Deviously in statehouse shadow, a source watched the Sodom and Gomorrah marijuana scramble and shook his head at InsiderNJ.

The eye roll.

The head in the hands.

If a source on Monday was adamant about Governor Phil Murphy “burning up the phones” in pursuit of recreational marijuana legalization votes, he’ll need that – and then some to swing the senate.

March 25th was an accelerated deadline imposed by Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-3) to put the bong in Murphy’s court and have him fail, the source said.

There are far too many late adds to the bill (s) and too many senators either opposed or eager for the whole thing to die.

Then there’s the little matter of Senators Kip Bateman and Kristin Corrado opposing the legalization bill in Senate Judiciary Committee last night.

Meaning?

Sweeney signaling to Murphy that it’s not happening.

It was a harsh conclusion, built on the premise that one sees swing district Bateman and Sweeney confidant former Senator Kevin O’Toole ally Corrado both as controllable.

But inevitably part of the political atmosphere.