NJ: No more Corzine the reformer

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

No more Corzine the reformer
by Charles Stile
Columnist

Governor Corzine's crusade to clean up New Jersey's corroded campaign finance system fizzled to an unspectacular end at Bob Torricelli's barn door.

Torricelli, the disgraced former U.S. senator, staged a $1,000-a-person fundraiser Sunday for Corzine at his Hunterdon County farm, drawing an estimated 80 people for the cut-a-check-and-chat session. The group included several lobbyists, like Paul Bontempo, a partner in the third largest Trenton lobbying firm who made a visit to his old college friend's farm.

"It was lovely," he said. "An Italian boy made good."

. . .

Now Corzine, who kept lobbyists at arms length in (his 2005 gubernatorial) campaign, has wedded himself to the establishment, and the man brokering the marriage was Torricelli, the New Jersey senator "severely admonished" in 2002 for taking improper and lavish gifts from a donor, Cresskill businessman David Chang.

[MORE]

[Verily]

*Sigh*

At some moments I decide that I almost like Corzine, and then he does stupid sh**t.

[Keystone Phil]

Remember when people thought that he wouldn't run again?

You know what's great? The idiots of the state of New Jersey, who give this guy approval ratings in the 30s, who constantly complain about everything, will still re-elect this guy. Let me amend those remarks: They will still easily re-elect this guy.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

How openly corrupt

[Associate Justice PiT]

Remember when people thought that he wouldn't run again?

You know what's great? The idiots of the state of New Jersey, who give this guy approval ratings in the 30s, who constantly complain about everything, will still re-elect this guy. Let me amend those remarks: They will still easily re-elect this guy.

     Same goes for Illinois & Louisiana. With that said, I would never want to live in any of those states, since they're so corrupt. Then again, Pat Brown was pretty corrupt, so maybe I shouldn't say anything.

[King]

Remember when people thought that he wouldn't run again?

You know what's great? The idiots of the state of New Jersey, who give this guy approval ratings in the 30s, who constantly complain about everything, will still re-elect this guy. Let me amend those remarks: They will still easily re-elect this guy.

New Jersey's relationship with Jon Corzine and Frank Lautenberg are like an old married couple who fight all the time but stay together.  There's a lot of love in that hate.

[DownWithTheLeft]

I know I am too optimistic, but I still think Chris Christie would have a shot if he got some sort of money

[Conan]

How openly corrupt

How so?

$80,000 from 80 people? Goldman Sachs stock went up $13.25 in the past 2 days. That's most likely the equivalent of a few million dollars of his. That money is piss change. I'm sure he was bought by it.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

How openly corrupt

How so?

$80,000 from 80 people? Goldman Sachs stock went up $13.25 in the past 2 days. That's most likely the equivalent of a few million dollars of his. That money is piss change. I'm sure he was bought by it.

If he's rolling in the money, then why did he just sell his soul and hold a fundraiser with Bob Torricelli?

[Conan]

Don't bother, Mr. Moderate.  Corzine could hold a press conference holding hands with Toricelli and Norcross admitting his being given the state of New Jersey in his campaign for Governor and his campaign for Senate and Conan would still come out in support of all three of their clean political careers.  It's good to finally break through to the other side and see that most people are actually acknowledging what I've been saying all along.  Corzine is just another pawn and is in no way a reformer or a good man.  Let us not forget the last great New Jerseyan to hold power against the will of the machine: Christie Whitman.  She provided us with a much needed, if brief and only relatively pleasing, period of political freedom in a state that can only be described as the Zimbabwe of the United States.  The word election in relation to New Jersey should be written with at least one asterisk beside it at all times.

Unfortunately..that is not correct. Political bosses are scummy and dirty.  Torricelli is a corrupting sleaze, who has as it turns out, didn't do anything illegal, or just wasn't prosecute by Christie. Corzine is not corrupt and this is pretty obvious...he's also never been accused of such. Corruption lies within the legislature and they are the primary block to reform. This is very evident. Trenton is corrupt. Corzine isn't a Trenton person, but he also hasn't fought too hard, which you and I should agree on. If he burns some bridges in his own party, then nothing will ever be done.

[Conan]

How openly corrupt

How so?

$80,000 from 80 people? Goldman Sachs stock went up $13.25 in the past 2 days. That's most likely the equivalent of a few million dollars of his. That money is piss change. I'm sure he was bought by it.

If he's rolling in the money, then why did he just sell his soul and hold a fundraiser with Bob Torricelli?

Frankly, that doesnt even matter. Are you actually suggesting that he needed the money?

[DownWithTheLeft]

I know I am too optimistic, but I still think Chris Christie would have a shot if he got some sort of money

What names is the NJ GOP floating for 2009? Kean? Is Christine interested?

