"Vote of no confidence" in Wisniewski, from entire Woodbridge delegation at MCDO convention

by: Rosi Efthim

Wed Apr 06, 2011 at 12:15:33 AM EDT

Tonight, at the Middlesex County Democratic Organization (MCDO) convention, John Wisniewski got some measure of comeuppance for the leaked redistricting map that would have required two of the state's most progressive Senators, Barbara Buono and Joe Vitale (both of Middlesex), to compete against each other, and carved an opportunity for Wisniewski himself to move up to the Senate. Progressive outrage after that leak rose within hours; multi-level and very public. The map, rumor had it, could be attributed to Wisniewski himself and what looked like opportunism fueled that mobilization. At this evening's gathering of Middlesex Dems, that common perception of what happened during redistricting nearly cost John Wisniewski, state party chair and a candidate in November, the line. In his own re-election in his own home county party.

When Alan Rosenthal threw his vote behind the map proffered by the Democrats, there was jubilation in Party circles, high-fives for NJDSC Chair & redistricting co-Chair Wisniewski and a palpable air of self-satisfaction that the Democrats made Christie - who had poked his executive branch nose deep into the legislative branch's process - lose something.

But what is a score for Democrats is not necessarily the same kind of score for progressives. There are different measuring sticks and the priorities are for more than party loyalty and a sunnier outcome for Democrats. From an infuriating Senate vote against marriage equality, to a too-cozy relationship between Chris Christie and sometimes-helpmate Democratic Senate President Sweeney, there is a sense that the Democrats have not done enough with their majority. And so it was that when that map leaked there was a one-day, multi-level, ferocious and very public expression of outrage from progressives in defense of Buono - an obvious contender for governor - and Vitale. (Disclosure, several members of the Blue Jersey staff were involved).

But while that was going on, the leaked map had what I think is a separate impact on local Democrats loyal to their own in Vitale and Buono, people they've worked alongside and helped develop. And so, there was actually discussion among the Buono and Vitale camps to organize to deny Wisniewski the line tonight. But, maybe because longtime MCDO Chair Joe Spicuzzo was just arrested a month ago on corruption charges something many shades less extreme took place.

In the end, the entire Woodbridge delegation abstained in a vote to endorse Wisniewski for re-election, minus Woodbridge mayor John McCormac, who is not on the county committee and didn't vote, but made clear their position:

Woodbridge is a team, and Wisniewski's actions threatened our teammate [Vitale], and we don't appreciate that. It was symbolic, but it was essentially a vote of no confidence.

It remains to be seen what fissures tonight's vote revealed or opened. Wisniewski played it all down: "Middlesex County's fine. I don't think there's any lack of cohesion in Middlesex County."

Rosi Efthim :: "Vote of no confidence" in Wisniewski, from entire Woodbridge delegation at MCDO convention

Tags: redistricting, Barbara Buono, Joe Vitale, progressives, Woodbridge, Middlesex Democrats, MCDO, John Wisniewski, (All Tags)

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"Vote of no confidence" in Wisniewski, from entire Woodbridge delegation at MCDO convention | 3 comments

vote of no confidence in Woodbridge and progressives (0.00 / 0)

First and foremost, as much as I appreciate the Woodbridge delegation standing up for Vitale, who undoubtably deserves to be stood up for, when one considers the fact that a county as cobalt blue as Middlesex County went for Chris Christie in 2009 and that the vote in Woodbridge that went for Christie was a very big part of the county's terrible failure and that the city's Mayor all but endorsed Christie and may have actively worked to deliver votes for him, they are really not in a position to be criticizing anybody.

Second, as wonderful as it was that progressive voices were heard and the Democrats on the LRC backed off their plan to put Edison and Woodbridge in the same district, which was and still is not a bad idea conceptually, considering the degree to which large cities tend to dominate the smaller towns in their districts (the ascensions of Barbara Buono of Metuchen and John Girgenti of Hawthorne to the State Senate being the exceptions rather than the rule - just ask Linda Stender what happened to her when she tried to make the jump after the former State Senator from Linden may he rest in peace was forced to resign his seat in disgrace), but becomes far worse of an idea when the potential loss of not only one, but possibly two, progressive electeds is factored into the equation, there are two words in Rosi's diary that should be in big, bold capital letters and those two words are ONE DAY.

If the day that Steve Adubato/Sheila Oliver and George Norcross/Steve Sweeney successfully took control over the Democratic Party in NJ in 2009 was not the day that progressives should have begun organizing around reclaiming our party with a focus on the 2011 elections, including but not limited to the redistricting process, then the day in 2010 that marriage equality legislation failed in the State Senate when 9 Democratic State Senators voted against the legislation or abstained should have been the day.

However, that day never came, and instead, we continued to respond to whatever event, issue, or statement that connected with our short attention spans, but at no time did we actively craft or initiate anything resembling an agenda or a plan to bring about change within a government and/or a political organization that has been or has become hopelessly lost.

And the day that it was leaked that Barbara Buono and Joe Vitale might be placed in the same legislative district, forcing them to run against one another in a primary election or one of them to step down or backwards (as Sean Kean is doing in the new LD30, which is what Vitale could have done with the knowledge that Buono was not going to be able to run for Governor and State Senator in 2013 at the same time) was just one more day that progressives responded to events rather than initiated them.

As much as we like to make fun of the TPM, they initiate far more than they respond. As crazy as their map and its rationale might have been, at least they had a map. Where was the progressive community's map and its rationale? If the federal government shuts down in the days to come, it will primarily be due to the impact that the TPM has been able to have on the Republican Party.

Can anyone ever imagine progressives being able to have that kind of impact on the Democratic Party at any level? If we had, maybe we could have forced Senate President Sweeney to shut NJ's government down last year, instead of standing idly by as he delivered Democratic votes for a budget written by the Republican majority and their Republican Governor.

As wonderful as it is that people like Marie Corfield and Jeff Gardner are running for State Assembly and receiving support from progressives throughout the state, they should not be two progressives running for two out of 120 seats. They should two progressives out of 120 progressives running for 120 seats. They should be leaders of a statewide movement, not just its shining stars.

Recently I brought up the acronym WWHDD (shortened by Rosi to WWHD, which is fine, but when Christians talk of Jesus, everyone knows which Jesus they are talking about; the same should be true of progressives and Howard, but I figured better safe than sorry; the point is the same either way; no biggie) as an organizing principle, but by doing so, it only reminds me of the opportunity that we missed in 2007 to make a difference and the affect that it had on the marriage equality issue. Even if Jeff and a trio of progressives in LD16 are successful this year, I still believe that a similar opportunity was missed in 2011 as well and only time will tell what issue will be impacted by that missed opportunity.

Hopefully, this experience was the kick in the pants that progressives need to begin organizing now and not just in response to the next election or event, but to initiate a communitywide agenda and plan of action. However, if I had to bet on it, I would bet that it will only serve as yet one more reason to pat ourselves on the back that we honestly do not deserve.

by: Bertin Lefkovic @ Wed Apr 06, 2011 at 07:53:51 AM UTC

by: you @ soon

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curious. (0.00 / 0)

tell me, Rosi, what is it about the final outcome that most bothers you?

activist for hire.

by: Jay Lassiter @ Wed Apr 06, 2011 at 12:31:12 PM UTC

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I did not get the sense... (0.00 / 0)

...that Rosi was bothered by anything in this diary. It seems like pretty straightforward reportage. What did you read that makes you think that she was bothered by something? I'm just curious myself, because if it is there, I definitely missed it.

by: Bertin Lefkovic @ Wed Apr 06, 2011 at 13:21:32 PM UTC

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