I don't know how the latest product of the NJ 7th, Leonard Lance, got my e-mail address, but even 3000 miles away I received my first e-mail from his office. Of all of the issues facing America, the one he is polling about is whether we approve of Obama's policy on embryonic stem cell research. This continues the Holier Than Thou competition started by Chris Smith on the Chris Matthews show. A vote in the poll will automatically subscribe you to Lance's newsletter (which might be such a bad idea for those wanting to catch more of his votes in opposition to equal pay for women or against ending the recession).
(another tilt since, well, it's the Governor! --promoted (shamelessly) by Jay - promoted by Jay Lassiter)
For those of you who missed the teaser vid, we had a nice chat with Governor Corzine yesterday and covered a lot of ground: stem cells (and keeping NJ cutting edge); the NJ National Guard in Iraq (and what it meant for us stateside); and kids healthcare (S-CHIP, charity care).
To make it all tidy and YouTube-able, I had to split it in two bites, so make sure to check 'em both out.
Corzine's most intriguing replies came to questions about gay marriage equality and his near-fatal crash last summer. Props to Blue Jersey regular 'Firstamend07' whose thoughtful question about the corrections budget was too good to leave out of the script!
(If you already saw the vlog trailer, simply fast forward a minute or so.)
Act two (aka the juicy bits) after the fold........
21 days from today, New Jersey voters will vote on whether or not to have the state spend $45 million a year for the next 10 years on stem cell research. The funding would go toward advancing medical treatments and attracting leading scientists and research companies to the state.
The New Jersey for Hope political committee is a group of citizen activists, medical professionals, and elected officials who have come together for the purpose of advocating the passage of the public Stem Cell Ballot Question.
Today we are asking anyone who believes in the promise of stem cell research, who knows that Everybody Knows Somebody who could benefit from the promise of stem cell research, to support our campaign.
Support the campaign in New Jersey by contributing $21 today by visiting our website: www.njforhope.org.
Voting YES offers the best hope we have today for treating and curing diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
Stem cells also hold great promise in addressing spinal cord injuries and birth defects. Scientists are making tremendous progress. We want to do everything we can to support this research.
George Bush and his band of Radical Republicans will stop at nothing to preserve their narrow and immoral agenda. They showed that when they attacked Michael J. Fox during the Missouri stem cell campaign, or a 12-year old who had the gall to benefit from a government administered health care program, or soldiers who dared to speak the truth about the debacle in Iraq.
And in New Jersey, it's happening again. Disgusting lies, distortions and misrepresentations are being made by people who claim to support life but would just as soon see others suffer and die from diseases and injuries for which treatments and cures could be just around the corner.
The progressive movement has created great momentum in California and Missouri with pro-cure victories at the ballot box. The Radical Right sees the New Jersey initiative as an opportunity to halt our progress and validate the George Bush extremist agenda.
Please support us today so we can keep moving forward towards groundbreaking treatments and cures.
Again, New Jerseyans vote for Hope in just 21 days. Please consider contributing $21 today to our campaign to fund stem cell research by visiting www.njforhope.org
Think of elections that have been lost by a narrow margin-what would we give to have a chance to change that? We don't want to look back on New Jersey, the day after the election, and say, it might have been. We almost got half a billion for research-almost? Not good enough for so many who are depending on the treatments and cures that will come from stem cell research
There are 21 days until the vote: let us use those days. We can make sure our stem cell research supporters know what is at stake, and rouse the State to turn out and vote, this coming November 6th, and stand up for stem cells!
Also, be sure to read a profoundly moving Op-Ed authored by Carl Riccio, a longtime stem cell research advocate and a hero to New Jersey residents who favor stem cell research, that ran in last Sunday's Bergen Record. In it, Carl makes a compelling argument for Voting YES on November 6th and what is at stake for Carl and all of us.
As you'ved seen reported in multiple sources and Blue Jersey, the governor and Democratic leaders have reached "broad agreement on the framework" of the budget. Read through to the end of the New York Times article, where some of the confusion after the Star-Ledger broke the story online is explained.
Under the deal, voters would be asked this fall to approve a $200 million bond issue that would keep the Garden State Preservation Trust running through July 2010.
