Al Gore

Corzine, right, and Gore.

ATLANTIC CITY - Identifying the touchstone values of their party, Democrats bucked one another up here at the Trump Plaza Casino, trying to build feeling for what amounts now to the last 38 days of their campaign effort to maintain control of Drumthwacket and deliver another four years to Gov. Jon Corzine.

"I love you all," Corzine told his supporters in a room packed with party insiders, stirring into his speech humanizing buzz notes - farm boy, soccer coach, parent teacher conference attendee - to offset the image of an aloof leader who landed in Trenton three and a half years ago with comparatively little time honed at the street level of New Jersey politics.  

Corzine noted his commitment to the vulnerable and poor - his move to enact the country's first economic recovery plan, broaden early childhood education and healthcare, and build new schools.

Echoing Bill Clinton with former Vice President Al Gore in the room, "I still believe in the family values my family taught me back on the family farm," said Corzine, who told the crowd that in his battle with GOP candidate Chris Christie "every value we hold dear is at stake." 

VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE ENERGIZES CORZINE CAMPAIGN
& NEW JERSEY DEMS AT ANNUAL STATE CONFERENCE

Former Vice President Gore Headlines
New Jersey Democrats’ 2009 Convention

(ATLANTIC CITY) – Governor Jon S. Corzine and New Jersey Democratic State Committee (DSC) Chairman Joseph P. Cryan this evening hailed Vice President Al Gore’s visit to New Jersey as a significant force in energizing New Jersey Democrats.  Gore gave the keynote address at this evening’s dinner hosted by Congressman Frank Pallone to honor Governor Jon S. Corzine at the 2009 New Jersey Democratic State Conference.

Former Vice President Al Gore will be in New Jersey today, lending a hand to Gov. Jon Corzine's re-election by addressing an annual meeting of Democrats in Atlantic City.  Gore becomes the second of the eight living Democratic nominees for President to stump for Corzine; Barack Obama was in the state last July.  Democrats expect two others to be in New Jersey over the next few weeks: former President Bill Clinton, and U.S. Sen. John Kerry.  There are no plans for any of the other four onetime Democratic standard bearers to campaign for Corzine: George McGovern, Jimmy Carter, Walter Mondale and Michael Dukakis.

There are four living Republican presidential candidates.  It's almost certain that former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush will not campaigning for GOP gubernatorial candidate Christopher Christie.  There is no word if Bob Dole or John McCain will be visiting New Jersey before November.

Gore also puts in checkmark under the living former Vice Presidents column. It seems certain that Christie won't ask Dick Cheney to come to New Jersey this fall - the heavy traffic on Route 1 notwithstanding. There are no apparent invitations for Mondale or Dan Quayle to stump for Corzine or Christie, respectively.

Vice President Joseph Biden appeared at a Corzine rally on the night of the Democratic primary.

Of the other five living former VP candidates, three almost certainly will not be invited: Sarah Palin, John Edwards, and Joseph Lieberman.  Sargent Shriver has health issues and is no longer making public appearances. That leaves Geraldine Ferraro, and there is a decent chance the Corzine campaign won't want her.

Another signal of which Democrat might be leading the U.S. Senate sweepstakes if an open seat were to come up: U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-Long Branch) will host a dinner for Gov. Jon Corzine on Friday at the 2009 Democratic State Conference in Atlantic City.  Former Vice President Al Gore will be the keynote speaker.  Pallone has expanded his universe of Democratic friends as one of the first to criticize then-U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie, now the Republican candidate for Governor, for hiring ex-U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft to a lucrative federal monitor post.

Former Vice President Al Gore with Roger Chugh, the former Assistant N.J. Secretary of State

Former Vice President Al Gore will attend the New Jersey Democratic State Conference in Atlantic City next week.

"Vice President Gore recognizes how important this election is to the future of New Jersey and to working families for generations to come," said Assemblyman Joseph Cryan (D-Union), the Democratic State Chairman.  "He also has first-hand experience with how far the National Republican Party will go to obstruct positive change in Washington. Republicans have their sights set on New Jersey as a way to bolster their party and stop President Barack Obama's bold agenda for change."

Christopher Christie, leading Gov. Jon Corzine 50%-40% in today's Quinnipiac University poll, is the first Republican in twelve years to lead in a statewide race in June, and is likely the first Republican since Thomas Kean, Sr. in 1985 to be at 50% just after the primary election.

Past Quinnipiac University polls:

Getty Images Photo

President-elect Barack Obama announces the appointment of Lisa Jackson to head the EPA.

The state Department of Environmental Protection today released their proposed plan to reduce greenhouse gas emission – five and a half months after the deadline set by law last year.  That’s one less thing former DEP Commissioner Lisa Jackson, who is Barack Obama’s pick to head the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, needs to worry about as she prepares for her Senate confirmation.   On July 6, 2007, former Vice President Al Gore joined Governor Jon Corzine in New Jersey for the signing of the Global Warming Response Act, which required a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% on June 30, 2008.

The fourth and final day of the Democratic National Convention will be called to order at 5:00 PM EST on Thursday, with a theme of "Change You Can Believe In."

The final day's events will take place at INVESCO Field at Mile High, where over 70,000 people are expected to attend.

Featured speakers will include Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter (D), former Vermont Gov. and Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean (D), New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D), U.S. Rep. and U.S. Senate candidate Mark Udall (D-Colo.), Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine (D), former Vice President Al Gore (D) and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D).

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), the Democratic presidential nominee, is scheduled to address the convention at 10 p.m. EST.

The full schedule is below.

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