New Jersey Lautenberg senator suffers fall

Oh c'mon already, stop messing with the damn Democrats. The odds of an 86 year old actually leaving a hospital under any circumstances is iffy at best.

(CNN) - Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-New Jersey, was hospitalized Monday after taking a fall, his spokesman said.

The 86-year-old Lautenberg, who is in his fifth term in the Senate, was taken to the hospital as a "precautionary measure," spokesman Caley Gray said.

"The senator is in great spirits and joking with the doctors," Gray said.

He will remain at the hospital overnight for observation, Gray said.

Mid Day Distraction

New Jersey Lawmakers Pass Medical Marijuana Bill

By GottaLaff

Little by little, progress... but I still can't figure out why the idea of medical marijuana is such a threat. Reefer madness sanity:

The New Jersey Legislature approved a measure on Monday that would make the state the first in the region and the 14th in the nation to legalize the use of marijuana for medical reasons.

The measure, passed on the final day of the legislative session, would allow patients diagnosed with severe illnesses like cancer, AIDS, muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis to have access to marijuana distributed through state-monitored dispensaries.

Of course, now all those dazed and confused hippie dippie patients will slide right into intravenous heroin use.

Gov.-elect Christopher J. Christie, speaking at a press conference on Monday before the vote, reiterated his support for legalizing the medical use of marijuana as long as the final bill contained safeguards to ensure that it did not end up encouraging the recreational use of the drug.

Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, a Democrat from Princeton, said the New Jersey law would be the most restrictive in the nation because it would only permit doctors to prescribe it for a list of serious chronic illnesses. The legislation would also forbid patients from growing their own marijuana and using it in public, and it would regulate the drug under the strict conditions used to track the distribution of medically prescribed opiates like Oxycontin and morphine.

At least those with serious illnesses will now get some relief. This shouldn't be the exception, it should be the rule.

Airport Security Breach Guy charged with defiant trespassing! So there!

By GottaLaff

A few tweeters and I couldn't resist riffing off of this tweet:

"Defiant trespassing"? Who came up with that legal term, some law student parent of a toddler/rebellious teenager who got bored during Individual Liberties 101?

I tweeted, What is he, 2? Will he be grounded?

To which Tymlee responded: Defiant trespassing and over the top pouting.

DadaLives: At least! Hah! No flight for you!

Me: What next? Recalcitrant shoplifting?

PlutoniumPage: Maybe "unruly passengers" will be charged with "temper tantrums".

LaurieInQueens: Perhaps there is a lesser charge of "contrite trespassing," but he was JUST TOO DEFIANT! Always show remorse while trespassing, NOT DEFIANCE!! Let that be a lesson to us all.

Yes, this is what we do after the Rachel Maddow Show is over, and we're all a little dingy from a long day of short tweets.

Please feel free to add your own inanities in Comments.

New Jersey Gay Marriage Vote Canceled

By GottaLaff

Legalizing expressions of love and commitment shouldn't be this hard:

Today's scheduled vote on a bill that would legalize same sex marriage in the Garden State was canceled late yesterday evening as the bill's sponsors feared a likely defeat, the New York Times reports.

Somebody give me a rational argument against this:

New Jersey: Christie wins

By GottaLaff

New Jersey race: Corzine v. Christie. MSNBC is announcing that the next governor is Christie. Oy.

ACORN: We're Not Even Working In New Jersey

By GottaLaff

They'll blame them anyway:

OK, here's what should be the nail in the coffin for conservative claims that ACORN is poised to steal the New Jersey governor's race through rampant voter fraud.

Brian Kettenring, an ACORN spokesman, tells TPMmuckraker that the much-maligned group has conducted absolutely no political or voter registration activity in the state during the 2009 cycle. And Kettenring added that ACORN had done very little such work during the 2008 cycle [...]

Not that the right is letting any of this get in the way of the vote fraud storyline. Conservative activist Patrick Ruffini tweets: "The fix may be in in NJ." If it is -- and there's not a a single piece of credible evidence for that -- it looks like it won't be thanks to ACORN.

Details here.

What an embarrassment some of these punditiots are.

Exit polls: In New Jersey, Obama not a major factor

By GottaLaff

We need to energize our peeps again:

Six in 10 New Jersey voters said Tuesday that President Obama had no effect on their vote in this off-year gubernatorial election, according to early CNN Exit Poll data. [...]

When asked if Obama had an effect on their vote, 60 percent responded he was not a factor, 20 percent said their vote was meant to express opposition to him, and 19 percent said it was to support him.

