Democratic Senate and Fight Club Rules

by: Bill Orr

Tue Sep 21, 2010 at 11:16:00 AM EDT

Fight Club Rule #1 and 2: You do not talk about Fight Club
Fight Club Rule # 3: If someone says stop, goes limp, taps out, the fight is over
Fight Club Rule #7: Fights will go on as long as they have to

Following a slow start the Senate Democrats are now showing signs of fight. Thanks to Sen. Weinberg and others they displayed gumption in their failed veto override effort, but they promise to continue their struggle with two new women's health care bills. Their effort with regard to Sen. Buono's investigation into RTTT was a phyrric victory. In a negotiation between Sen. President Sweeney and Governor Christie, they gained the acquiescence of the Governor to provide requested OPRA documents from the Education Department but gave away the right to receive documents from the Executive Office and to question the Governor's immediate staff. As in the movie of the same name, they don't have to talk about Fight Club (Rule #1 and 2); they just have to follow Rule #7. Governor Christie, Senate Republicans, and The Treasurer covered themselves with shame in the process.

Stalking horse Sen. Diane Allen (R-7th), an erstwhile supporter of the women's health bill, brought news to the Senate chambers.
read about it below the fold....

Bill Orr :: Democratic Senate and Fight Club Rules

Her argument, ostensibly from a revised OLS opinion, was that the funds for the women's health program were not really there because rollover expenses added from the prior year made the anticipated costs higher. If such were the case, the Treasurer or his staff could have explained this to Sen. Weinberg weeks ago when she issued the OPRA. It was inappropriate for this conclusion to be revealed at the last minute. Sen. Allen spoke as one supportive of women's health funding but appeared more like a Trojan Horse. The Treasury Department in its failure to respond to Sen. Weinberg shows itself to be incompetent, if it was unaware until now of the rollover effect, or otherwise some combination of ornery, uncaring, cynical, toadying, timid, and devious. Should we call the Treasury a mule - slow and dumb but responsive to kicks from its master?

Receiving documents on Wednesday does not provide Sen. Buono's committee enough time to prepare for a Thursday hearing or to verify whether all pertinent documents were supplied. It also appears that Chief of Staff Rich Bagger and Deputy Chief Maria Comella will not testify as to their knowledge regarding the grant proposal. Both also may have been aware of the verbal warning that former Commissioner Schundler said he provided to Governor Chistie about not mentioning that Schundler has offered improper data to the reviewers. Others who might have shed light on the matter including Wayne Hasenbalg, the governor's Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Planning, and Policy Director David Rebuck will not appear to testify. Sen. Sweeney, with pressure from some key Democrats, in this negotiation violated Rule #3 in allowing the fight to end too soon. Asa result it seems unlikely that any possible improper actions within the Executive Office will be hard to verify.