That borrowing could be paid off quickly if Corzine secures a big pot of money through a sale or lease of state assets, said Assemblyman John F. McKeon (D-Essex), who would be a prime sponsor of the bill.
I can't help but wonder though if voters will like seeing both of these borrowing measures in November.
There's some criticism of how the Monmouth County freeholders left a controversial hire off their public agenda "by mistake." Critics argue the Open Public Meetings Act needs to be strengthened. The Asbury Park Press talks to the other job applicant the freeholders said did not exist.
Last month, the campaign told the National Journal that holding a winner-take-all primary in New Jersey "will free up (Giuliani) to spend time and resources elsewhere that he would have had to devote to winning each of the Garden State's 13 congressional districts." The Giuliani campaign understands that its candidate has a natural early advantage because New Jersey is, in a sense, the candidate's second home state.
The Jersey Journal has the Hoboken runoff results, and it should remind you that your vote matters in local elections:
In the Fourth Ward, Dawn Zimmer is holding onto a seven-vote lead vs. City Councilman Christopher Campos -- 870 to 863 -- so it will come down to about 70 provisional ballots.
The Courier-Post is looking for community bloggers in Gloucester, Burlington and Camden counties.
"Today, Congress voted in favor of hope," said Menendez. "Now it is time for the President to turn the hopes of millions suffering from debilitating diseases into reality.
"A threat to veto is a promise to kill hope. And for those who insist on playing politics with people's lives, make no mistake about it: the American people are watching and they will not take kindly to seeing their last flicker of hope being extinguished.
"I urge the president to withdraw his warnings and to embrace the will of the American people and the possibilities of science."
Robert Andrews, Rodney Frelinghuysen, Rush Holt, Frank Pallone, Bill Pascrell, Donald Payne, Steven Rothman, and Albio Sires voted in favor of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act.
Mike Ferguson, Scott Garrett, Frank LoBiondo, Jim Saxton, Christopher Smith voted against.
As if you needed another reason to consider Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ-04) the ideological equivalent of a someone from the stone ages, he is once again getting headlines for the wrong reason, this time for his opposition to a house vote on stem cells. First, the good news: The House passed legislation that would expand available embryonic lines for stem cell research by a vote of 247-176 ? though, sadly, this isn?t a veto-proof number.
But in the AP article just out today, the leading shrill anti-science voice against this legislation is none other than our own Rep. Smith. The article cites Smith thusly:
Critics of the legislation said the research requires the destruction of human embryos, and that alternatives have shown more promise.
"You're talking about spare embryos now but if it ever did work ... it would require the killing of millions of embryos," said Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J.
He also said a recent report by the U.S. Catholic Conference listed numerous breakthroughs involving research conducted on adult stem cells, cord blood and amniotic fluid, none of which involve the destruction of a human embryo.
The Catholic Conference has been vocal in promoting adult stem cell research, yet they and other anti-science groups and politicians ignore the promising research capabilities that embryonic lines carry in favor of a fundamentalist anti-science ideology. Further, killing this research via veto will hurt the ability of NJ research institutions to have the available lines needed for further cutting edge research.
It?s bad enough that a few weeks ago, Rep. Smith and Rep. Scott Garrett voted against hate crimes legislation that would have protected Americans from violent acts based on gender or sexual orientation. Now we have him to thank for representing the state in such a negative light when it comes to promoting science and research that is potentially life-saving.
Many newspapers are doing retrospectives of the year that was. No surprise who got top billing from the Ocean County Observer: Lt. Laurel Hester. I wonder if she knew just how powerful her legacy would be one year later.
In addition to helping countless sufferers of disease like diabetes or Alzheimers, the new stem cell research center also has much promise locally. The center (to be named for the late actor and activist Chris Reeve) suggests bigtime progress for Camden, as well.
As many of you know, the country lost it's 3oooth soul in Iraq over the holiday weekend. Peace activists from New Jersey and beyond will be hitting the streets of Washington later this month. On the 27th, we will take our mandate to the capital's Mall. On the 29th, we'll be on Capital Hill doing direct lobbying of legislators to end this senseless war. So who's in? I'll be headed down and I hope many of my peace loving brothers and sisters will be joining me from the Garden State.
