Rob Tornoe

(Click to enlarge)Here's a scan of one of my many rough layouts for tomorrow's Convention Sketchpad. Good luck figuring out what any of it means!

Guess you'll have to check back tomorrow morning to see the finished cartoon.

Coming along: A photo of my desk with tomorrow's cartoon in a very sketchy state (click to enlarge).Here's a snap of my desk as it looks at 8:04 pm EST. I'm currently putting together the first part of my Convention Sketchpad series, which I'll do every day for both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions.

Now I'd better get back to work. Check back tomorrow morning to see the finished cartoon.

Superior Court Judge Patricia K. Costello removed Dana Rone from her seat on the Newark City Council earlier this month for abusing her office when she interceded in a 2006 traffic stop involving her nephew.  PolitickerNJ.com editorial cartoonist Rob Tornoe has an interesting take on the matter: that New Jersey operates under a culture where the powerful and politically connected use their influence to get special treatment every day. 

Whether its premium seats for concerts, special license plates and badges for judges and elected officials that send a not-too-subtle don’t-mess-with-me signal to state troopers and local police officers, or even the get out of jail free cards the PBA provides to legislators and political leaders in quantity to give away to friends (maybe even contributors), New Jersey politicos actively seek special treatment on a daily basis.  So maybe Tornoe is right when he opines that there is some hypocrisy to the system, although his characterization is entirely generic – there is no confirmation that Costello or her family drives a car with judicial license plates. 

I’m off through July 23 for some much needed rest and relaxation. I'll be heading up to Niagara Falls and Buffalo, and then down to wine country.

Talk amongst yourselves while I'm gone. I'll give you a topic. The Holy Roman Empire was neither holy nor Roman nor an empire. Discuss.

War for oil: Congressman Jim McDermott (D-Washington) uses my cartoon in his speech on the floor of the House July 9.Read the story on PolitickerWA.com: McDermott brings Tornoe cartoon to House floor

When U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Seattle) took to the House floor last Wednesday, one of Politicker.com cartoonist Rob Tornoe's recent cartoons  served as a backdrop for his criticism of the Bush administration and what he claims were their true motivations for war with Iraq

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Readers Request: Rob Tornoe's July 4, 2007 cartoon