Former state Sen. Joseph Coniglio (D-Paramus) reports to federal prison today to begin serving out his 2 ½ year sentence, The Record and AP remind us.

The 66-year-old Bergen County Democrat, who served in the state Senate between 2002 and 2008, was convicted for steering state grants to Hackensack University Medical Center, which employed him as a consultant.  Coniglio will serve out his term in a satellite camp next to the federal prison in Lewisburg – in central Pennsylvania.  

The Record reports that former Paterson School Board President Chauncey Brown III – who ran for Assembly as a Republican in 2007 – is serving a sentence in the same facility for his own corruption conviction.

Since Coniglio’s conviction, two other top Bergen County Democrats have fallen: former Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero – who was convicted on three corruption counts last month – and the party’s powerful former counsel, Dennis Oury, who was indicted with Ferriero and pleaded guilty just before his trial started.  

Wakeup Call will return on Tuesday, November 17.

• Christie's charisma already a force
• For Dems, a last shot to create mischief
• Ex-NJ Gov McGreevey training to become priest
• Stile: PACs, Ferriero will cloud Bergen executive's race
• N.J. Gov.-elect Chris Christie plans to talk about taxes
• Coniglio joining the prison crowd
• LoBiondo can expect visitors over vote against health care bill
• Moran replaces Farmer as editorial page editor
• Mayor threatens to withhold taxes
• N.J. advocate to head U.S. reserves board, raise issue of soldiers' physical and mental health
• Gov.-elect Chris Christie winged his Election Night speech; Maggie Moran and Mike DuHaime make friends; Where to send your resumes
• Zimmer plans a City Hall more up-to-date, online
• U.S. Marshals nab NJ shooting suspect hours after he's on "America's Most Wanted"
• Law allows N.J. to collect unclaimed slot winnings from Atlantic City casinos
• Jersey City official charged in kiddie sex chat sting

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-Hopewell Twp.)

PRINCETON - A week to the day after Congress passed a health care reform bill that she personally maneuvered through the lower house halls of power, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California on Saturday described the measure as a stimulus of economic and individual freedom.

"The public option creates dynamism in the economy," said Pelosi after touring the University Medical Center at Princeton with U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-Hopewell Twp.). "We want to encourage self-employment. We want people to take risks, and the biggest anvil around our entrepreneurial spirit is the cost of healthcare. This is a liberator for people.

"The premiums pay for the benefits," added the Democratic Party leader.

Pelosi was scheduled to attend a fundraiser on Holt's behalf after touring the hospital facility.

Although Holt regularly dispatches of his Republican challengers every two years by, on average, 30-point margins, he said he never underestimates his opponents in a Democratic district dominated by independent voters.

Newark Mayor Cory Booker on Election Day, 2008

Standing in the vanguard of opposing parties makes Gov.-elect Chris Christie and Newark Mayor Cory Booker obvious political adversaries - a relationship made more intriguing by their agreeable history and the crisis demands on both of them to deliver reforms in their respective spheres of power - but whatever the dynamics of their personal and professional relations, allies of both men expect a coming collision between Newark and New Jersey.

Don't count Booker among them.

"I know people want to turn this into a rivalry but when you consider the monumental challenges we are up against right now, he is my greatest ally," Booker said of Christie, the Republican who on Nov. 3rd defeated Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine. "To characterize us as rivals would be like saying Democrats and Republicans were the chief antagonists during World War II. We're in a crisis."

"I would also say - and I use this word because it is accurate - that Chris Christie is my friend. We have been friends for three years and he can assume credit for things we have accomplished here these past three years."

Booker knows the buzz about how he's the Democratic Party's most likely nominee for governor in 2013, to which he gives the only politic response: he's focused on the city's crime problem.

Prodded on politics and Christie, he adds, "I'm focused on next year's mayoral election and on electing the Booker Team (of council candidates)."

• Chris Christie gives passing grade to Xanadu interior, but still not thrilled
• Christie, Corzine Meet and Talk About Transition
• Christie's victory has Republicans hopeful for conference in Atlantic City
• Ex-Municipal Court judge gets probation for assaulting DJ wife
• Jersey Lawmaker Wants to Crack Down on State Workers Who Go Back to Work After They Retire
• Democratic loser to request recount in Monroe council race
• Hillsborough officials backing Christie business review proposal
• Clayton council swears in GOP's Radio as new mayor
• N.J. task force seeks exceptions to gun law

Governor-elect Christopher Christie and outgoing Gov. Jon Corzine have come to a simple agreement when it comes to major appointments and policy decisions in lame duck: if Corzine wants to do something, he'll fill Christie in.

"The understanding that the Governor and I came to was we would be talking to each other about it.  There was no agreement that we made that either certain appointments, or any appoints, would or would not go forward," said Christie at a press conference today in the Meadowlands.  "He's the governor until January 19.  I'm going to certainly weigh in, and he offered me the opportunity to weigh in, and he also offered to share with me any actions he was considering taking."

