Politics in New Jersey

Politics in New Jersey

Joshua J. Bunton
August 16, 2004

Have you been paying attention to the National News lately? No? Then, you haven’t heard about Governor Jim McGreevey.

For those who aren’t familiar with the story we’ll begin with the beginning.

On Thursday, August 12, 2004, Governor Jim McGreevey held a press conference to announce he was “resigning” effective November 15, 2004.

Accompanied by his wife, Vanessa, Governor Jim McGreevey further announced that he was a “gay American,” and that he had an affair with Golan Cipel.

In an interview with The New York Post on August 14, 2004, Golan Cipel claims that he is a heterosexual and was sexually assaulted by the New Jersey governor more than a dozen times.

As concerning as this scandal is, the mainstream media is applauding the fact that he was “brave” to come out and ignoring the more important issues.

There’s the issue of Golan Cipel (an Israeli national) who Governor Jim McGreevey named as his Homeland Security adviser. Cipel has no security experience. He is a former poet and sailor who once worked as a television news reporter and a spokesman for the Israeli Consulate in New York.

Cipel got the job without the official fanfare that typically accompanies such appointments. Cipel did not undergo a background check. Furthermore, Cipel is not an American citizen, so he could not qualify for a security clearance.

Then there is the issue of the governor waiting until November 15, 2004 to resign. The New Jersey GOP has requested the governor to quit immediately as he stated on August 12, 2004.

Sources have confirmed that John Kerry’s campaign requested Governor McGreevey to wait until after the November 2, 2004 presidential election to resign. The source stated, “The Kerry campaign asked him to stay on until after the election because they need to have consistency until after the (presidential) election.”

Additionally, the source confirmed the Kerry campaign requested the stay in McGreevey leaving office because, “the campaign contacted the Governor's Office and asked McGreevey to hold off on resigning, according to the source, fearing such a disruption would shift campaign funds and focus away from Kerry's race and into a contest for governor on Nov. 2.”

What’s more concerning is the governor’s decision to put politics ahead of what’s good for the state of New Jersey.

If McGreevey were to resign before Sept. 3, there would be a special election Nov. 2 to fill the remaining 14 months of his term.

However, after September 3, 2004, Senate President Richard J. Codey, D-Essex, will likely be acting governor until January 2006.

Democrats said Republicans were exploiting the situation for political reasons.

Politics will be politics, in the end the only people who pay the price is the “citizens.” Whether it is domestic issues or the current threat of terrorism in New Jersey the citizens should demand the right to an open election.