Barber cuts in to ask: 'What's it called when one man is forced to work for another?' 'Slavery,' Lincoln says.”

"Barber will face Martha Roby in a runoff on July 13 for the GOP nomination to oppose incumbent Alabama Rep. Bobby Bright (D) in November." Barber defended his ad, which also included Nazi imagery, saying "Somebody has to say this. When Hitler took power, no one wanted to think that the Holocaust, the murder of 6 million Jewish people, was possible. I'm saying that you have to recognize and name tyranny when you see it", according to MSNBC.

Steve Lonegan anti-Cap and Trade Road Show

Went to see the Steve Lonegan anti-Cap and Trade Road Show last night. This one in Clinton, in the heart of conservative-right wing-libertarian Lonegan country.

Packed house for the usual right-wing debunking of the global warming "myth/conspiracy". On hand, of course, was Assemblyman Mike Doherty, the original anti-global warming zealot.

Packed house—all the usual Republicans were there: Hunterdon Chairman Kuhl (no question with a name like that he be opposed to global warming); the aforementioned Mike Doherty, who had his own anti-global warming road show while back---the one where he was asked if he believed in evolution, and he said, “It does not matter. Evolution or creationism. It just does not matter.” Erik Peterson, the winner of the political sweepstakes shift when Leonard Lance won his seat in Congress.

Missing were State Senator Marcia Karrow and Congressman Lance, himself.

Lance has always been a good thinker, and an independent legislator, by and large. No doubt he is a Republican by philosophy, geography and family lineage ----however in a district that went big time for Lonegan in the gubernatorial primary, he may be shifting too far to the center to suit some of the RLC* folks –*Republican Conservative-Libertarian. His vote for Cap -n- Trade was one of the few Republican votes in Congress. Three from NJ, so he was not alone. But the usually popular Lance got booed last night.

Much of the anti-Cap and Trade was based on their “proof” that climate change does not exist. Debunking Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” with stories by John Stossell about how a photo of a polar bear was taken in August; how the whole global warming conspiracy can be traced somehow to Goldman Sachs, who would make billions on Cap n Trade; and how their science (which comes from ‘objective’ sources like The Heritage Foundation) was just seeking The Truth.

Anyway, 250 or so angry folks sat and listened to Lonegan, who cracked jokes (“Proof of climate change for me is the change in women’s lingerie over the years.”), asserted that Friends of The Earth and the Sierra Club were “communist front groups” (Are you listening Comrade Tittle?) and got cued-boos when he mentioned Obama, Gore, or Lance.

By way, maybe the liberalism is catching: Congressman Lance and Al Gore both went to the same law school, Vanderbilt University Law School.

Anyway, if any of the folks there did not see “An Inconvenient Truth”, it is now available on DVD.

Cap and Trade is what the Republicans always say they want: tax incentives to promote environmental protection, rather than government regulation.

Americans for Prosperity conference

Second to none in the Republican world are the folks from Americans for Prosperity (AFP). These conservatoids march to the beat of a different drummer on their side of the political aisle.

Their leader in New Jersey is none other than former gubernatorial candidate Steve Lonegan. Now, this time around he was taken a bit more seriously by the Republican powers that be and they actually ran attack-commercials against him touting his 'flat-tax' as a scam to raise taxes on "70% of New Jersey residents" which "Lonegan actually admitted to the Philadelphia Inquirer". Yup, folks---if you're gonna raise taxes on New Jersey residents go out of state to admit it. Now, the flat tax, as I hear tell it would have raised taxes on the lowest level income folks in NJ.

And Lonegan said that was OK 'cause it was "not really that much" (an additional $400 per year or so"), and that the money would be used to help create jobs and stimulate the economy. Now, let me understand this----you're going to help create jobs and stimulate the NJ economy with tax dollars? Is not that what President Obama is attempting to do with federal stimulus money? And Steve is just willing to do it with poor people's money----but not rich people's apparently. Maybe the rich are different. Their money is no good here.