In an effort to make New Jersey more relevant to the presidental primary season, the legislature in Trenton is voting to move the primary to the first Tuesday in February. Traditionally, NJ voters have to wait until June to be heard.
Also in Trenton, the reconfigured ethics panel will meet to decide whether Conservative Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan complaints againts thirty-three democratic state legislators is legitimate. On Lonegan's shitlist is my own state Senator John Adler. The new charges appread to be the usual brand of Lonegan blovation. Courier Post: "(It) is laughable on its face, but I'm not laughing until it's dismissed," said Adler, who is accused of steering Cherry Hill -- where is wife is a councilwoman -- $3.1 million worth of grants in fiscal years 2005 and 2006.
"The accusation is that somehow my wife is going to get a raise or a bonus because of my ability to help my community or district," Adler said.
The movement to ban dual office holding is gathering some momentum. "I think almost everybody is in agreement that we're not going to allow it anymore," Senate President Codey said. "It's just a question of whether it's grandfathered or allowed for an extended period of time."
The Ocean County Observer points out that "For gay activists, it's still political season in N.J" Thanks to the efforts of Steven Goldstein and Garden State Equality, the national gay rights group Human Rights Campaign have put their weight and clout behind the fight for marriage equality here in the Garden State. Goldstein's asessment:
"This is being run like the most intense political campaign you can imagine. This is a tooth-and-nail fight to the death, a 24-7, get-no-sleep political campaign. There is not a doubt in my mind that New Jersey will win marriage for gay couples, 100 percent marriage and not civil unions, within two years," Goldstein said. "We're fighting tooth and nail for marriage equality, although the odds for civil unions, which we don't want, are a bit stronger in the short run."
An interesting piece about the world of Academia becoming a golden parachute for politicians once their time in office is up. I read this and it makes sense why the colleges in the state system are B-R-O-K-E!!!!
Could this week be when the Garden State catches up with the rest of the planet to adopt a needle exchange program to curb the spread of HIV among IV drug users? The vote is this week, maybe even today.
Last week a letter to the editor ran from a 14 year old girl named Lindsey Rosenthal from Belle Mead. Lindsey has juvenile diabetes, and tried to talk with Mike Ferguson about supporting embryonic stem cell research to find a cure. Ferguson's staff would not let her, saying that "we cannot even discuss this issue with him because it is against 'pro life.'"
That's right. He refused to talk with a 14 year old girl about finding a cure for her lifelong disease. Well, Lindsey recorded a radio ad for Linda Stender, and you can listen to it right now.
After you listen, remember that Ferguson is the same man who told Tricia Riccio that her paralyzed son would never walk again and refused to discuss embryonic stem cell research with her as well. This race is about a lot of things, but one of the biggest is that Mike Ferguson wants to prevent Lindsey Rosenthal and Carl Riccio from receiving cures to their ailments because of a theory. When we vote him out, we bring these two young people hope and maybe a cure.
And after you get sufficiently steamed about this, be sure to donate as much as you can to Linda Stender so she can run this ad on the radio as many times as possible between now and election day. She needs your help today, tomorrow and next week.
If you don't have the money to give -- and many of us don't -- please call Linda's office at 908-322-1996 and sign up to volunteer for an afternoon. They're paying $125 if you work the weekend before election day and on election day itself, and there's plenty work for volunteers before that!
And be sure to contribute if you can. $5 means a lot when a thousand people give it. We've got 1450 people on our mailing list, and all of you at Blue Jersey and other blogs. Just a little from everyone is that many more times the ad from Lindsey can run.
Here's a pretty good ad for Linda Stender going after an issue with Mike Ferguson that polls say is a real weak spot: embryonic stem cell research.
And, just to note, this is the best commercial in the history of commercials 'cause of the incredibly hot chick in the last frame. Amazingly, she married me!
I have maintained over time that Mike Ferguson is not such a bad guy or father, but an incompetent and weak Congressman who makes wrong choices for his district and our country. The guy is, I've said, a lightweight who has been propelled forward by rich parents, powerful forces from the religous right, and corrupt DC Republicans like Tom DeLay, Bob Ney and Jack Abramoff.
