THE FORBES MOMENT:

McGreevey letter about Cipel called misleading (SANDY McCLURE, December 22, 2002, Gannett)

Despite his statements to the contrary, Gov. James E. McGreevey intended from the beginning to make his now departed Israeli adviser and friend the state's point man on terrorism, documents obtained last week under the federal Freedom of Information Act show.

Using the terrorism attacks of Sept. 11 to justify the hiring, the governor's chief lawyer wrote a letter to the U. S. Immigration and Naturalization Service on McGreevey's s inauguration day telling the federal agency that New Jersey wanted Golan Cipel to coordinate increased security with all branches of government and that Cipel had the necessary "substantial experience" in public security.

The letter was part of a petition by the state for a specialty work visa that had to show Cipel was qualified for what he was being hired to do.

Internationally known Israeli military expert and journalist Yossi Melman said the letter "more than exaggerates" Cipel's experience and capabilities in the Israeli Defense Force.

"The state of New Jersey's application (to the immigration service) in particular struck me as full of chutzpah," Melman said. "It is rather surprising that the governor went out of his way by using the pretext that his Israeli friend is a terrorist expert in order to accommodate him. I find it especially troubling to use the horrible events of 9/11 as a justification for the nomination of Golan Cipel to a highly important security position which he was not qualified for." [...]

McGreevey has described Cipel as a very good friend whose advice he still seeks and who still does outreach for the governor to the Jewish community.

As this scandal continues to unravel, it seems more and more like Steve Forbes could win a gubernatorial match-up with the scandal-saddled Mr. McGreevey. This would be good for the Party, which has had trouble getting conservatives elected statewide in NJ; good for Mr. Forbes, who would have the laboratory in which to test some of his supply-side ideas; and good for the state, which has a penchant for corrupt Democrats. Posted by Orrin Judd at December 22, 2002 12:48 PM