Anyway, the AFP folks included Lonegan, and Joe Schlip (Piscataway Republican Club guy and the guy they chose to introduce their keynote speaker, Curtis Sliwa) who is pro-life to the nth degree, against marriage equality, and told me he believes that Islamists are taking over Europe and if we did not do something in America we would be an "Islamist Republic" in years to come. Well, his exact time frame was 25 years, so I have got 2024 marked on my calendar for the ocassion. Joe, you can pick up your tin-foil hat at the next AFP convention.

It was fun as I got to meet Ryan, the 22 year-old conservative true believer who was staffing a table for the conference. A firece conservative-libertarian, Ryan wants the government out of his life completely----even to the point of not wanting any local zoning boards making sure that an oil refinery could not be zoned next to his house. "My freedom is important to me," he said. "If that means losing the value of my home, that's OK with me." Perhaps Ryan can purchase his home in Joe Schlip's future America from the folks from the future Islamist Republic----and wear his own tin-foil hat during the house closing.

At the AFP Con, I got to meet Curtis Sliwa, who I miss broadcasting with Ron Kuby on WABC in the mornings. Curtis [now on at night] and Kuby [now on Air America, I think] were bumped a year or so by Don Imus. Funny how life works---Imus calls the Rutgers womens basketball team "nappy headed hoes", ---and voila----Kuby ends up in radio wasteland. Love Air America, when I can get it, which is not that often. What goes around comes around, even if it you did not start it.

In my neck of conservative NJ, Lonegan won big---and so did Michael Doherty, edging off Mrcia Karrow---a good legislator who was a good critical thinker most of the time. Doherty, however, will join the other right-wingers from out here in the back rows of the NJ Senate.

So, it goes.

Breakfast With Republicans

The other morning I ventured where few Democrats have gone before: To a post-Election Day Republican breakfast in Hunterdon County.

With Senator Leonard Lance’s Congressional win a mere 48 hours old, the buzzards have already started circling around his soon to vacated Senate seat. The first bird to buzz his intentions to run: Assemblyman Mike Doherty. Doherty arrived early to the gathering, worked the room, shaking hands, flashing his grin, and being very open about his intentions. “He will definitely be running in the June [2009] State Senate primary, whether he gets chosen by the County Committee members or not,” declared Ed Smith, the Assemblyman’s Chief of Staff.

Doherty has flirted before with running for Senate against Frank Lautenberg, but got out early. Had he run for US Senate, that would have been a debacle for him. Doherty is a West Point grad, and has been given high marks by National Rifle Association, New Jersey Right to Life and several other conservative leaning groups. He is so right-wing, he makes Reagan look like Karl Marx. He does not believe that global warming exists, by the way.

His most likely opponent for Lance’s Senate seat: Assemblywoman Marcia Karrow. Ms. Karrow was insistent on the fact that she has not decided as of yet, and wanted to not steal Senator’s Lance’s victory thunder. A big gamble for both Doherty and Karrow: they both have to give up their Assembly seats to run for Senator.

So, Lance’s win has started an avalanche of Republican candidates in wait and see mode: Hunterdon Freeholders Erik Peterson, Matt Holt, Ron Sworen, along with Warren Freeholder John DeMaio and a menagerie of mayors might get in to the Assembly race, should both Karrow and Doherty run. And then, of course, that move would trigger an equally crowded field for the open freeholder spots, perhaps in both Hunterdon and Warren.

When I arrived at the Republican fest, ---I got questions like “Are you changing parties?” “What are you doing here?” It was all very amusing, and I am confident enough in my Democratic Party membership, that I can be in a room of Rs, and not catch anything. And while everyone was celebrating the victory of Senator Lance, not one mention of Barack Obama or John McCain. Go figure.

It’s Election Day…again.

