President

Conservative activist and potential gubernatorial candidate Steve Lonegan said that he’ll support John McCain for president, even if he picks a pro-choice running mate.

But he hopes it doesn’t come down to that.

“I’m going to support the McCain ticket, but I think that would be another discouragement for conservatives. So I hope he chooses better than that, wiser than that,” said Lonegan. “Barack Obama is way far to the left, but that would just be, I think,a political blunder on McCain’s part. And I think the signal to conservatives, again, is hey we don’t need you or where else are you going to go.”

Gov. Brendan T. Byne, right, earlier this week with Chief Justice Stuart Rabner.: Politicker file photo 

Ask former Gov. Brendan Bryne about his most memorable Democratic National Convention and he fires back the answer without hesitation: 1976.

"The first one with Jimmy Carter was a new experience for me, although he did not carry New Jersey," said Byrne, who served as governor from 1974-1982.

"It was a festive atmosphere, as I recall," he said. "People were throwing peanuts around the convention hall and everything had a newness for me, though now it’s a little bit stale."

State Sen. Shirley Turner (D-Mercer): Politicker file photo 

Monday night’s convention tribute to Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) carries special meaning for state Sen. Shirley Turner (D-Mercer), who served as a delegate to underdog presidential candidate Kennedy in 1980, when she attended her first Democratic National Convention in New York City.

"I remember it brought tears to my eyes," says Turner, who supported Kennedy because she believed the Republicans would defeat President Jimmy Carter and doubly humiliate the Democrats by gaining a majority in Congress.

They did - on both counts.

But although Kennedy lost the nomination, in endorsing Carter, he delivered an emotional speech whose final lines Turner remembers by heart: "For me, a few hours ago, this campaign came to an end. For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."

The Obama Campaign today confirmed that Pablo Fonseca will serve as the campaign's political director in New Jersey.

A political veteran from Newark's North Ward, Fonseca serves as  chief of staff for Newark Mayor Cory Booker, co-chair of the Obama presidential campaign in New Jersey.

"Pablo brings an understanding of the New Jersey political landscape which will be essential to victory in November," said Andrew Poag, communications director for Obama.

Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts (D-Camden): Politicker file photo 

Few will declare it outright, but off the record people talk about soft versus solid support, and when it comes to Hillary Clinton conqueror Sen. Barack Obama (D-Il), some of his party support in New Jersey remains soft.  

With that in mind, and heading into the Democratic National Convention, Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts (D-Camden) today called on his fellow Democrats to jettison the angst and hurt feelings and focus on getting Obama elected president.

In a state where she triumphed by 10 points, "there are a number of people still frustrated that Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) got a bad deal this year," acknowledged Roberts. "But the reality is the Democratic Party should be proud that we had two history-making candidates colliding."

Brian M. Hughes, Mercer County executive: Politicker file photo 

The Murphy-Hughes brothers’ first Democratic National Convention was the last one staged in New Jersey: 1964, Atlantic City.

It was hard to beat for drama when compared to everything that followed, with the exception of Chicago just four years later, which the brothers also both attended.

Staged a year after the assassination of John F. Kennedy and a month after Lyndon Johnson’s signing of the historic Civil Rights Act of 1964, the 1964 Democratic Convention featured the nomination of Johnson, of course; and a speech by Robert Kennedy, oldest surviving brother of the slain president.

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.

U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-8), right, with U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ).: Politicker file photo 

On a regular basis now, Gov. Jon Corzine reminds audiences that he’s running for re-election. If he doesn’t end up running for whatever reason, U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson) says he wouldn’t mind personally stepping into the breach.

But whoever ends up out there on the barricade facing the GOP in a statewide race, Pascrell said his party should not fear likely Republican candidate U.S. Attorney Chris Christie, whom Quinnipiac University last week listed one point above the governor in a statistical tie - 41% to 40%.

Of his own gubernatorial run, "I would think about it very seriously," Pascrell said. "Right now I’m supporting the governor and I would urge him to run for re-election.

WEST ORANGE - Essex County Democratic Party Chairman Phil Thigpen, Gov. Jon Corzine and fellow party members huddled up in Pal’s Cabin this morning in a show of party unity as Team Essex heads into Denver in support of Sen. Barack Obama (D-Il).

This is the second time in as many weeks that Corzine has gone to Pal’s to help focus party members on getting Obama elected president. Last week the governor met with members of the Group, the chief fundraising arm for Sen. Hillary Clinton, which is now committed to Obama.

"This one was much more about elected officials and the county party apparatus," said Mark Alexander, senior advisor for the Obama campaign. "There were town chairmen and women, all showing the unity of Obama and Clinton. This was about creating a unified force in the party."

Senate President Richard Codey: Politicker file photo NEWARK - Senate President Richard Codey (D- Essex) stands by retired Gen. Wesley Clark as his top choice to complement a ticket with presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

Codey called for Clark as his party’s vice presidential candidate months ago, at a time when the four star general appeared to be on Obama’s short list.

The Clark buzz died after Obama publicly disassociated himself from remarks Clark made on a TV interview show.

"He got into trouble when he questioned whether (presumptive Republican presidential nominee John) McCain’s experience getting shot down in Vietnam qualified him to be president," Codey recalled.