Morning News Digest: June 5, 2009

With the PolitickerNJ.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of New Jersey's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.

Murphy: Battle over Passaic GOP leadership will continue

Republican power broker Peter Murphy ended his silence Thursday to blast Scott Rumana, threatening endless war within the Passaic County GOP unless Rumana steps down as chairman "The party was split on primary night, and if Scott doesn't step down it's going to remain split," Murphy warned during an interview at a diner in Little Falls, where he met with a reporter for the first time since his release from prison nine years ago. "And if the party is split, then we don't win in November - again." (Cowan, The Record)

 

http://www.northjersey.com/news/njpolitics/Murphy_GOP_split_will_remain_until_Rumana_steps_down_as_chair.html

Corzine and Christie begin with attacks

Yesterday I wrote hereabout an editorial's appeal for a clean general election campaign. Within hours of that post, Democrats and Republicans went for each others' throats with arguments that basically went: elect our man, because the other guy is terrible.(Tamari, Inquirer)

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/nj_politics/Corzine_and_Christie_begin_with_attacks.html

State GOP says they won't play in 3rd district race

With the upset victory of Robert Villare and possibly his running mate, Lee Lucas, in the 3rd Legislative District's Republican primary for state Assembly, state Republicans have largely given up hope of competing there. (Friedman, PolitickerNJ)

http://www.politickernj.com/matt-friedman/30330/state-gop-says-they-wont-play-3rd-district-race

Codey endorses Cammarano in Hoboken runoff

Senate President Richard Codey (D-Roseland) endorsed At-Large Councilman Peter Cammarano for mayor this morning at the Marion Towers senior citizen building. (Pizarro, PolitickerNJ)

http://www.politickernj.com/max/30340/codey-endorses-cammarano-hoboken-runoff 

Obama formally names River Edge native as US Attorney
President Obama formally nominated Paul J. Fishman of Montclair to be New Jersey's next United States Attorney on Thursday. (Jackson, The Record)

http://www.northjersey.com/news/crimeandcourts/Obama_formally_names_Montclair_man_as_US_Attorney.html

Corzine says N.J. municipalities only have to return half of $40M mistakenly given out

The collective sigh of relief could be felt from Plainfield to Pemberton. (Juri, The Star-Ledger)

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/06/corzine_says_nj_municipalities....

Bon Jovi to headline Gov. Corzine campaign fundraiser in Newark

Rocker Jon Bon Jovi is headlining a splashy post-primary campaign fundraiser for Gov. Jon S. Corzine. (AP)

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/06/bon_jovi_to_headline_gov_corzi.html

N.J. attorney general seeking to strengthen ticket scalping laws

Testifying before an Assembly committee today, Attorney General Anne Milgram said the state needs to change its anti-scalping laws in order to create a level playing field for consumers. (McGlone, The Star-Ledger)

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/06/nj_attorney_general_to_propose.html

Assemblyman Mike Doherty was only bright spot for New Jersey's Republican right

The voters have decided: Mike Doherty does not want to surrender in Iraq. And he is likely to put up quite a fight in New Jersey as well. (Mulshine, The Star-Ledger)

http://blog.nj.com/njv_paul_mulshine/2009/06/rep_mike_doherty_was_only_brig.html

Report: Majority of NJ police departments violate law in handling misconduct complaints

The majority of New Jersey's local police departments routinely violate state law when handling civilian complaints about police misconduct, according to an American Civil Liberties Union report that will be released today. (Megerian, The Record)

http://www.northjersey.com/politics/Report_Majority_of_NJ_police_departments_violate_state_law_in_misconduct_complaints.html

Democrats look to mend fences in Pompton Lakes

Having handily defeated their Democratic Party rivals, incumbent Borough Council members Ed Meakem and Lisa Riggiola can count on their party's support as they face two Republicans in the fall elections. (D'Aurizio, The Record)

http://www.northjersey.com/news/passaicpolitics/Democrats_look_to_mend_fences_in_Pompton_Lakes.html 

State committee approves medical marijuana legislation

An Assembly Committee today approved legislation that would make New Jersey the 14th state to permit severely ill patients to acquire "medical marijuana. " But the proposal is dramatically different than one a state Senate version and would put stricter limits on who may grow, distribute and obtain the illegal drug. (Livio, The Record)

http://www.northjersey.com/politics/State_committee_approves_medical_marijuana_legislation.html

