Newark Mayor Cory Booker is not officially a candidate for U.S. Senate, but his Booker for Senate exploratory fund is raking in the Hollywood cash.
Last night Booker had a $5,000 per person fundraiser at the Beverly Hills home of producer Jerry Weintraub and Susan Elkins. Jersey guy Bruce Willis was on the host committee, as were the Capshaw-Spielbergs and Meathead.
Tonight Booker raises funds in the office of prominent San Francisco law firm Keker & Van Nest.
Next week Booker is off to Chicago for twofundraisers scheduled to overlap on Tuesday.
U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg missed work, on doctors orders, for the entire month of March. On Friday he released a statement saying he will not return to Washington on Monday as the Senate convenes after a two week recess, according to reports in The Star Ledger and Politico.
“I regret that I will not be returning to Washington next week as I continue treatment for, and recuperate from, muscle weakness and fatigue. My physician continues to advise me to work from home and not travel at this time,” Lautenberg said in a statement issued by his office.
Lautenberg added: “I am disappointed I will not be present for the opening of the debate on gun legislation in the Senate. It is an issue I am deeply passionate about, and my victories over the gun lobby are among my proudest accomplishments. I am, however, gratified that my legislation to ban high-capacity ammunition magazines will be one of the key amendments offered to this bill.”
Lautenberg will also miss the confirmation of U.S. Magistrate Patty Shwartz to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, a nomination that was initially blocked by New Jersey’s junior senator, Bob Menendez.
“I have worked hard since Judge Shwartz’s nomination by President Obama toward her confirmation, and I am confident that she will be confirmed by a strong majority of my colleagues,” Lautenberg said.
Lautenberg, 89, announced in February that he would not seek reelection in 2014.
Should the senate seat become vacant on or before August 27, New Jersey’s election law requires that a successor be elected in the November general election. If a vacancy occurs after August 27, the next election for the seat would be on schedule in November of 2014, unless the governor calls for a special election sooner. Governor Christie could appoint a temporary senator or leave the seat vacant.
Senator Bob Menendez, left, and Congressman Frank Pallone, making like chimpmunks at the 2012 Belmar St. Patrick’s parade. Photo credit Charles Measley
Promising an evening of unlimited food, wine, beer and laughs, the Monmouth County Democrats are hosting a April Fools Comedy Show on Saturday April 6, 6:30 PM, at the IBEW Local 400 Union Hall in Wall Township.
The event is sponsored by Weiner Lesniak Law Firm, CME Engineering, Fairview Insurance, IBEW Local 400, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, The Asbury Park Democratic Committee, and Local 9 Plumbers and Pipefitters.
The entertainment will include 4 left-wing professional comedians and Olivia Nuzi reciting Joe Cryan’s emails.
Senator Bob Menendez and Congressman Frank Pallone will sing the theme song to Alvin and the Chimpmunks.
Tickets are $35, $60 for couples and can be purchased here.
The hopes of Middlesex and Monmouth County mayors, freeholders and legislators hoping to move to Washington in early 2015 as the newly elected representive of the 6th Congressional district were set back a bit this morning by a new FDU Public Mind Poll that shows Newark Mayor Cory Booker dominating the Democratic field to replace Senator Frank Lautenberg.
Congressman Frank Pallone has been considered Booker’s main competition for the 2014 Democratic U.S. Senate nomination among the media and political establishment. However, 12th District Congressman Rush Holt has almost twice the support among self identified Democrats than Pallone does, according the FDU survey.
FDU surveyed its respondents cable news viewing habits, polling the trustworthiness of CNN, FoxNews and MSNBC. Given Holt’s surprising showing, they should have surveyed how many of their respondents are Jeopardy fans. Holt is famous for being a five time Jeopardy winner and beating IBM’s supercomputer, “Watson,” on the TV trivia game show.
Booker leads the Democratic U.S. Senate field with 50% support. Pallone got only 4% and Holt 7%. 32% of the respondents are unsure and are probably Wheel of Fortune fans.
