Leadership, Mr. Senate President

Call his office! (4.00 / 1)

(856) 251-9801 (West Deptford)
(856) 455-1011 (Bridgeton)
(856) 339-0808 (Salem)

Email him:

SenSweeney@njleg.org

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by: Matthew Jordan @ Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 22:04:06 PM UTC

There is always some reason (4.00 / 2)

why it's not the right time to give our friends the rights they deserve.

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by: Jason Springer @ Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 22:24:25 PM UTC

This is why... (4.00 / 1)

...progressives cannot cede any aspect of the political process, whether it seems to be inside baseball or not, to the elected officials and party leaders.

We need to educate ourselves about everything, have an opinion about everything, and be organized enough to advocate about everything.

Far too many people were dismissive of the leadership battle that arose during the most recent election cycle as insiders taking their eyes off the prize, but that just shows how naive we can be.

Elections, whether they be presidential, gubernatorial, senatorial, congressional, legislative, or otherwise are not the only prizes and sometimes, they are not even the most important prizes.

Leadership battles, like the one which took place here in NJ over the last few months determine what kind of legislative agenda we will see in our state over the next two years, and with a Republican Governor for the next four years, these same battles determine the degree to which a conservative agenda will be resisted or supported.

It is probably too late to engage this process at this stage in the game, but hopefully, this experience will provide us with a teachable moment as to how much more engaged and organized with regards to every aspect of the political process we have to be going forward.

It is great to have a cool blog and a fun podcast, but these need to be means to an end and not an end unto themselves.  It is clearly not enough to have great progressive organizations with their own agenda communicating ideas and ideals between the grassroots and the leadership.  These organizations must work in concert with one another and have both short-term and long-term goals and objectives and plans on how to achieve them.

There has been some debate about whether the best way to make the Democratic Party more progressive is to compete with the Democratic establishment as Democrats or Republicans, but this debate becomes irrelevant if progressives are not engaged, organized, and working towards expanding our numbers, activating them on a daily basis, and making their voices heard.

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by: Bertin Lefkovic @ Wed Nov 18, 2009 at 23:29:46 PM UTC

Stop complaining,21 votes are not there (0.00 / 1)

Why bring this up if it does not have 21 votes?

#1 Can it get out of Sarlo's Committee?

#2 Name the 21 State Senators who will vote for this.

If the supporters of this Bill want it so bad then they better start working and stop complaining.

Sweeney is just being realistic. If a vote was taken tonight the Bill would fail.

Everyone should stop complaining about Sweeney and start working to get 21 votes.

Can anyone name 21?  

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by: firstamend07 @ Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 00:16:49 AM UTC

Four Republicans have already been named (0.00 / 0)

There are 23 Democrats in the State Senate.  17 vote are needed for passage, which means that six could vote No and the bill could still pass.

If you're so plugged in and know that the bill is doomed to fail, name the seven Democrats who intend to vote No, so that the rest of us can give up, go home, and pout.

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by: Bertin Lefkovic @ Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 00:28:58 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Please show the 21 (0.00 / 0)

What 4 Republicans have gone on record to support this?

What 17 Democrats have gone on record to support this?

I am only asking who the 21 are?

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by: firstamend07 @ Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 01:07:09 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

"If a vote was taken tonight the Bill would fail." (0.00 / 0)

I am not in Trenton, taking a nosecount and I have never claimed to be able to predict how the State Senate will vote on this issue.  At best, I have made guesses about how the Judiciary Committee vote will go.

Conversely, you seem sure that the proponents of marriage equality do not have the votes in the State Senate.  Either you are full of hot air and don't have any more knowledge about how the State Senate will vote than anybody else here or you know that there are at least seven Democratic No votes in the State Senate.

If the answer is the former, admit that you are full of crap.  If the answer is the latter, big shot, then prove it and tell us which Democrats are going to vote No.

