Like Yogi Berra said, "This is like deja vu all over again."

When it comes to Republicans, the great Yogi Berra is right.

Case in point: Jim Bunning is a Republican Senator from Kentucky. And in his prime, he was a great pitcher with the Phillies. Also, he is in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Bunning became the first pitcher to record 100 wins and 1,000 strikeouts in both the American and National leagues. He also threw no-hitters in both leagues, including a perfect game on Father’s Day 1964. A good baseball career in anybody’s book.

However, in the Senate, he sometimes acts like a first year rookie, just up from the minor leagues.

Yesterday, the Senate was debating a bill that would re-authorize the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and boost it by $35 billion over the next five years. This bill would add more than 3 to 4 million children and adults, to the 6.7 million already receiving health care under the joint federal-state program.

And who crafted the original bill in 1997? None other than the bipartisan team of Senators Kennedy and Hatch. With that kind of team, you’d think you’d have all bases covered.

But not for Senator Jim Bunning.

Senator Bunning decided to throw a curveball and add the “Bunning Amendment” to the SCHIP bill. His "amendment”, had it passed, would have knocked thousands of New Jersey and New York children from poor working families out of the batter’s box when it came to health care.

Senator Lautenberg made the good call on Bunning’s pitch: “The amendment was a direct shot at New Jersey’s FamilyCare program, which covers children from families that make up to 350% of the federal poverty level – working and low-income families that don’t qualify for Medicaid but cannot afford health insurance in a high cost-of-living state like New Jersey. Had the amendment passed, only children in New Jersey would have been immediately affected.”

Bunning said this on the Senate floor, which is what qualifies him for acting like he is pitching Single-A ball in Kentucky:

"Why should people in every other state subsidize government health care for families in New York and New Jersey?" Bunning said before the vote. "If people in these two states think this is a priority, then they should be willing to pay more."

Senator Bunning, here’s the real score on who's subsidizing who:

According to the Northeast-Midwest Institute [a Washington-based, private, non-profit, and non-partisan research organization], New Jersey gets back only 55 cents for every dollar it sends Washington, while Kentucky gets back $1.45 it sends.

Senator Bunning, you may have thrown no-hitters in The Show ----but in the Senate, you’re nothing but a Bush-Leaguer.

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.

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.