Corzine salutes law enforcement and fire officials at packed Irvington church

IRVINGTON - They bellowed a lot of praise down on Gov. Jon Corzine from the pulpit of Christian Love Baptist Church on Wednesday night but the signature hymn, "Your struggle is over," sung with deep feeling and a full chorus on high volume, hardly projected a Biblical battle cry as the governor faces eight weeks more of hard-slog campaign season before Election Day.

When the big baskets appeared and it was collection time, Pastor Ron Christian made sure Corzine knew the drill.

"You never know when he might leave," joked the reverend, host for the governor, an altar filled with other emissaries of ecumenism, among them the Rev. Pastor Reginald Jackson of St. Matthew AME Church - and other public officials all gathered to salute law enforcement officers and firemen on the eighth anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001.

There was a lot of love for Corzine throughout the course of the ceremony, which Christian stoked even as he deflected any of the praise directed at himself and his thriving Irvington church by reminding the congegation - to growing applause - that he's just a simple sinner - a former corrections officer turned thief, in fact, turned repentant minister.

A current of politics ran inevitably through the evening's rituals.

"At Christian Love, we support those who support us," said Christian. "That's the way we roll in the hood. That's something I appreciate about this governor. He comes throughout the year, not just at election time."

Essex County Excutive Joe DiVincenzo sat with Corzine, Irvington Mayor Wayne Smith, Assemblywoman Cleopatra Tucker (D-Newark), and Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura in the front row of a packed church, half of which was comprised of law enforcement and fire officials. A broad showing of blue and gold, they represented local, county and state ranks, and many of them would receive honors tonight. Seated on a fold-out chair and extending the row of officialdom was Newark mayoral candidate Clifford Minor, a former cop and judge among his own, the man committed to unseating Cory Booker in next year's municipal election in the neighboring Brick City. 

Of course, the ceremonial presence of law enforcement in Essex County with Prosecutor Paula Dow in the crowd and the context of politics inevitably conjures memories of former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie, a Republican whose office was one town over for seven years, and who in most polls now leads Corzine in their gubernatorial clash. 

DiVincenzo introduced the governor.

Offering a variation on the slogan "Putting Essex First," - and thematically in sync with Christian Love's own "Where Christ comes first" - the county exec said of Corzine, "He puts the people first," before adding, "All the governors since I've been county executive have been great, but Jon Corzine has taken this county to another level. He's really moving this county and this state forward.

"He's been there for us and for the people of New Jersey, and I'm asking you, please - be there for him on Nov. 3rd," DiVincenzo added.

Corzine in brief remarks kept the focus on the late Army Major Dwayne M. Kelley of South Orange, killed last year in Ira. When he asked Major Kelley's widow, Manita, to stand and be recognized, the congregation rose and offered long and resounding applause.

"His life inspired us with the example of someone devoted to a higher calling," said the governor, extending gratitude to the rows of uniformed officers who, he said, embody the same dedication.

The clerics in attendance paid tribute to the governor as they too mostly talked up the law enforcement community.

"I don't know about you, but I like having friends in the governor's mansion," said Imam W. Dean Shareef. 

Smith backed that up in his own welcome remarks to kick off the spirited event.

"In November we have to do something very special," he said. "It would be a travesty of justice if we did not return Gov. Corzine as governor of this state." 

If the governor's struggle isn't over, at least a lot of people here at Christian Love Church appeared ready to stand with him in his ongoing campaign fight.