The Embarrassed Republican: All Politics is Local
This has been an interesting couple of weeks for Republicans, especially around here. To any of us who didn’t know who or what ALEC (American Legislative Exchange council) was, we do now. This small band of legislation crafters has been working tirelessly for years and years, carefully penning “Pro-Business” legislation to be submitted by sympathetic local lawmakers in every state. Kind of a ground-up approach for business-minded conservatives and a really clever one too. If the Federal government won’t play ball, go to the states.
Once backed by over 300 of the biggest US companies, the self-styled “Free market policy group” is feeling the wind of exposure on its “nibbly-bits.” When it came out that the “Stand your ground” laws (AKA - shoot first, arrange bodies later) was one of their finest products, there was a noticeable thinning in the ranks of supporters. It’s ok, you can read that as stampede to the hide behind the curtains. Frankly, I’m still wondering how “Stand your ground” laws are pro-free market?
Maybe I can ask our very own assemblyman and Morris Plains resident Jay Webber who is the New Jersey state co-chair for ALEC. Assemblyman Webber has introduced several bills in his tenure that bear a significant resemblance to ALEC-crafted bills presented in other states. It’s really just a few words here and there, perhaps including a relevant passage or two. However, it’s important to note that legislation is often crafted by interested parties, lobbying groups, or is the product of successful efforts in other states and this practice is not illegal. Although, I wonder if that feels a little like being asked to take a huge and luxurious ship out of the harbor, only to find out you’ve been named co-captain of the Titanic.
That’s been happening a lot for the past few years, in the same way that Republicans are always the ones to deliver the ALEC-crafted bills to the legislatures, they are also the ones who end up taking the bullet. We never seem to figure out that when the “smart money” holds up the football and says “Go long....”, they wont be there when we get back. I feel rather bad for Mr. Webber and I hope he has his “nibbly bits” well covered.
He’s in good company though, another local resident, our Governor (once a lobbyist himself) could be under some scrutiny for his own ALEC-like phrasing. However, right now he’s busy brushing off accusations from Senator “attack dog” Lautenberg. It seems Frank wanted to check the numbers quoted by the Honorable Mr. Christie when the ARC tunnel project got cancelled. Those sticklers at the GAO felt that "70% of the cost" was not enough like the actual 14% to get an "A" in accountability. Well, you know, that’s all just “math” and if you don’t get it exactly right, you still get points for neatness. Besides we’ll have plenty of time to work it out during our daily commute. It’ll help pass the time while we’re standing all the way home from Penn Station for the next 10 years.
Much the same thing is happening with our “Conservative” media knight-in-shining-armor, Fox news. Now that Mitt “Mr. Flexible” Romney is the man, the other candidates and everything they stood for have mostly given up waiting for the pass out in the high weeds and darkening twilight. Except Newt (no surprise there), who’s desperately hanging on to his Secret service detail and Herman who offered to give Michelle a ride home. It’s over guys, and Michelle, keep your eyes on his hands!
As one commenter pointed out last week “...The division within the republican party is so large now that at times it seems bigger than the one between the two parties....” Who can blame a large part of the party getting tired of always being the fall guy? It's tiring being a sucker. If you have trouble with that, don’t worry, just take a look at the “2012 Presidential platform survey” that just arrived. All the familiar hot-button chestnuts are there.
“Do you intend to stand by while the President enacts radical leftist, anti-business, pro-muslim polices that call for all your children to be sold to Chinese atheists?”
Next to that question is a box marked “Yes, I am a traitor to God and my country” and one marked “No sirree bob! Please accept my donation of $500.”
Here's a good piece on ALEC and NJ bills on NJ.com
Louis C. Hochman
10:38 am on Friday, April 20, 2012
FYI, to readers: This post is part of our Local Voices section, meaning it was submitted by a reader. Local Voices posts don't necessarily reflect the views of Patch management or the organization — but we sure are eager to hear -your- views.
So whether you agree with everything said in this post or couldn't disagree more, we'd love to see your own submission. Go to http://morris.patch.com/blog/apply and hit "Post on Patch" — your submission will be up in a few minutes.
Mauragdme
1:43 pm on Friday, April 20, 2012
Maybe you should edit the top of the Article to state it is a resident opinion or letter to the editor. This would be more appropriate.
Dan Grant
4:57 pm on Friday, April 20, 2012
There in a simple question by Mauagdme is the problem. People see bias everywhere. It is clearly marked as a blogger and written by an Embarrassed Republican. Seems like an oxymoron to say that though. It is a good reasonable piece about issues that ought to concern us all. Webber is in no danger though any county with elected Birthers in their Party doesn't have demanding voters.
Louis C. Hochman
9:54 am on Saturday, April 21, 2012
As a matter of practice, we don't edit submissions through our blogging platform, even to add context or an editor's note. We consider it a platform for the community to use, but not content by Patch. If something is inappropriate (profanity, commercial advertising, defamation) we won't allow it on the site at all, but we won't edit the material.
