I Challenge You To A Dual!

by: Juan Melli

Mon Feb 05, 2007 at 11:55:24 PM EST

Spelling errors aside, the article is pretty hilarious and you can tell the reporter had fun with it. Sharpe James made the job easy. The punch lines practically write themselves. Watch as the reporter sets him up (emphasis mine):

The Senate amendment is being sponsored by longtime duel-office [sic] holder Sharpe James, who less than a year ago was also mayor of Newark _ the state's largest city _ in addition to serving as a state senator.

"New Jersey, the Garden State, the second wealthiest state in America, is not brain-damaged to the point that we need one person to hold two elected offices. Hello!" James said Monday night.

Anyway, she's not done. There's more:

James first sponsored legislation to ban duel-office holding in 1999 when he arrived at the Legislature. However, he didn't relinquish his mayoral post until last year, when he faced what was expected to be a close race against newcomer Cory Booker.

"I never wanted to be a dual-office holder. But if I resigned as mayor, it doesn't solve the problem," James said, before claiming that he quit his post to prove a point. "I voluntarily quit one to lead by example. Hello!"