Blanco sworn-in by Corzine, celebrated by Menendez

PASSAIC - Standing in the midst of a melting pot audience, with Latinos, Jews and African Americans dominant in a crowd that also contained a smattering of Italians and Indians, and probably sprinklings of just about everything else given Passaic and Passaic pride, School Board member Salim Patel requested a hand for the first Dominican-American mayor in the United States.

There was clapping.

Then Mayor Alex Blanco stood, and the School No. 6 auditorium erupted.

As usual at these big ticket events here in Passaic, the mayor had top-tier love in the room in the form of Gov. Jon Corzine and U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-Hoboken), who both backed Blanco for mayor earlier this year.  

"If you truly love Passaic, you must help him succeed, because in his success, the people of Passaic succeed," Menendez said.

Child of immigrant parents Blanco went to the podium early, but not before Menendez spoke, wringing a laugh-line out of a setup created by the cheering section for Councilman-elect Terrence L. Love, the governing body's lone black. 

"He loves Passaic, he loves Passaic," shouted a fan.

"And I love that he loves Passaic," Menendez said of a grinning Love.

"I know something about making history," Menendez boasted moments later. "I've done it often myself. To all of us who have ever been the first of any people, we have a double burden. We have to work twice as hard."

Menendez introduced Corzine, who promptly swore-in Blanco.

"When you have the worst economy since the Great Depression, and you have to still preserve the values of having all of our citizens have what they need to prosper... (that) is an ultimate challenge," Menendez said of the battling Democratic governor. "Jon Corzine has used all of his financial background to make the best possible decisions under the worst possible circumstances."

The chairs nearly emptied.

"Someone who came in the footsteps of their parents - and by the way, all of us are immigrants to this country - Mayor Alex Blanco has created the American Dream, and I am very, very proud of you, as are all of the citizens," said the governor. 

"Alex already has my cellphone number, and he is using my cellphone number," Corzine added.

When Blanco headed for the microphone, he thanked Assemblyman/Council President Gary Schaer (D-Passaic), "without whom I wouldn't be here," and gave a park and ballfield policy-heavy speech.

"I hope to make Passaic a model for re-development," said the mayor, who defeated city super Vincent Capuana last year in a special election, then beat him anew in May for a four-year term.

"We need to embrace our diversity as our greatest strength," added Blanco, looking out at a crowd that included state Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-ridge) and Assemblyman Fred Scalera (D-Nutley). "It is your support that motivates me."

Now every agnostic's worst fear at any publicly sanctioned event is the presence of a demagogic and opportunistic minister at the microphone, but back-to-back succinct invocations by Hispanic and Indian clerics respectfully kept most heads briefly bowed, and averted prolonged discomfort. 

Standing in front of the diverse, packed crowd, a visibly moved Corzine invoked "la causa" of Blanco and Passaic and said, "I love what I see here tonight," apparently not just a reference to the councilman of the same name.

Running on a ticket with Capuana, Love landed on the council without the help of Menendez and Corzine. In profusely thanking God, his family and that small, dedicated - and still vocal - cadre of grassroots supporters who backed him while expressing no acknowledgement of the power players sitting on the stage just an arm stretch away, he gently dissed the senator and governor.  

Since then-U.S. Attorney Chris Christie jailed former Passaic Mayor Sammy Rivera and bowled over sections of the city council, it's been hard to track the influx and ouflow of new faces, but suffice to say Love and Councilman Kenneth Lucianin replaced disgraced Councilman Marcellus Jackson and embattled Councilman Gerry Fernandez. 

Lucianain tried to dredge the goodwill in the room for the governor, while also paying tribute to Love.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the governor is a humble man, and we need to roll up our sleeves and fight for the governor in November," he said. "...Terrence proved that when you work with everyone in the city, those are the kinds of numbers you get. He didn't really fight the establishment, but created his own establishment."

Schaer saved his greatest praise for his political acolyte, Blanco. "To my mayor," he said, "we are so honored."

The council voted 5-2 in favor of re-affirming Schaer as council president, with all voting in the affirmative except Councilwoman Maritza Colon-Montanez and Love.