However, we're sensitive to the fact that the presentation of the post isn't very different than that of one of our staff-produced news articles. It's got the "Local Voices" banner, but we know not everyone knows instantly what that's meant to convey. Our HQ staff is always evaluating whether changes may need to be made to our design to improve the experience, and that concern is on their radar.
JM Mom
3:55 pm on Friday, April 20, 2012
The top of the article said it was written by a blogger and Morris Township resident.
Robert Lawrence
7:35 am on Saturday, April 21, 2012
Actually Prentiss Gray appears pretty pathetic -- a self-described "Writer" who still hasn't mastered the basics of third-grade grammar.
Consider this funny foul-up from Prentiss: "introduced several bills in his tenure that bare [sic] a significant resemblance". Might you mean BEAR a significant resemblance, Prentiss?
(Between his mis-use of "bare" and frequent reference to "nibbly-bits," one wonders whether Prentiss Gray's got a Freudian thing going.)
Or, how about another hilarious error: "the wind of exposure on it’s [sic] 'nibbly-bits'". Don't you mean "its" Prentiss? (Ouch, it looks like Prentiss caught it in his own "nibbly-bits" on that one.)
Prentiss Gray, before you inflict your self-inflated egotism on us again, please get yourself a third-grade grammar book and spend a couple weeks learning the fundamentals for the first time. Thank you.
Pete
9:21 am on Saturday, April 21, 2012
Oh... see our Publisher, scrambling like a cat trying to bury his mess on a glass coffee-table.
Prentiss Gray
10:05 am on Saturday, April 21, 2012
You're absolutely right, Robert. I'll see if I can still fix those those. Sorry it was so distracting for you.
Robert Lawrence
10:09 am on Saturday, April 21, 2012
Prentiss Gray, stop pontificating to others and start educating yourself.
John Markey
11:25 am on Saturday, April 21, 2012
Mr Lawrence, try making a substantive reply to a very well written article and cut out the didactic twaddle. If you're being paid by Mr. Gray to illustrate the points he's been so aptly making over the past month or so, he's definitely getting his money's worth.
Robert Lawrence
12:07 pm on Saturday, April 21, 2012
A substantive reply to a "Writer" who thinks references to "nibbly-bits" somehow qualifies as sophisticated analysis?
What's next, some toilet-bowl jokes from Nibbly-Bits Prentiss that you'll applaud too, John Markey?
Thanks, but we'll just leave John Markey and Prentiss Gray to wallow in their kindergarten comedy and grammar.
Maura Souki
7:37 pm on Saturday, April 21, 2012
Beware of Wolves in Sheep's Clothing
Prentiss Gray
9:27 pm on Saturday, April 21, 2012
Maura, I couldn't agree more. What was that WHO song, "Don't get fooled again.". It's amazing that in a time when we all have the worlds knowledge in our pocket we still don't verify everything we hear or read.
joe raich
6:52 am on Sunday, April 22, 2012
OCW sees who is taking advantage of our middle class, why don't all of you ???
Prentiss Gray
7:50 am on Sunday, April 22, 2012
If you mean OWS (Occupy Wall Street) a lot of Republicans and Tea Partyers are starting to figure it out. Hence the low level meetings between the two groups that are happening all over the country. However OWS is not a traditional organization, by that I mean not a hierarchy so there's no one group or person who speaks for everyone. Still as it turns out, OWS and the Tea Party share at least 60% of their goals, not what "Americans for prosperity" was planning, exactly.
dutchess
1:23 pm on Sunday, April 22, 2012
Robert seems to subscribe to the Fox "News" idea that by insulting someone you can discredit them. Glad to see that some Republicans do not agree with ALEC. I am afraid ALEC exists to groom local legislators to someday affect national laws and elections.
Robert Lawrence
1:33 pm on Sunday, April 22, 2012
Stated like a true Madison Democrat, Nancy.
Prentiss Gray
1:59 pm on Sunday, April 22, 2012
I respect ALEC for their organizational skills and their persistence, I even like some of the bills they propose, but I get suspicious when they try to come off as a charity and I really don't like the sneakiness. That makes me wonder whether or not I really understand how some of these bills will be used, as in their true intent.
Good piece in the Times about ALEC today
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/us/alec-a-tax-exempt-group-mixes-legislators-and-lobbyists.html?hp
joe raich
4:49 pm on Sunday, April 22, 2012
ALEC exposure is real, it just might be the reason why the 1% refuse to create jobs, finance and promote the Republican party, denegrate and live to destroy programs that would make a real difference. Perhaps well meaning people can give up dogma and fight for progressive change.
Al Iervolino
6:21 pm on Sunday, April 22, 2012
prentiss, i think your next post should be on moveon.org so you can educate the patch readers about who is behind them and their agenda.
Prentiss Gray
7:43 am on Monday, April 23, 2012
I think that's a really good idea, thanks. But let's widen the scope a bit, If I went through each and every populist/political organization individually I'd still be working on it in my urn (Read: Flaming Viking ship drifting gloriously into the sunset).
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