Mike Doperty channels John C. Calhoun

by: ken bank

Thu Feb 18, 2010 at 06:56:40 PM EST

He must be channeling the ghost of John C. Calhoun.

Loretta Weinberg, with a request

by: Rosi Efthim

Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 03:23:26 PM EST

I have been working hard to achieve passage of my legislation granting full marriage rights to same-sex couples. While I understand that passions are running high on both sides of this issue, I would ask advocates to maintain the civil and courteous tone that has been established by legislators during these discussions. The overwhelming majority of advocates for and against my bill have focused their arguments on the merits of the legislation and presented them in the appropriate forums - contacting legislators through our district offices or speaking with us at the Statehouse. I thank you all for that.

I strongly urge everyone to continue that approach. It is not appropriate to confront members of the Legislature at their homes or businesses or at private family events in order to engage them on this issue. Please be respectful of us and our families as we have been respectful of your views. And please refrain from passing judgment on the personal religious and moral beliefs of legislators who happen to disagree with your particular belief system. We have been scrupulous in treating everyone's personal beliefs with respect and dignity and I believe we have the right to expect the same from our constituents on both sides of this issue. A person's deeply held religious and spiritual beliefs are not fair game for attack by those who hold different beliefs.

The conversations between lawmakers and the public will continue as we move forward with the Marriage Equality Act. Whether we agree or disagree with your position, I think everyone involved needs to remember that this is a civil rights issue. It can and should be discussed civilly, and in the appropriate forum.

Unofficial Hunterdon Results not good news for Marcia Karrow

by: Rosi Efthim

Tue Jun 02, 2009 at 08:35:37 PM EDT

Low turnout in Hunterdon County, as almost everywhere else in NJ, boosted Steve Lonegan's numbers here. But they may have helped drive a victory for the State Senate candidate allied with Lonegan, Mike Doherty. Results are still unofficial for Hunterdon, but here's what the numbers look like right now, with almost all the county's votes counted:

Marcia A. Karrow   5,920   47.86%
Michael J. Doherty 6,445 52.11%

Hunterdon is Karrow's home turf, and if the incumbent of just weeks was to win, it would be here. She lives in Flemington, grew up here where her father had a popular menswear shop on Main Street, and climbed the political food chain here as Raritan Township Committeewoman, then Mayor, then Freeholder and Freeholder Director, then Assemblywoman, then Senator.

Results are not yet in for Warren County, but that's Doherty country, and his voters are reliable supporters who likely also cast their ballots for Lonegan. Lonegan's ahead here, but that's not shocking news. Current numbers: Lonegan 49.86%, Christie 45.80%, Merkt 4.27%.

I am not seeing Warren County results available yet. But just about to go out on another hunt for them. But with 41% of all distrits reporting, Doherty is leading Karrow 52%-48%.

Karrow took some indignant drubbing from some Republicans - and some vets - for choosing Memorial Day to lob a mail piece to voters accusing her opponent of "Surrender in Iraq." Robo-calls followed that, with the same message.

Doherty is a West Point grad, with 8 years in the Army, and three sons in the military - Army, Air Force, and Marines. It was a move more tone-deaf and less sure-footed than Karrow's usual style.  A hail-Mary pass.

It may have contributed to her loss.

If Doherty's lead holds through the Warren results -  very likely -  I'm torn between the horror of being represented by this man for the next four years, and the delicious idea of running some worthy against what may be the starkest dark star in the state of New Jersey.

Okay, then. Let's talk about the toilet.

by: Rosi Efthim

Fri May 08, 2009 at 05:12:32 PM EDT

People like Assemblyman Wannabe senator Mike Doherty (R-Knuckledragger) and Asw Alison Litell McHose (R-Crazytown) who today announced their intention to introduce a bill requiring the Legislature to inform parents of school children who visit the State House of the Legislature's Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy.

Yeah. So the NJ Law Against Discrimination has been amended to prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity or expression - ooooh I'm getting vewy scawd! -  in employment, housing, insurance, and (wait for it ....) public accomodations. And that follows the NJ Superior Court Appellate Division, to whit:

It is incomprehensible to us that our Legislature... would condone discrimination against men or women who seek to change their anatomical sex because they suffer from a gender identity disorder.

I don't know how even the most throwback of our legislators could argue that people shouldn't have employment opportunity, or be able to buy a house, or insurance. It's not defensible. So, they don't even go there. They go for what they think will light up parents by playing to their worst fear that something will happen to their little kids: Trouble in the bathroom. Bad people near little Ali or Mikey's pee pee. When all else fails, try to equate people with child-molesters.

McHose:

I bring this matter to your attention because the Legislature often plays host to busloads of very young school girls who have a need, as children do, to use our toilet facilities.

Boom. There it is! Now, standing aside for the moment - and um, really, really far away from - Doherty's and McHose's fascination with the bathroom, let's take a moment and talk about what our children actually have to fear when they get on that yellow school bus and take a field trip to watch how a bill becomes law.

