Codey Wan Kenobi

State Senator Ray Lesniak (D-Elizabeth) wants former Acting Governor Dick Codey to stop Starship Christie from conquering the dark side of Trenton this November.

Lesniak said on facebook:

Codey for Governor?  Christie’s style has vaulted his popularity, but Codey has style also.  Christie’s feisty style has overshadowed his support for Romney and his policies that would cut taxes on the wealthy while putting added burdens on everyone else.  Honk if you like Codey for Governor.  Now that Corey Booker has chosen not to run, Codey is our Obi Wan Kenobi.

Codey, a senator representing parts of Morris and Essex Counties served as governor after Jim McGreevey resigned in 2004.

Codey has yet to declare his candidacy for the Democratic nomination to challenge Christie.  Recent media reports say that Codey is weighing his options and is 50-50 about running.  State Senator Barbara Buono (Middlesex) is the only announced Democratic candidate so far.

In addition to Codey, Senate President Steve Sweeney(Gloucester) is considering a run.  Our friends at SaveJersey.com report that an unknown organization is conducting a push poll for Sweeney in South Jersey.

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Christie: Failure to pass Sandy relief rests with House Majority and Speaker Boehner

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Joint Statement of Governors Christie and Cuomo on Congressional Failure to Pass Hurricane Sandy Relief Package

Trenton, NJ – With all that New York and New Jersey and our millions of residents and small businesses have suffered and endured, this continued inaction and indifference by the House of Representatives is inexcusable. It has now been 66 days since Hurricane Sandy hit and 27 days since President Obama put forth a responsible aid proposal that passed with a bipartisan vote in the Senate while the House has failed to even bring it to the floor. This failure to come to the aid of Americans following a severe and devastating natural disaster is unprecedented. The fact that days continue to go by while people suffer, families are out of their homes, and men and women remain jobless and struggling during these harsh winter months is a dereliction of duty. When American citizens are in need we come to their aid. That tradition was abandoned in the House last night.

The people of our states can no long afford to wait while politicians in Washington play games.

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Governor Christie Press Conference at 2PM

Governor Chris Christie has added a press conference at 2PM to his schedule today.

Changes are Christie will have some colorful things to say about the Republican leadership of the House of Representatives who, in a last minute reversal, declined to allow the House to vote on the $60 billion Hurricane Sandy relief package yesterday.

The press conference will can be viewed live here:

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2013 Predictions

A better late than never “fiscal cliff” deal will get done in Washington.  Federal taxes and spending will both rise.  The federal debt ceiling will rise in the coming months.

Last minute legal maneuvers by “birthers” to prevent Barack Obama’s election by the electoral college will fail.

New Jersey will confront a budget shortfall of almost $1 billion.  Governor Christie will attempt to plug part of the shortfall with the privatization of the lottery.  There will be painful spending cuts during the first six months of the year.

Congress will pass and the president will sign the $60.4 billion Sandy Relief Bill.

The rebuilding of the Jersey Shore communities devastated by Superstorm Sandy will be slowed by FEMA.

Despite New Jersey’s fiscal mess and frustration over the rebuilding process, Governor Christie’s approval ratings will be in the high 50’s throughout the year.  Christie will be reelected, defeating State Senator Barbara Buono.   The Democratic Party will retain control of the State Legislature.

The State Senate will confirm David Baumann as a State Supreme Court Associate Justice.  They will not confirm Robert Hanna.

Joe Oxley will be confirmed as a Superior Court Judge.

There will be surprise retirements in the Monmouth County Vicinage of the Superior Court.

The first Monmouth GOP nominating convention under Chairman John Bennett and his new by-laws will see no challenges to incumbent freeholders, legislators or the sheriff.  There will be Tea Party led primary challenges in the 11th, 13th and 30th Legislative Districts.  The incumbents will all win.

The Monmouth GOP by-laws will be amended at the nominating convention to make the chairman’s term two years.

The Monmouth County Democratic Party will have difficulty recruiting a full slate of legislative and county candidates.

Tom Arnone will be the Director of the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders.

