Senate Democrats Demand That Christie Appoint One Of Their Own To Supreme Court

Democrats in the New Jersey State Senate are upping the ante in their unprecedented exercise of legislative power over judicial appointments.

In the wake of their rejection of Phillip Kwon’s nomination to the State Supreme Court, the Democrats are now demanding that Governor Chris Christie nominate a Democrat to the Court.

“The governor may be entitled to his own nominees for cabinet posts, but we will not allow him to pack the Supreme Court,” Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-Gloucester) said. “The governor must work with us to put together a balanced tandem of candidates for the court. The Senate will not consider anything less.”

NJ.com reports that Sweeney’s spokesman Derek Roseman said that Sweeney was telling Christie to nominate a Democrat.

During his press conference following the Senate Judiciary Committee’s rejection of Kwon, Christie revealed that he had complied with Sweeney’s demand of diversity in his appointment of Kwon, the first Korean-American ever nominated, and Bruce Harris, an Africa-American who is the first openly homosexual nominee.

Reshaping the Supreme Court into a less activist body that does not legislate from the bench was a hallmark promise of Christie’s gubernatorial campaign.  During his first two years in office, Christie has been openly critical of the Court and unabashed about his commitment to change it.

• Tweet

Corzine’s got some ‘splainin to do

• Tweet

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave

Brookdale Community College is prosecuting an 18 year old African-American student for stealing a cup of ice.

Matawan-Aberdeen Middle School is a “no hugging zone.”

A Minnesota man was strip searched, jailed and then subject to a month of electronic monitoring for failing to put siding on his house.

After almost a year of fighting, Fair Haven gave a property owner permission to cut down his own tree.

• Tweet

Christie on Dems Rejection of Kwon to Supreme Court

Governor Chris Christie will be addressing the press corp regarding the Senate Judiciary Committee’s rejection of his nomination of Phillip Kwon to the NJ Supreme Court momentarily.

Watch it here:

• Tweet

Senate Judiciary Committee Rejects Kwon’s Supreme Court Nomination

The New Jersey Senate Judiciary Committee rejected Phillip Kwon’s nomination to be an Associate Justice of the State Supreme Court.

The committee voted 7-6 against Governor Christie’s nominee.  Democratic Senator Brian Stack of Hudson County joined five Republicans in voting for the nomination.

Michael Aron of NJTV said that this is the first time in history that the Judiciary Committee has not approved a governor’s nomination to the Supreme Court.

At issue for the Democrats voting against the nomination was Kwon’s family finances, his political affiliation and his work in the Christie administration’s Attorney General’s office.

The nomination of Chatham Mayor Bruce Harris was not heard today.

Republican members of the committee, called the Democrats’ rejection of Kwon a politically motivated “indefensible character assassination.” In a joint statement Senators Gerald Cardinale, Kevin O’Toole, Joe Kyrillos, Christopher Bateman and Michael J. Doherty said,

Today, Democratic Senators on the Judiciary Committee rejected an exceptionally well-qualified Supreme Court nominee for no good reason whatsoever.  From the moment Mr. Kwon was nominated, the Majority engaged in a campaign of intensely personal character assassination centering around issues that were completely immaterial to his fitness to serve on the court.

The Majority’s entire line of questioning and basis for rejecting his nomination centered on events that had absolutely nothing to do with Phil Kwon.

In short, Phil Kwon was railroaded out of sheer partisan animosity toward the governor.  Theirs was a rejection seeking a reason.  Faced with a nominee whom there was no rational basis to reject, the Majority decided to create one based on the actions of others for which he bears no legal, ethical, or personal responsibility.

If the Majority thinks that its own political ends are what matters in this process, they are mistaken.  The only thing that matters is the public’s right to Supreme Court justices that are well qualified, fair, and nominated by a Governor to whom the voters gave this awesome responsibility.

Their petty actions today are a disgrace to the legislature and the people we serve.

• Tweet

Just a Little Duplicity

Anna Little continues to claim support that she doesn’t have for her fledgling efforts to get on the ballot as candidate for federal office this fall.

In an email blast this morning, Little claimed she would be marching in the Highlands St. Patrick’s parade on Saturday with the Bayshore Tea Party Group.    BTPG is not marching in the parade and has not endorsed Little’s quest for the GOP nomination for Congress from the 6th District.  Little was forced to issue a retraction email and post on her facebook page.

