Up is Down, Down is Up in Hawthorne

by: Jeff Gardner

Tue Jun 01, 2010 at 02:15:00 PM EDT

So, it came as a shock to see 5 Shortway's (and some English's) suddenly registered as Democrats for this year's Primary election, along with a host of other Republicans suddenly turned Democrats this Spring.

Well, I guess it shouldn't be too much of a shock. One of the prime motivating factors in the Democrats for Hawthorne's campaign to unseat Sen. John Girgenti as our municipal chair has been the fact that he has been too cozy with Republicans for too long at the expense of our Democratic candidates - like, e.g., Girgenti's working to keep former Councilwoman Shortway's legal troubles out of the news during last fall's election.

So, it's not so much shocking as fitting that on the heels of one of our Republican Councilmen's LTTE endorsing the Girgenti team and another of our Republican Councilmen's volunteering for the Girgenti team at their headquarters (a.k.a. the Senator's District Office), the most diehard Republicans in Hawthorne would want to become "Democrats for a Day" to actually vote for the Girgenti team, with the goal of re-electing Girgenti as Hawthorne's Democratic Leader.

And, it's not so much shocking as hilarious that the Girgenti team, in their near-daily campaign mailings, have taken to calling themselves "Hawthorne's Real Democrats" and touting their placement on the ballot with our unopposed federal and county officials. Basically, Girgenti knows he can't win with democratic votes. So, he's trying to get elected Democratic leader by the most diehard Republicans in town.

Naturally. Who else but Republicans know what's best for Democrats? Shouldn't they choose our next democratic leader?