Corzine's gaffe upsets Hudson Dems

The appointment of Barbara Netchert as Hudson County Clerk has hit some major obstacles, according to a report in the Jersey Journal's Political Insider column.

Netchert, who runs the Jersey City Department of Housing, Economic Development and Commerce, was expected to replace Javier Inclan, who is supposed to be taking a job on Governor Jon Corzine's staff. She is an ally of County Executive Thomas DeGise, and her nomination reportedly played a role in ending Jersey City Councilman (and DeGise Chief of Staff) William Gaughan's challenge to incumbent Assemblywoman Joan Quigley.

But Corzine is now in hot water with Hudson County Democrats for not following protocol by clearing the appointment with the HCDO. The HCDO is run by the county's twelve Democratic Mayors (some of whom did not know about the Inclan-for-Netchert switch until a November 29 on PoliticsNJ.com) and DeGise. Senate Majority Leader Bernard Kenny told the Jersey Journal that the Governor's Office has apologized to him for that slight. Until Kenny signs off, Inclan's offer of employment is essentially on hold.

There are other candidates now on the short list for County Clerk, including Hoboken Councilman Ruben Ramos and Deputy County Clerk Mary Jane Desmond. Desmond, a former Republican who served on the Bayonne City Council, is an ally of Mayor/State Senator Joseph Doria.

The Jersey Journal also reported that four-term Hudson County Sheriff Joseph Cassidy is in danger of losing party support for re-election in 2007. Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy wants Jersey City Deputy Police Director Juan Manuel Perez to get the job.

For extreme junkies: the Democratic nomination for Hudson County Sheriff is a good thing to have -- the last time the Republicans won the post was in 1904, when John Kaiser, helped by President Theodore Roosevelt's coattails, upset incumbent John Zeller. Democrat James Kelly ousted Kaiser in 1907.