Beck, Angelini, Pledge Gay Marriage Support
Senator Jennifer Beck and Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini told representatives of Garden State Equality that they would vote to override a gubernatorial veto of a Same Sex Marriage bill, should such an opportunity come before them in the next legislature. The incumbent Republican legislators were being interviewed for GSE’s endorsement in the 11th legislative district election yesterday at Monmouth University.
Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande, Beck and Angelini’s running mate, did not attend the interviews due to a family commitment. She spoke with GSE privately today. Casagrande has not yet taken a position on gay marriage.
Beck, who has previously voted against Marriage Equality in the Senate, was unabashed in her commitment to cast an override vote. Angelini, who has long supported same sex marriage rights, was reluctant say she would vote to override Governor Christie’s veto, but finally did so, according to sources who were in the room.
Garden State Equality’s President Steven Goldstein would not say if the women’s pledge would result in the organization’s endorsement. “Those commitments are being taken into consideration as we complete our evaluation process,” Goldstein said. He indicated that the endorsements would be forthcoming later this week.
Beck is competing with Freehold Township attorney Ray Santiago, the Democratic nominee for Senate. Both support same sex marriage.
Angelini and Casagrande are competing with Democrats Vin Gopal,Red Bank Councilwoman Kathy Horgan and Independent Dan Jacobson, all marriage equality advocates. Jacobson told GSE that they should endorse Angelini because she is the only Republican in the Assembly who has supported their cause.
Beck told MMM that gay marriage is one of the very few issues with which she differs with the governor, “I support him 99.99999%, but we differ on this issue.”
“We all believed that civil unions would provide equal rights,” said Beck, “but that has turned out not to be the case for many people. I was very conflicted over my Senate vote against marriage equality because I personally believe in it, yet I voted against the bill because I felt the majority of my district was against it. I believe the majority of my new district is more open minded and in favor of equal rights.”
Angelini has not responded to MMM’s call for comment. However, Beck said she understood her running mate’s reticence to pledge to override Christie’s veto. “It is not an easy decision. We all have great respect and admiration for Governor Christie, personally and politically. He is a great leader. ”
Beck also noted that the bill recently passed in New York giving same sex couples the right to marriage has stronger protections for religious institutions than the bill that came before the New Jersey legislature during the 2009-2010 lame duck session. Beck said she would only support a bill that had such protections.
More from my site
Casagrande’s Cowardice
Showdown at the Press editorial board!
Is Gay Marriage A Simple Issue?
Garden State Equality Apologizes For Endorsing Mary Pat Angelini
Democrats Mum On Schlossbach’s Replacement
Randy Bishop Will Not Be An 11th District Assembly Candidate
An endorsement from Jennifer Beck?
Monmouth GOP May Face Tougher Election Than Expected
Dan Jacobson Kills Puppies!
Assembly Passes Gay Marriage Bill
WAIT! Groundhog day has passed! Why is Jen Beck showing her shadow? She only comes out of her hole on groundhog day.
Really, you can certainly tell its an election year because you never here from her otherwise. We certainly don’t have any REAL representation in Trenton with Beck. She’s now embracing this issue because Asbury Park and I believe, Ocean Grove has a huge LGBT population. What a charade.
Art,
Just want to clarify something. I told Garden State Equality that they should definitely endorse Mary Pat Angelini, as you correctly reported. The issue for them, however, is what to do with an endorsement for the second seat. I suggested to them that I receive that second endorsement, or they simply endorse every other candidate in the race who favors marriage equality.
I also find your report of Caroline Casagrande’s position interesting. My understanding is that she was against marriage equality. In this campaign, I have no interest in mixing it up with the others in the race — I’m running more against the whole idiocy of the current system — so I don’t want to give Caroline a hard time about it.
But I would want to read a direct quote from Caroline on where she stands. I have trouble believing that Caroline couldn’t say she’s pro or con. It’s a pretty clear-cut issue.
So maybe she can write in with a post herself, or if you have a direct quote from her I’d be interested in reading it. I’d salute Caroline if she’s for marriage equality, and respectfully disagree with her if she’s not.
But a position from an incumbent on an issue like this should be clearly stated at this point.
Dan Jacobson
Dan,
Direct quote from Caroline Casagrande:
“I have not taken a public position on same sex marriage.”
That’s her quote. She told me she has been focused on fiscal issues and hasn’t given the issue the thought and study it requires. As she has yet to have to vote of the issue, that is a reasonable answer, in my opinion.
Really Jen? Such a pathetic excuse for a politician. Your pro gay marriage, your pro choice, your pro publicly funded abortions, you clashed with the governor on monmouth racetrack, exactly how is that supporting him 99.999% of the time?
your new district is open minded and your old one wasnt? As a republican living in your old district, i find that offensive. im glad joe kyrillos is my new senator. its not that i even disagree with you on the issues, its your worse than a democrat, your just a typical politician will say whatever to whomever to get votes. its disgusting
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I’d like to hear more from Caroline Casagrande on this one. She’s a very intelligent woman, and I’m sure she can handle more than just fiscal issues at one time. Marriage equality is not that difficult an issue, nor is it a new one. It’s been hotly debated for years now. So I’m not buying Caroline’s explanation for not taking a position, nor should anyone else. This is the first time I have to say that I’m disappointed with her, and it’s this type of bullshit which pisses me off about politicians. Just take a stand.