I think that it is more likely that you are full of crap, not because I don't think that it is possible that there are 7 No votes in the Senate Democratic caucus, but because I seriously doubt that you are plugged in enough to know how anybody in the State Senate is going to vote on this issue.

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by: Bertin Lefkovic @ Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 20:13:44 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Why bring it up? (4.00 / 8)

So we'll have 4 years to replace the no votes with better democrats.

Not bringing it up is cowardly and you know it. Put down the damn water for once.

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by: Jeff Gardner @ Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 00:31:55 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

This is now a zero sum game! (0.00 / 0)

After all this time, after all the rhetoric, the final Civil Union Review Commission Report which gave all the good reasons for civil marriage equality ... including the economic reasons that will help our state, you are either for it, or just a wimp or a bigot. No more delays, no excuses ... literally... the time is NOW!

"Discrimination caused by ignorance and fear is a tax on human progress" - Barbra Casbar Siperstein

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by: Babs NJSD @ Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 21:54:43 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Such bullshit... (4.00 / 2)

Excuse the French. But I am so sick of hearing the votes are not there so we are not even going to try crap.... (and I don't single out Sweeny, Codey/Roberts are also champions of this excuse)

Whether it's marriage equality or ethics reform, if you don't call the vote you have no way of getting these people on the record and you enable their cowardice.

Yes, they are cowards for not publicly stating their position.

Call the damn vote, let the opponents show some guts (right or wrong at least Christie comes out and says he's against it) and vote against it and deal with the consequences.

This is a bullshit move and EXACTLY the reason Corzine lost, too many manuvers of this caliber.

"I'll be in despair (and out of office apparently) if the legislature doesn't make ethics a priority next session"

"Where ever you go, there you are." - Buckaroo Bonzai

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by: William Weber (WjcW) @ Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 00:38:01 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Learn or lose (0.00 / 1)

No one in their right mind calls for a vote if they know it will lose.

This is the way politics is done.  Either learn the game or stop playing.

Desthis Bill have 21 committs? Yes or No.

If Yes, then vote .If NO then go work to change that fact.

The other side is working much harder and appears to be winning.

Why?  

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by: firstamend07 @ Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 01:11:39 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Exactly my point. (4.00 / 1)

It's not a game.

It's their f'n job to represent their constituents. The job description does not include waffling on every controversial issue as to appease the greatest portion of the populace.

If Sweeny is against it, say so. Let him come out and say, I don't believe the majority of my constituents support this legislation, etc, etc....

But to pull a 'Codey' as it were, and say, "Well, I support it. But I can't do anything about it because of others I'm not willing to name."

That's bullshit.

"Where ever you go, there you are." - Buckaroo Bonzai

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by: William Weber (WjcW) @ Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 14:58:03 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

sorry, not this time (4.00 / 2)

Sweeney said there would be a vote, and I sure got the impression he didn't think it had the votes then.

Frank LoBiondo Record and Jon Runyan Watch

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by: Hopeful @ Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 03:03:16 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Maybe That's Precisely WHY He Was Prepared... (0.00 / 0)

...to allow a vote in the past.

Now that the measure has a good shot at passing, he's trying to keep it off the floor.

Let's face it, if it gets to a floor vote, any legislator who votes against marriage equality will be acting in a way that is out of step with what most New Jerseyans want...and with the tide of history.

With each passing year, more bigots die of old age and more and more ignorance and fear is dispelled by light and love and human understanding...as more and more young people attain to voting age.

You don't have to be gay to appreciate that all human beings should have equal rights!!!
 

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by: Nick Lento @ Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 06:37:40 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Politics is right (0.00 / 0)

Sounds like your man Sweeney did a lot of promising to get the President position, but now that it is secure, has decided to throw those who supported him under the bus.
You want supporters to start working? Keep using them and tossing them aside - you will see how fast the LGBT community will respond. We have been used this way for decades and the day is not far off for the community to call out the coward(s) you so self-righteously defend.
Why anyone would be afraid of such a vote is beyond me. People will notice their cowardice - and eventually the game will change, with the cowards losing their seats.