Frank Pallone aged 30 years
Unless Booker becomes incapacitated running into fire, shoveling snow, or leaping a tall building in a single bound, Pallone is likely to remain in the House of Representatives until he’s Launtenberg’s age.
Monmouth Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal, Marlboro Mayor Jon Hornik, former Edison Mayor Jun Choi and Carteret Mayor Dan Reiman best hopes for becoming a congressman is if Gerald Rivera manages to beat Booker next year in the general election and then Pallone beating Rivera in 2020. But that is not much of a hope, as FDU says Booker will beat Geraldo 52%-21%.
A Quinnipiac poll released this morning shows Governor Chris Christie’s sky high approval ratings are continuing to rise.
79% of New Jersey voters, including 70% of Republicans, approve of the verbal lashing Christie gave to House Speaker John Boehner and the Republican House over the delay in emergency funding for the Hurricane Sandy recovery. Voters approve of the overall job that Christie is doing my a measure of 74%-21%. 94% approve of Christie’s overall response to Hurricane Sandy.
But, if the election was held today, Christie’s down ballot coattails would be weak. By 48%-39%, New Jersey voters want the Democratic Party to retain control of the State Legislature, despite the Legislature’s weak approval ratings.
Only 40% approve of the job the State Senate is doing. 37% approve of the Assembly’s performance.
30% approve of Senate President Steve Sweeney’s performance, 25% disapprove and 45% don’t know enough to say. Only 21% approve of Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver’s performance, 18% disapprove and 61% don’t know enough to say.
In the race, or lack thereof, for the Democratic nomination for governor, former Acting Governor Richard Codey would easily win a primary over Senator Barbara Buono, the only declared candidate. Despite Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal’s strong support, Buono would only receive 10% of primary votes. Sweeney also gets 10%, but Codey gets 28%. 45% don’t know how they would vote.
Christie easily beats all Democratic challengers, 2-1 or better. Christie gets 35% of the Democratic vote.
In the 2014 race for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senator, Newark Mayor Cory Booker returns the spanking by beating Senator Frank Lautenberg 51%-30%. Most voters like the job that Lautenberg is doing, but think he is too old.
In an anonymously sourced reported posted last evening, Roll Call says that Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ6) is “all but certain” to seek the U. S. Senate seat currently held by Frank Lautenberg in 2014 should the 88 year old senator retire.
Despite his over two decades in Congress, Pallone has an uphill battle against Newark Mayor Cory Booker and perhaps Senate President Steve “The Kitten” Sweeney for the Democratic nominationn for Senate. Booker announced before Christmas that he wouldn’t challenge Governor Christie in this years gubernatorial campaign and that he was exploring a run for Lautenberg’s seat.
In a column posted at InTheLobby Carl Golden, Governors Kean and Whitman’s spokesperson, said that Pallone “is destined to be a bridesmaid once again.”
Governor Christie will be in Aberdeen today to accept the endorsement of the Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) for his reelection bid.
Before wingnut conservatives get all crestfallen or disgusted, let me remind you that the Teamsters endorsed Ronald Reagan. A labor union’s endorsement doesn’t automatically make that Republican a RINO, unless you consider Reagan a RINO.
Yes, this means that New Jersey is not likely to become a “Right to Work” state so long as Christie is governor, It also means that we will continue to overpay “prevailing wage” on government funded and supported construction projects. As our friends at InTheLobby point out, it also explains why Christie has thwarted efforts to expand legalized gambling in New Jersey to race tracks, but those are all other stories.
What the LIUNA endorsement really means is that New Jersey Democrats are not likely to make a fight of the gubernatorial campaign in 2013. Christie’s post Sandy poll numbers make him look invincible. By locking up a major union endorsement early, Christie is creating an air of inevitability for reelection.
State Senator Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex) is not waiting for Newark Mayor Cory Booker to decide if he’s running for Governor in 2013 or U. S. Senator in 2014. She’ll compete for the Democratic nomination for Governor next year.
Buono launched her campaign website, including a YouTube announcement that she’s running, this morning.