But sometimes you have to wonder if he is a lightweight or just meanspirited like the rest of the DC Republican leadership. Check out this from Tom Moran's column in the Star Ledger:
If you were to design a weapon against Republican Congressman Mike Ferguson, you could not do much better than Tricia Riccio. ...
She is an articulate soccer mom whose son, Carl, broke his neck during a high school wrestling match in 2003.
Since then, she has become a crusader for embryonic stem cell research, on the reasonable grounds that it presents the only chance her son will ever lift himself out of his wheelchair and walk. ...
But Riccio had something more. She made it personal. She made Ferguson sound cruel.
In a meeting in his office last year, she said, Ferguson flat-out told her that her son's case was hopeless.
"He said, 'Mrs. Riccio, your son is not going to walk in his lifetime.'"
Not only is this an unbelievably cruel thing to say, and unbelievable stupid considering Ferguson has absolutely no training in medicine, but it is also unbelievable obtuse. Ferguson voted to block funding for embryonic stem cell research, the very teatment that could allow Mrs. Riccio's son to walk again!
If that treatment doesn't arrive in time for her son to benefit, it will be Congressmen like Mike Ferguson's fault. Yet he has the gall to stand there and tell a grieving mother that her son will never walk again without taking any responsibility for that reality.
Worse still, Ferguson constantly hides his opposition to embryonic stem cell research by claiming that adult stem cell research is just as beneficial. But his statement to Mrs. Ricci proves that he doesn't believe that! He clearly told her that there is no medicine -- including the adult stem cell research he pushes and an alternative -- that will help her son even though real scientists with real training and real research say that embryonic stem cell research can help.
It's shocking that Ferguson is allowed to pretend to have family values and care about children. He doesn't have either.
Wrong choices, wrong Congressman. And just downright mean.
I never cared much for Ronald Regan. And the harm that he inflicted with his policies both domestically and worldwide still sadden me. Ironically, it was the “Gippers” voice that rang in my head on July 19. His famous uttering to then President Jimmy Carter of “THERE YOU GO AGAIN” came through loud and clear.
My Mother phoned me to share her amazement to the stem cell research bill veto. We had both just watched the organized photo-op with the President and the Snowflake Babies and, a couple of things really struck me. Bush didn’t have the cameras rolling as he made some kind of history by signing his first veto in nearly six years. The cameras sure were on for all of us so we could witness the photo-op. The other thing that struck me was the cockiness and arrogance of each smirk and wink he could not keep off his face while delivering his prepared text.
See, my Father and Mom’s Husband of Fifty years has been struggling with Alzheimer’s disease for the past several years. It is an incredibly sad and bitter sweet destructive disease. The burden on the care giver is intense at both an emotional and physical level. I can only begin to try to understand my Mothers burden as she is my Fathers care giver.
This President came into office promising to be a uniter and not a divider. Well those of us that are intellectually honest with the facts, know that is so far from the reality of what has occurred over the last five and a half years, that it is hard to fathom that he once aspired to that goal. Policy after policy and partisan vote after vote in the Congress shows us, and history will show as well, that this President’s agenda is full of callousness, hurt and disregard for those who oppose him. This nation has never seen the likes of this before.
The President didn’t tell us during his photo-op to speak about his veto of the stem cell research bill, that while one hundred twenty three Snowflake Babies have been born, over forty thousand other embryos have been discarded, thrown out. The scientific community lobbied the President. Republican Conservatives like Orrin Hatch lobbied the President, gee even Nancy Regan who knows a thing or two about Alzheimer’s disease and the promise of this research, personally appealed to the President to sign the bill.
Over sixty percent of Americans, support federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. Seems too good to be true right? WRONG!
Standing behind a thin, transparent and hypocritical veil of morals and ethics the other day, President Bush, whose approval rating is at a dismal thirty five percent, had only one agenda. It wasn’t to actually do the moral and ethical thing which would have been to sign the bill. A bill with majority NON-PARTISAN
support. No, instead and shamefully, it was an attempt to save his political neck and appease his right wing zealot base so that they could thank him by coming out in droves and voting in November. That’s what happened, plain and simple. But what he did not see, nor in my opinion does not want to see or know about, is that all across this nation, caregivers and family members on both sides of the electorate still have to care for their Father with Alzheimer’s or maybe their Mother with Parkinson’s disease or a Son or Daughter with Diabetes and on and on. When the veto pen hit the paper, that burden got heavier and the wind was knocked out of the majority of Americans who hoped and prayed that the President would do the right thing and allow the funding for this crucial research. Do the right thing for all of us who love and care for those afflicted, especially for those who can not speak on their own behalf.
