North Ward Democratic Party leader Steve Adubato

Essex County insiders said all along that North Ward Democratic leader Steve Adubato, Sr.’s incessant political jockeying to the determent of Newark Mayor Cory Booker could come to a standstill with one ring-kissing session. 

That might have come this weekend albeit not in a formal ceremony, as The Star-Ledger reported that Adubato, Sr.’s celebrated North Ward Center received a $500,000 gift courtesy of Booker’s pal Oprah Winfrey, part of $1.5 million the television star gave to nonprofit organizations in the city. 

Adubato told the Ledger the money will be used "to provide scholarships to graduates of the center's charter school, the Robert Treat Academy," which consistently graduates high-achieving urban students.

It’s not a given that the gift will grind to a halt the Booker-prodding political machinations of the North Ward mastermind, but insiders say Adubato is certainly less likely to mount a serious challenge to Booker when the mayor runs for reelection in 2010. 

Theirs has been a political relationship fraught with a thousand small urban dramas. 

Adubato endorsed Booker in the 2006 mayoral election and they teamed to land five out of six legislators in office a year later in the 28th and 29th legislative districts. 

But Adubato chafed at the mayor’s insistence on retaining several inner sanctum holdovers in his administration from the Sharpe James regime, and complained loudly when Booker didn’t give enough seats at the table to members of Adubato’s old and proven organization.  

The North Ward boss subsequently waged several winning campaigns against Booker, beating him in a county committee fight in the Central Ward in addition to teaming up with state Sen. Ronald Rice (D-Essex) to defeat Booker in a Central Ward council race last November. 

The calculated political body slams – done up with constant threats of running candidates against him - weakened Booker just enough to prove to the mayor that however powerful in raw starpower and fundraising terms, he still needs to go through Adubato to play politics in Newark.