It's a damn shame that partisan hack Alberto Gonzalez left the Justice Department (and its reputation) in shambles. It really undermines the work of career Justice bureaucrats who value the rule of law and the Constitution. Like the ones who turned out for an exciting announcement in Camden.
As the Farm Bill takes center stage on Capitol Hill, our state's Department of Ag isn't taking any chances. Take a trip to a Garden State vineyard with us and see what I mean.
Forgive the video quality, it was a candle-lit cellar. Also, sorry to get all Andy Rooney at the end there but, well, in vino veritas!
See also: Blue Jersey interviews NJ Sec of Ag Charles Kuperus
There weren't many funny outtakes from the Corzine interview. But there was this gem, as a Lady Liberty likeness wandered into the shot as we were wrapping the session.
(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........
I hope Jim Saxton gets bludgeoned for this S-CHIP vote coming up tomorrow....assuming of course Saxton bends over for George Bush. Again. Which I fully expect.
Note to Jim Saxton: we don't need S-CHIP to beat you in 'o8 but you can bet the farm that your obit just got a whole lot more unsympathetic!
Every year in New Jersey, 16,ooo men and women are released from prison. Sadly two thirds will be back in the clink within five years. It's a messed up cycle that's hard to justify both morally and economically.
Today Governor Corzine was at Camden's Hope Hall enveiling the last of this three part stragety to keep our streets and neighborhoods safe. Today's focus: reentry. Hope Hall is an institution that has proven effective at easing the transition -- prisoner to productive member of society -- a whole lot easier. The results speak for themselves: only 23% of Hope Hall alums return to prison, compared with the state-wide figure of 65%.
Hope Hall is run by the folks at Volunteers of America which is led locally by Pat McKernan who was kind enough to spare a few moments to chat about smarter corrections policy.
With a phalanx of State Police at his back, Governor Corzine unveiled the first step (of three) to keep our streets and neighborhoods safe.
With a sharp eye on gangs and illegal guns, the Governor -- along with AG Milgram and State Police look to use technology to get an edge on the bad guys.
Chatting with Congressman Rush Holt the other day left me with the impression that the House leadership (and committee chiefs) are being a bit squishy with our civil liberties. Cases in point: FISA and this week's ENDA debate.
Improvised explosive devices ("IEDs") represent an ongoing threat to the troops in Iraq. This is not news for anyone, regardless of how you feel about the Iraq war. It's a fact.
But what you might not have known is that some of the most advanced research and development to counter the deadly effects of IEDs is conducted at our own Ft. Monmouth, NJ? So why on earth does the BRAC Committee not value this work?
Rush Holt represents Ft. Monmouth in Congress and shares his thoughts.
(From Washington DC)--
We covered a lot of ground including fair trade policy, veto pens, and specific strategies to send more NJ democrats to Congress. (Note to Adler, Stender et al: this might be advise worth heeding)
We covered a lot of ground with Congressman Rothman today. I was especially intrigued to hear what he had to say about how the House Appropriations Committee is handling the next war supplemental request.
Rothman brings that up in the very beginning and I raised the issue again at the very end after a "wait a minute, did I hear that right" moment.
