When the NJ Senate and Assembly overwhelmingly passed a medical marijuana bill yesterday it put the Garden State in line to be the 14th state in the union to decriminalize cannabis for sick people.
Assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll has the QOTD in this one for sure.
I've posted so many videos on this site and elsewhere I can't hardly remember them all, but this issue is possibly the most satisfying day I've has as an activist since the Obama/Alder double victory.
So take a minute to meet the heros of this battle.
Matt Friedman yesterday wrote a piece talking about some of the questions raised by social networking including who you friend and whether you unfriend people when they get in trouble. Jay Lassiter had this take on it:
"It's just about who do you lie down with in cyber space... The appearance of a relationship is convincing enough," he said. "I guess we take a risk. Every person we friend could end up being The Unabomber."
There doesn't seem to be a clear standard yet for social media and what happens when the people who use the platforms become a liability because they are connected to you. Do you unfriend people if they have their own troubles and is the appearance of a relationship online convincing enough? Does it become a bigger story if you unfriend or remain friends?
One of the best things about spending the last four years following politicians around with a video camera is the tons of file footage I've acquired. It's an especially useful tool for expressing one's self when words are hard to find. Like now.
Promoted by Jason Springer: Chris Christie was in Cherry Hill today and Jay Lassiter, who dubbed himself the official welcome wagon head cheerleader was there to say hello.
Chris Christie and I crossed paths today at my local Jersey diner. Thankfully the encounter did not happen in the men's room.
P.S. Kim Guadagno was there too. She was pretty smooth with the crowd and and came off appealing. (just saying......)
When does South Jersey love Frank Lautenberg most? Why when he's bringing home the bacon of course. And when he snags big bucks for progressive, sustainable policy like this, it's doubly sweet. Take a look!
Chances are there is someone in your life who might benefit from a Compassionate Marijuana Law in New Jersey. A bill that would allow terminally ill New Jerseyans access to cannibis passed the Senate yesterday and is now headed to the Assembly. So make sure to call your reps today.
With the GOP Congressional caucus in full-on goosestep mode, it's entirely possible you've wondered what led to all this chronic naysaying? I've been curious about that myself, and came up with this hypothesis.
Each week, Blue Jersey Radio streams LIVE with New Jersey's latest political buzz, interviews with newsmakers, and your stimulating calls.
This week: Jay's back for a special inauguration afternoon edition of Blue Jersey Radio, beginning today at 3:00 p.m., when you can share your feelings LIVE about our new President and the new era that awaits. We'll also be joined by some surprise guests you don't want to miss!
Give us a call at 646-652-2773. Hey, you never know - you just might end up on next week's Blue Jersey Radio TV video.
Last week: We recapped the Governor's State of the State address, and much more. The condensed version - on video, a.k.a. the second installment of Blue Jersey Radio TV - is here:
(Your feedback is much appreciated in the comments.)
What can we say? Blue Jersey Radio is really fun to do. We get to interview great guests, we can say anything we want, and we even let our callers have their say (sometimes). And every so often, we get to glance - er, listen - back to the results. It has been a pretty awesome year.
We invite you to do the same, as we present Blue Jersey Radio's Year in Review:
National Figures
This year, we interviewed national democratic and grassroots leaders, an Oscar winner, and the founder of Republicans for Obama.
Freeheld Director & Oscar winner Cynthia Wade
DSCC Deputy Comm. Director Hannah August
DFA Exec. Dir. Arshad Hasan
Republicans for Obama founder John Martin
NJ Elected Officials
We were joined by members of our congressional delegation - including our incoming freshman from South Jersey - as well as notable NJ legislators.
Rep. Steve Rothman
Rep. Frank Pallone
Rep. Rob Andrews
Rep.-elect John Adler
Asw. Pam Lampitt
Asw. Valerie Huttle
State Progressive Leaders
We sat down with prominent leaders and activists in the state, who have played an important role in making New Jersey among the most progressive states in the nation.
GSE Chair Steven Goldstein
Obama NJ Dir. Tricia Mueller
DCR Chair Frank Vespa-Papaleo
CWA Local President Carla Katz
Progressive Challengers
And we heard from the brave souls who stood up to challenge incumbents in races that began as longshots, but quickly inspired all of us to dream big.
Each week, Blue Jersey Radio streams LIVE with New Jersey's latest political buzz, interviews with newsmakers, and your stimulating calls.