For weeks pundits and Democratic players have said that a Booker for Governor candidacy would clear the field for the gubernatorial nomination. Buono’s announcement nixes that wishful thinking and assures that there will be a contested primary for the right to take on Governor Chris Christie next November. In her video announcement, the candidate said she would not have the support of the party bosses but would “stake her chances on the folks in the grocery stores and train stations.”
Buono’s announcement means there will be a vacancy for the 18th Legislative District Senate seat, which she has held since 2002.
Booker told CBS’s Face the Nation that we would announce his intentions before Christmas.
Should Booker decline to run, expect at bloody primary between Buono and Senate President Steve Sweeney.
Earlier this morning I joked that Newark Mayor Cory Booker hasn’t been active on twitter since the Rutgers-Eagleton poll that indicates Governor Chris Christie’s sky high approval ratings.
Turns out that Booker has much bigger problems.
The Star Ledgeris reporting that a Newark City Council meeting erupted into chaos yesterday over Bookers vote to replace Congressman-elect Donald Payne, JR on the council with Shanique Davis Speight, a long time ally of power broker Steven Abudato, SR, over the angry objections of residents and city council members who preferred that former Mayor Sharpe James son, John Sharpe James.
The a crowd lead by SEIU Local 617 President Rahaman Muhammad rushed the dais after Booker cast his deciding vote for Speight. Police responded by pepper spraying Muhammad, residents, a reporter and at least one other police officer. Councilman Darrin Sharif, who had walked off the dais in protest, told the Ledger that “This truly was an out-of-body experience. The mayor, who goes all around the country to talk about democracy … literally in the back of the room, hiding in the shadows.”
The crowd was shouting, “Cory’s got to go,” according to the Ledger report.
Meanwhile, the conservative website The Daily Caller reported that Booker may soon be living on food stamps. The mayor got into twat (a term I just made up that means twitter spat) with one of his followers, @MWadeMC wherein he challeged the woman to join him in living on food stamps for a week or a month in New Jersey to see what it is like.
The Ledger report and the DC report lead to a colorful public twat between Democratic operatives Jay Lassiter (@jay_lass), Jeff Gardner (@JeffPGardner) and Steve Ayscue (@SteveAyscue). Lassiter and Garnder were critical of Booker’s back room dealing, calling him corrupt. Ayscue defended Booker, saying that comparing what happened in Newark last night over Payne’s council seat to former Mayor James corruption was like comparing apples and oranges. The quick witted Garnder responded, “apples and oranges may be different, but in the end, they’re both still fruit.”
The pollsters that Governor Chris Chrisite called “crap” last month released the first post Hurricane Sandy independent poll this morning. The results give the governor extremely high marks for his handling of the superstorm which ravaged the Jersey Shore and impacted 66% of all New Jersey residents.
On October 9, Christie reacted to a Rutgers-Eagleton poll that indicated improving approval ratings but soft support for his reelection by calling the Eagleton polls “crap.”
“It’s never good, it’s never accurate. When it’s good for me, it’s not right, when it’s bad for me it’s not right,” Christie said according to PolitickerNJ. He said he would not comment about future Eagleton polls.
But Sandy was a live changing event. Don’t be surprised if Christie has something honest and refreshing to say about today’s polling results when questioned by a reporter.
92% of the respondents said that Christie handled Hurricane Sandy well. 69% said he handled it “very well” and 23% rated him “somewhat well.”
The other 8% are cranky and don’t like fleece. (MMM’s assessment, not a poll result)
81% answered that Christie and President Obama showed the “needed cooperation and bipartisanship” in handling the aftermath of Sandy. 12% said Christie went too far in his praise of the president.
Christie’s ovrerall favorability rating now stands at 65%, 67% with registered voters.
49% of Democrats, 70% of Independents and 89% of Republicans now have a favorable impression of the governor. Only 38% of Democrats report an unfavorable impression of him, down from 68% in early October.
Newark Mayor Cory Booker, considered the only Democrat with a chance to defeat Christie in the 2013 general election, has not been active on twitter since the poll was released.
Newark Mayor Cory Booker is not officially a candidate for U.S. Senate, but his Booker for Senate exploratory fund is raking in the Hollywood cash.
