In today’s Record Albert Doblin slams Sen. Ron Rice for invoking senatorial courtesy over Chris Cerf’s nomination as NJ’s Education Commissioner. Since Cerf lives in Montclair, Sen. Rice’s district, Rice can hold up the nomination. Doblin explains,
Rice wants Cerf to address the Joint Committee on the Public Schools, but there’s a dispute over whether that is appropriate before Cerf appears before the Judiciary Committee. But if Rice drops his hold on Cerf’s nomination and he appears before the Judiciary Committee, it is likely he will be approved by the committee before Rice gets to make his thunder. You would have to catch a production of “West Side Story” to see a more choreographed turf war
Here’s a question: does anyone care? Sure, Cerf has to append that “Acting” qualifier to his title; a little wordy, maybe, but it doesn’t interfere with his job. For that matter, aren’t all Cabinet members and elected officials “acting” anyway until the next governor or successor comes along? Maybe Comm. Cerf should start addressing Rice as “Acting Senator.” Fits in with the choreography theme anyway.
