Paula Franzese

Mark Alexander, fired this week as the national Policy Director of Barack Obama's campaign for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, is among the more popular professors at Seton Hall Law School, according to the website ratemyprofessors.com.

Alexander was given a consolation prize -- he'll be Obama's campaign manager in New Jersey.  One interesting test to see if Alexander is really running the campaign: will he resume teaching at the law school in Janaury, a month before the New Jersey primary.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ...

Legislative Ethics Committee: A Waste of Time

Editorial, The Press of Atlantic City, October 26, 2006

Some news stories provide a graphic, indelible image of what's wrong with the system. Example: This week's tumultuous meeting of the Joint Legislative Committee on Ethics.

The committee - which hasn't met since May 2005 - spent six hours arguing over procedural matters. It took two hours to pick a chairman. And the committee took no action on 32 pending cases of ethics complaints against lawmakers.

Get the picture? This is a committee that is toothless, ineffective and unable - or unwilling - to take action against its own members. In its 34 years of existence, it has sanctioned a grand total of four legislators.

The committee shouldn't bother meeting again. Don't waste taxpayers' time. Lawmakers know this watchdog is snoring - heck, lawmakers like state Sen. Wayne Bryant, D-Camden, have virtually banked their careers on it.