The Games Have Begun

In a sign of the partisan blood bath to come, Democratic Freeholder John D'Amico attempted to sand bag Republicans Lillian Burry and Rob Clifton this week.

As reported by The Asbury Park Press, D'Amico publicly objected to the reappointment of the county auditors, saying that the appointment should be made by the incoming Freeholder Board. D'Amico is expected to lead the incoming Democratically controlled board, whether or not he is named Director. Burry and Clifton wisely withdrew the resolution making the appointment, rather than play into the hand of the post election political game the Democrats have been playing.

I say this was an attempted sand bag because the objection was made during the public meeting. These appointment are not sprung on the Freeholders at the last minute at the public meeting. They are discussed in Executive Session before the public meeting. If D'Amico really had a problem with the appointment he would have made it then. What he really wanted was headlines about how Republicans are "burrowing" political appointees into jobs the Democrats want their own cronies to have after they take control.

D'Amico and his mouthpiece Mike Mangan have tipped their hand that they are not going to govern in the same bipartisan fashion that the Republicans have during the last two years since Democrats have been elected to the board. The only thing preventing Burry, Clifton and Bill Barham from exploiting their power and burrowing away is their own sense of fair play. There will be no political payoff for cooperating with the Democrats for the next month.