Christie said that the executive director of the transition office, Jeff Chiesa, reports that the Governor's office has been "very cooperative" and has "given him everything he's asked for." 

What Christie and Corzine don't have an agreement on is what happens if Corzine makes an appointment he does not agree with.

"If he does intend to do something and I weigh in saying that I wouldn't like him to do it, then we'll have to see what happens," said Christie.  "But hopefully we're going to just be able to work well together. He's going to respect the prerogatives of the people who voted on November 3rd, and I certainly respect his prerogative.  It's a four year term.  It's not a three year, 10 month term."

A week to the day after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a health care reform bill, Speaker Nancy Pelosi tomorrow afternoon will join U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-Hopewell Twp.) for a tour of the University Medical Center in Princeton.

On the Record

Michael Aron hosts U.S. Reps. Leonard Lance (R-Clinton) and Frank Pallone (R-Long Branch) to talk about the health care bill.

Airs: Sunday at 9am and 11am, Monday at 6:30 am on NJN

Reporters Roundtable

Angela Delli Santi of the AP, Nick Acocella of Politifax, John Reitmeyer of The Record and John McMahon of newjerseynewsroom.com talk about the Christie transition team and the health care bill. Hosted by Michael Aron.

Airs: Tonight at 7:00, Sunday at 10am on NJN

Power & Politics

Republican lobbyist Roger Bodman talks about the transition; Former. Sen. Bob Torricelli talks about his "to-do" list for Gov. Elec. Chris Christie; GOP activist Steve Lonegan and Democratic lobbyist Mike Murphy talking about the challenges Christie faces, what went right/wrong in the election; Bill Marino of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield addresses Health Care Reform from the perspective of the state's largest health insurer; and Eagleton Institute New Jersey Project Director Ingrid Reed looks ahead to the 2010 congressional elections.

Airs: Saturday and Sunday at 10am and 3pm on News 12 New Jersey

New Jersey Now

Political analysts George Dredden and Pat Politano discuss the possibility of Governor-Elect Chris Christie calling for a state of emergency to deal with the fiscal crisis; Meadowlands Chamber President Jim Kirkos and Rutherford Mayor John Hipp talk about the future of Xanadu under Governor-Elect Chris Christie;  Marilyn Askin of AARP NJ and Dr. Joseph Reichman of the Medical Society of NJ debate healthcare reform.

Airs: Sunday at 12pm on My9

Assemblyman David Rible (R-Wall) today issued a statement indicating that he does not intend to pursue the office of Monmouth County Sheriff, which Kim Guadagno is vacating to assume the office of lieutenant governor.

"While I am honored that my name has been mentioned as a possible candidate for Monmouth County Sheriff, I have asked that my name be removed from consideration for this position," Rible said. "I am committed to devoting my time and energies to representing the residents of the 11th District. I look forward to serving in my new role as Assembly Republican Whip and working with Governor-elect Christie and the legislative leaders to offer change that the people of New Jersey deserve."

MADISON - Gov. Jon Corzine's campaign thought they were well positioned to win re-election against former U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie leading right up to Election Day, Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryan (D-Union) said today at a joint event with his Republican counterpart, Jay Webber (R-Morris Plains) at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

"Candidly, we thought we were going to win. We had numbers that showed on the Sunday before the election that we were in a position to win," said Cryan who, along with Webber, is also an assemblyman. 

Cryan made the point in response to a question from FDU pollster and political science professor Peter Woolley about whether the Democratic Party abandoned Corzine.  Although there were clearly base problems and the unaffiliated vote went heavily for Christie, the loss did not result in part from party leaders scuttling the campaign, as some have suggested after looking at the anemic turnout from the state's Democrat-rich urban voting districts. 

"We ran a campaign that appealed to the Democratic core in the hopes it would bring folks forward," Cryan said.  "Certainly we tried very hard to inspire the new Obama voter, who clearly needed more inspiration than we could provide." 

Cryan said that the campaign had trouble cutting through with their message.  Corzine had provided real tax relief, he argued, but it didn't live up to the campaign promise of "40 in 4" he made in 2005.

"You might have heard us mention more than once that we had the most property tax relief in history. It's not a lie -- we did. But nobody believed it," he said.

Webber argued that Corzine's appeal to their base on mammograms, abortion and guns did not work because the election above all a referendum on Corzine's four years in office.

"There's no one element of the campaign or election season that this is the reason why or that is the reason why. It is both a referendum on the incumbent and I think a real vote of confidence for our new governor," he said.

Webber said that Christie's victory showed that conservatives can win in traditionally Democratic states like New Jersey, though he stopped short of saying that it signifies a conservative resurgence in blue states. 

Christie, Webber said, did not run away from questions on hot button social issues.  But he didn't emphasize them. 

"You have your conservative principles and beliefs. You don't back away from them or try to explain them - you defend them when you have to.  But you talk about those kitchen table issues that voters care about," he said. "Certainly, Chris demonstrated that pro-life, pro-traditional family, pro-voucher, pro-tax cut Republican can win in New Jersey."