Ingle at AC Party: Time for Corzine to step aside?

Bob Ingle just wrote an interesting article based on his recent visit to the League of Municipalities Annual conference in Atlantic City.

Some Democrats are privately asking if it wouldn't be in the best interest of the party if Gov. Jon S. Corzine moved on instead of seeking another term. That mirrors what a recent poll showed — more than half the voters think Corzine doesn't deserve re-election.

The scuttlebutt is apparently that NJ politicians have had enough with a Governor that brought a resume heavy with Wall Street business experience and then applied none of it to the problems of the state. Although, with all candor, the Wall Street resume doesn't exactly bring much confidence to anyone these days and maybe New Jersey just got a sneak preview of how pathetic management of these firms truly has been.

I had a disturbing thought when reading the following section of the article:

It's clear those unnamed Democrats who claimed in published reports Corzine's name was on a short list of possible Treasury secretary nominees were not exactly informed sources. Maybe something like an ambassadorship to Chad will surface or something less hefty than the Cabinet he can use to save face. If so, who would the Democrats put up to succeed him?

Go back to the NJLM meeting for a clue. Two potential candidates, Senate President Richard Codey and Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney, had huge parties — at the same time but different places. Unlike in past such soirees when he sat around and chatted with the party faithful, Codey was making the rounds, glad-handing folks.

Sweeney's party was better attended. Sweeney greeted arrivals and said goodbye to the departing. At the door, they were collecting names and e-mail addresses.

Why is there another government party going on in Atlantic City? While the league performs an admirable job providing information to members of municipal governments, I wonder about the wisdom of "partying in AC" while we are in the midst of the worst financial crisis in 30 years. And this is while New Jersey is readying itself to go cup in hand to Washington to bail it out. Yes, the same people partying with Codey are the same ones who put New Jersey in this mess to begin with. And I bet you they didn't miss their tee times.

Read the entire article here.

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