Jim McGreevey's resignation from his position as Governor of New Jersey has plunged politics -- never a field for the naive -- to a new low of cynicism. On 12 August 2004, McGreevey announced that he was stepping down because he is a "gay American" and that he had cheated on his wife with another man. Let's leave aside the question of whether he really believes gay people are a separate ethnic group of some sort. McGreevey's attempt to sidestep questions about the rampant corruption in his administration by wrapping himself in a Gay Pride flag is about as transparent as a sheet of plate glass.

McGreevey's administration has been troubled from the start. He appointed Joseph Santiago as superintendent of the New Jersey State Police, but Santiago resigned after only 11 months due to his reported ties to the mob. In 2003, McGreevey aides Paul Levinsohn and Gary Taffet made millions by apparently using their influence to get billboards (run by a company they worked with) approved without a public hearing. In an unrelated investigation, the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) charged Taffet with insider trading. Roger Rajesh Chugh, McGreevey's assistant State Department commissioner, was forced to resign after promising favors to Asian-American businessmen in return for campaign donations. Elizabeth Wong, head of the State's college loan agency, used public funds for a personal makeover, Broadway tickets, limousine rides, parties, lunches, gifts, trips, and office equipment for her home. Wong resigned earlier in 2004.

In July 2004, David D'Amiano was indicted on Federal charges. McGreevey's top fundraiser was caught soliciting bribes and political donations from a Piscataway farmer who was negotiating to preserve his lands from condemnation. D'Amiano told the farmer that in exchange for $20,000 in cash and $20,000 in political contributions, D'Amiano could have the condemnation halted by the intervention of a "high-ranking government official." The farmer voluntarily cooperated with Federal investigators and taped conversations between himself, D'Amiano, and others. McGreevey himself used the chosen code word "Machiavelli" during a meeting, a pre-arranged signal to let the farmer know that the deal was approved.

The same month, Commerce Secretary William Watley was forced to resign amid allegations that he mishandled State funds. An $11.5 million loan to a church in which Watley is a minister was canceled after it was determined that he was also a member of the partnership that would have received the money. Watley somehow neglected to mention his partnership on the financial disclosure forms submitted with the loan application. Watley also awarded a no-bid consulting contract to his chief-of-staff's sister.

The tale of Charles Kushner is more sordid by far. Kushner was McGreevey's largest campaign donor, as well as being a fundraiser for NY Senator Charles Schumer, former President Bill Clinton and Presidential hopeful John Kerry. Kushner's income tax filings and campaign contributions were under investigation by Federal authorities. In an attempt to gain leverage over the chief witness against him, Kushner sent two minions to find a hooker willing to help them videotape the witness having sex with her. The two men spent three months and an unknown amount of money in various go-go bars and gentlemen's clubs (expensive go-go bars), with no luck. (This raises the important question of whether New Jersey's state motto ought to be "We Have the Most Inept Criminals" or "We Have the Most Virtuous Exotic Dancers." Someone ought to run a poll.) Kushner took matters into his own hands, contacting a NYC call girl he happened to know. The call girl successfully seduced the witness -- using the old "damsel in distress" ploy -- and taped the encounter. Instead of using the threat of exposure as leverage to force the witness to refuse to testify against him, Kushner simply mailed the tape to the man's wife... his own sister. The witness, you see, was his brother-in-law. Kushner even timed the delivery to occur during an engagement party for his own nephew. Conversation over this year's Thanksgiving dinner ought to be somewhat... strained. Though McGreevey is not personally named in this case, it raises important questions about his judgement and the sort of people he surrounds himself with. Kushner had been McGreevey's pick for chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, but withdrew from consideration due to the campaign contribution investigation.

The incident that directly prompted McGreevey's resignation makes the other examples of corruption pale in comparison. Whether McGreevey is gay is immaterial, as is the other man's insistence that he himself is not. McGreevey hired Golan Cipel without a background check for the critical and sensitive position of Homeland Security Advisor, despite the fact that Cipel was an Israeli national and could not obtain the neccessary Federal security clearance. McGreevey chose Cipel over Louis Freeh, the former FBI Director who offered to fill the position without salary. Isn't security -- especially in a state that lost so many on 9/11 -- too serious a business for the Governor to be handing out Homeland Security positions to the unqualified like party favors? Not to be denied, McGreevey simply reassigned Cipel to a job as "counselor to the governor" with no specified duties when the Senate Judiciary Committee questioned Cipel's appointment. Whether McGreevey approached Cipel with bribes in return for his silence about the affair (which Cipel insists never happened) or Cipel attempted to blackmail McGreevey is simply bad street theater at this point. Either way, it's barely a blip on the NJ corruption radar.

The punchline of the whole McGreevey resignation joke is his decision to step down in November, instead of right away. By holding onto the office until November 15th "to facilitate a responsible transition," McGreevey will ensure that the Democratic political machine retains control of the Governor's office until the 2005 election. That will give them a year to spin the story to their advantage. If McGreevey steps down before 3 September, then -- as New Jersey has no Lieutenant Governor -- the citizens will get to elect a new Governor in a special election at the same time as the Presidential election. Rather than take the chance, McGreevey is using his sexual orientation as a smokescreen to avoid demands that he leave office in time for the citizens of NJ to elect a new Governor this year. Now that's cynical.

Watch as the "mainstream" media plays right along, calling him "brave" and "courageous" for discussing his homosexuality in public while ignoring the real story. As the Seattle Times reported, "Gay-rights groups expressed support and compassion for McGreevey, but their reactions were tinged with sorrow because McGreevey announced his resignation just as he became the nation's first openly gay governor." With the backing of such lobby groups, McGreevey will be able to turn any indictment, impeachment or demand that he step down immediately into a personal attack based on his sexual proclivities. Corruption of any magnitude can be excused by the media, if one is a member of a Liberal-protected group... and you can bet McGreevey knew that when he announced his delayed resignation.