People like Gov. Chris Christie and Newark Mayor Cory Booker, according to this morning's Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind Poll.

Of the four candidates running in the special primary election on Aug. 13, Cory Booker has the highest name recognition (78%), compared with U.S. Representatives Frank Pallone (49%) and Rush Holt (42%), and Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver (20%). The same is true for a candidate’s favorability rating: Booker is appealing to 52 percent of registered voters, a number which puts him significantly ahead of his competitors. Fourteen percent say they feel favorably toward Pallone, 12 percent say the same for Holt, and Oliver garners a five percent favorability rating.

U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. announced his campaign team today. 

“I am extremely proud of the team that we have assembled for this race,” said the U.S. Senate candidate. “The extraordinary circumstances that surround this campaign demand the highest quality professionals as we bring my record of leadership and experience to the people of New Jersey.  I believe that we have assembled a team here that is unparalleled.”

Some ancient wise men said something once about living in interesting times.

We have arrived.

First Assistant Attorney General Thomas R. Calcagni announced that Birdsall Services Group pleaded guilty today to charges that the firm engaged in a criminal scheme to make hundreds of thousands of dollars in corporate political contributions through employees to evade New Jersey’s pay-to-play law and obtain millions of dollars in public contracts for which it should have been disqualified.

Birdsall Services Group, through its defense counsel, Joseph A. Hayden Jr., pleaded guilty to charges of first-degree money laundering and second-degree making false representations for government contracts before Superior Court Judge Wendel E. Daniels in Ocean County, First Assistant Attorney General Calcagni announced.  Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman is recused from this matter.