TRENTON - No one wanted to deliver the news as they broke from the caucus chamber and headed out of the area, but state Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge) was blunt.

"It's done," he said.

Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney (D-West Deptford) appeared, and just before he disappeared. he said a press conference is imminent.

TRENTON -- State Sen. Kip Bateman (R-Branchburg) had harsh words for Gov. Jon Corzine today over the withdrawal of a Somerset County nominee to the Highlands Council.

“He can’t leave soon enough, in my opinion,” said Bateman.  

Bedminster Mayor Robert F. Holtaway, a Republican from Bateman’s legislative district, showed up to today’s Judiciary Committee meeting expecting to face the committee.  But upon arriving for the meeting, the members were notified that Corzine had pulled the nomination.

Holtaway was nominated in June, but the nomination was tabled.  

State Sen. Bill Baroni (R-Hamilton) was also angry.

“To have a nomination made, to go through the process, to fill out the questionnaire, to be on the agenda.  To come down here and in lame duck to have the governor of New Jersey withdraw a nomination without so much as notice to the nominee… This is not a good way to go out,” he said.

Codey heads for the caucus chamber.

TRENTON - The door to Senate President Richard Codey's (D-Roseland) chamber opened and Gov.-elect Chris Christie emerged with Codey.

Christie went downstairs.

The sitting Senate President headed in the other direction around the backs of the chairs in the gallery on his way to the Democratic caucus room and a party vote on his leadership.

"We talked about growing up in Essex County," Codey said with a grin as he passed, referring to the closed meeting with Christie.

TRENTON -- Some prominent members of the Hudson County Democratic Organization (HCDO) would like to see state Sen. Sandra Cunningham (D-Jersey City) kicked off the organization line, but state Sen. Brian Stack (D-Union City) is not one of them.

“I’ve always had a good relationship with Sandy. I know how it is when the rest of the county comes into your senatorial district and interferes,” said Stack just before the Senate Judiciary Meeting convened this morning.

Cunningham drew the wrath of Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise for blocking his appointment to the Port Authority, and her appointment to Republican Gov.-elect Chris Christie’s transition team further ruffled some Democratic feathers. 

But Stack – who has forged an uneasy peace with other HCDO leaders after taking them on in an intra-party fight two years ago – said that the organization needs to restructure before it challenges senators.

“I think the HCDO is still basically what I called it in 2007, which is a paper tiger.  A paper organization that only goes to the people when there’s an election and really provides no type of incentive or outreach to minorities – to Hispanics, African Americans, all other minorities in the county,” he said.  “And I think you’re seeing the results of that. When you have 39% turnout for Jon Corzine, I think it’s really just an organization of a few people.”

TRENTON -- The Assembly Democrats today selected Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange) as their new speaker and Joseph Cryan (D-Union) as the new majority leader.

Oliver replaces retiring Speaker Joseph Roberts (D-Camden), while Cryan, who currently chairs the state Democratic Party, replaces Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Trenton), who until last week was still running an against-the-odds campaign to become the next speaker.

The vote formalized a deal that was struck in September between Essex County and South Jersey Democrats, agreeing to install Oliver – who just won her fourth term in office – in exchange for support to elevate Senate Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford) to the Senate Presidency over incumbent Richard Codey (D-Roseland).  The lesser leadership positions will be decided later on.  

“She’s not going away,” said Assemblyman Wayne DeAngelo (D-Hamilton) about Watson-Coleman, a fellow Mercer County Democrat, after he emerged from the caucus room.  “Being.. senior in her status in the assembly, she’s going to work with the new speaker on issues to help the party, to help New Jerseyans.”  

TRENTON - The irony is that Garden State Equality activists pack the gallery here in the Senate chamber for the swearing-in ceremony of uber conservative state Sen.-elect Mike Doherty (R-Washington Twp.).

They are in attendance today to ramrod gay marriage through the corridors of both houses prior to Gov. Jon Corzine's departure with the new year.

Doherty is a staunch opponent of the measure.

Former Assemblyman Dick Kamin - a Doherty ally - tries to make way for Doherty backers, but Garden State Equality dominates

Before assuming the rostrum below, state Senate President Richard Codey (D-Roseland) appears briefly in the gallery.

Five months after his nomination was first set to be considered, Middlesex County Sheriff Joseph Spiccuzo’s was cleared by the Senate Judiciary Committee for a seat on the Sports and Exposition Authority.

The hearing was not without some controversy, however.  Spicuzzo’s nomination passed on a party-line vote, except for state Sen. Christopher “Kip” Bateman (R-Branchburg), who abstained.  

During questioning, state Sen. Gerald Cardinale (R-Demarest) needled Spicuzzo, who also chairs the Middlesex County Democratic Organization, on his association with former state Sen. John Lynch, who was convicted of corruption.

Cardinale attempted to read aloud statement Spicuzzo made to Gannett New Jersey about Spicuzzo meeting and taking advice from Lynch when he was still in federal custody.  

State Sen. Raymond Lesniak was visibly irritated by the line of questioning, arguing that there was nothing wrong with meeting with an incarcerated person.  Juciary Committee Chairman Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge) argued that Spicuzzo’s relationship with Lynch was irrelevant to the position he is nominated for.

“I think the nominee has stated that he knew him on a professional and political level.  I don’t think it has any bearing on his nomination to the sports authority,” said Sarlo.

State Sen. Ronald L. Rice (D-Newark)

TRENTON - State Sen. Ronald L. Rice (D-Newark) drops his gavel, ending the Senate Community Affairs Committee meeting and as he heads for the exit, he's asked if he believes Senate President Richard Codey (D-Roseland) has a fighting chance in the Democratic caucus this afternoon.

"I don't think so, at this point," says Rice, a Codey supporter, who's aware of Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney's (D-West Deptford) public declaration of support from 15 senators - or a majority - in his quest for Codey's chair of power.

"That's what we're going to go do now," adds the Essex County vetteran senator, referring to the caucus vote for senate leadership.

Critical of Sweeney's take-down of Codey, Rices says, "I'm here taking care of the people's business as chair of this committee, and now I've got to go take care of the politicians' business. This is the people's business, and that's the politicians' business." 

Steven Goldstein, leader of Garden State Equality, with his allies this morning on West State Street.

TRENTON - Garden State Equality activists just mobilized at their West State Street headquarters, received a megaphone buck-up from their leader, Steven Goldstein, and headed for the Statehouse. 

"We progressives are fired up, and not just the gays," Goldstein said in a weekend email blast to supporters, which he amplified here this morning.

"If the Democrats don't enact marriage equality now, after years of telling us to wait, it will cause a huge schism between the state Democratic party and its entire progressive base," he added. "And it could change the political landscape of New Jersey permanently."

Goldstein stood at the head of an estimated 250 marriage equality advocates massed on the sidewalk and en route to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

"Can we hold hands, or would that be too..." a woman's voice trailed off.

"Of course you can hold hands," Goldstein told her. "You're gay activists marching for marriage equality." 

In an email to Democratic legislators on Friday, state Sen. Ray Lesniak (D-Elizabeth) told them that if they vote in favor of gay marriage, “neither the wrath of God nor of voters will descend upon you.”

Citing last week’s Eagleton poll that cited more New Jerseyans supporting gay marriage than opposing it, but with only 2% considering it an important issue, Lesniak said it “certainly is important though to those gay couples who want and deserve the full protection of the law as guaranteed under the Constitution of the State of New Jersey.”

”Let's vote our conscience.  I hope your conscience says support marriage equality, but if it doesn't I understand your view.  What I can't understand is not voting,” he said.