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I first became intimately acquainted with "Pinky"---state Senator and Minority Leader Leonard Lance---during last summer's historic budget/property tax reform session called by Gov. John Corzine to avert a "budget disaster," possibly bankruptcy, in the Garden State.I like to refer to the very distinct sounding Lance as Pinky, because of the rouge complexion he sported on NJN news which covered the legislative session.
Maybe it was the ferocious heat in Trenton last summer. Whatever, Pinky was a constant source of amusement with his feigned protestations of partisan politics, as if the long-time state senator had never before witnessed such calculated machinations under the golden dome in Trenton.
Particularly amusing was Lance's continual bemoaning of the "Democrat-controlled process" and his clever way with words (hhmm, do you think Pinky is a lawyer by training?): at one point, when the budget discussion had deteriorated to political potshots, he indicated that he had not "supported" such and such a bill. Of course, what Pinky failed to mention is whether or not he actually had voted for the measure. Ahhh, the air was hot and thick in Trenton last summer.
Well, Pinky is up to his tricks again. The Newark Star-Ledger's Jeff Whalen and Ted Sherman reported that the state Senate Minority Leader, who was one of the recipients of a bipartisan delivery of federal supeonas by US Attorney Christopher Christie recently, commented on the "Christmas tree" approach to state spending in this way:
"Lance said the Christmas tree process was more accountable when Republicans were in control, with staffers compiling a list of grants and attaching the sponsor's name. He said the list was vetted by the OLS, the Treasury Department and the governor's office -- but not made public."
(see http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-11/1172382829166670.xml&coll=1 )
According to Lance, since the "Christmas tree" spending by the Republicans, in the past, was more oderly [sic]----whoops, I meant "orderly"---- apparently with the Republican leadership, or worse, the state Republican Party doing the bidding, somehow that was "more accountable."
A rose is a rose is a rose, Pinky. And your defending your party's "accountability"---to itself, but not the public---omits a foul odor indeed.
