JON CORZINE

Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean (R-21) voiced his concern today that New Jersey's next budget will once again be passed late in the night with details shrouded in secrecy.

Rob Andrews thought he could build on a solid base in South Jersey, but in the end he polled considerably less votes than Jim Florio did in his 2000 Democratic Senate primary against Jon Corzine.  Florio won about 182,000 votes, while Andrews won about 101,000.  And in the Republican Senate primary, Murray Sabrin received about 10,000 votes less than he did when he ran eight years ago.

Gov. Jon Corzine and U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg with Passaic County Chair John Currie (file photo) 

NEWARK - Gov. Jon Corzine said the incumbent's demonstration of effectiveness in his successful U.S. Senate Primary contest finally distinguished U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.).

"There was a lot of tactical stuff in this race, but in reality Frank Lautenberg has shown repeatedly that he is very effective," Corzine told PolitickerNJ.com. 

U.S. Sen. FRank Lautenberg (D-NJ) exults with Gov. Jon Corzine and Senate President Richard Codey (D-Essex). 

NEWARK - The Democratic Party allies of U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg stood with their nominee tonight in the Gateway Hilton shortly after challenger U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1) conceded in Cherry Hill.

After thanking his family, supporters and his defeated challenger for the congressman's offer of friendship, Lautenberg - who won by a margin of 61-34% - came out swinging in front of an animated crowd.

Hard economic times. The War in Iraq.

Also, take a stab at this week's Cartoon Caption Contest. Check out the cartoon and post your best caption ideas here.

While Gov. Jon Corzine’s fight to keep his email correspondence with Carla Katz from prying eyes may make one wonder what kind of salacious details are hidden in the digital documents, Corzine said not to get your hopes up.

“I think most of this you will find extraordinarily boring,” he said, comparing the reading experience to perusing a legislative bill.

Rather, Corzine said, he’s fighting Republican State Chairman’s lawsuit to divulge the emails on principle alone.

“You’ve got a constitutional question. A fundamental question,” said the Governor. “A privilege we believe needs to be protected not just for myself, but for future governors. So the process would go on.”

Jon Corzine, Carla Katz, continued ...

After a protracted legal battle, Mercer County Superior Court Judge Paul Innes today ordered Gov. Jon Corzine to release about 740 pages of email correspondences between him and union leader/ex-girlfriend Karla Katz.

But don’t expect to see the emails any time soon. Attorney General Anne Milgram, who respresents Corzine in the matter, has vowed to appeal the decision with the state Supreme Court and will seek a stay on the release of the documents.

Judge Innes ruled that only 45 pages were not subject to disclosure.

Today’s decision is the outcome of a lawsuit that has started just one day short of a year ago. On May 31, 2007, Republican State Chairman Tom Wilson filed suit to force the Corzine Administration to release the emails, which they suspected contained discussions about a contract negotiation between the state and Katz’s union, Communications Workers of America Local 1034.

More movement in Governor Jon Corzine’s office:  Lilo Stainton, the former Gannett statehouse reporter who has served as Corzine’s press secretary since last June, is leaving for another state post.  She’ll be the Communications Director for the Meadowlands Commission.  Stainton took over for Anthony Coley (now Senator Ted Kennedy’s press secretary) when Coley moved up to Communications Director following the departure (under not-so-great terms) of Ivette Mendez.  When Coley left earlier this year, Corzine (after taking some time to mull his options) hired a reporter who covered him for the Star-Ledger, Deborah Howlett.

ROBERTS: EXPEDITE SCHOOL SUPER CONTRACT AUDITS
Speaker Says County Superintendents Should Review Benefits Pacts In Every District

(TRENTON) - Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, Jr. today said executive county superintendents should undertake expedited audits of the pay and benefits packages in every administrative contract in every school district in New Jersey.