Bill Layton

Not long ago, State Sen. Diane Allen thought she would be headed to St. Paul.

According to Allen (R-Burlington), she informed the leadership of the Burlington County Republicans that she would like to attend early this year.

“I was led to believe that would occur.  But in the end, the leadership of the Burlington County Republicans I guess went a different way because my name didn’t turn up on the ballot,” she said. “I called Bill Layton a week before (the filing deadline) and asked what I needed to do.  He said ‘Don’t worry about it, we’ll take care of it’ And indeed he did.”

Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-Monmouth), campaigning last year with Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande and Assemblyman Declan O'Scanlon.: Politicker file photo 

MINNEAPOLIS - Identifying in her hockey mom, small town mayor’s story the features of a universal American life, and exhilarated by her willingness to put her head down and charge after their rivals, members of New Jersey’s GOP delegation praised the acceptance speech delivered tonight by Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, their vice presidential nominee.

"I know my constituents will be able to identify with her, a working mother whose family depends on two incomes," said state Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean, Jr. (R-Union).

Since he first declared his hope two or three weeks ago that Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) would choose Palin as his running mate as a way of reaching base conservative voters, women, and blue collar America, Kean has consistently emphasized as a strength Palin’s distance from the ambitious political culture of Washington, D.C.

"This was someone who was picked because of her competence as governor, as opposed to her going out and seeking the office," the senator added.

MINNEAPOLIS - Burlington County Republican Chairman Bill Layton said his organization stands unequivocally with Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce, who this week announced his intention to pursue a fourth term as leader.

"This guy’s not afraid to bang kneecaps," said Layton in assessing the minority leader’s toughness.

"Today he was attacking the governor on taxes," the county chairman explained. "Alex has been an unbelievable friend to Burlington County. Under his leadership we picked up seats next year. The record speaks for itself. Alex was instrumental in assuring an 8th district victory for us last year, where Democrats outspent Republicans nearly 2-1. He was a very big part of the success story."

MINNEAPOLIS - The elevator doors in the Hilton opened and a man stepped off and headed for the bar.

"It’s Chris Christie’s brother," said a veteran newspaperman, staring at the familiar facial features of the newcomer in a scene that all evening took in a steady flow of New Jersey Republicans.

The white-haired, Chris-Christie lookalike made his way over to GOP operative Bill Palatucci, who was seated at the bar, and they began talking. He took an extended handshake from a stranger and acknowledged, "Yes, "I’m Chris Christie’s brother."

The word out the there among GOP sources is that Todd Christie is here to keep the idea firmly fixed in people’s heads that his brother, the U.S. attorney in New Jersey, is going to be running for governor next year.

It’s getting acrimonious in what Democrats hope will be Battleground Burlington.

The minority party in that county today stung their rivals with a video on their website detailing what party chairman Rick Perr says is a misuse of taxpayer dollars to further a bloated and beleaguered Republican Party.

"There is one fact that is undeniable," said Perr. "Taxes and spending in Burlington County have risen dramatically in the past five years. It is unacceptable that while Burlington County residents continue to pay more in taxes, these insiders are living off of the public trough."

In less than a year, 19 or 20 of what Perr calls "Paulsen’s 20 Republican Investment Team" (a nod to former Burlington County Republican Chairman Glen Paulsen) have each guaranteed $30,000 in campaign loans to the Burlington County GOP, according to the Democrats.

They couldn’t beat the GOP machine outright, so they’ve decided to toss a wrench into the Burlington County freeholders’ race.

Republican elected officials Jon Shevelew and Debbie Sarcone announced today that they intend to back the Democratic team of Chris Brown and Mary Anne Reinhart.

Shevelew, the Republican Mayor of Shamong, and Sarcone, the only Republican elected official in Evesham, ran off the line together as freeholder candidates in the Republican primary.

At the time, Burlington County Republican Chairman Bill Layton called them "bugs on the windshield" in the face of GOP Freeholder Director Aubrey Fenton and his running mate, Freeholder Stacy Jordan.

Ed Kuck, the Burlington County Republican committeeman at the center of controversy over a racially offensive quote he put on the Pemberton Republicans’ Web site, resigned his post this afternoon, according to Burlington GOP Chairman Bill Layton.

The resignation came hours before Pemberton Council President Diane Stinney called for the resignation of “all involved” with the Web site after it ran a banner ad that read "Obama loves America like O.J. loved Nicole."

“Our country is facing a recession; our taxes keep rising; families have to work harder and harder to protect their children from crime and it’s so important to show people that actions like this are not acceptable,” said Stinney.

State Sen. Kevin O'Toole (R-Essex): Politicker Photo

Republicans on Wednesday night at the Princeton Hyatt unanimously elected Essex County Republican Chairman Sen. Kevin O'Toole (R-Essex) as leader of the GOP county chair people.

The chairs also unanimously elected Warren County Chair Doug Steinhardt as vice chair; Atlantic Chairman Keith Davis as treasurer, and Camden Chair Rick DeMichele as secretary.

"Kevin brings an interesting perspective," said outgoing Chairman George Gilmore, the Ocean County GOP chairman. "He serves in the Legislature and the Senate, and is in a unique position to build the party with the State Committee.

"Bergen's going to be a key county to look at," Gilmore added. "It used to be Republican. It's a county we need to work, to improve the party in this election and beyond, but there are a lot of opportunities across the state."

McCain State Chair Bill Baroni, right, with Sen. Leonard Lance on Wednesday in Woodbridge.
WOODBRIDGE - The McCain campaign opened up its New Jersey/New York regional headquarters here in the heart of hail fellow blue collar country on New Brunswick Avenue.

"New Jersey is McCain country," declared New Jersey State Campaign Chairman Bill Baroni, flanked by fellow Republicans, including Sen. Thomas Kean, Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce, state Sen. Kevin O’Toole, state Sen. Leonard Lance, Burlington County Republican Chairman Bill Layton, Bergen County Clerk Kathleen Donovan, Morris County Sheriff Ed Rochford, and Ed Cox, chair of the New York McCain campaign, among others.

"We are here, we’re campaigning, we’re competing, we’re building a grassroots organization, we’re opening it (campaign headquarters) in the heart of Reagan Democratic country," said Baroni, who also at least once invoked what New Jersey Republicans call the "Baroni model," or hardcore shoe leather-style campaigning.

If the GOP’s long march of self-combusting U.S. Senate candidates failed to inspire a lot of rank and file Republicans, the brief flirtation Princeton businessman John Crowley had with a June Senate primary run held for some the more lasting promise of an "it" factor party champion.

The lineaments of the Crowley narrative were indeed compelling for Republicans.

Son of a cop who died in the line of duty; Naval Intelligence officer; Successful CEO; Young and devoted father who founded a biotech business to create a disease cure to save his children; Hollywood movie subject with a movie apparently due out next year, according to Republican sources.

Crowley’s would-be entry into the race had come under the radar, as Andy Unanue prepared for his return to New Jersey from the ski slopes of Colorado intent on claiming his party’s in absentia nomination.