It would seem at this point the nod will go to Kean, Christopher Christie (not Christie Whitman), or Morris County Freeholder John Murphy (3rd place in 05 primary w/12%)

[DownWithTheLeft]

According to Conan, Bob Menendez simply has friends in high places, and Jim McGreevey simply was unaware Golan Cipel was unqualified

[Torie]

With a farm and all, it seems that The Torch is nicely fixed financially these days? How did that happen? Is it due to his brilliance as a lawyer, and a thriving law practice?

[Conan]

According to Conan, Bob Menendez simply has friends in high places, and Jim McGreevey simply was unaware Golan Cipel was unqualified

Don't make stuff up.

Bob Menendez was under a federal criminal investigation that went nowhere. Are you suggesting Chris Christie is incompetent or just feels Menendez isn't guilty of any wrongdoing? Jim McGreevey hired Golan Cipel for personal and unethical reasons, well aware he was unqualified.

[Sam Spade]

To be quite frank, NJ deserves the government it gets.  Much like every other state where corruption is rampant.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

With a farm and all, it seems that The Torch is nicely fixed financially these days? How did that happen? Is it due to his brilliance as a lawyer, and a thriving law practice?

Torricelli makes an excellent living as a lobbyist—hundreds of thousands a year.  The farm is just an exploitation of a property tax loophole.

Frankly, that doesnt even matter. Are you actually suggesting that he needed the money?

What matters is that after trying to insist that he was too good to roll around in bed with lobbyists, he just spend a good couple hours around them, listening to their concerns as they showered him with money.

I don't doubt that he otherwise doesn't need their money, which  makes it all the more inexplicable why he spent so much time catering to them.

[Conan]

With a farm and all, it seems that The Torch is nicely fixed financially these days? How did that happen? Is it due to his brilliance as a lawyer, and a thriving law practice?

Torricelli makes an excellent living as a lobbyist—hundreds of thousands a year.  The farm is just an exploitation of a property tax loophole.

Frankly, that doesnt even matter. Are you actually suggesting that he needed the money?

What matters is that after trying to insist that he was too good to roll around in bed with lobbyists, he just spend a good couple hours around them, listening to their concerns as they showered him with money.

I don't doubt that he otherwise doesn't need their money, which  makes it all the more inexplicable why he spent so much time catering to them.

Yet you say he was showered with money....$80,000 isn't a showering of money to him and frankly you don't know if he catered to them.

I don't ever recall him saying he was to good to roll around with lobbyists. Maybe you can refresh my memory by finding some quotes.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

$80,000 is getting on for twice the median household income IIRC.

[Conan]

$80,000 is getting on for twice the median household income IIRC.

$55,146 NJ

[DownWithTheLeft]

$80,000 is getting on for twice the median household income IIRC.

$55,146 NJ

Thanks for making Al's point that it is was not an insignifgant amount of money.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

With a farm and all, it seems that The Torch is nicely fixed financially these days? How did that happen? Is it due to his brilliance as a lawyer, and a thriving law practice?

Torricelli makes an excellent living as a lobbyist—hundreds of thousands a year.  The farm is just an exploitation of a property tax loophole.

Frankly, that doesnt even matter. Are you actually suggesting that he needed the money?

What matters is that after trying to insist that he was too good to roll around in bed with lobbyists, he just spend a good couple hours around them, listening to their concerns as they showered him with money.

I don't doubt that he otherwise doesn't need their money, which  makes it all the more inexplicable why he spent so much time catering to them.

Yet you say he was showered with money....$80,000 isn't a showering of money to him and frankly you don't know if he catered to them.

I don't ever recall him saying he was to good to roll around with lobbyists. Maybe you can refresh my memory by finding some quotes.

Simply entertaining lobbyists in a private setting is "catering" to them.

[Conan]

With a farm and all, it seems that The Torch is nicely fixed financially these days? How did that happen? Is it due to his brilliance as a lawyer, and a thriving law practice?

Torricelli makes an excellent living as a lobbyist—hundreds of thousands a year.  The farm is just an exploitation of a property tax loophole.

Frankly, that doesnt even matter. Are you actually suggesting that he needed the money?

What matters is that after trying to insist that he was too good to roll around in bed with lobbyists, he just spend a good couple hours around them, listening to their concerns as they showered him with money.

I don't doubt that he otherwise doesn't need their money, which  makes it all the more inexplicable why he spent so much time catering to them.

Yet you say he was showered with money....$80,000 isn't a showering of money to him and frankly you don't know if he catered to them.

I don't ever recall him saying he was to good to roll around with lobbyists. Maybe you can refresh my memory by finding some quotes.

Simply entertaining lobbyists in a private setting is "catering" to them.

Ok but work on the hypocrisy part by finding a quote on him railing against lobbyists. It's not as if he's Barack Obama.

[YRABNNRM]

It's all right to be corrupt as long as you're not a hypocrite!

[Conan]

It's all right to be corrupt as long as you're not a hypocrite!

Taking money from lobbyists doesn't mean that one is corrupt. You're quite simple minded. If this were the case than John McCain should be arrested today. Why don't you write something other than some sort of a punch line or gotcha statement?