An open letter to NJ state Senator Stephen Sweeney

by: Alex

Sat Jan 09, 2010 at 10:43:49 AM EST

Senator Sweeney:

I write to you today as a member of the Democratic Party, as a proud resident of the state of New Jersey, and as someone who is deeply ashamed of your complete lack of leadership as shown by your failure to cast a vote on senate bill 1967. As you must surely know, that bill would have extended civil marriage rights to same-sex couples in New Jersey. The citizens of New Jersey expect their elected representatives to be men and women of action. That you could sit by and take no action at all on what may very well be one of the most important pieces of legislation to come to the floor of the state senate in a long time, a piece of legislation having a direct practical impact on the lives of scores of same-sex couples in our state, says a great deal about your lack of leadership. By your unwillingness to cast a vote, you have shown yourself utterly unworthy of the post - that of incoming president of the Senate - to which you have aspired. I would hope, out of a sense of shame and regret at so seriously defaulting on your responsibilities to the people of New Jersey and to your new position as senate president, that you would do the right thing: resign your leadership position. After all, you are a leader in name only.

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My education in New Jersey politics

by: Alex

Fri Jan 08, 2010 at 10:43:45 AM EST

You Democratic senators who voted No have left thousands of people feeling spurned, dismissed, and unrepresented by you. How will you handle that ... let alone the next election, how about the next time you walk into a diner or in a parade? Your party's true leaders have shown themselves by their willingness to take a stand, and their eloquence. And the true leaders are not always the "elected" leaders. And you Republicans ... how ever will you lead now that Bill Baroni has shown you how to walk into the future instead of hide under the church floor? Just sayin'. - Promoted by Rosi

Yesterday saw the long-awaited vote in the New Jersey state senate on the issue of marriage equality. I won't go into the legal aspects of this issue, all stemming from a court case decided a few years ago by the New Jersey supreme court finding that the state was required to offer same-sex couples the same rights and protections as currently enjoyed by straight couples who are married under the state's civil marriage statute. That the state legislature's 2006 civil unions statute has failed to meet the requirements of the court decision has been amply demonstrated. What remained was for the legislature to do not only the right thing with respect to justice, but to do what it had to do to comply with New Jersey's state constitution. Yesterday, the New Jersey state senate failed to do that.

But the story is much more nuanced than simply focusing on a 20-14 tally would suggest. After all, three Democrats abstained from voting altogether: Senate judiciary committee chair Sarlo, who had voted no in committee in December, abstained rather than voting no again, with no explanation offered. Senator Beach, whose district includes the city of Collingswood with its large gay population, likewise abstained and promptly fled the chamber refusing to explain why. Incoming senate preside Sweeney, who admitted that our side had made a persuasive argument for marriage equality, abstained. Yes, the incoming leader of the upper chamber of the New Jersey state senate, a man who through a power play was able to push aside a widely-respected leader like Senator Codey, demonstrated his idea of leadership by failing to vote on probably one of the most important pieces of legislation in quite some time. Senator Sweeney's brand of leadership is to see which way the political winds are blowing and to act accordingly. He's not a leader. He's not even a follower. He's a weather vane.

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Republicans Say The Darndest Things

by: joeynovick

Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 10:28:58 PM EST

Promoted by Jason Springer

In real life, Gerald Cardinale is a dentist.

In political life, he is a state senator who represents the 39th Legislative District. He also sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

We hope he is less rude to his patients than he was to Thomas Hoff Prol, whom he called a liar at the hearing on the Marriage Equality Monday. Yup, a liar. But that's just the short of it.

During the vote on whether or not to send the Freedom of Religion and Equality in Civil Marriage bill (S1967) to the full Senate for consideration, Senator Cardinale made a startlingly observation:

...if gays are allowed to marry, then others waiting on the sidelines would choose that lifestyle.

So, according to the good senator, the only thing that separates all heterosexuals from flipping teams is the right to marry. Yup, that's what he said.

My curiosity got the better of me, and I called his office to ask his source of this assertion. Much to my surprise, he called me back.

The senator was quite courteous, but woefully misinformed.

What is the source for your assertion that gay marriage will motivate more people to turn gay?

I asked.

A study from some [unnamed] group in France. That's why the French decided not to pass gay marriage,

he said.

Got it. The French also like Jerry Lewis, so go figure.

Cardinale continued,

Their Real Agenda [that's how I imagined the spelling in my head with a big R and big A]---is to teach young people about the gay lifestyle in school.

Finally, he said,

How do we know three people can't get married under this bill? Or a mother marries her son? Or maybe two people of the same gender in a non-sexual relationship getting married for the benefits? Know what I mean?.

I sought a clarification.