New poll puts Rubio as 2016 frontrunner

A new poll puts Florida Sen. Marco Rubio as the frontrunner for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, with Gov. Chris Christie a close second. Isherwood, PolitickerNJ

http://www.politickernj.com/61534/poll-rubio-go...

Daily Show Christie on Obama: ‘Presented with stark opportunity to lead’

Daily Show host Jon Stewart ribbed Gov. Chris Christie in Christie’s guest appearance tonight, provoking the governor to defend himself on the Romney-Sandy kerfuffle and GOP politics. Pizarro, PolitickerNJ

http://www.politickernj.com/61533/christie-obam...

Healy campaign demands Fulop cancel fundraiser

The Healy for Mayor Campaign today demanded Steve Fulop cancel a scheduled Monmouth County fundraiser because of the event organizing presence of a known Republican operative. Pizarro, PolitickerNJ

http://www.politickernj.com/61522/healy-demands...

Gee: Mack’s troubles embolden criminal element in Trenton

Veteran Democratic Party operative James Gee has registered with ELEC toward a run for the mayor’s office in Trenton, but said he has not yet made a decision about his plans. Pizarro, PolitickerNJ

http://www.politickernj.com/61490/gee-macks-con...

From The Back Room

Fulop’s Rumson fundraiser

A lot of people have donated to Jersey City mayoral candidate Steve Fulop, who as of October had raised $700,000 toward his 2013 bid against incumbent Jersey City Mayor Jerry Healy in a city where being a Democrat is a prized political commodity. Pizarro, PolitickerNJ

http://www.politickernj.com/back_room/fulops-ru...

Latest from State Street Wire

Lawmakers want flood insurance cap raised

TRENTON – Improving the $250,000 cap on flood insurance, which is run by the federal government, was taken up by the Assembly Financial Institutions Committee today. Hassan, State Street Wire

http://www.politickernj.com/61527/lawmakers-wan...

New-home sprinkler bill advances

TRENTON - The Assembly Housing and Local Government Committee released a bill requiring sprinklers in new homes. The vote was 4-0-1 with Michael Patrick Carroll abstaining. Mooney, State Street Wire

http://www.politickernj.com/61512/new-home-spri...

Sign up for a free trial of State Street Wire at http://www.politickernj.com/freetrial 

Sweeney considering gubernatorial race against Christie

New Jersey's Democratic state Senate president is keeping his options open and insisting that Democrats can beat Gov. Chris Christie, who is enjoying record high approval ratings in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Huffington Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/06/steve-...

Republican voters ‘hate’ Christie

Hate may be too strong a word. Okay, it's definitely too strong a word, but it made for a better headline than "Republicans Like Chris Christie Less Than They Like Every Other Potential 2016 Hopeful," which is not an exaggeration. According to a PPP poll, Christie's net approval rating among Republican voters nationwide is only +21, which is 10 points lower than Rand Paul, 21 points lower than Sarah Palin, and a staggering 38 points lower than Paul Ryan. Daily Intel

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/12/republican...

Christie comes to Washington

New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie was in Washington, D.C. Thursday for meetings with President Barack Obama, House Speaker John Boehner, and other officials regarding relief for Hurricane Sandy, aides to the governor said. Washington CNN

http://www.wptz.com/news/politics/Chris-Christi...

S. Jersey congressman wants to make freight railroads safer

A South Jersey lawmaker wants rail freight companies to follow new rules, after the train derailment and hazardous chemical spill one week ago in Paulsboro. Matthau, 101.5FM

http://nj1015.com/congressman-wants-to-make-fre...

NJ Transit chief says damage nearly $400 million

NJ Transit officials continued to defend their decision to store their rail fleet at two locations that flooded during superstorm Sandy, telling U.S. senators at a hearing Thursday that they had no choice. Sudol/Campisi, Record

http://www.northjersey.com/news/NJ_Transit_chie...

Mack indicted

Nearly five months after FBI agents raided the home of Trenton Mayor Tony Mack and swarmed City Hall, the first-term mayor was indicted today on charges he sold his influence to a parking garage developer in a two-year FBI sting. Zdan, Trenton Times

http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2012/12/tren...

Transit officials ask Congress for billions in storm aid

 It will cost more than $7 billion to repair the damage that Hurricane Sandy did to the New York area’s antiquated transit systems and billions more to upgrade the systems to withstand major storms in the future, officials from the region told a United States Senate panel on Thursday. Rivera, N.Y. Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/07/nyregion/new-...

State offers $100,000 to get guns off Camden County streets

On the same day Camden Police investigated the city’s 64th homicide, New Jersey’s Attorney General came to town with a proposition for residents countywide.

He’s willing to part with cash seized in criminal cases for guns. Murray, Courier Post

http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/201212...

Principal’s Thanksgiving comment draws scrutiny

Officials are investigating whether a New Jersey principal told students American Indians were scalped during the first Thanksgiving. Asbury Park Press

http://www.app.com/viewart/B3/20121207/NJNEWS10...

Sandy probably slowed job growth in Nov.

Employment probably slowed in November as the damage wreaked by superstorm Sandy set the U.S. labor market back, economists said before a report today. Bloomberg

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-12-07/sandy-...

Opinion

Rutgers board needs to reflect diversity

Rutgers University is at a pivotal point in its history. Looking forward, its merger with UMDNJ takes effect on July 1 and it’s planning to join the Big Ten in 2014. Star-Ledger

http://blog.nj.com/njv_editorial_page/2012/12/r...