In the movie Groundhog Day, weatherman Phil Connors experiences the same day over and over again. Now it seems that Michigan and maybe Florida may want to do ‘Election Day’ over again. Once more with feeling, and maybe they can actually seat their delegates.

Michigan has a good number of delegates –156, to be exact. The state set their presidential primary early early---on January 15th, in violation of the DNC rules. So, they got slapped back and their delegates did not get counted. No Democrat stepped foot in to Michigan to campaign.

Now, Michiganders---like State Senator Tupac Hunter of Detroit [an Obama supporter] wants to get back in the game. "We don't want to go into the convention with Michigan and Florida hanging in the balance," he declared.

Their new primary or caucus could be in June, but the Obama-Clinton race might be over by then anyway. Oh, well.

Glad we got all that done and done in New Jersey real early.

Now, of course, Assemblyman Mike Doherty wants to turn the clock back and make NJ be irrelevant again: He is going to introduce legislation moving presidential primary back to June.

“…here is an easy way to save more than ten million dollars without having a negative impact on the people of this state…holding one primary election instead of two is just common sense.”

Yup, just common sense. In SillyLand, maybe.

Mr. Doherty: Records numbers of young people registered to vote. Record numbers of people voted ---on both sides of the aisle. New Jersey was relevant in the primary, unlike in years passed. Candidates came and campaigned here----again, on both sides of the aisle.

But maybe you’re right.

Since the Democratic Party will win the White House anyway, and will be united behind the re-election of the president in 2012, we won’t have the need for a primary in NJ, anyhow.

Only your party will.

Mensch of the Week and Putz of The Week Friday, January 11th

We’re on our fifth week or so in a row of Mensch of the Week and Putz of The Week, and I've received several emails from readers out there with some comments. I thought this week I would not only name the new Mensch of the Week and new Putz of The Week, but take an opportunity to answer some questions about the feature.

Rafael G. of Plainfield asks, “I have heard of Putz. But what is a Mensch?”

Thanks, Rafael. A Mensch is a Yiddish word ---that roughly means "a good person." A "mensch" is a particularly good person, like "a stand-up guy.” For example, a person in your family who lends you money or a good friend who does a favor he does not have to. That’s a mensch.

Gloria L. of Tewksbury writes, “All your Putzes of the week all seem to be Republicans. Why is that?”.

Thanks, Gloria. I can honestly say that the Mensch/Putz Selection Committee never checks political party registration. I think that they apply standard basic Mensch/Putz criteria, handed down through the ages. Where the gauntlet falls, well that is up to the Selection Committee.

Finally, Stephanie R. of Perth Amboy inquires, “I read your posts everyday. Sometimes you’re a Putz. Sometimes you’re a Mensch. What is it with you?”

Well, thanks, I think.

I guess it’s just the normal balance and dichotomy of life. Y'know --- Country/Rock. Good cop/bad cop. Putz/Mensch. What are you going to do? That’s life.

Now on to this week’s choices. Briefly.

So who wants to be a millionaire? Practically everyone in New Jersey.

New Jersey has the highest property taxes in the nation. We also have the highest insurance rates in the nation. And now, we have the highest percentage of millionaires in the nation.

Yup, when it comes to people with the big bucks, we got’em. Lots of them.

The Garden State ranked No. 2 for two years until 2006, according to the Phoenix Affluent Marketing Service. But last year we surged to the No. 1 position, with Maryland in number 2. Connecticut is third, and Ahnold’s California is just number ten.

So, to the fine folks at the Phoenix Affluent Marketing Service who collect this data so that big companies know where to market luxury products and investments -----you’re the Mensch of Week. Thanks for giving NJ a number one designation we can finally be proud of.

Putz of the Week

Assemblyman Mike Doherty has never been my favorite member of the Assembly. Indeed, since he is a mostly libertarian conservative Republican, there is not too much we agree on. He does not believe in global warming or evolution. And another thing he does not believe in, is voting his conscience.

