Lawmakers denounce Carton as Codey's popularity rises

Less than two weeks after acting Gov. Richard J. Codey said he wanted to challenge a shock jock to a fight for insulting the state's first lady, an Assembly committee voted Monday to reprimand the radio personality... The Telecommunications and Utilities Committee voted 5-0, with two abstentions, to release a resolution denouncing radio host Craig Carton for "cruel, insensitive and highly offensive comments" made about the depression that Mary Jo Codey suffered after the birth of her son 20 years ago... The acting governor confronted Carton on Jan. 25 in a hallway at the Ewing Township studios of NJ 101.5, WKXW-FM, a day after Carton made disparaging on-air remarks about women with postpartum depression, reportedly saying women should smoke marijuana to "relax instead of putting their babies in a microwave."... A reporter who witnessed the confrontation said Codey told Carton, "I wish I weren't governor, I'd take you out."... The next day, Codey clarified the remark: "I didn't say I would take him out, I said I would take him outside."... On Monday, Assemblyman Wilfredo Caraballo, D-Essex, called Carton's depression-related comments "a new low even for him," and said his "insensitivity shows just how much ground we need to gain in educating the public on issues such as depression."... Millennium Radio officials, including Carton, on Monday said lawmakers seemed to be wasting valuable time with concerns over an old story...