This week: it's that time of year, when we look back at what went right, and what went wrong in the Garden State and beyond in 2008. Feel free to leave your nominations in the comments. (For helpful ideas, you can spend a few minutes watching former Blue Jersey Radio co-host Jay Lassiter's video homage to the year in NJ politics).
Plus, we heard from a diverse array of personalities, like PolitickerNJ's Matt Friedman, Garden State Equality's Steven Goldstein, DFA's Executive Director Arshad Hasan, and CWA's Carla Katz. Not to mention interviews with Assemblymembers and noted activists - together with your as always stimulating calls. And we slipped Jason in for Jay like they were both named Darren. Or Dick. Or, whatever - you know what I mean.
Re-promoted for a Merry Christmas. If you're reading today, maybe you have 10 minutes to reflect on the year in NJ politics. Enjoy and don't forget to take the poll! -JG
What better way to celebrate a memorable year than with a top 10 list? As a blogger, activist and campaign worker, this was my perspective as seen (entirely) thorugh the lens of my wecam or iPhone.
Hopefully something for everyone. Take the poll and share what would make your top ten list!
For the first time since 1882, a Democrat will be sworn in as the next Congressman from New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District. The perfect political storm known as the 2008 election has broken a 126-year drought and turned an impressive state Senator into a promising Congressman-Elect. But it was not a storm that "just happened". It was a storm that was planned and executed with precision.
State Senator John Adler announced his campaign for Congress to challenge then sitting Congressman Jim Saxton very early, on September 20, 2007. From the beginning, Adler waged his campaign on progressive values; his decision to challenge Saxton came shortly after Saxton voted against expanding S-CHIP. This would have been his second time challenging Saxton (Adler ran in the then 13th Congressional district in 1990), but on November 9, 2007 Congressman Saxton announced he would not seek re-election due to health reasons. Now the race was for an open seat, an easier proposition for Adler.
To understand the political dynamics at play, you first have to understand the geographic composition of the district. The 3rd District includes Cherry Hill in Camden County, most of Burlington County and a sizable chunk of Ocean County. On the Democratic side, the field cleared for Adler and he received the early support of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. On the Republican side, many wanted Burlington County native State Senator Diane Allen to run. When she declined, Chris Myers emerged as the Burlington County Candidate.
Each week, Blue Jersey Radio streams LIVE with New Jersey's latest political buzz, interviews with newsmakers, and your stimulating calls.
This week: We're celebrating and thanking everybody who voted in the DFA Netroots Nation Scholarship Contest! The winners were announced today, and thanks to all your votes, I landed in superschweet 1st Place, and that means a trip to Austin, TX for this year's third annual Netroots Nation convention. Now, what exactly is a New Jersey boy to do in Texas in July?
Call tonight and give me some ideas.
Plus - joining the show tonight, as he has so ably in the past, is that other South Jersey man of mystery, the blogger formerly known as NJDem: Jason Springer, bringing with him insight, wit and his much-needed research. And Jay fans, fear not: he's calling in too!
When Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts reached out to Blue Jersey to help get the word out about his fair housing initiative, he did so because some problems require progressive solutions. And New Jersey's housing policy is way up on the list.
It's not the sexiest topic in the world, but the alternative is nothing short of racial segregation in this state. So have a peek and please call your reps and weigh in on bill A-500.
Each week, Blue Jersey Radio streams LIVE with New Jersey's latest political buzz, interviews with newsmakers, and your stimulating calls.
This week: They're just like US! - my celebrity radio sighting: everyone's favority former Jersey Guy, Craig Carton (along w/Boomer and a few other people) spotted in Atlantic City. Clearly, broadcast radio pays much better than internet radio. The juicy details LIVE tonight.
Plus - ever wonder what it's like to try to get politicians to commit to a live internet radio appearance scheduled for an exact minute within a small window of time? Ponder that. Then, tune in tonight at 8:30 p.m. and we can discuss. (Best of all - Jay's back!)
We're live from 8:30p-9:00p, and would love to hear from you. Just call: 646-652-2773
Each week, Blue Jersey Radio streams LIVE with New Jersey's latest political buzz, interviews with newsmakers, and your stimulating calls.
This week: Recapping the primary - Winners, losers, and what's next for the general election.
Tune in tonight at 8:30 p.m. when we talk about last night's primary, Obama's nomination, and the general election in NJ. With updates from campaigns around the state, Blue Jersey Radio is the place to be tonight.
We're live from 8:30p-9:00p, and would love to hear from you. Just call: 646-652-2773