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by: furiousdee @ Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 15:53:40 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

you can't just sit back and wait (4.00 / 2)

you have to become active in getting this legislation passed.

1) Call your Senator on a daily basis whether or not he/she supports marriage equality.
2) Get at least 3 friends/family members to also do the same thing and call their (hopefully in your district) Senator on a daily basis.
3) Send your Senator (and Assembly members) a hand-written letter telling them why you support marriage equality.  If you're straight like me, mention it.  If you're Catholic, mention it.  If you're Republican, mention it.  Try and tell a personal story beyond the talking points.
4) Volunteer your time to help get marriage equality passed in New Jersey.  Garden State Equality now has 4 offices throughout the state and needs volunteers to help out with phone banking (one at the Asbury Park office tomorrow night).
5) If you cannot volunteer your time, consider making a donation to Garden State Equality.

http://outspokenliberal.blogsp...

http://outspokenliberal.blogsp...

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by: tabbycat31 @ Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 02:40:12 AM UTC

Hate to say I told you so (0.00 / 0)

but I told you so.  Steve Sweeney and Chris Christie.  Perfect together.  

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by: 12mileseastofTrenton @ Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 14:30:14 PM UTC

See but there is a difference... (4.00 / 1)

Christie is actually doing the movement a favor here. Imagine if he pulled a Sweeney and said, "Well, if I bill ever got to my desk, I would consider it."

There would no sense of urgency right now and the waiting would continue...

Christie going on the record and stating his postion is forcing the issue right now.

Sweeney is playing the game trying to be on everyone's side.

"Where ever you go, there you are." - Buckaroo Bonzai

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by: William Weber (WjcW) @ Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 15:03:39 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Listen to Tabbycat31 you whiners (0.00 / 0)

Stop whining and start working!

In politics nothing is ever handed to you .

Here let me teach you!

Contact Sarlo and get the Bill posted in Committee.

Contact Codey and get him to post it to the full Senate.

Get the 4 Republicans and then work on the best 17 Democrats.

Did any of you ever do this before?

It is not rocket science !  

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by: firstamend07 @ Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 21:25:06 PM UTC

Name-calling? (0.00 / 0)

Firstamend07,

I don't know who you are or what you've accomplished, but you've had nothing constructive to add to this site in all the years of your posting.  You're almost always wrong and you like to engage in personal attacks.  For you to presume to teach us anything is very funny.  What you post is what people have posted here for days.  Don't you understand what others have written here?

I guess this is how life under Sweeney/Norcross will be.

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by: princetonblue @ Thu Nov 19, 2009 at 21:47:45 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Just learn politics (0.00 / 0)

If you really want this to pass you will do what is necessary to get it passed.

All your venom is counterproductive. I neither care nor value what your opinion of me happens to be.

Weinberg and Sweeney admitted to a "miscommunication". So get over your "hating" .

All of this Sweeney hating is a waste of time.

Where is Codey? What has he said?

Many of you learned nothing during the fight to get Paid Family Leave passed.

List the supporters,list those who are against, and CONCENTRATE  and call and write and e-mail the fence sitters.

I have seen no "lists " on this site of who to call. Those of you "in the know" tell the rest of us who to contact?

Is there any orgainized "pro" movement at all?  

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by: firstamend07 @ Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 00:26:45 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

The point was ... (0.00 / 0)

that in all your previous postings, you've shown no knowledge of politics.  You consistently take positions that are seen to be wrong.  (Like on this issue, for example).

I really have no opinion of you as I don't know who you are.  I do know that your political knowledge is pretty much always wrong.   So when you start lecturing people on why we should listen to you and what we need to learn, it's really very funny.

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by: princetonblue @ Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 16:36:19 PM UTC

[ Parent ]