Karen Kominsky

Obama Campaign State Director Mark Alexander

On the day of the Iowa caucuses, the New Jersey state director of Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign has one immediate strategy, win or lose: on the next morning he’s going to stand up volunteers at different locales: the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, Newark Penn Station, Jersey City. They will be out there waving "Obama" signs, staying visible, shouting, working.

"We were always the candidate talking about change, that message hasn’t changed," says Mark Alexander, 41, seated in his West Orange office on Thursday, composed given the stakes. Obama’s wife said if they didn’t win Iowa, the campaign would be finished.

"Fundamentally," says Alexander, "we are content that we are offering something the American people really want."

Leaders of Hillary Clinton’s New Jersey campaign organization are strongly denying rumors of internal strife and conflicts over the selection of lobbyist Karen Kominsky as her state campaign director, despite a push from key fundraisers to name Christy Davis-Jackson to the post.

The selection of Kominsky, a political veteran close to Gov. Jon Corzine, caused some bruised egos among the Clinton’s chief fundraisers last week, but it hasn’t caused discord in the campaign, one Clinton Finance Committee member told PoliticsNJ.com.

The Clinton Campaign announced today that Karen Kominsky, a senior New Jersey strategist who has served multiple governors and the Democratic Party in a variety of positions, will run its state operation, according to a campaign release.

"Hillary Clinton has the strength and experience to deliver the change this country wants," Kominsky said in the release. "I’m excited to get to work."