In the past several months, I’ve been the subject of some pretty tough commentary on this blog attacking my position favoring same-sex marriage. I certainly have no problem with that. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.
What I’m interested to see, however, is what these same people have to say about Caroline not being able to take a position on an issue like this. That’s nonsense. As for me, I’d respectfully disagree with her if she opposes same sex marriage, and salute her if she announces her support.
However, I’d have a major problem with her evading this issue as Art is reporting, and I’d urge her to state a position at this time before her evasion itself becomes a big issue. There’s no need for that, and Caroline should clear all this up immediately.
Respectfully,
Dan Jacobson
Really is anyone just finding out now that Beck is a pandering do what ever I have to to get elected politician?
I actually wish Dan was running for Senate.
he has the same stand as Jen on the issues and he is an often a jackass but at least he is a sincere jackass.
Angelini’s stand on this is most dissappointing and Caroline should show some guts and take the stand we all know she wants to take and stop worrying about 50 votes in Asbury park that will probably vote democrat anyway.
The consensus of the majority of the posters here appears unanimous regarding Jennifer Beck. She has a dubious history of lies, hypocrisy and deceit. Lets look at her recent history:
She recently sponsored a bill banning retired government workers from “double-dipping,” by retiring from one job, and then re-enrolling into another collecting a pension and a government salary. I have no problem with this; however, when information came to light that her friend and political ally, former Sheriff Guadagno engaged in fraud to permit a high-ranking sheriff’s employee to circumvent pension laws—she said absolutely nothing!! http://newjersey.watchdog.org/2011/05/03/lt-gov-on-hot-seat-as-state-probes-scams/ She was made aware of this matter by me reporting this to her fraud web site—which now appears to be nothing but a cheap publicity trick.
In a back and forth letter battle with me in The News Transcript, Ms. Beck attacked me by saying I threatened her employees for six years. Yet, she never got law enforcement intervention. Why? Because had she done so, she probably would have been arrested for falsely reporting a crime. She had obviously lied. She also stated in that letter that the investigation cleared Sheriff Guadagno. Nothing could be further from the truth. The truth is the Attorney Generals Office and the Treasury’s Pension and Benefits Division is currently conducting an ongoing investigation.
According to MMM, Ms. Beck states marriage equality was hard to decide in her early years because she truly “thought” that’s what her district wanted. Gee, she never called me or anyone else I know in her district gauging sentiments on this subject. Jennifer has voted against the marriage equality issue TWICE. Once, as a member of the Judiciary Committee; the second on the floor of the senate.
Beck advocates governmental transparency. She even sponsored legislation ensuring such transparency. However, when she was exposed for having accepted the tainted campaign contributions from convicted fraudster Solomon Dwek in her assembly and senate bids, she allegedly donated such contributions to charity. When she was asked a reasonable request for proof of such donation—she refused. I guess when she advocates transparency—it’s for everyone else– but her.
Her political career is in jeopardy. When it comes to lies, deception, and hypocrisy, all I can say is: Get the Beck out of here!!!
An interesting site found during a search of Beck—including her past license suspensions—can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dump-State-Senator-Jennifer-Beck/181295051917672?ref=ts
Thank you, TR. Well said.
Dan Jacobson
Dan, StarWars or StarTrek? Pampers or Huggies? Pepsi or Coke? Ford or Chevy?
Ah, nevermind, doesn’t really matter, I’m glad Caroline has been keeping her focus on the important issues instead of this non-sense.
And in fairness to Dan, GREAT job of using the opportunity of being on the ballot to focus the debate on your one issue.50 some signatures, hardy anything really, and you can influence an election. In fact, you’ve already won if, at least, 6 out of 7 candidates take the same position on your issue, no matter what happens, 2/3rds of d11 representatives will support government authority over adult relationships. If I were you, having scored the early victory on this one issue, I’d get greedy and try for a second issue, but then I can also understand not trying your luck too much.
Again, good luck Dan, and may I be the first to say congrats on your victory!
First, this issue is NOT where voters are concentrating their concerns right now. “It’s the economy stupid,” it’s jobs, jobs, jobs and taxes.
But, on the issue; at least I knew where Mary Pat stood on the issues, and she at least stands by her convictions.
Jen Beck however is now being seen as the pandering politician that she is. I don’t trust her and will not vote for her. I sincerely hope in the future that a primary challenger surfaces.
What a shame loosing Sean Kean as a Senator. Beck will never be able to fill his shoes.
Beck and Angelini have both flip-flopped on significant issues. They are unprincipled to say the least. Neither one of them are the civil libertarians that they now portray themselves to be. I would be embarrassed to have either one of them represent me in the Legislature.
What was Mary Pat Angelini smoking when she wrote this?
as much as I dislike Beck and her pandering because she has a desperate need to get elected I dislike Sage and his hypocritical (wwahhh i didn’t get mine) vendetta even more. Sage go away or you will drive me to vote for Beck
[…] in the Senate last May in voting to restore women’s health care funding in the state budget. More recently, she has said should would vote to override a Christie veto of same sex marriage if given the […]