This week Mr. Doherty abstained when it came to voting on New Jersey’s apology for our role in slavery. Abstained. While other Republicans at least had the courage of their convictions and voted “NO”, Doherty could not even muster that effort.

Doherty, said the bill was "a part of a bigger issue to keep all Americans divided". Yes, I am sure that the chief sponsor of the bill, Assemblyman Payne woke up one day and queried, 'Hmmm, how can I divide America today?'

And so, not because he opposed apologizing for slavery ----but because he could not muster enough conscience to cast a vote against it, Mr. Doherty is once again Putz of The Week.

Mensch of the Week and [almost] Putz of the Week

Mensch of the Week 12/28/07

I have been a card carrying member of the ACLU of New Jersey for several years, having attended their state Board meetings, and helped raise money for their fine work with a comedy show. They do great work and Executive Director Deborah Jacobs and Legal Director Ed Barocas are outstanding at their respective jobs.

In 2004, I participated in an Election Day “Election Protection” action, making sure that new voters coming to the polls were informed of their rights. The ACLU was one of the groups that sponsored that action, and they do the same each year.

Said the ACLU in a press release:

“In previous elections, the ACLU-NJ, in conjunction with other public interest organizations, organized volunteers to hand out voter rights cards on election days to inform individuals of their rights at the polls. The voter rights cards provide general information and contain no mention of any individual running for office or any public question to be voted upon.”

With regard to Election Day and Primary Day in New Jersey, Attorney General Anne Milgram “banned all contact with voters entering polling sites and all contact, except 'exit polling', with people leaving polling sites." The Attorney General's Directive also requires "media representatives or representatives of a public interest groups to obtain advance approval from their county Board of Elections to conduct exit polling, and also provide the Board with two weeks notice of the exact locations where exit polling will take place, and the names of each person conducting the polls.”

The ACLU recognized that “Free speech and voting rights are core American values," and that the “Attorney General's decision to restrict such democratic activities on Election Day goes against everything this country stands for and aspires to.” Well said.

This week the fine folks at the ACLU filed a Motion seeking to stop the State AG from enforcing her prohibition on free speech activities within 100 feet of a polling place, including handing out voter rights cards.

For their commitment to free speech, and to the their ongoing efforts for election protection---especially in this year’s very important presidential Primary Day election February 5th, the ACLU of NJ is our Mensch of the Week this week at NJPoliticsUnusual.com.

[Almost] Putz of the Week

Last week’s Putz of the Week was Congressman Ron Paul, for his absolute refusal to return a campaign contribution from a white supremacist who founded the StormFront.org website. The site espouses racism and anti-Semitism rhetoric.

Assemblyman Mike Doherty is the only elected official in New Jersey who has publicly endorsed Congressman Paul. Earlier this week, I called the Doherty office to see if he had a position on whether or not Paul should have returned the contribution.

I spoke with his Constituent Services director, and sent a follow-up email. Thus far, I have received no response. Given the fact that it is a holiday week, perhaps he has been out of his office, and not attending to business. So, that makes him an ‘almost-Putz’ of the Week.

I will follow up with a final call and follow-up email after the holidays. So, until then he is merely an “almost”.

Stay tuned for more next week.

Doherty on marriage equality: An Evil Plan

Mike Doherty thinks that marriage equality is an evil plan to divert the public's attention from 'real issues'. But first, the background story...

Assemblyman Michael Doherty’s call for a statewide vote on marriage equality brings to mind this verse, which Lee Hays credited to E.Y. "Yip" Harburg when he sang it on stage in 1980 at a Carnegie Hall Weavers reunion concert:

“Democracy gives us the choice of which machine to vote with.
Or choose which brand of razor blade we'd rather cut our throat with.”

Does Doherty really believe in democracy as the best way to settle such issues? I think not.

Of course, Doherty is the same guy who, when the issue is something he adamantly opposes, also opposes placing the issue on the ballot.

