Cheap at twice the price, compared to 1) the cost of deposing the SOB by force, and 2) the property damage and loss of life NK forces could inflict on SK.

1. “Ed, it’s none of my business, but if I’m reading right, you’re inside one of the local GOP organizations”

Actually I’m not. I have very very little to do with the NJGOP, and the GOP in general, since I figured out that the GOP is doing very little for my issues as a fiscal conservative.

2. “Look, New Jersey politics and government is a hotbed of corruption.”

This is correct. To my knowledge there are currently about 23 townships under investigation for corruption and fraud. A dozen school systems where administrators have embezzled money. And there have been at least three county prosecutors who have stolen vast quantities of forfeiture funds. I think a couple years ago NJ had the distinction of having the most town mayors under simultaneous indictments of any state in the union.

3. “The Republican party in New Jersey has demonstrated no interest whatsoever in changing that status quo.”

And how, and why, would the Republican party do so? You’ve pointed out yourself, as have I, that the NJGOP has very little power. It holds relatively few seats in the state legislature. It doesn’t hold the govenorship, and it doesn’t look like it will either with Corazine running. It doesn’t hold either senate seat.

Just HOW would the NJGOP enact this change? What is the process for a MINORITY party in state level politics to FORCIBLY change the entire political structure of the state of New Jersey?

And WHY?

Right now the NJGOP, again, does not have any serious political power. The only thing it can offer it’s members is the limited self governance at the local level. What you’re proposing is that the NJGOP tell it’s members to go F*** themselves and hand over everything to the Democrats.

Ok. So why aren’t you yelling at the DEMOCRATS?

Your heart might be in the right place, but your position is frankly absurd.

I apologize for my poor communication skills. On the other hand, like Ed Koch once told a reporter who kept pounding him on the same point, I can explain it for you but I can’t understand it for you.

“Peter, the usurpation of local control is a hard row to hoe. It’s thought to be why New Jersey politics at the state level is, has been and will continue to be such a sinkhole of ineptitude and corruption. Republicans are firmly entrenched in their local fiefdoms and see no reason to rock the boat.”

Let me point you back to your original statement.

Why should Republicans be enamored of state governance of local issues when Republicans cannot gain control at the state level? That has been my point. Which is why I kept pointing out the weakness of the NJ GOP in state level elections. Why the NJ GOP hasn’t been able to take even one senate seat and why the GOP doesn’t have any control over the state legislature.

Logically then what you’re advocating is that Republicans should immediately cut their own political throats by giving up local control, the only control they actually have, in exchange for being completely eliminated from NJ politics.

Really now. What do you want? You want Republicans to advocate what? Elimination of their “little fiefdoms”? In exchange for what? Complete control by state level democrats?

If you’ve got a serious point to make, I haven’t found it. So either restate it clearly or give it up.

Mine is hardly that NJ is bastion of Republicanism but that there are pockets of Republican control at the local level (county freeholders, muncipal governments) and that seems to be all the state party aspires to (after all, local politics in New Jersey is fairly lucrative). It certainly seldom sees fit to field a viable candidate at the state-wide level and even when it does it’s someone on the order of a Case or a Kean or a Todd-Whitman. You want to laugh, knock yourself out.

“There are plenty of localities in Republican hands in New Jersey and the party seems content with that–local control in certain areas of the state. Few seem to seriously aspire to more and no one seems particularly interested in any kind of meaningful governmental reform–why go looking for trouble. What’s a New Jersey Republican anyhow? Clifford Case? Tom Kean? Christy Todd?”

No offense but if NJ were such a bastion of Republicanism then why is it a blue state? Both senators are democrats. The ex-govenor is a democrat. The current govenor is a democrat. The next govenor probably will be a democrat. Take a look at the 2004 election map. Other than a couple counties, including Monmouth, the entire state of NJ voted democrat.

And yet this is a bastion of Republicanism? be real here.

As for past Republican govenors, that’s who people elect when their taxes rise to too high a level. But since the legislature is controlled by democrats, there’s not much that can be done.

And as for Kean. Really now, you did read that monstrosity of the 9/11 commission right? As for Christine Todd Whitman. Don’t make me laugh.