Bob Menendez

Senate President Dick Codey and U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez were not present for Frank Lautenberg’s official campaign kickoff today, but made sure to voice their continued support for him.

Codey said that Lautenberg “has the experience to rise above partisan politics and focus on what's best for New Jersey – strengthening our security, improving our health care system and protecting our environment.No one fought harder than Frank to defeat the Bush administration's senseless attempts to deprive New Jersey of well-deserved homeland security dollars and sell our ports to foreign interests.”

Menendez ticked off a number of Lautenberg’s recent legislative achiveements, like repaying military families for buying their own body armor and increasing the federal investment in Amtrak.

Senator Bob Menendez will campaign for Hillary Clinton in Texas tomorrow to help turn out the state’s huge Hispanic community, just as polls show Obama closing in on Clinton’s lead there.

Menendez plans to lead a group of Hispanic elected officials on campaign stops through the cities of San Antonio, Brownsville and Houston until Monday.

Senator Bob Menendez said that Fidel Castro’s resignation as Cuban President isn’t great news, but he hopes the Cuban people will take to the streets to peacefully protest the Castro regime.

“This is not the cause for celebration that some would believe. This does not represent the replacement of totalitarianism with democracy,” said Menendez. “Instead, it is the replacement of one dictator with another.”

Will Bob Menendez make a play for a spot on the national ticket?

U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez doesn’t seem to be gunning for vice president. But he won’t completely rule out the prospect either.

“I am just focused on two things: standing up for the families of New Jersey in the Senate, just as we’re doing with the stimulus package where we got higher rates for the rebates, and secondly making sure Hillary has a big win on Super Tuesday and beyond and becomes the candidate of the party,” he said. “Everything else beyond that is so speculative. I appreciate the flattering comments.”

Menendez’s name was first floated by Clinton National Finance Co-Chair John F.X. Graham, who called him the “most intriguing choice.”

There are no plans to get Hillary Clinton back in New Jersey for Super Tuesday, but her campaign made the best of their New Jersey resources to start their final push towards the primary.

With the Barack Obama campaign gaining momentum in the state, Clinton's New Jersey all stars began their statewide bus tour this morning at the Brownstone Diner and Pancake Factor in downtown Jersey City - deep in the territory of Mayor Jerramiah Healy, one of Obama's chief backers. 

The rally was not completely without reminders of who the mayor of the town supports.  Just before the rally began, a white van sat out front with a sign on its side reading "Save America, vote Obama."  But before most of the Clinton-backing politicians arrived, the van drove off and its parking spot was filled by the SUV of the local congressman, Albio Sires.

PolitickerNJ.com, since February 1, 2000

When PoliticsNJ.com began a journey into the world of New Jersey politics on February 1, 2000, we all lived in a different universe. Christie Whitman was midway through her second term as Governor, Republicans controlled both houses of the Legislature, 76-year-old Frank Lautenberg was retiring from the United States Senate, and some mega millionaire Wall Street guy no one ever heard of was running for his seat.

These eight years have been epic times in New Jersey politics: Jon Corzine spent $75 million to win a Senate seat; for twelve days in the summer of 2000, Bob Torricelli was an announced gubernatorial candidate; Whitman resigned as Governor to join the Bush cabinet and was replaced by Donald DiFrancesco, who dropped his own bid for Governor just four months later amidst allegations of ethical violations; Democrats outmaneuvered the GOP on legislative redistricting; Bret Schundler beat Bob Franks in the '01 gubernatorial primary; the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 changed the world; James E. McGreevey was elected Governor; Democrats captured control of the State Assembly - and an election night coup installed Albio Sires, not Joe Doria, as Speaker - and the Senate was tied at 20-20, leaving both parties with shared power of the upper house.

Gov. Jon Corzine likes the idea of Bob Menendez running for Vice President
Gov. Jon Corzine said that he’s not involved with Hillary Clinton’s potential choices for Vice President. But he thinks Bob Menendez would be a good one.

“First of all, it would be a great choice, but I have no idea. I’m not involved in that,” said Corzine before boarding a train that whisked him down to Washington, DC for the Chamber of Commerce’s Walk on Washington. “Clearly Bob has played a meaningful role in the national campaign because of his leadership of Hispanics for Mrs. Clinton, and he’s an able spokesperson on any of the issues he speaks out about.”

New Jersey Democrats keep talking about Bob Menendez for Vice President: Getty Images Photo

Hillary Clinton should pick Bob Menendez as her running mate, says Rep. Rob Andrews.  "I think Bob Menendez would be great for the job and I would love to see it happen for New Jersey and for him," said Andrews, a ten-term Congressman and Clinton supporter. 

The Menendez for Vice President campaign was launched last week by John F.X. Graham, a New Jersey Democratic fundraiser and Clinton’s national finance co-chairman.  Several key state Democrats have signed on as supporters of Menendez for a slot on the national ticket, and on Friday, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said that the New Jersey Senator would make a strong vice presidential candidate.   

Representative Donald Payne doesn’t think that "Vice President Bob Menendez" sounds too absurd.

“If he became vice president, I would think that some of our issues could certainly be heard more in the executive branch of government, so I certainly think it would be a very big plus for New Jersey,” said Payne.

Payne endorsed Hillary Clinton early this month, and served with Menendez for 13 years in the House of Representatives. In Menendez, Payne sees a politician like himself, who worked him self up from the lower rungs of local government to a prominent position at the federal level.