Not again, Senator Weinberg

Weinberg ,thankfully, smarter than you. (0.00 / 0)

There are consequences to elections.

When Codey was in charge he maneuvered to get " his" people in various positions. Sweeney now has the right to do try to do the same.

Buono went rogue to often,which is her right.But there are consequences to the election of a State Senate President.

If it has been determined by the majority of Democratic State Senators that Buono "cannot work well with others" then another has the right to be put in her place.

You could not get a better person than State Senator Weinberg to now be on the " inside" . She will do what Buono could not do.

Do you honestly think that State Senator Weinberg will be quiet?

As majority leader for 2 years Buono was ineffective and mostly a non-factor.

Progressives should be overjoyed that State Senator Weinberg will be on the " inside" of every meeting over the next two years. Whether you or I like it ,most policy decisions are made in closed " quiet" meetings. State Senator Weinberg will now be in those meetings.  

Sweeney might even regret this move once Weinberg starts talking!

Weinberg for Buono. Sounds like a good trade for Progressives.

 

---

by: firstamend07 @ Wed Nov 09, 2011 at 15:48:26 PM UTC

hell is freezing over (4.00 / 1)

I actually agree with firstamend07 on this one.  Buono was going to be deposed one way or another.  Would you prefer to see Theresa Ruiz or Sandra Cunningham as Majority Leader?

The only other people who the bosses could have placed into this position who progressives would have liked were Nia Gill or Nellie Pou.  Of the three, I would still prefer to have Loretta there doing the best she can.

Once you have Sweeney as Senate President and Oliver as Assembly Speaker, you know that nothing good is going to happen for the next two years.  After that, you take what you can get and start organizing for 2013.

Progressives deserve every disappointment that we get from our government and our party, because when push comes to shove, we talk while the establishment acts.  We did not organize primary challenges in 2007 when we could have had an impact and we didn't do it this year either.

Senator Weinberg has been as effective a progressive champion as she has been throughout her career, because she has an uncanny knack of knowing when to fight the establishment and when to make deals with them.

Prior to the last two years, Buono has been far more of an insider than an outsider throughout her career, which is why as someone from a town as small as Metuchen in a district that is dominated by Edison, she has been able to be State Senator as long as she has been.

It will be interesting to see whether Buono runs for re-election or for Governor in 2013.  In some respects, she could benefit from the demotion.  While being Majority Leader would enhance her fundraising ability, being on the outside will enable her to completely divorce herself from everything that Sweeney does over the next year-plus.

Buono may have no choice, but to run for Governor in 2013, as I would be willing to bet any amount of money that with his father as county chair, Peter Barnes III will challenge Buono for her seat and get the party line.

That said, I would prefer to see Dick Codey as the progressive standard-bearer in 2013.  While I think that either Buono or Codey could defeat Sweeney in a two-person race, they would probably have a harder time beating him in a three-person race.

---

by: Bertin Lefkovic @ Wed Nov 09, 2011 at 16:45:38 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

The bigger picture (0.00 / 0)

More than who is in any one position, the important question is, who is enabling the bosses/Christiecrats by helping keeping them in power.  A large majority of Democrats in both houses opposed the pen/ben legislation.  Yet the minority who opposed it are able to stay in power.

And you don't address what Weinberg did in '09.  

---

by: 12mileseastofTrenton @ Thu Nov 10, 2011 at 13:00:03 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I am sure... (0.00 / 0)

...that Senator Weinberg had good reasons for voting the way that she did in 2009, least among them being the lack of support that she received from Codey when Joe Ferriero was trying to end her political career.

I remember being disappointed in Codey when he criticized Jon Corzine for supporting her in her battle against Ferriero saying something to the effect that he would not have meddled in what is their business and their business alone.

Also, it is not like one progressive Senator's vote would have turned the tide for Codey or against Sweeney.  What happened in 2009 and this year happened because progressives love to talk about issues, but they do not organize sufficiently to engage and impact inside baseball games like these.

This lack of organization amongst rank-and-file Democrats, especially progressives, enables the bosses to get away with everything that they do more than one progressive Senator who knows that she can be more effective on the inside than she could be on the outside or that Buono was while she was on the inside.

As much as I like the bold stands that Buono took as Majority Leader, they have always seemed somewhat self-serving and geared more towards raising her gubernatorial profile than anything else.  Personally, I think that Codey would be a more effective advocate for our issues and opponent to Christie than her.

If he decides to run for Governor, I hope that she chooses to endorse him and focuses on retaining her Senate seat against a likely challenge from anti-choice Assemblyman Peter Barnes III, whose father is the Middlesex County Chair, and positioning herself to become the first female Senate President in our state's history.  She is still young enough that she could be perfectly positioned to run for Governor in 2021.