Like the bond issue on the ballot this fall for funding embryonic stem cell research. That issue Doherty voted against sending to ballot. Doherty and democracy? Go figure.

Seems kind of hypocritical to me, Mike.

But wait there’s more: According to this week’s Hunterdon County Democrat, Doherty believes that "gay rights advocates are using the [marriage equality] issue to divert law makers and the public from 'real issues like state debt, property taxes or the governor’s plan to sell the states transportation assets.' "

Huh?

Incredulously, he says. “Frankly I am sick and tired of having the issue shoved in my face every day and every way…It’s a constant agitation of society, much like former President Bill Clinton’s "Wag The Dog" antics to keep the heat off his personal indiscretions.”

Of course, two of the ‘antics’ of President Clinton’s that Doherty refers to were “Operation Desert Fox”, a bombing campaign in Iraq against military targets, and "Operation Infinite Reach", a pair of missile strikes against suspected terrorist targets in Sudan and Afghanistan. But I digress.

Yes, I am sure that the evil master plan of Steven Goldstein and Garden State Equality ---- is to divert the public’s attention from “state debt” and “property taxes”.

Yeah, that's the ticket. An evil master plan. I can see the GSE Exec Board meeting now…

Steven Goldstein: “OK, folks we need an evil master plan to divert public attention from ‘property taxes’ and ‘state debt’. Whaddaya got for me?

Exec Board Member # 1: How about we advocate for huggin' trees? People love trees. That should divert their attention.

Goldstein: Nope, it’s been done. The Sierra Club. What else?

Exec Board Member #2: How about we advocate for animal rights? People love those little kittens and puppies!

Goldstein: Not bad. But I think we need to involve 'humans'. What else you got? We need ideas, dammit…

Exec Board Member #3: I got it! They’ll fall for this one: We advocate for marriage equality. Gay marriage. And get this: We start out with “domestic partnership”. Then we move on to “civil unions”. Then we hit the public with “full fledge marriage equality”, when civil unions don't really work out.

Goldstein: Brilliant! Fabulous! That should keep the public attention off of “property taxes” and “state debt” for years! Mwa -hahaha! Mwa-hahaha! I'll call Corzine! Let’s get the ball rolling!

Mr. Doherty, If you were truly conservative, you’d support marriage equality.

After all, what is more conservatizing than allowing two people who love each other, two people who wish to form a bond and raise a family, two people in love who wish to put down roots in to their community, buy a house, pay property taxes, ----to be able to express that love in the form of a civil marriage?

The NJ Supreme Court has already laid the groundwork on the issue, and the legislature has spoken. And Mr. Doherty, as a legislator, you are bound to follow the law.

Marriage equality is a civil liberty. We don't 'vote' on civil liberties.

Flintstones, Meet The Flintstones

Now Assemblyman Mike Doherty has a place to visit and learn all about creationism.

Just when you thought the right-wing religious fundamentalists couldn't do anything else more goofy, they have opened a museum in Kentucky (where else?) dedicated to the 'fact' that man and dinosaur stood side by side, not more than 6,000 years ago.

Yup, Fred, Barney, Wilma, and Dino were all real to these folks.

The Genesis Creation Museum presents a “walk through history. Designed by a former Universal Studios exhibit director, this state-of-the-art 60,000 square foot museum brings the pages of the Bible to life.” Of course, here Darwin is the anti-Christ ---so to speak. He is vilified every step of the way with multi-screen video projections and animotronics Walt Disney himself would envy.

The exhibits have names like “Culture in Crisis”, which shows a suburban house with several windows where museum goers can ‘look in’ on a typical American household challenged by today’s ‘culture’ corrupted by Darwin and evolution.

The first window shows two boys looking at porn and doing drugs; the second window shows a teen girl crying while looking at a pamphlet on abortion; and the third window shows a wife and husband arguing. Apparently, the museum designers seem to have no problem with people looking in the windows of their neighbors, as long the issue is the evil of evolution.

