So what's next?

by: Adam L

Thu Jul 14, 2011 at 09:30:00 AM EDT

Now, I agree that this was a big reason for what some are calling "kabuki theater" - given that the New Jersey Governor has the power of a line item veto, more power (in general) than many other states afford their Governors, a state Republican Party that has consistently fallen in line with what this particular Governor wants, and this particular Governor who has consistently acted in a confrontational and belligerent manner when it comes to supporting those who support him and punishing those who don't.

I also agree that it was a necessary step - one that should have been done last year as well as opposed to Senate President Sweeney delivering a handful of Democratic votes for a budget that Christie crafted, instead of acting as the leader of the Party in charge of the Senate and crafting their own budget.  And I also agree that it was fairly obvious that (1) Christie was going to veto these items, (2) an override vote would (and should) be held, and (3) the vote would fail.  This is not a shock.  The fact that anyone would be shocked at the outcome is really the shock here.

I've also seen a lot of criticism hurled at Sweeney for not negotiating the budget items (either before or after) the odious pension and benefit bill that he shephered through.  And to me - that isn't the issue.  Quite honestly, I doubt that the budget items or the pension/benefit bill would be something that Sweeney and the Legislative Democrats would go to the mat on if Christie refused to negotiate, so I don't know that would have worked.

But what would have worked is not bringing those bills to the floor in the first place - something that I doubt would have been voted on or passed if Dick Codey was still Senate President, for example.

That being said, this is a time where the State Democratic Party needs to figure out what their plan is - what is next.  They came up with a budget and didn't get many of the things that are sorely needed.  They passed a millionaire's tax that was vetoed.  They have seen very clearly that the State Republican Party will obstruct, bloviate and talk out of both sides of their mouths, so there will be little to no help there.  They have also been saddled with the actions of their elected and unelected leaders - Sweeney, Oliver, Adubato, Norcross and a revolving door of a few Democrats who are good on most issues but detrimental on a few big issues.

In short - the State Democratic Party (even down to a local level, as Bergen County is at a similar crossroads, but for different reasons) needs to look inward, find out what they are all about, what they stand for, who they represent and what their way forward is.  Because at this point, they have a very uphill battle - both legislatively and in regaining the trust of many New Jerseyans.

So what's next?