Talk of Elk-South Harrison police merger decried

A contingent of residents of South Harrison Township supporting the local police force in their town fired the first shot in a preemptive strike here Thursday night to keep the department intact. (Murray, Gloucester County Times)

http://www.nj.com/gloucester/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1244183118151800.xml&coll=8

County to receive additional stimulus

Six Gloucester County towns will be receiving close to $350,000 in additional federal stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, county officials announced Thursday. (Gloucester County Times)

http://www.nj.com/gloucester/index.ssf?/base/news-12/1244183109151800.xml&coll=8

N.J. among five states uniting to protect coast

The governors of New Jersey and four other states promised yesterday to work together to protect the Atlantic coast and develop offshore wind farms for renewable energy. (Virtanen, Inquirer)

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/new_jersey/20090605_N_J__among_five_states_uniting_to_protect_coast.html

Haledon official implicated in drug probe

A Borough Council member is under investigation for using cocaine, a visibly infuriated Police Chief Lou Mercuro announced to a stunned council tonight. Mercuro would not name the council member because, he said, no criminal complaint had yet been filed. But he told The Record that the council member was someone absent from the meeting. Council members not present were Marc Battle, Heather Kilminster and Reynaldo Martinez. (Shresta, The Record)

http://www.northjersey.com/news/passaicpolitics/haledonchief0605.html

Tighter medical-marijuana bill clears panel

A bill to allow the medicinal use of marijuana for seriously ill patients has been tightened to address concerns the drug could become too widely available. (Lu, Inquirer)

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/new_jersey/20090605_Tighter_medical-marijuana_bill_clears_panel.html

Lawsuit accuses Freehold priest of sex abuse

A Roman Catholic priest, most recently the pastor of St. Rose of Lima Church in Freehold, has been accused in a lawsuit of sexually abusing a boy in the 1980s, when the clergyman was assigned to St. Veronica's Church in Howell. (Hopkins, Asbury Park Press)

http://app.com/article/20090605/NEWS/90605003

Casinos add 600 jobs in May, ending nine-month decline

The "Help Wanted" sign is finally back at the casinos. (Wittkowski, Press of Atlantic City)

http://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/top_three/article_569c0026-5188-11de-9ac0-001cc4c002e0.html

Small says State Police harassing campaign workers

Failed mayoral candidate Marty Small publicly criticized state authorities Thursday, accusing State Police of harassing his campaign workers. (Clark, Press of Atlantic City)

http://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/press/atlantic_city/article_b4fbdc42-847e-5bbb-b5ec-1e9b70dc94b3.html

Milltown Navy veteran remembers D-Day, the wounds that won't heal

Sixty-five years ago Richard Ehlert was eyewitness to one of the most eventful days of the 20th century when Allied troops landed in the Normandy section of France on what would become known as D-Day. (Malwitz, Courier News)

http://mycentraljersey.com/article/20090604/NEWS/906040374&referrer=FRON...

Elizabethtown Gas customers across Central Jersey to see drop in heating bills

Customers of Elizabethtown Gas Company are about to see a savings on their bills. (Courier News)

http://mycentraljersey.com/article/20090604/NEWS/906040345/Elizabethtown+Gas+customers+across+Central+Jersey+to+see+drop+in+heating+bills&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL

Protesters tell state cops to 'shape up or ship out'

iting complaints of abuse of power, about 30 protesters called for state police in Camden to respect city residents Thursday afternoon. (Mast, Courier-Post)

http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20090605/NEWS01/906050341&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL

Muslims in S.J. welcome words, want solid action

South Jersey Muslims praised President Obama's speech to the Muslim world Thursday, and expressed hope his words will be followed by concrete actions. (Mulford, Courier-Post)

http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20090605/NEWS01/906050342/-1/fptowns/Muslims+in+S.J.+welcome+words++want+solid+action

Doblin: Number 40 would keep the 11th in the 40th

On Wednesday, a seven-foot tall, bronze statue of Ronald Reagan was unveiled ON in the Rotunda of the Capitol. Our 40th president is smiling. That's because he is not facing the 40th District in New Jersey.  Reagan declared the 11th Commandment: Thou shalt not speak ill of any other Republican. Americans have differing views of the Reagan years. The 1980s were good times for some, but not all, Americans. But they were good years for Republicans. Not so much anymore.  (Doblin, The Record)

http://www.northjersey.com/opinion/doblin_060509.html

With the PolitickerNJ.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of New Jersey's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.