Cue the Anvil

Remember when the coyote would run off the cliff, and just hang there for a second, just before beginning that long fall down into the canyon?

Looks like he's hit the ground:

The 125-member political action committee of the 200,000 member New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) today voted to endorse 68 candidates for election to the New Jersey Legislature this November.

The NJEA PAC Operating Committee (NJEA PAC) endorsed 48 Assembly candidates and 20 Senate candidates in 28 of the state’s 40 Legislative Districts. They include two Republicans and 66 Democrats.

“We are excited to support these candidates,” NJEA President Barbara Keshishian said. “The incumbents we endorsed are proven supporters of public education and working families. The challengers show a real determination to return this state to its progressive, pro-education roots.”

Keshishian acknowledged that NJEA is endorsing fewer candidates this year, and that some previously-endorsed legislators are not on this year’s list.

“While the screening committees took many issues into account in making their decisions, as a result of the recent pension and benefit legislation, our members will be facing significant financial consequences,” said Keshishian. “NJEA members make these endorsement decisions and they have made it clear that they will not endorse legislators who have impaired their right to collectively bargain and who have imposed thousands of dollars of additional costs on public employees.

“Our members refuse to give precious resources and their own time to campaign for legislators who hurt them and their families,” Keshishian said. “But make no mistake, fewer endorsements do not mean NJEA will be less involved in the upcoming elections. If anything, we will be more committed and will work harder to support pro-public education candidates who have shown they care about public school employees, our families, and the students we educate.” [emphasis mine]

She's talking, of course, about the NJ pension/benefits (pen/ben) bill that stuck it hard to teachers and other public employees. NJEA gave a lot of money to candidates who then turned around and stabbed teachers in the back. Now, not one of these candidate is being endorsed by NJEA in the next election.

Again, I give my caution about Illinois: smarmy bastard Jonah Edelman took advantage of this very situation to screw teachers and screw them badly. There is a lot of corporate "reform" money out there and campaign cash abhors a vacuum.

I do think NJEA is doing the right thing, but it doesn't stop here; the Cristiecrats are now ripe for the plucking. Sen Teresa Ruiz - who is in a lot of hot water do to her questionable campaign ethics - has been working on a tenure "reform" bill for some time. Maybe Derrell Bradford's hedge fund sugar daddies would like to help her with her legal defense fund...

I'm just saying: this is only the beginning. All hands on deck. Or we may wind up like the coyote...