Other exhibits are called “God’s Word versus Human Reason”, “Trail of Life” (which show dinosaurs walking right along with Adam and Eve), and “the Six Cs of History” [creation, corruption, catastrophe, confusion, Christ and the final C, ‘consummation’ ---the Apocalypse. Of course, someone should tell them that Apocalypse begins with an “A”.] Even the café has a theme, “Noah’s Cafe”. Maybe on the menu are pairs of sandwiches made from of every kind of animal.

Perhaps the Republican Presidential candidates who don’t believe in evolution (Brownback, Tancredo and Huckabee) could join Assemblyman Mike Doherty and his family on a vacation there, as a respite from their busy campaign schedules.



If you go, tell them Fred and Barney sent you.

Republicans about to take a right turn down a dead end street

From our friends at the Philly Inquirer:

"With the 120-member Legislature wrapping up the state budget last month, the political season is under way. And with every legislative seat up for grabs, Lance becomes one of the state's most important political figures as Republicans try to gain a share of power in Trenton...As the Democrats' power has grown, so have the conservative voices in Lance's own party, which argue that the GOP must run hard to the right to give voters an alternative. That's a tough fit for Lance, who is a fiscal conservative but a moderate on social issues and a favorite of environmentalists."



If the Repubs this year follow the likes of extreme right-wingers Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan, Assemblyman Mike Doherty, Assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll, or Senator Tom Kean, Jr., etc ---- they will find themselves deeper and deeper in a political black hole.


New Jersey voters support stem-cell research.
They are pro-choice and pro-environment.
They oppose the War in Iraq and do not support President Bush.

Someone should buy the right-wing Repubs a clue.

Doherty: Out of Touch now, Out of Time --- come November

It’s that time of year again folks!

Time to let the people of New Jersey know just how out of touch the values of Assemblyman Mike Doherty really are. And there is no better way to expose the values of our right-wing Repub rep than to give a sampling of the bills he has sponsored. Let’s begin!

Civil Unions

Right-wing Mike sponsored bill A1398, a bill that “Includes same sex marriages among marriages declared void”. The bill also “provides that New Jersey will not recognize marriages in other jurisdictions which are void in New Jersey.”

Doherty even wants to change the New Jersey Constitution with ACR250 which “Proposes a constitutional amendment to provide that only the union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as marriage.”

Other right-wing Repubs joining Doherty in sponsoring this type of legislation include Assembly members Richard A. Merkt, Alison Littell McHose, Alex DeCroce, and Guy Gregg.

Doherty also voted against the Domestic Partnership law, and Civil Unions, in spite of the Lewis v. Harris New Jersey Supreme Court ruling making civil unions legal.

What is it exactly about civil unions that so scares Doherty? If he has a religious objection, the law does not force religious institutions to perform civil unions. And civil unions will not dimish marriage in New Jersey one bit.

If Mike were a true conservative, rather than a neo-con, he would support civil unions as an institution because it is the law, and oppose the Defense of Marriage Act as an infringement of states' rights. He is first and foremost a 'situational conservative', and espouses all the situational ethics that results.

Stem Cell Research

Doherty was the primary sponsor of two bills --- A3949 and A3950, which would have a devastating impact on stem cell research in New Jersey. A3949 “Repeals the statute setting forth public policy of State on stem cell research.”

Even more harmful to stem cell research would be A3950, which “Prohibits use of public funds for embryonic stem cell research.” New Jersey needs to be at the forefront of the nation in this research because of the enormous economic and medical benefits.

If Mike were a true conservative, rather than a neo-con, he would support stem cell research as the result of good scientific research, for the many economic benefits for New Jersey, and for the many possible medical benefits for those with dibilitating disease. However, one cannot expect much from someone who says it does not matter if you believe in the science of evolution or in 'creationism'. Once again, Doherty is first and foremost a 'situational conservative', and espouses all the situational ethics that results.