What do you think will happen?

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Does Pallone have the fortitude to run for U.S. Senate?

Now that Newark Mayor Cory Booker has taken himself out the the gubernatorial race, everyone expects him to run for Frank Lautenberg’s U. S. Senate seat in 2014.    A recent poll indicated that Booker would easily beat Lautenberg in a Democratic primary should the 88 year old senator make another run.

That hasn’t stopped Congressman Frank Pallone from calling Democratic County Chairs to remind them that he is still interested in the Senate seat he has long coveted but never had the guts to fight for.

Pallone best shot at becoming a Senator came and went in 2002 when he declined Governor Jim McGreevey’s offer to replace the disgraced Senator Robert Torricelli on the ballot against Doug Forrester.   McGreevey brought Frank Lautenberg out of retirement and got the State Supreme Court to rewrite New Jersey’s election law so the switch could be made after the statutory deadline.  The polls showing Forrester beating Toricelli scared Pallone off from giving up a easy victory in CD-6 in favor of his dream job in the Senate.

Lautenberg went on to clobber Forrester in 2002 and was elected again in 2008. 

Pallone was passed over for the Senate in 2006 when Governor Jon Corzine chose Bob Menendez to replace him in the Senate.  Menendez won his own term that November and was reelected last month.  He is on the verge of becoming the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Pallone clearly wants to be a Senator, but his history indicates that he doesn’t have the fortitude to risk his cushy lifestyle as a congressman in order to fight for his dream.  I hope he grows a pair and goes for it, because the race to replace him in the 6th Congressional District would be great for blog traffic.

WHO WOULD RUN FOR PALLONE’S CD-6 SEAT IF IT WAS VACANT? 

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Christie’s Belmar Town Hall Meeting Will Include Cabinet Members

Governor Christie is bringing much of his cabinet to Belmar tomorrow for his 99th Town Hall meeting.

Joining Christie to discuss the State’s efforts to recover and rebuild from Hurricane Sandy will be the Governor’s Office of Recovery and Rebuilding Executive Director Marc Ferzan; Board of Public Utilities President Robert Hanna; Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin; Health Commissioner Mary E. O’Dowd; State Police Superintendent Colonel Rick Fuentes; Transportation Commissioner James Simpson; Human Services Commissioner Jennifer Velez; and Community Affairs Commissioner Richard E. Constable, III.

Christie will also take questions from the audience regarding matters other than Hurricane Sandy recovery and rebuilding.

The Town Hall meeting is schedule to start at 3 p.m. in the borough’s gymnasium, 601 Main Street, Belmar.  Doors open at 2:15 p.m.

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Poll: Christie Viewed More Favorably Than Rubio Among All Voters But Trails with Republicans

By Matt Rooney, cross-posted at Save Jersey

I love politics. Always have. But after living through the 2012 GOP Primary, Save Jerseyans, I’m psyched to be three years away from another borish Republican debate.

I’m sure you agree!

Three years out, Chris Christie finds himself in a strong position relative to the rest of the hypothetical field according to a new national registered voter poll from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Naturally a lot can still change. And as predicted by your Blogger-in-Chief, the same Obama-related interactions that have elevated Christie’s brand in the minds of Indies and Dems have also potentially damaged his standing among Republican primary voters outside of the Garden State.

The numbers:

Right now, the FDU poll found Christie’s name recognition to be superior to FL Senator Marco Rubio’s by 12-points, 68% to 56%, among all voters. Christie is also viewed more favorably than Rubio by 9-points, 55% to 46%, though their unfavorable rating is about the same (20% and 21% respectively).

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Is Christie’s reelection inevitable?

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.

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Christie to hold a Town Hall Meeting in Belmar, Thursday

Governor Chris Christie will hold his first town hall meeting since Hurricane Sandy on Thursday, December 20 at 3PM in the Belmar Borough Gymnasium at the municipal building, 601 Main Street.   The doors will open at 2:15.

The event is open to the public and seating is first come, first served.

The Governor’s office requests that those planning to attend RSVP here in order to ensure adequate seating.

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