Clips from my work.
Same-sex marriage passed Canada's upper house of Parliament last week, providing a look at how legalizing political correctness can spawn intolerance. Not against gay couples, mind you, but against religious expression.
At issue is whether publicly objecting to same-sex marriage can now land you in hot water with the country's loosey-goosey Human Rights Commission.
The biggest question among New Jersey Democrats is: Should Jon Corzine win the governor's race this November, how will his rivalry with current Acting Governor and Senate President Richard Codey stir up state politics? At issue is Mr. Corzine's U.S. Senate seat. There's no doubt that his seat will remain in Democratic hands -- he'll return to the Senate if he loses. If he wins, he'll appoint his own successor, and his rival, Mr. Codey, says he wants the job.
William Penn's vision for a war-free New World didn't consider the menacing boogeyman called "costal zone management." The State of Delaware, once part of Mr. Penn's colonial landholdings, has seized upon this obscure body of law to launch a NIMBY war against economic development plans on neighboring New Jersey's side of the Delaware River.
New Jersey's two gubernatorial candidates, Republican Doug Forrester and Democrat Jon Corzine, both say the key to a healthy budget is ending the financial shenanigans that they call the "corruption tax." A good place to start would be the state's under-funded and over-abused employee pension plan.
PLAINSBORO, N.J. -- Doug Forrester won the New Jersey Republican primary for governor, beating his closest rival, Bret Schundler, by five percentage points in a light-turnout election. One issue dominated the campaign: Soaring property taxes.
New Jersey holds its primary for governor today. Democrat Jon Corzine faces no serious opposition. Among the seven Republicans, businessman Doug Forrester and former Jersey City mayor Bret Schundler are leading the pack. Recent Quinnipiac polls have Mr. Forrester widening and then losing much of his lead over Mr. Schundler. Mr. Forrester now leads by two points, down from 11 points less than a week ago.
The Netherlands votes today on the European Union constitution, and Dutch officials would be blind not to notice the trail of destruction left by Sunday's French rejection. The first casualty was the constitution itself, which in its current form is now dead. Number Two is French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, who was sacrificed after the referendum's defeat. President Jacques Chirac's re-election run in 2007 is also in serious doubt.
All eyes now focus on the Dutch, who vote tomorrow after the French public's stinging rejection of the proposed European constitution on Sunday. It will be Holland's first referendum in 200 years and voters evidently plan to celebrate by staying home in large numbers, which would be unusual behavior for the civic-minded Dutch. According to polls, turnout could be as low as 30%, with opponents outnumbering supporters of the constitution by 3 to 2.
Shut up if you want to win. That seems to be the message French voters are sending Jacques Chirac. Monsieur President is campaigning hard to pass France's European Union constitution referendum, to be held May 29. Signs so far point to "non," which would mortally wound the constitution. Likely rejection by the Dutch a few days later would kill it outright.
The field of seven Republican candidates for New Jersey governor held their first televised debate Sunday. For the five playing catch-up to front-runners Doug Forrester and Bret Schundler, the debate was their first chance to prove their conservative bona fides to a state-wide audience. The primary is June 7.