The working families of New Jersey should not let the "out of touch" perspective of Doherty win the day on these issues.

Doherty wants to run for Senate? Just let him try.

New Jersey and Stem Cell Research: Perfect Together.

New Jersey and Stem Cell Research are Perfect Together. But no thanks to Assemblyman Mike Doherty.

According to the Star-Ledger today, "New Jersey's drive to become a center for stem cell research advanced on two fronts yesterday: The state authorized $9.1 million to launch construction of a stem cell research lab and lawmakers agreed to ask voters to approve $450 million to bankroll research grants.”

However, Republican Assemblyman Mike Doherty voted to oppose the plan.

This is a man who questions the existence of global warming. He says that it “does not matter” if we believe in the science of evolution or creationism. It is disturbing that we have a representative in Trenton who does not believe in science.

In the past, folks such as Doherty would have been considered harmless crackpots who sometimes wrote letters to local newspapers or stood on street corners shouting at passersby that the world was ending next Thursday. But today, the Republicans nominate him to run for Assembly, and the folks in Warren and Hunterdon Counties actually elect him to represent our interests in Trenton. Yes, I am proud to say this is one of the people representing me in the state legislature.

NJ can be and should be a leader in the effort to make the benefits of stem cell research a reality. The economic benefits for New Jersey are many, too many to list here. The possible medical benefits of stem cell research are also too many to list here, but can be found on the website of Dr. Fred Ferrari, a local Republican and a stem cell research activist. Yes, folks, there are some thinking Republicans out there.

However, Mike Doherty is not one of them.

There’s gonna be a new sheriff in town: Can’t the Republicans get along part II

The surprising winner of the hotly contested Republican primary in Hunterdon County for sheriff was Deborah Trout, a 16 year veteran of the Hunterdon County sheriff’s office, and one of four former officers who sued soon-to-be-former Sheriff Bill Doyle for harassment. How did she win? Who’s support did she have?

Well, let’s see:

Buzz Howell had the endorsement of current sheriff Doyle.

Tony Critelli, another former sheriff’s officer who sued for harassment, had the party line next to winners Lance-Karrow-Doherty.

George Muller, the freeholder who gave up his safe freeholder seat to build up his pension years in the state system, had the first line on the ballot,-- not a bad place to be. He lost by a handful of votes.

What spot did Trout have? Next to last, below everyone else but Howell. That’s where County Clerk Melfi placed her on the ballot. Even Trout was surprised at that. She told the Hunterdon County Democrat newspaper that she did not know that the County Clerk was going set up the ballot reflecting who filed their petitions first. Had she known that, she said, she would have filed earlier.

Dolye said some pretty nasty things about both Critelli and Trout, in his endorsement of Howell.

So, who’s support did she have? The support of the people. Shows you what good campaigning will do.

However, she will face a tough campaign in the fall against Bruce Cocuzza, the current Police Director in Lambertville and former NYC Police Captain. His background will be very formidable to run against for Trout.

Doherty for Senate 2008: Deal or No Deal?

“Deal or No Deal” host Howie Mandel has reinvented himself again and again over the years --- from prop comedian to actor to talk-show host and now to game show host. The Republicans this season seem to be doing the same thing. First, Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani re-invent themselves as conservatives by denying their pro-choice stand on abortion. And now, Senator Leonard Lance and Assemblywoman Marcia Karrow are hedging their bets with conservatives, too----by coming out early and supporting Assemblyman Mike Doherty for a US Senate run in 2008. Given their history of being fiscally conservative but socially liberal, this seems to me like an about face.

