Make no mistake about it, the actions of the last week show that Republicans feel they are setting the agenda.
They are taking their legislative wins in New Jersey—as well as Virginia—last month as a signal to be more forceful in a myriad of ways, from statehouses to the courts across the U.S..
As New Jersey recorded the highest single day of new COVID-19 cases since January and a new variant entered the U.S., Republicans in Trenton went forward with a lawsuit looking to force the rollback of commonsense health protocols at the Statehouse. We can’t say this loud enough: THERE IS NOT A VACCINE MANDATE TO ENTER THE STATEHOUSE. Lawmakers and others doing business, including members of the media, had three options to enter: show your vaccine card, show a test in the last 72 hours or undergo a rapid test.
But that wasn’t enough freedom for Republicans, who are looking to harness the energy from issues such as school mask mandates for the next election under terms such as “medical choice.” Sounding like the more radical elements on the right, Assembly members shouted “tyranny” and disrespected New Jersey State Troopers just doing their jobs by forcing their way onto the floor of that governing body. Let us add that members in the lower chamber additionally had the option of voting remotely—which two of their party members did.
Compare that with the way that State Senators from their own party conducted business on Dec. 2. They followed the rules, begrudgingly, made their statement on the floor and then went about their business.
The issue now goes to the courts, where Republicans believe the payoff of appointing more conservatives judges will come to fruition to further their agenda. And who could blame them, as the court in the highest land seems all but certain to discard 50 years of precedent and roll back Roe v. Wade. The irony is thick that members of the GOP in New Jersey beamon the COVID-19 protocols put in place by an unelected commission that will ultimately be decided by unelected judges.
We look at the action in the Garden State with a broader scope and come to this conclusion: Democrats need to fight fire with fire. No matter how much COVID fatigue there is, they need to be more forceful in their arguments and make it personal. Acknowledge that the rules can be burdensome, but they are needed. And do not back down. We applaud Assembly Speaker Craig Caughlin for making committee meetings remote this upcoming week until Assembly members agree to sensible workplace rules.
The lesson goes for national Dems as well. While the U.S. Senate works towards a final Build Back Better Act bill, moderates and liberals of the party should be more aggressive selling that they are the party working to make American’s lives better and more affordable, especially the middle class. Hammer home the difference the infrastructure bill will have in each district and call out Republicans who aim to take credit for those investments as hypocrites for voting against the package. Make voters understand that Democrats are the party that actually enabled shovels to be in the ground to improve our commute, our water, and our broadband. And that they are investing in childcare, healthcare, combating climate change and ending the cap on the state and local tax deduction to save us money because those are the legislative priorities of Dems.
Additionally, push forward on the Jan. 6 investigation. Those that planned and executed the failed insurrection must be held accountable no matter how high it goes. Set the agenda that attacks on our democracy will never be tolerated. And expose all those who continue to push the Big Lie with the facts that President Donald Trump lost fair and square.
The GOP is still a minority party in New Jersey—and in Washington as well. While they made gains in the Assembly and State Senate, they still lost the Governor’s race and the Senate President and Assembly Speaker are still Democrats.
If Dems want to remain in control in Congress, they need to be unified in one simple message: The facts show that they are the party that delivers on the kitchen table issues so important to us and follows the laws that govern this nation.
The facts show that under democratic control New Jersey ranks at the bottom in regulatory, personal and fiscal freedoms at 47. I applaud our legislators for standing up to the tyranny of the leadership.
The State has been in steady decline ever since the Democrats became the majority.
From the article: “If Dems want to remain in control in Congress, they need to be unified in one simple message: The facts show that they are the party that delivers on the kitchen table issues so important to us and follows the laws that govern this nation.” But they/we have to sharpen our messaging so that people know that it is Democrats who are on their side and Republicans hiding behind a smokescreen of false patriotism. You’d think that with Hollywood supposedly on “our side” we would have figutred out how to deliver a sharp clear message that resonates. Where is that PR machine we need now? — (And to Brian’s comment, I feel a whole lot freer in New Jersey than I do in any red state, where my tongue turns black and blue from biting it when I hear some of the noise the red-staters spew.)
Agreed, but with the business-as-usual Democrats in charge, will they really embrace that message? Looking at the add at the bottom of the page at this moment—Josh Gottheimer claiming to be “a *bipartisan leader* who fights for Jersey”. Forget that our state is not a British island, the tag line of “Lower taxes. Jersey values.” is weak, sounds more Republican than Democratic.
sigh—no, GRR!
Your idea of “personal freedom” is my a reasonable person’s idea of a real police state, where instead of expensive concentration camps one uses malign nelet of pandemic
Spot on article!
All your so-called freedom will go far when you and, potentially, some Republican legislators are hooked up to ventilators in the hallway of one of our hospitals that has run out of ICU beds.
The truth is had NJ done nothing the number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths would be the same. All the lockdowns accomplished was to destroy middle class business people. Look at Florida, who ranks last in cases per 100,000 in the US. This new variant is weak according to South African Health officials, and is much to do about nothing. There are new covid treatments coming out in a few weeks. Let’s stop with the Chicken Little Sky is Falling approach and let’s get back to normal.
These opinion pieces are so stupid. Everywhere that dems and progressives and liberals control things particularly inner cities; those areas are degraded, dilapidated , cesspools of crime , filth, mismanagement.
Nothing that the NJ state government has actively done about covid has helped in any way. All of the active measures like masks and school closures have HARMED people and wrecked the economy
The proper response by government to this pandemic was … no response: protect rights and freedoms and thats all.
NJ is easily one of the most poorly managed, corrupt state governments in the country. And its specifically because the dems and progressives have managed to brainwash people into thinking that a big government high tax ideology is good for them.
If Nj residents want to live better taxes need to go down, government agencies need to shrink. Government has to get out of the healthcare business.
Everything in this editorial is the opposite of the truth
Many holes in your arguments. First of all, the Omicron variant has not been determined to be weak/weaker than any previous variant. There is some preliminary data suggesting fewer hospitalizations/deaths, but the vast majority of this data is from South Africa, which has both a different genetic profile than does the US, and which has a much younger demographic of patients, with most being under 40. So the variables do not enable an easy assessment of its virulence, not, at least, until we have a larger, more representative data set. In any event, it seems likely that Omicron will, at the very least, turn out to remain dangerous for older, immunocompromised patients, or those with co-morbidities, even if it is less dangerous for younger, healthier populations. Secondly, we do not yet know if Omicron’s increased transmissibility will mean that it outcompetes Delta, so in the meantime, we have to worry about the deadly Delta variant, which has been proven to have killed millions around the world and hundreds of thousands in the US. Any and all of these variants, including Omicron are likely to cause cases of Long COVID, which brings a host of disabilities and suffering. So before you dismiss Omicron or its predecessor, Delta as nothing burgers, try actually reading published peer reviewed research on the subject.
Thank you very much and have a nice day.