Why is Deeds behind? "Deeds doesn't support President Obama," said some younger voters, per Rep. Jim Moran (D-Virginia) on The Ed Show just now.

FBI Arrests Mayors, Rabbis In NJ Sweep

Wow, this is pretty impressive.

(CNN) -- About 30 people, including some New Jersey mayors and several rabbis, were arrested Thursday in a federal investigation of public corruption, the U.S. attorney's office in Newark, New Jersey, said.

The probe also involves a "high-volume, international money-laundering conspiracy," according to a statement from the office.

Among those arrested in the public corruption portion of the investigation are Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano III, Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell, New Jersey Assemblyman Daniel Van Pelt and Leona Beldini, a Jersey City deputy mayor.

Several rabbis in New York and New Jersey also were arrested in connection with the money-laundering portion of the investigation.

Video- President Obama at Corzine fundraiser in NJ

NJ Gov. Corzine, IN Gov. Daniels and OH Gov. Strickland talk state economics

Even my Governor critter is going to take the bucks.

Polls- Illinois, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Wyoming

I'm really loving that PA poll and McCain can bite me with his 3 Wyoming electorals. Via Jake.

Illinois -- 56-32 Obama, 10/18,
Chicago Tribune

New Jersey -- 59-36 Obama, 10/19, Quinnipiac University

Pennsylvania -- 52-42 Obama, 10/20, Muhlenberg College/Morning Call

Wyoming -- 58-32 McCain, 10/14,
Mason-Dixon/The Casper Star-Tribune

Electoral map via 538

Poll-itics: Obama's ahead in New Jersey edition

By GottaLaff

Marist Poll: Obama Holds Small Lead in New Jersey

A new Marist Poll in New Jersey finds Sen. Barack Obama leading Sen. John McCain among registered voters, 47% to 40%.

Among likely voters, Obama's margin falls to just three points, 48% to 45%.

Other findings: "83% of likely Democratic voters say they support their party's candidate, Barack Obama, while 87% of likely Republican voters back John McCain. And, among New Jersey's all-important likely Independent voters, including those leaning toward a candidate, 51% support Barack Obama compared with 41% for McCain."

GObama!

NJ: GOP web site - ‘Obama loves America like OJ loved Nicole?’

By GottaLaff

So this is what we have to get used to during Election '08? This? I don't want to get used to this. I want to think of America as a place that has finally gotten past racism and hatred. I'm idealistic that way, I have the audacity of hope. No more bigotry, not any more. Fat chance:

Thank goodness for the folks at Blue Jersey, who did a screen cap of this bit of good taste in race relations before someone at the Pemberton and Burlington County GOP decided to do a little scrubbing of its web site. Jason Springer of Blue Jersey:

As the author of the post, Pam Spaulding, notes, this kind of thing is not limited to:

...redneck bigots in the South engaging in this garbage. I lived in NYC, and bottom-feeders of this kind can be found all over this country—only the regional accents differ when it comes to low-class, low-rent ignorant bile.

No words...

Lou Dobbs for Governor?

By Paddy


Good lord save the New Jerseyites.

CNN's Lou Dobbs is considering running for governor of New Jersey, according to the Newark Star Ledger.

"Several well-connected Republicans say they've heard the buzz that Dobbs, famous for his sharp commentary about Washington policies and politics, may be turning his sights on Trenton and has inquired about the steps necessary to start a campaign."

Asked if he wanted to deny the rumor, Dobbs said, "I'm just not going to comment."

Polls- Obama Way Ahead In Wisconsin, Ahead In New Jersey

By Paddy

Though Wisconsin has been close in recent presidential elections, a new University of Wisconsin poll shows the Badger State solidly in the Democratic column this time around.

Sen. Barack Obama is way ahead of Sen. John McCain, 50% to 37%.

Said pollster Ken Goldstein: "In both 2000 and 2004, party attachments in the state were virtually identical with equal numbers of voters identifying with the Democrats and the GOP. One of the striking results in this poll and consistent with other survey work I have done in the state, the Democrats now enjoy a major advantage in party identification."

And

Every year, it looks like New Jersey might be a swing state in the presidential race. A new Quinnipiac poll shows a close race with Sen. Barack Obama edging Sen. John McCain, 45% to 39%.

Key findings: Obama has a double-digit lead among women, 46% to 35%, and men split 44% to 44%. McCain leads among Independent voters, 42% to 40%.