PAGING STEVE FORBES:

N.J. Gov. Spends Year Explaining Errors (AP, December 20, 2002)

After getting elected on a promise to look out for the people's money, Gov. James E. McGreevey has spent much of his first year explaining away junkets, helicopter rides and a mysterious $110,000-a-year aide.

Even poetry has proved poor politics for the Democrat: He has been accused of racism for trying to remove New Jersey's poet laureate over a Sept. 11 memorial verse critics called anti-Semitic. [...]

In one recent poll, only 37 percent of voters said they approve of the way McGreevey operates as governor. When it came to issues like the budget, taxes, the economy and jobs, only one in three backed him. [...]

Meanwhile, McGreevey was ducking complaints that his homeland security adviser, Golan Cipel, was not qualified and that as an Israeli he could not get the needed security clearances. Cipel refused to speak to reporters and the administration withheld details about his duties, even after McGreevey reassigned him to an unspecified job with a $110,000 salary.

The Brothers voted for Steve Forbes in the GOP primary here in NH in 1996, but it's time for him to pay some party dues. Taking on the governor's race in NJ, even if he ends up losing, would give him some bona fides. Plus, if he wins he could settle an old family score.
Posted by Orrin Judd at December 20, 2002 6:29 PM