State Budget - Wally Edge - Team Corzine threatens Roberts

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Published by Wally Edge on PoliticsNJ, Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Team Corzine threatens Roberts' speakership

A high ranking Democratic leader says there has been discussions among Governor Jon Corzine's staff about removing Joseph Roberts as the Assembly Speaker, although the front office strongly denies that they are focused on anythig but the budget. James E. McGreevey, as the Governor-elect in 2001, engineered a deal to elect Albio Sires as Speaker instead of then-Minority Leader Joseph Doria.

Any group of ten Democrats could effectively organize the Assembly, if they can develop an alliance with the 31 Republicans. Similarly, a group of four Democratic State Senators could remove Richard Codey as Senate President with the help of the eighteen GOP Senators. In 1971, after Democrats won control of the State Assembly, Republican Thomas Kean cut a deal with four Democrats from Hudson County to become the Speaker.

Codey and Roberts, of course, are perpetual targets of leadership change rumors.

Posted by Wally Edge on June 28, 2006 03:18 PM | Permalink

http://politics.nexcess.net/insideedge/2006/06/team_corzine_threatens_roberts.html

COMMENTS

While this rumor is not especially surprising, it begs two questions. One is, whom would replace Roberts (Watson-Coleman, McKeon)? And, what would the Corzine-friendly Democratic assmeblymen get out of this except the "thanks and respect of a grateful governor?" The constituents back home probably want a little more than that.

Posted by: hummingbird [TypeKey Profile Page] | June 28, 2006 03:41 PM
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Could have been a great opportunity for Joe Vas to replace Albio Sires !

Posted by: MVJ [TypeKey Profile Page] | June 28, 2006 03:48 PM
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Should be interesting. Lets all keep our fingers crossed. If Roberts loses this budget battle that will be twice in two years he went up against the Governor's office and lost (and with two different Governors). His caucus should be questioning his leadership right now. They are obviously in a state of disarray.

Posted by: fed up in NJ [TypeKey Profile Page] | June 28, 2006 03:55 PM
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Corzine will be lucky if Team Roberts doesn't decide to remove him.

All the money in the world won't help him if he continues on the route he is presently.

Posted by: whateverNJ [TypeKey Profile Page] | June 28, 2006 04:21 PM
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It's better than Corzine just bending to the will of the Roberts' regime. Obviously, Mr. Roberts didn't learn anything from his smack down from last year. And make no mistake, it was a smackdown.

Posted by: fed up in NJ [TypeKey Profile Page] | June 28, 2006 04:28 PM
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Nobody is removing Corzine and he doesn't need all the money in the world for another 3 years. Roberts needs it in 07. If Corzine wins this battle, expect a political jihad in the lower 8. I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't a whole lot of paper shredding going on in SJ tonight.

Posted by: resurrectingreagan [TypeKey Profile Page] | June 28, 2006 04:34 PM
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This sounds like there are too many bored people in trenton sitting around waiting for the budget, hatching conspiracy theories. Nobody is going anywhere--the Corzine, Codey, Roberts love triangle will be on display at least through 2007.

Posted by: McGovernDem [TypeKey Profile Page] | June 28, 2006 04:57 PM
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As if DeCroce could deliver 31 votes. This clown is so inept he couldn't deliver a pizza. The only reason why no one takes him out as leader is becuase there is nothing to look forward to as a GOPer in the Assembly

Posted by: YNOTRockefeller? [TypeKey Profile Page] | June 28, 2006 05:53 PM
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If Roberts is removed for killing the sales tax, he will be a martyr.

Posted by: NorthJerseyPopulist [TypeKey Profile Page] | June 28, 2006 06:16 PM
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Yes, Alex DeCroce is the inept, perhaps the most inept person in Trenton. More inept than Corzine, Codey, and especially more inept than Joe Roberts. That's why this whole budget process has been so easy and efficient under absolute Democrat control. Last year, too, Codey and Roberts did a hell of a job. Other states should watch and take notes on how not to be inept.

And Christie Whitman is to blame for all of our present problems.

And by the way, YNotRockefeller, I GUARANTEE that the Assembly Republicans will have their pizzas before the Assembly Democrats or either side of the Senate on Friday night.

Posted by: Aetius [TypeKey Profile Page] | June 28, 2006 08:27 PM
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What is interesting is that Nellie Pou seems to be siding with South Jersey Democrats when in fact Essex and Hudson seem to be on board with Corzine. To read more on the history of that, take a look at the link below.