The crushing blow dealt by the veto pen of George Bush will set stem cell research back years. This research will not save my Father or anyone else for that matter who is suffering from a horrible, debilitating disease right now. This bill however would have opened the door to allow this research to be funded and to, someday, save the life of a Son or Daughter or Grandchild of one of these millions of Americans whose President turned his back and heart on them.
This mid-term election is the most important mid-term election in the history of this country. My gut tells me that what George Bush did will backfire and that this will aid the Democrats in November. I personally will do everything I can do to get Linda Stender elected to the Congress in the 7th New Jersey Congressional district. Her opponent Mike Ferguson has been in lock step with George Bush for the last Six years. His nickname given to him by his colleagues of “Mr. Embryo” should tell you all you need to know about his NO vote on the bill.
This country will again return to greatness and we will recover from the Bush years. But right now, this second, this minute, this hour, this day, this week, this month, all of us need to get behind candidates who will truly represent us here in New Jersey and in our districts and not those that represent the agenda of the small but unfortunately very influential base of the President.
My theory is that folks don’t pay much attention to things if it doesn’t affect them personally. Well Mr. President and Congressman Ferguson, with your veto and your no vote, it got real personal to a majority of folks in both the red and blue columns
Today President Bush exercised his veto stamp for the first time since he took office to reject a bill which would allow federal funding for stem cell research.
President Bush believes as many other Christians and most Catholics that life begins at conception. Tony Snow took the rhetoric up a notch during a press conference yesterday when, while refering to President Bush's position, he said “The simple answer is he thinks murder is wrong.â€
Many pro-lifers, I am sure were thankful that he phrased it this way. I am too, but I just couldn’t help but take the comment out of context and apply it elsewhere. It was then that so many questions came to mind:
Is it murder to execute prisoners even after we have removed them from society?
Last summer, the House of Representatives voted on H.R. 810, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. This bill was introduced by Rep. Mike Castle, Delaware’s at-large, Republican representative, who has a widely-established reputation throughout Delaware as a Republican moderate who frequently works in a bipartisan way. Castle’s MO on the stem cell bill was apparent; despite fierce opposition from party leaders and the President, the Stem Cell bill passed in June 2005 by a vote of 238-194. Though a smattering of moderate Republicans defected to vote “ayeâ€, Democrats provided the bulk of the bill’s momentum, ensuring its passage.
The Castle Bill is very easy to understand. Its main legislative effects can be summarized in three sentences, which outline the conditions by which the government can authorize funding for stem cell research:
(1) The stem cells were derived from human embryos that have been donated from in vitro fertilization clinics, were created for the purposes of fertility treatment, and were in excess of the clinical need of the individuals seeking such treatment.
(2) Prior to the consideration of embryo donation and through consultation with the individuals seeking fertility treatment, it was determined that the embryos would never be implanted in a woman and would otherwise be discarded
(3) The individuals seeking fertility treatment donated the embryos with written informed consent and without receiving any financial or other inducements to make the donation
As is apparent to anyone who reads these conditions, this bill is clearly in the mainstream. In fact, the Senate version of the bill was sponsored by that well-known liberal, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT). But, the bill hasn’t been passed in the Senate, because the Republican leadership there is afraid to get its incumbents, a number of whom are in serious danger of losing in November, on the record on stem cells.
1. As huntsu already pointed out, they are having a Pro-Death Speaker to raise funds.
2. For thinking that conservatives (like them) have not been successful at pounding home the idea that when pollers say "stem cells," people don't think they mean the "evil" kind of stem cells.
Aside: For those of you who don't yet know that the Right to Life is less about stopping abortions, and more about stopping sex, you can read this book. My fiance (and myself) helped research it.
