(2002-09-30) — Senator Robert Torricelli, who announced today that he is halting his re-election campaign, was immediately appointed New Jersey’s Co-Poet Laureate by Democrat Governor Jim McGreevey.
Torricelli will share the honor with current Poet Laureate Amiri Baraka, whose moving work Somebody Blew Up America blames white, Christian Americans for everything bad that’s ever happened.
“I was really upset about not being Senator any more,” said Mr. Torricelli, “but being a poet will be something new for me, as it is for Mr. Baraka apparently. I phoned him, and we’re both pretty excited about rolling up our sleeves and finding out what this poetry thing is all about.”