Crosspost from NJ group: State Senator hijacks Committee Meeting, has member who opposes him ejected

[Pab Sungenis]

I've been a Democratic Committeeman in Cumberland County, NJ, for over ten years. My first meeting was in 2002 when we voted to put Lautenberg back on the ballot when Torricelli dropped out.

Last week I got an E-mail from our vice-chair:

CUMBERLAND COUNTY COMMITTEE MEETING
DATE: THURSDAY, FEB 28TH
TIME: 6pm
PLACE: COSMOPOLITAN RESTAURANT
DELSEA DRIVE, VINELAND NJ
REFRESHMENTS PROVIDED


AGENDA

TO DISCUSS CAMPAIGN 2013

I showed up tonight and was startled to find that the meeting that had been called was being hijacked by Senator Jeff Van Drew. Van Drew is one of the worst examples of a Blue Dog in our state. He voted with Chris Christie to strip collective bargaining rights. He voted three times to block same-sex marriage. And he voted against raising the minimum wage. The man is a disgrace.

He then presented his choice to replace a retiring Assemblyman: an Iraq vet who lost use of one of his legs in 2008 and was on "Oprah." They then unrolled a banner with the candidates' names on it while playing "God Bless the USA." (I'm not kidding.)

I started working my way up to the front to talk to the Vice-Chair, who happens to be my grandmother. Mind you, this is a woman who not only has a gay grandson but a gay niece and a gay daughter on top of it! I asked what the hell was going on, was this a meeting or what? She said she had no idea what was happening.

Then Van Drew called the county chairs up to vote on the nomination, which hadn't even been made under our rules. Under the rules of the CC Democratic Party a candidate must be nominated by one person from Vineland, one from Millville, one from Bridgeton, and one from the townships. No motions were called for or made, yet we were instructed to vote for the nomination.

I raised a point of order, asking if discussion was to be allowed as required under our bylaws. Chairman Bob Balicki said yes. Once the motion had been forced by one person and one second (not even under our rules), I got on the stage to speak. I spoke on how important it is to remember what it means to be a Democrat, and how Jeff Van Drew opposes labor unions. I was beginning to bring up his record on gay rights when Balicki took the microphone back from me and a committeewoman from Cape May (who didn't even have a right to be at a Cumberland Democratic Meeting) forced me off the stage.

I was then swarmed by Cape May committee people who started yelling at me and threatening me for disrupting their "paid rally." Bullshit. It was a Cumberland Democratic Meeting that had been called, not a paid campaign rally. They then had me ejected from the premises.

I would say Van Drew should be ashamed, but he proved through his votes on unions, gay rights, and the minimum wage that he has no shame.

[Samantha]

1. Unbelievable

Thanks for sharing this info.

Sam

[silvershadow]

2. Sounds ridiculous. I would pursue it to the fullest extent of the law, if the vote was not in

accordance. But that's just me.

[jerseyjack]

3. I would agree except where is the money gonna come from?

N.J. does have an election commission but they probably have no jurisdiction over this.

Newspaper publicity is your only hope.