---

by: Bertin Lefkovic @ Thu Nov 10, 2011 at 15:58:40 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

She had good reasons (0.00 / 0)

She got the committee chair she wanted out of it.  Now, she'll get majority leader.

The big picture is supporting, or not supporting, the bosses and the Christiecrats they have imposed on Democrats in this state.  There's no middle ground.

---

by: 12mileseastofTrenton @ Thu Nov 10, 2011 at 16:04:37 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

that's where you're WRONG (0.00 / 0)

There's always a middle ground. the only one being inflexible here is you, 12MEoT. Count me among those who agree with Firstamend07 and rachelsDad on this one. Buono is a great friend and ally and I'm sorry to see her go, but Loretta Weinberg is totally up for this job.

activist for hire.

---

by: Jay Lassiter @ Fri Nov 11, 2011 at 13:18:50 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Again, the big picture (0.00 / 0)

In this instance, it's a zero sum game.  The bosses got their way.  Progressives lost.  Weinberg is just a pawn.

 Again, the questioned hasn't been answered:  If they got rid of Buono because she wouldn't play ball, why would they bring someone in who won't play ball?

---

by: 12mileseastofTrenton @ Fri Nov 11, 2011 at 13:44:54 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Jay is right (4.00 / 1)

There are some things that are better done inside the tent, and some things that are better done outside the tent. Progressives are fortunate to have powerful women and allies in both venues.

Blog: http://www.deciminyan.org

---

by: deciminyan @ Fri Nov 11, 2011 at 13:35:47 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Buono Quit (0.00 / 0)

The State Senator just did the right thing and did not allow her name to be put up.

Good move!

---

by: firstamend07 @ Thu Nov 10, 2011 at 14:59:02 PM UTC

Another victim of the Chrisitecrat bosses (0.00 / 0)

And the progressives who love them.  

A continuing mini-series.

---

by: 12mileseastofTrenton @ Thu Nov 10, 2011 at 15:05:27 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Progressives celebrating?They Should. (3.00 / 1)

The Progressive wing of the Democratic Party has won a victory with State Senator Weinberg now in an " official" official position of leadership.

Buono is a very good State Senator but State Senator Weinberg ,at this point in her career ,is a much more influential leader.

Progressives got what they wanted, a seat at the table!  

---

by: firstamend07 @ Thu Nov 10, 2011 at 15:37:45 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Right (2.00 / 1)

And progressives didn't have a "seat at the table" with Buono?  How about Joe Cryan?  Or Dick Codey?  Or Bonnie Watson Coleman?

The list of progressive victims of the Christiecrat bosses just grows.

And btw, we don't need a "seat at the table."  In this state, the table is ours.  You're just hogging up the seats around it through bribery, threats and raw power.   You don't represent a majority of Democrats in this state.

---

by: 12mileseastofTrenton @ Thu Nov 10, 2011 at 15:45:27 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Is this just another (0.00 / 0)

South North thing with you? - You seem very proud of the fact that you are located 12 miles east of Trenton - it's your moniker and everything. Where in the state folks come from seems to matter a lot to you even if it doesn't matter to us.  Is that where your vitriol against Senator Weinberg comes from? That she isn't from your neck of the woods? Or are you just friends with the South Jersey bosses and don't like what happened to the Boss of the North and think your buddies are next?

One Vote.  Yours.  It really does matter.

---

by: carolh @ Fri Nov 11, 2011 at 20:35:30 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

? (0.00 / 0)

I don't know where you get the idea that geography is my be all and end all.   Or that I'm friends with the south jersey bosses.  If you're more upset with my condemnation of Senator Weinberg for betraying a colleague and enabling and further empowering the Christiecrat bosses and leadership, north and south, than her actions and the consequences thereof, that's your right.

---

by: 12mileseastofTrenton @ Fri Nov 11, 2011 at 22:18:26 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Perhaps (0.00 / 0)

The good Senator thought that the actual well being of the citizens in NJ was MORE important than your party boss mentality issues with betrayal and loyalty.  Perhaps that is why Senator Buono also graciously stepped aside.  She could see what was best for the state and is allowing Senator Weinberg to take her place.  That is why I think you have ties to South Jersey party Bosses - your childish view of what betrayal is.  

One Vote.  Yours.  It really does matter.

---

by: carolh @ Mon Nov 14, 2011 at 15:19:01 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Childish? (0.00 / 0)

Well, I'll take that over naivete and obtuseness.

---

by: 12mileseastofTrenton @ Mon Nov 14, 2011 at 15:34:40 PM UTC

[ Parent ]