Do these two rational thinking Republicans really share core values with Doherty----enough to support him for Senate? This is a man, who in a recent debate on global warming with Assemblywoman Linda Stender, denied the existance of global climate change. He declared that he does not believe in evolution, either. “It does not matter. Evolution or creationism. It just does not matter,” said Doherty. Well, at least Doherty is in line on that issue with 30% of the Republican candidates for President. Doherty is not only out of touch with his district; he is out of touch with New Jersey.

And certainly there are Republicans who have more well rooted conservative credentials than Doherty. Congressman Chris Smith, for example. And certainly there are Republicans whose values appear to be more in line with most of New Jersey, like the often-mentioned U.S. Attorney Chris Christie. Even Lance himself would make a better Senate candidate than Doherty.

Although Republicans all, Lance and Karrow do not appear to share core values with Doherty. They are both pro-choice; Doherty is not. Lance supported the Highlands Act; Doherty does not. Perhaps something else is afoot. I smell a deal…

Earlier this year, Doherty floated the idea that he was exploring a run for Lance’s state Senate seat. Senator Lance [who serves as the Republican Minority Leader] certainly could have held off a challenge by Doherty in the 23rd Senate District, but perhaps such a run would have shown Lance’s weakness with the conservatives in the district. Or maybe some weakness in Doherty’s home county of Warren. Who knows? Lance’s name has been mentioned as a possible nominee for the Supreme Court, so I am sure he would not have wanted a primary for his Senate seat to muck up the works. Either way, sometime before the filing deadline in April, all the Republicans kissed and made up, so there was no divisive primary. Deal or No Deal?

So, who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of New Jersey Republicans in their support for Doherty. Of those Republicans who still have hearts, I mean.

Assemblyman Mike Doherty: Maybe he believes the Earth is flat, too.

Winston Churchill said, "A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on." On the Tuesday, May 8th, the lies that traveled around our world threatened by global warming were told by Assemblyman Mike Doherty [a presumptive candidate for US Senate in 2008], and his cohort, Jim Tayor, a spokesperson/lawyer from the Heartlands Institute, a reputed ‘think-tank’ funded in large part by big oil companies. The Heartlands Institute espouses that global warming does not exist and is just a scam to raise taxes.

I had the opportunity that evening to attend a debate between Mr. Doherty and Assemblywoman Linda Stender---a debate I thought would be on the ways we can endeavor to combat the dangers imposed by global climate change caused by the release of carbon dioxide in to the atmosphere. Instead what the attendees were treated to was a ‘debate’ on whether global climate change even existed.

Ms. Stender brought with her to support her position on the dangers of global warming, Dr. Alan Robuck of Rutgers University, a scientist who has worked on the issue of global warming for the past thirty-three years. Mr. Doherty chose to bring with him, not a scientist, but a ‘spokesperson’ [Mr. James Taylor] from the Heartlands Institute. The fact that the Heartlands Institute is funded in large part by big oil companies makes one question the credibility of their motivation herein.

After opening statements by the state representatives, the scientist and the ‘spokesperson’, questions came from the audience of about 50 people. The most telling question of the evening revealed Mr. Doherty’s questionable core belief system about science in general. He was asked whether or not he believed in evolution, ---a inquiry reflective of the question asked of the Republican Presidential contenders. In the recent Republican presidential debate, 30% of the presumptive nominees revealed that they did not believe in evolution. Mr. Doherty expressed a similar point of view, by saying, “It does not matter. Evolution or creationism. It just does not matter.” Perhaps he believes that the Earth is flat, too. Perhaps Mike should check out the Flat Earth Society at www.theflatearthsociety.org. But I digress.

Mr. Doherty’s denial of the existence of global warming and evolution, in spite of the overwhelming evidence for both, is alarming. The fact that this person is actually one of the members of the New Jersey State Assembly voting for our district is even more disturbing. Perhaps Mr. Doherty needs to go back to high school and sit in a basic freshman science class at Hunterdon Central. His position is narrow minded thinking at best and anti-intellectual scientific revisionism at its worst.

Don't be Like Mike.