Jump with me, and I'll show you what your kids really have to fear when they visit the State House:

Radical is Supporting the Law

by: vmars

Tue Mar 31, 2009 at 02:40:20 PM EDT

This is a keeper from uber-right winger Michael Doherty:

Calling a donor group that supports pro-choice Republican women a "radical pro-abortion group," Assemblyman Michael Doherty (R-Washington Twp.) called on his primary opponent, state Sen. Marcia Karrow (R-Hunterdon), to return donations from the fund.

Batspit right wing Republicans have a weird concept of what "radical" is.  Supporting the right of women to have a legal medical procedure is radical.  The American Civil Liberties Union, which exists to defend people's Constitutional rights, is radical.  Main stream environmental scientists who warn that humans could suffer if we don't stop spewing C02 in the air are radical.  

Apparently right wingers like Doherty think that "radical" is supporting the laws of the United States of America and trying to keep people from suffering environmental catastrophe.

Asm. Michael Doherty: Walking One Liner

by: Jason Springer

Wed Jan 28, 2009 at 02:15:00 PM EST

"I'd rather die than not run in that primary," said Doherty, doubling down on a quote over the weekend that wild horses couldn't keep him from an off the line challenge of Karrow.

"This is going to be a battle between establishment RINOS (Republicans in name only) and conservative true believers,"

"Either way I'd have to bust a nut,"

Karrow wins the NJ-23 Senate Slugfest

by: Rosi Efthim

Sat Jan 24, 2009 at 04:36:20 PM EST

Voting took place at Clinton Twp. Middle School as Republican County Committee members from Warren and Hunterdon counties, which together make up NJ23, cast their votes after both candidates made their presentations at the podium.

Doherty (R-Washington Twp.), who describes himself as a Reagan conservative, backed Ron Paul in '08 and  is disturbingly far-right, with a 100% rating from NJ Right to Life, actively protesting Roe v. Wade, 100% rating from the NRA. Doherty's an anti-science zealot who has trouble with stuff like global warming and evolution.

Karrow, far less splashy, may have earned the loyalty of the voting committee members by announcing that she would not challenge Doherty if she lost the party vote today. Doherty has said he would challenge the party's vote if he did not win the endorsement.

Karrow's win may also be a matter of the pure numbers. There are more filled county committee seats in Hunterdon than in Warren. Each candidate came with their own loyal home constituencies, augmented by county committee members gained by the weeks of ferocious campaigning both have been doing in each other's territory, Karrow presenting endorsements from 8 Warren County mayors and Doherty's website bearing an effective graph showing he gets more votes than Karrow in each election they've both taken part in.

Unlike Doherty, Karrow grew up in the 23rd, and has spent years quietly developing good will among Republicans. Karrow, 49, is a former committeewoman and mayor in Raritan Twp. She is the daughter of the late, and well-liked Flemington businessman Sol Karrow, who was well-known to Republicans, campaigning for years alongside his daughter.

Both candidates campaigned hard today, but so did Bogota's Steve Lonegan and Delaware Township's Dick Zimmer, working opposite sides of the room. And Hunterdon Freeholder Erik Peterson, Hunterdon Freeholder Matt Holt,and Warren County Freeholder John Dimaio, each of whom is vying to grab the vacant Assembly seat the winner leaves empty, were also on hand, pressing the flesh.  

GOP Senate Primary Cheatsheet

by: Jason Springer

Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 09:42:17 PM EDT

In less than one year, the NJ GOP has gone through or proposed 15 candidates, experienced many false starts, had calls for resignation of the State chair and for candidates to drop out all while giving us tons of fun to watch.   Here's a recap, in case you haven't been following along...

Has Mike Doherty Forgotten 9/11?

by: Hopeful

Thu Aug 16, 2007 at 09:28:17 PM EDT

"Whether it's the Ocean Grove dispute or another poll, it's a constant agitation of society much like former President Bill Clinton's `wag the dog' antics to keep the heat off of his personal indiscretions,"

The "wag the dog" attack was the 1998 attack on Osama bin Laden, as documented in Chapter 4 of the 9/11 Commission Repott:

At the time, President Clinton was embroiled in the Lewinsky scandal, which continued to consume public attention for the rest of that year and the first months of 1999. As it happened, a popular 1997 movie, Wag the Dog, features a president who fakes a war to distract public attention from a domestic scandal. Some Republicans in Congress raised questions about the timing of the strikes.

Remember this the next time a conservative says liberals are soft on terrorists.  Let's see if the media picks up on this one. 

More from the 9/11 Commission:

The failure of the strikes, the "wag the dog" slur, the intense partisanship of the period, and the nature of the al Shifa evidence likely had a cumulative effect on future decisions about the use of force against Bin Ladin.