Posted by: CollegeDem [TypeKey Profile Page] | June 28, 2006 10:18 PM
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Well, I have to admit it.....I'm really enjoying the fun taking place at the statehouse (obviously, I would rather have control, but being in the minority does have a few benefits).

Still, I'm amazed that I'm on the Roberts/Norcross side of things! Politically, I wouldn't mind seeing Cozine slam through the tax increase, since it will definitely help us out in 2007. Oh well, this is a win-win for me.....Roberts wins, no sales tax increase, Cozine wins, help for 2007.

Posted by: SomersetRepublican [TypeKey Profile Page] | June 29, 2006 01:05 PM
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Fascinating. Priority #1: POWER.

Priority # 2,743,974 the taxpayers of NJ

Posted by: MarkOtto [TypeKey Profile Page] | June 29, 2006 01:12 PM
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Well Aetius, ur right. This is George N's state. Roberts will win this fight. Everyone knows that except Corzine. The Guv of NJ maybe the strongest executive in the nation becuase of our state constitution, but he is still no match for Norcross if Norcross decides to take him out.

Posted by: YNOTRockefeller? [TypeKey Profile Page] | June 29, 2006 01:17 PM
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I think I'm with Roberts too. The education cuts just don't make sense, the pensions are bloated too.

Posted by: CollegeDem [TypeKey Profile Page] | June 29, 2006 01:20 PM
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Corzine better watch out. Tom Kean and Frank Holman tried to block Chuck Hardwick from becoming speaker in 1985 and Hardwick won. They then tried to take out Hordiwk's guy as executive director.

Kean and Hiolman lost on both counts...and regretted it for the entire second term!

Posted by: walt hollenbeck [TypeKey Profile Page] | June 29, 2006 01:24 PM
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Corzine is making a big mistake by taking a run at Roberts/Norcross. No one plays hardball better than George, and Corzine is learning this first hand. The average citizen doesn't know which budget proposal is better for him, but they will blame Corzine when the casinos and parks are closed on 4th of July weekend.

Corzine needs to paint the looming shutdown as a result of Roberts not willing to support a painful but fiscally necessary budget. He needs to enlist Codey, currently the most beloved NJ pol, to call on Roberts to backdown. But I dont see Codey wanting to do any favors for the man who pushed him out of the governors seat.
Unless Corzine learns how the game is played in Trenton it is going to be a long four years for him.

Posted by: machiavelli [TypeKey Profile Page] | June 29, 2006 02:02 PM
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I wonder if the Governor will have the nerve to say that Joe Roberts is one the guys responsible for the fiscal mess the state is in...and his budget will simply perpetuate that mess for another year. I suspect Roberts will respond that all will be fixed in the special session of the legislature this summer, and the state should try to cobble together a compromise budget to get through another year. That's not the worst political argument that can be made, and I'm suprised we haven't heard Roberts make it.

Posted by: hummingbird [TypeKey Profile Page] | June 29, 2006 02:12 PM
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The problem for Corzine is that you can't blame a shutdown on a person that 99% of NJ doesn't know.....aka, Roberts. This is not a Newt/Clinton shutdown the government issue, since Cozine doesn't have a well-known person (with an increasing negative image in the public - I believe this was around the time that Newt started to really put his foot into his mouth) to blame things on.

I don't understand what Corzine is doing.....he's going to get blamed at the end of the day if the government is shutdown.

Posted by: SomersetRepublican [TypeKey Profile Page] | June 29, 2006 03:06 PM
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Roberts is looking for a politically safe stop gap, which is what Corzine has been trying to stop since he got in office. Yes, he may have a tough time politically, but at least he has the guts to try and get things on the right track. Yes, pensions are bloated, but that wasn't Corzine's fault. It is the fault of years of political spinelessness from both parties who cater to special interests so that they won't lose their jobs. And brilliant ideas like then pension bonding of Whitman. And now the bill is due. How do you suggest the State pay for it?

Posted by: fed up in NJ [TypeKey Profile Page] | June 29, 2006 04:29 PM
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Is Corzine intentionally picking a fight?

Why does Corzine believe the only way to balance a budget is to raise taxes?

Isn't this the same guy who said raising taxes was a "last resort?"

Corzine and Tim Kaine, the Democratic governor of Virginia seem to be playing from the same national playbook by forcing the legislature to pass tax increeases nobody wants nor supports.

Seems to me Corzine is practically begging for a voter backlash so that the number of Democrats decreases in both houses so he increases his own leverage.

Suburban Democrats beware!

You follow Corzine and his yuppy liberal advisors off the plank and you will drown when having to face the voters in 07!

Posted by: NJDem [TypeKey Profile Page] | June 29, 2006 07:29 PM
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