Monday, September 13, 2004
Will McGreevey actually resign?
Various New Jersey bloggers (a dubious category to which TigerHawk officially belongs), including the esteemed Fausta and Thomas Galvin's guest blogger, have been speculating that James E. McGreevey will not actually resign (unless he already has). Galvin's guest-blogger, Albert Greenland, steps up and makes it a prediction:
Meanwhile, Fausta points to his non-stop "campaigning" since the resignation speech, and thinks that he is trying to set himself up for a mid-November surprise.
I confess to the same nightmare, and I certainly agree that McGreevey has sufficiently guargantuan stones to "un-resign," as Fausta puts it. The problem with the theory is that McGreevey is in other respects acting very much like a man laying the foundations for a new life. According to this article from the Star-Ledger, McGreevey is looking for an apartment in northern New Jersey, his wife is looking for a house further south, a crony of his is offering office space in New Brunswick ("New Brunswick would be a great place for the governor," Zoffinger said. "It's in the middle of the state."), and the State's Department of the Treasury is making available $500,000 to help with the transition.
I think that McGreevey is continuing to "campaign" so that he can make a decent life for himself. A political comeback is possible, but not before a hiatus. He will be gone in name on November 15, even if his influence will persist through his Lord Protector, Richard Codey.
UPDATE: Although I saw this after I published this post, it bears mentioning. The Trenton Times seems to see it my way:
While the shaping of his legacy could be part of a scheme to un-resign in November, a more likely explanation is that it is designed to preserve McGreevey's respectability. No corporate board or cushy non-profit will touch him unless he can emerge from his resignation as a victim, rather than a criminal.
Another ignominious feather in the cap of the oft-phlegmatic governor of New Jersey, a man who would crown himself King. Not only is McGreevey the first "gay American," but he may be the first American politician to "un-resign." The September 3rd deadline for a special election has passed and McGreevey not only remains in office; there will be no interim election. I predict here, today, on The Galvin Opinion, that McGreevey will not step down as governor. He may even run again.
Meanwhile, Fausta points to his non-stop "campaigning" since the resignation speech, and thinks that he is trying to set himself up for a mid-November surprise.
I confess to the same nightmare, and I certainly agree that McGreevey has sufficiently guargantuan stones to "un-resign," as Fausta puts it. The problem with the theory is that McGreevey is in other respects acting very much like a man laying the foundations for a new life. According to this article from the Star-Ledger, McGreevey is looking for an apartment in northern New Jersey, his wife is looking for a house further south, a crony of his is offering office space in New Brunswick ("New Brunswick would be a great place for the governor," Zoffinger said. "It's in the middle of the state."), and the State's Department of the Treasury is making available $500,000 to help with the transition.
I think that McGreevey is continuing to "campaign" so that he can make a decent life for himself. A political comeback is possible, but not before a hiatus. He will be gone in name on November 15, even if his influence will persist through his Lord Protector, Richard Codey.
UPDATE: Although I saw this after I published this post, it bears mentioning. The Trenton Times seems to see it my way:
After a three-week hiatus, McGreevey has been back in public this week appearing before friendly groups in an effort to highlight his accomplishments and shape his legacy.
While the shaping of his legacy could be part of a scheme to un-resign in November, a more likely explanation is that it is designed to preserve McGreevey's respectability. No corporate board or cushy non-profit will touch him unless he can emerge from his resignation as a victim, rather than a criminal.
1 Comments:
By 
Fausta, at
Wed Sep 15, 11:16:00 AM:
As much as I'd prefer to think that Lesniak was just testing the waters (by saying that McG should serve the rest of his term), I wouldn't put it past McG to not only serve his term, but also run for reelection next year.
