>Pay-to-Play and the Rubberstamp BCDO
by: Juan Hussein Melli
Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 12:30:54 PM EDT
Mike Kelly brings us this gem from Bergen County Democratic chair Joe Ferriero:
“I pride myself on the fact that during my tenure as county chairman, I don’t think there has been, maybe, one or two contested primaries at the county level,” Ferriero said. “Why? Because I believe my job as the leader of this party is to build coalitions, to build consensus. You may say, well, the county committee rubber stamps whatever you want. Well, maybe that’s because I go out and recruit good candidates.”
That’s the more egotistical rationalization, but it ignores the fact that the county committee is largely made up of people who have traded their political loyalty to Ferriero for patronage jobs.
Ferriero may be corrupt, but people often overlook the fact that he’s a always stood up for the little guy – those without a voice in our political system. Until now. The former champion for the rights of the wealthy, political elite has abandoned their cause.
Now, a footnote to Joe Ferriero’s (long-forgotten) threat to challenge New Jersey’s landmark pay-to-play fund-raising restrictions in federal court. Last week, he formally abandoned any plans to file a lawsuit.
In a recent interview with The Record’s Mike Kelly, the Bergen County Democratic Organization chairman repeated his belief that pay-to-play restrictions are an intrusion on a donor’s First Amendment rights. But he has no intention of battling it out in court or recruiting a private citizen to do it.
“I’m not looking to have a [divided] political party” over the issue, he said.
Tragic.