Earlier this week, Little claimed she had the support of GOP leaders for congressional candidacy, despite the fact that she lost the Monmouth GOP endorsement to Ernesto Cullari on Friday March 16th.

Last December, Little listed endorsements she received during her 2010 congressional run on her U.S. Senate campaign website, as if they were endorsements for her ill fated Senate bid against Joe Kyrillos.

If the Middlesex County GOP endorses Little at the convention on Saturday morning, the Republican nomination for Congress in the 6th district against Frank Pallone will be split in the June primary, with Cullari the endorsed GOP candidate on Monmouth County ballots and Little the endorsed candidate on Middlesex County ballots. 

Little has the support of Middlesex County Chairman, Senator Sam Thompson, and is expected to prevail on Saturday.

Thompson and the Middlesex GOP should consider themselves forewarned.  Those who know Little best have decided not to endorse her candidacy.   The reasons listed above are just the tip of the iceberg.

• Tweet

Senator Brian T. Kennedy, 1934-2012, R.I.P

Former State Senator Brian T. Kennedy passed away yesterday after a short illness.  He was 77 years old.

A West Point graduate, Kennedy practiced law for 45 years and served New Jersey in both the State Assembly and Senate.  He served in the Assembly from 1971-1973 and from 1975 -1977  and in the Senate from 1977-1983 before being defeated by Long Branch Councilman Frank Pallone.

Kennedy ran for Congress against the late Representative James J. Howard in 1984 and 1986.  He was a primary candidate for U.S. Senate in 1994, losing the GOP nomination to Assembly Speaker Chuck Haytian.

Kennedy’s last run for office was in 2000 against Congressman Pallone.  He briefly considered entering the 2008 race for the GOP U.S. Senate nomination after Anne Eastabrook withdrew for health reasons.

• Tweet

Senate Judiciary Hearings On Supreme Court Nominations

The New Jersey Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold hearings on the nominations of Bruce Harris and Phillip Kwon for seats on the State Supreme Court this morning.

The hearings can be followed live on the Legislature’s website.

• Tweet

Romney Crushes Santorum in Illinois

Multiple news outlets have declared Mitt Romney the overwhelming winner of the Illinois GOP primary, based upon exit polling data.

FoxNews says Romney leads Santorum 54% to 28% in very early returns.

Maybe now we can stop taking about pornography and contraception.

• Tweet

Ocean County GOP Unanimously Endorses Joe Kyrillos For U.S. Senate

Ocean County – March 20…  Today, the Ocean County Republican Organization endorsed Senator Joe Kyrillos for United States Senate.   This is Senator Kyrillos’ sixth unanimous county organization endorsement.

Ocean County Republican Organization Chairman George Gilmore said, “Joe Kyrillos is the leader that will make Ocean County proud in the United States Senate.  Ocean County families are struggling with high taxes and out-of-control gas prices.  Joe has a proven record of cutting taxes and fighting to reduce spending and that is exactly what we need to get our economy moving again.  I am proud to support Joe Kyrillos for U.S. Senate.”  

Senator Joe Kyrillos said, “I am honored and humbled to have the support of Chairman Gilmore and the Ocean County Republican Organization endorsement.  New Jersey families and small businesses are struggling with higher taxes and job killing regulations from Washington.  The Obama/Menendez plan to tax our way to a stronger economy is failing and is just more of the same.  We need to cut taxes so families can keep more of what they earn and small businesses can invest and create jobs.  In Washington, I will put families and small businesses first and I look forward to making the people of Ocean County and all of New Jersey proud.”     

Kyrillos has also been endorsed by Governor Chris Christie and the Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Monmouth County Republican Organizations.

Senator Joseph M. Kyrillos, Jr., 51, is married to Susan Doctorian Kyrillos and they live in Middletown with their children Max and Georgia. He began serving New Jersey’s 13th Legislative District in 1988 when he was elected to the General Assembly. After spending two terms in the Assembly he was elected to the Senate where he has served since 1993.  In addition to his official duties, the Senator is employed as Senior Managing Director of Colliers International, the commercial real estate services firm with offices in New York and Parsippany. He is also an advisor to the Newport Capital Group in Red Bank, NJ.

• Tweet