For a while, there had been considerable speculation in the state about whether Governor McGreevey would actually leave office, as promised, on November 15th, given that he had never formally submitted his written resignation. Roberto of DynamoBuzz has written extensively on this (e.g. here), as has Fausta of The Bad Hair Blog (e.g. here). TigerHawk also has weighed in on the question.

The speculation, fueled by stories of Raymond Lesniak, a state senator and McGreevey loyalist, testing the water for a possible McGreevey “un-resignation,” drove both parties in Trenton bonkers. The democrats complained that they are preparing to cash in run the state under the leadership of Richard Codey, the president of the state senate who will replace Governor McGreevey after November 15th and that the possibility of an “un-resignation” is disruptive of that process. The republicans were threatening impeachment proceedings if the Governor were to “un-resign” (He did, after all, put his supremely unqualified boyfriend in charge of New Jersey’s homeland security for $80,000 with an insta-raise to $110,000).

It now appears that the Governor will leave office, as originally stated, on November 15th.

My guess is that he probably already has his TV appearances booked and his publisher lined up.

Remember David D’Amiano? He is the large financial contributor and former friend of Governor McGreevey, who was indicted for extorting cash and political contributions from a New Jersey farmer in exchange for favorable treatment by the state in connection with proceedings concerning payment by the state for condemnation of the farmer’s property. I wrote about it here.

In the course of the federal investigation, the Governor had admitted: (a) that he was the person identified in the multi-count indictment as “State Official 1,” and (b) that it was his voice on the tape (the farmer had been wired by the feds) using the word “Machiavelli” during a meeting with the farmer.

The indictment charged that the word “Machiavelli” was a code word to let the farmer know that any state official uttering the word was “in” on the unlawful deal.

Well, today Mr. D’Amiano pleaded guilty to the charges. In the course of pleading guilty (a very formal proceeding held in open court in which the defendant acknowledges understanding the consequences of pleading guilty and admits, under oath, to having, committed the violations charged), Mr. D’Amiano acknowledged that he had spoken to “State Official 1” on Feb. 18, 2003, which prompted the official to say ‘Machiavelli’” at a subsequent meeting with the farmer.

Let’s review, shall we?

— The Governor admits that he is the person identified in the indictment as “State Official 1”

— The Governor admits that it is his voice on the tape using the word “Machiavelli” in a conversation with the farmer.

— The farmer had been told that he should listen for the code word “Machiavelli,” which would signify that the government official saying the word was OK with the bribery deal.

— The farmer meets Governor McGreevey at a political function and the Governor uses the word “Machiavelli”.

— D’Amiano admits that he had spoken with “State Official 1,” which was the cause of State Official 1 using the word Machiavelli when he met with the farmer.

— “Machiavelli” is generally not a word that pops up in most conversations.

For his part, the Governor, through his spokesperson, said that it was D’Amiano who had introduced the word “Machiavelli” into a conversation with him and that he (the Governor) later innocently used the word as a literary allusion when he spoke with the farmer at the political function.

The grand jury investigation is ongoing, as is the hunt for the real killer in the O.J. Simpson case.

John: “Muffin, I need to talk with you for a minute, okay?”

Teresa: “Dammit John, my masseur is waiting. You have sixty seconds. Go.”

John: “Well, I wanted to say that I don’t think it was a very good idea for you to refer to people who would not agree with my health plan as ‘idiots’.”

Teresa: “Do you really feel that way, Johnny?”

John: “Yes, Muffin, I do, and I’m so glad we can talk about it.”

Teresa: “I have an idea. Why don’t you take my cell phone into the next room and call someone who might give a shit what you think.”

John: “Muffin, I am saying this for your own good. I think you could have been blindsided by the press, because you talked about my health plan without knowing exactly what my health plan is.”

Teresa: “Well, that makes two of us, doesn’t it, Scrotum Face.”

John:

But, I find this to be sickening.

Thanks to Mike for the link.

Teresa: “Pierre told me that he found a large, brown stain on the trousers to your new Hickey Freeman suit.”

John:

Teresa: “John, he said that the stain looked and smelled like shit.”

John:

Teresa: “Don’t just sit there staring at me like some kind of idiot. Did you shit yourself or not?”

John: “No. … Well, … maybe I had an accident.”

Teresa: “No? Maybe? This is not ‘Meet the goddamned Press.’ I want a straight answer. Did you shit in your pants?”

John:

Teresa: “It was the Zell Miller speech, wasn’t it?”

John:

Teresa: “Johnny, I know I’ve been a bit hard on you lately, so I bought you this present.”

John: “Oh, how nice of you! Thank you, Teresa.”

Teresa: “Open it.”

John: “My God, Teresa. Flip-flops?”

Teresa: “BWAHAHAHAHA”

John: “Why do you hurt me so, Muffin?”

Teresa: “Because I can, you pathetic fool.”

John:

I came across two letters that I wanted to pass along:

“A letter to a friend” – Dustbury

“Dear Matthew” – Azygos
I find that people speak their minds in letters.

Go read.

I will not be preparing a special 9/11 Post. For me, it’s not necessary. I wrote one last year, and the fact is that I carry the memory of that day with me every day. I suspect that most people do, particularly those of us who lived close to the carnage.

I did not spend this day attending any 9/11 ceremonies. Rather, I spent today attending the funeral of my brother-in-law, Ted, whom I have known and lived in the same town with for the past 34 or so years. He had been suffering from multiple medical problems for the past several months, and the problems cumulated and became, at the end, impossible to treat.

To the world, he was a regular guy, who worked hard for years until he was able to retire. During the Korean War he was drafted, and, like millions of others before and since, he showed up and did his duty honorably. However, while he may have been a regular guy to the world at large, he was a very special guy to his family. He leaves behind his wife, two grown daughters, a son and a brand new daughter-in-law (he made it to the wedding a month ago), all of whom loved him very much, and he loved them back. They did him proud.

His other love was baseball. He regularly attended local baseball games, and it didn’t matter whether the players were seven or seventeen. He just loved the game. He was particularly blessed when his son excelled at baseball in high school and college. I don’t believe that he missed any of those games. Later when his son became a college baseball coach, you could always find Ted at the game, giving “pointers” to his son and to the players.

He would have been pleased to know that his son’s college baseball team showed up at the wake with a signed baseball and a team jersey emblazoned with the number “1.”

I wish him an eternity of good weather, close games and a comfortable seat behind home plate.

Teresa: “Dan Rather is on the phone. He wants to talk to you.”

John:

Teresa: “Don’t pretend you can’t hear me. You’ve been in this goddamned bathroom for more than two hours. Come out of there and answer the phone.”

John: “Can you take a message?”

Teresa: “No, I can’t take a goddamned message. He said he wants to talk to you now.”

John: “Oh, God. What does he want?”

Teresa: “What does he want? What the hell do you think he wants? His exact words were, ‘I want to talk to that son-of-a bitch about those fucking documents his guys sent over here’.”

John: Tell him I’m windsurfing.”

“Do you think we run a fuck’n valet service?”

That is what a Garden State motorist claims a toll collector on the New Jersey Turnpike said to her when she asked where she could make a U-turn.

The Smoking Gun has a collection of actual complaints filed with the New Jersey Turnpike Authority about some of our more endearing toll collectors.

And the southerners think they have the market cornered on hospitality.

Jersey – Only the strong survive.

Thanks to DynamoBuzz for the link.