Reginald Jackson

The Rev. Reginald Jackson of Orange was one of six Group fundraisers who went to Chicago on Monday.: Politicker file photo 

Six members of the New Jersey fundraising outfit formerly known as "the Group" toured the Obama mothership in Chicago on Monday and interfaced with some of the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee’s top staffers.

Zenon Christodoulou, Al DeCotiis, Hugh DeFazio, John Graham, Bill Harla, and the Rev. Reginald Jackson spent three hours in Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-Il.) main campaign headquarters, which houses the political activity of some 450 people, according to DeCotiis.

"We told them we’re going to work with our existing operations and that we intend to bring in all of the Clinton finance supporters for full impact," said DeCotiis.

The Rev. Reginald Jackson in Orange today: 

ORANGE - Rev. Reginald Jackson, pastor of St. Matthew AME Church in Orange and executive director of the Black Ministers’ Council of New Jersey, predicted that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Il.) would turn several states blue that were red in the last presidential election cycle.

"I think what Barack Obama does is he broadens the map for Democrats," said Jackson, who was one of the key members of The Group, the powerful fund-raising arm of Sen. Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in New Jersey.

Now a self-professed big backer of Obama, Jackson said he believes the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee would be competitive in the South and the West.

Hillary Clinton’s top fundraisers in New Jersey want Barack Obama to John F.X. Grahamoffer their vanquished candidate the vice-presidency in a show of respect to her and her 18 million supporters.

"If I don’t see the respect for Hillary Clinton, I will vote for him, but will I be a proactive person? No," said John Graham, national co-chair of fund-raising for the Clinton campaign and one of the money men in that small and powerful circle of Clinton fundraisers in New Jersey known as "The Group."

"Respect is offering her the position with her right of taking it or not taking it," Graham explained. "He can win without her, but Hillary in the picture gives him Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Florida."

Emerging from the shadow cast by John Kerry’s 2004 presidential loss and after vetting a number of the 2008 hopefuls, The Group came together with the express purpose of raising enough money to get Clinton elected president.

Eldridge Hawkins was first elected to the State Assembly in 1971
Veteran African American leaders backing Sen. Hillary Clinton admit that while she doesn't have great speech-making abilities, she and her husband presided personably over a White House attentive to important issues like urban crime and children's healthcare.

But those who support newcomer Sen. Barack Obama can't forget Clinton's affirmative vote on the war in Iraq, and say their man is better poised to inspire a beleaguered nation.

Either way, each side concedes it's an historic time for the Democratic Party and the 256,059 registered African American voters here, and a chance for New Jersey to play a vital role in its first ever early primary on Feb. 5th.

Some prominent Essex County Democrats will do battle on the Feb. 5th primary ballot to represent their presidential candidates at the 2008 Democratic Convention in Denver. But their names won't be at the top of the ticket, and outright victory or loss hinges on three people named Clinton, Edwards or Obama.

In the 14th delegate district, which is composed of the 26th and 27th legislative districts, Sen. Hillary Clinton’s team of candidates consists of Orange Rev. (and Clinton Campaign fundraising Co-Chair) Reginald Jackson, Essex County Freeholder Pat Sebold, Essex County Executive Chief of Staff Phil Alagia, and South Orange Councilwoman Stacey Jennings.

Sen. John Edwards’ full team in the 14th is made up of Sen. President (and former Gov.) Richard Codey, his fellow 14th district legislators, Assemblyman (and West Orange Mayor) John McKeon and Assemblyman Mila Jasey; and Elaine Britcher of Morris Plains.

John Graham, co-chair of Sen. Hillary Clinton’s finance committee in New Jersey, recalls the moment he received that phone call from John Kerry on Election Day in 2004.

John F. X. Graham and former Rep. Herbert Klein, at a Clinton finance committee meeting at Pal's Cabin in West Orange Tuesday nightIt was early evening, and the Massachusetts senator thanked Graham for delivering the state’s 15 electoral votes.

Graham put the phone down thinking he had just been speaking with the next president of the United States.

Then he turned on the television in bed, and watched Kerry lose the election.

The last time Graham spoke to Kerry, he told him he wouldn’t be raising money for him this year -- or next. Kerry was mortified, said Graham, but the candidate’s inability to secure the win sent the Democratic Party fund-raiser in search of someone else. He swears he gave all of the prospects a thorough review: Barack Obama, John Edwards, others who have already dropped out of the presidential race, including Mark Warner and Evan Bayh.

And Hillary Clinton.